With people from Tamil-speaking areas of Sri Lanka arriving in Tamil Nadu illegally in the wake of the economic crisis in the island nation, the State government has requested the Union government to grant permission for “special provisions to give temporary asylum” to them, as in the case of the refugees staying in camps.
The Chief Minister made the request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1, contending that it was the country’s “duty to consider those arriving from Sri Lanka seeking asylum in India as fellow humans and embrace them,” an official release said on Friday.
Mr. Stalin on Friday virtually interacted with “asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka” who are being housed in a camp at Mandapam in Ramanathapuram. So far, a total of 39 Tamil-speaking Sri Lankans, including 11 women, 16 children and an infant, have reached the shores of Tamil Nadu and are staying at the camp.
Currently, 58,547 from 19,233 Sri Lankan Tamil families are staying in 108 rehabilitation camps in 29 districts across the State. Food and all essential supplies are being provided to them by the Tamil Nadu government.
“During his interaction with them through video conferencing, the Chief Minister enquired them about their essential needs and welfare,” an official release said.
Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Gingee K.S. Masthan, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, Public Secretary D. Jagannathan, Commissioner of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils Jacintha Lazarus, Ramanathapuram Collector Shankar Lal Kumawat and senior officials were among those who participated in the virtual meeting.
Fishermen’s plight
In a letter to Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, Mr. Stalin cited reports that the Union government has enabled the shipping of food and other essential commodities to Sri Lanka and reiterated the Tamil Nadu government’s commitment to shipping essential supplies from Thoothukudi to the Sri Lankan Tamils.
“I request that this may be facilitated at the earliest in view of the worsening situation in Sri Lanka.” Mr. Stalin said, while also requesting the Union Minister to ensure legal support and assistance to fishermen from Tamil Nadu presently in Sri Lankan custody, enabling their early release.
The Killinochchi court that tried the case has adjourned the case to May 12, with instructions that the fishermen could be released on bail on a personal bond of LKR 2 crore per person.
“As this is a prohibitive amount, the fishermen can never furnish the same. They are presently lodged in the Jaffna prison. I request your urgent intervention in this regard and request you to ensure all legal support and assistance to the poor fishermen for enabling their early release,” Mr. Stalin said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media.
During his meeting with Mr. Modi in Delhi last month, he requested permission to the State to extend help and supply essential commodities and life-saving drugs to the Sri Lankan Tamils, who have been severely affected by the economic crisis in their country.
Earlier this month, Mr. Stalin spoke to Mr. Jaishankar over the phone and said the Tamil Nadu government was prepared to supply essential commodities by ship from Thoothukudi to Tamils in eastern and northern provinces of Sri Lanka, and in Colombo and Jaffna and hill-country Tamils.
