Modi reaffirms support for Sri Lankan Tamils
COLOMBO – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (14) expressed India’s support for the welfare of the Tamils of Sri Lanka, noting he is the only Indian Prime Minister to visit Jaffna and that through development work India was ensuring the welfare of Sri Lanka’s Tamil community.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka in a statement quoting extracts from Modi’s speeches during his visit to Chennai on Sunday, said he had also assured of India’s commitment to ensuring the Tamils live with equality, justice peace and dignity and said Tamil rights have been taken up consistently with the Sri Lankan leaders.
Speaking at the inauguration/handing over/laying of Foundation Stone of various projects of Chennai, he had said, “Our government has always taken care of the welfare and aspirations of our Tamil brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka. It is my honour to have been the only Indian PM to visit Jaffna.”
Noting, “Through development works we are ensuring welfare of Sri Lanka’s Tamil community,” he had said the resources given by the Indian government for the Tamils have been much more than in the past and listed the some of the projects which included fifty thousand houses for displaced Tamils in North-Eastern Sri Lanka; four thousand houses in the plantation areas; and on the health side, the financing of a free ambulance service, which is widely used by the Tamil community and a hospital in Dickoya.
He had also noted the railway network to Jaffna, and to Mannar being re-built and flights being established from Chennai to Jaffna, to boost connectivity, and said “I feel happy to share that India has built the Jaffna Cultural Centre which we hope to open soon.”
He had also touched on the Indian fishermen issue, noting it to be a long-standing problem but assuring his government will always protect their rightful interests. “We have ensured early release whenever fishermen are apprehended in Sri Lanka. More than sixteen hundred fishermen have been released during our tenure. Currently, there is no Indian fisherman in Sri Lankan custody. Similarly, three hundred and thirteen boats have also been released and we are working for the return of the rest of the boats,” he had said.
-ENCL