TNN | Sep 5, 2012, 01.25AM IST
NEW
DELHI: Local politics, including sensitivities in Tamil Nadu, prevented the
Indian government from reacting to the attack by Tamils on a group of Lankan Tamil pilgrims in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.
Instead, the ministry of external affairs reacted to a travel advisory issued
by Sri Lanka on Monday asking its citizens not to travel to Tamil Nadu. India
assured the island nation on Tuesday that it will continue to take steps to
ensure safety of all Lankans visiting India.
"I wish to convey here that the government of India, in close consultation with the state governments concerned, has taken and will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Sri Lankan dignitaries and visitors to India, including to Tamil Nadu," said official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
However, after Tuesday's attack, the Lankan advisory acquired a new significance. Sources said the central government could not react since law and order is a state subject. The Sri Lankan government had said in its travel advisory that it regretted the increasing number of instances of intimidation of its nationals visiting Tamil Nadu for the purposes of tourism, religious pilgrimages, sporting and cultural activities and professional training.
Embarrassed by the attack, sources said, Indian and Sri Lankan governments are working together to ensure the safety and security of Lankan pilgrims.
The official emphasized that people-to-people contacts are an integral part of the close historical, cultural, ethnic and civilizational ties between India and Sri Lanka. " Our High Commission in Colombo issued visas to nearly 200,000 Sri Lankan nationals to visit India last year, while approximately 175,000 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2011. It is this perspective that guides all our actions on such matters," he added.
Official sources also said that there is no question of New Delhi trying to block President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Sanchi, as some Tamil parties have demanded, later this month. Rajapaksa will be in Sanchi to lay the foundation of a Buddhist university being built with support from the local government.
The Congress party described as "most unfortunate" the attack on Sri Lankan pilgrims in Tamil Nadu by activists of Tamil outfits and said the government is "very firm" that these kind of incidents do not recur. "It is most unfortunate. It should not happen. Government is very firm that these things do not happen," party spokesman P C Chacko told reporters.
Times View
The kind of hatred being whipped up against ordinary Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu deserves the strongest condemnation. It is understandable that Tamils are upset about the manner in which people from their ethnic community have suffered in the neighbouring country over several decades. However, to retaliate for that against school children who have come over to play a football match or against pilgrims is not acceptable. Political parties in the state have to shoulder much of the blame for the extent to which the temperature has been raised on this issue. They should realise that while they play their game of one-upmanship, they could be doing serious damage that will have a lasting impact.
"I wish to convey here that the government of India, in close consultation with the state governments concerned, has taken and will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Sri Lankan dignitaries and visitors to India, including to Tamil Nadu," said official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
However, after Tuesday's attack, the Lankan advisory acquired a new significance. Sources said the central government could not react since law and order is a state subject. The Sri Lankan government had said in its travel advisory that it regretted the increasing number of instances of intimidation of its nationals visiting Tamil Nadu for the purposes of tourism, religious pilgrimages, sporting and cultural activities and professional training.
Embarrassed by the attack, sources said, Indian and Sri Lankan governments are working together to ensure the safety and security of Lankan pilgrims.
The official emphasized that people-to-people contacts are an integral part of the close historical, cultural, ethnic and civilizational ties between India and Sri Lanka. " Our High Commission in Colombo issued visas to nearly 200,000 Sri Lankan nationals to visit India last year, while approximately 175,000 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2011. It is this perspective that guides all our actions on such matters," he added.
Official sources also said that there is no question of New Delhi trying to block President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Sanchi, as some Tamil parties have demanded, later this month. Rajapaksa will be in Sanchi to lay the foundation of a Buddhist university being built with support from the local government.
The Congress party described as "most unfortunate" the attack on Sri Lankan pilgrims in Tamil Nadu by activists of Tamil outfits and said the government is "very firm" that these kind of incidents do not recur. "It is most unfortunate. It should not happen. Government is very firm that these things do not happen," party spokesman P C Chacko told reporters.
Times View
The kind of hatred being whipped up against ordinary Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu deserves the strongest condemnation. It is understandable that Tamils are upset about the manner in which people from their ethnic community have suffered in the neighbouring country over several decades. However, to retaliate for that against school children who have come over to play a football match or against pilgrims is not acceptable. Political parties in the state have to shoulder much of the blame for the extent to which the temperature has been raised on this issue. They should realise that while they play their game of one-upmanship, they could be doing serious damage that will have a lasting impact.
