Wed, 2012-09-05 04:06 — editor
By K.T.Rajasingham
Chennai, 05 September, (Asiantribune.com):
Sri Lankan pilgrims were attacked yesterday by slippers and brooms at Kathur, located on the Thiruvarur Bypass Road, on their way to the Thiruchirapalli airport.
Nearly 100 Tamil protesters belonging to Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) waylaid the buses in which the innocent Sri Lankan pilgrims
were travelling, attacked them inhumanly and it was reported that three Sri
Lankan pilgrims were injured and three buses destroyed.
Sri Lankan pilgrims, a total of 184 arrived at the Trichirapalli airport
to participate in the annual feast of the Poondimatha Church and also to
worship in the Shrine Basilica located at Velankanni .
Earlier, Sri Lankan pilgrims arrived in buses from Thiruchirapally
airport to Poondimatha Church in Tanjur and were staying in the church lodges.
About 100 Tamil protesters belonging to the Communist Party, Naam
Thamilar Movement and Liberation Panthers of India rounded up the church lodges
where Sri Lankan pilgrims were staying and started shouting slogans against Sri
Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and against the Sinhalese pilgrims and
threatened the innocent pilgrims.
Following the agitation, Police squads arrived led by Police DSPs
Ilamparithy and and Kaja Mohideen. Also the Deputy collector of Thanjur Mr.
Kalidas arrived at the scene and began negotiating with the protesters. But the
protesters did not yield.
Subsequently, Sri Lankan pilgrims who were holed up at the Poondimatha
Church in Thanjur were taken to Shrine Basilica at Velankanni. As there too was
protest against their presence in Velankanni, they were taken in busses with
police protection to the Thiruchirapally airport.
When the busses carrying the Sri Lankan pilgrims arrived towards
Thiruvarur Bypass road near Kathur, they were waylaid by a Vaiko’s Marumalarchi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and attacked with slippers and brooms and the attack
was led by Rail Baskar, Thruvarur district Secretary of MDMK .
In fact Sri Lankan pilgrims traveling in buses were targeted twice
yesterday by protesters in Tamil Nadu. The convoy of five buses was headed to
the Trichy airport to board a special flight home, when a mob pelted stones and
smashed their windows assaulted the innocent pilgrims with slippers and brooms.
Police have however said that no one was injured in the attack and that all
pilgrims have reached the airport.
Arrival of a fresh Group of 134 Sri Lankan pilgrims
While these attacks and commotions were going on, another group of 134
Sri Lankan pilgrims arrived yesterday in the Thiruchirapally airport, but the
Tamil Nadu Police refused to allow them to leave the airport and has decided to
send them also back to Sri Lanka along with the already arrived 184 pilgrims.
Press Release by the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai
In the meantime Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai in a
press release reported that yesterday afternoon that the group of 184 Sri
Lankan pilgrims who had taken refuge at the Poornimatha Church in Thanjavur has
been taken in buses for their return to Colombo by the Indian authorities and
assisted by the staff of the Sri Lankan Mission.
It was also reported that the buses had come under attack en route to
the airport by a group of protesters. However, the Government of India has
provided the pilgrims security and safe passage, and taken them to a tourist
lodge, near the airport until their departure.
A special flight has been arranged by the Government of Sri Lanka for
the group of pilgrims to return to Colombo tonight from Trichy.
- Asian Tribune -
