In an advisory to the citizens of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Government has asked them not to visit Tamil Nadu until another notice was issued. The advisory was issued in the interest of the SL nationals who were intimidated on several occasions recently.
The final straw was the Monday's incident outside a church in Thanjavur in central Tamil Nadu which had reported that over 200 pilgrims from SL had been mobbed by political outfits which had coerced them into taking shelter in the shrine. Police had asserted them with full protection and that they could stay in the church as long as they wanted. Vaiko's MDMK and the VCK, a DMK ally were the protesting parties.
"The government of Sri Lanka regrets the increasing number of instances of intimidation of its nationals visiting Tamil Nadu for the purposes of tourism, pilgrimage, sporting and cultural activities and professional training. These visits are a reflection of people to people contact between the polity of two countries which are bound by age-old friendly ties and traditions," the Sri Lankan advisory said.
It also mentioned that in case of an inevitable visit to Tamil Nadu, they should inform the deputy high commission in Chennai.
Since January this year there have been at least three incidents of political and Tamil outfits causing trouble to the dignitaries from Sri Lanka. Thirukumaran Nadesan, husband of Nirupama Rajapaksa, who is the niece of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, had to face a barrage iof footwear when he visited Rameswaram to offer prayers at the temple in January. Only two months later the MDMK and other Tamil outfits had caused disruption to an international conference at the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli while Jeeva Niriella, the Sri Lankan academic had to return to hometown. Soon after, in June, Reginald Cooray, the Sri Lankan agriculture minister had been forced to go back to earlier than planed schedule from Coimbatore after he was told by the police that there were plans to stage a protest outside his Hotel.
(AW- Anil)
