Statement of Sarkaryavah Shri Bhayyaji Joshi on
SUFFERINGS OF THE SRI LANKAN TAMILS
Date: 16 March 2013
Around this time last year, just before
the last meeting of the UNHRC at Geneva, we had issued a statement
calling upon the Government of Sri Lanka to proactively take steps to
alleviate the sufferings of the Tamils of that country and also to
ensure proper rehabilitation, security and political rights to them. I
am constrained to observe that one year down the line there has not been
much improvement in the ground situation. If anything, the suspicions
of the world community over the intentions of the Government of Sri
Lanka have further deepened.
I take this opportunity to once again
remind the Government of Sri Lanka that it can't continue to turn a
blind eye to the plight of the Tamils in the Northern Province who had
suffered immensely during the 30 year-long war between the LTTE and the
Sri Lankan Forces losing lives, livelihood, homes and temples. Tens of
thousands of them had to flee the country and more than a lakh had
arrived on the shores of Tamilnadu as refugees.
It is our considered opinion that
lasting peace will return to Sri Lanka only when the Government of that
country sincerely and amply addresses the grievances of the Tamils of
the North and East as well as those refugees living in India. We urge
the Government of Bharat to ensure that the Sri Lankan Government acts
in a responsible manner in rehabilitating and providing full civil and
political rights to the displaced Tamils.
It must also be borne in mind that this
neighbourhood Indian Ocean island with millennia-old linkages with
Bharat shouldn't be allowed to become a pawn in the great geo-strategic
power game being played out by the global powers with the Indian Ocean
as the battle-ground. Attempts to widen the gulf between the Sinhala and
Tamil population of that country must not be allowed to succeed.
Therein lies the key to lasting solution to the Sri Lankan crisis.
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