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Sticks and stones were hurled by the activists near Kattur at three of the seven buses carrying 178 pilgrims on their way to fly back home, leaving three with bruises as they rushed out of the vehicles, police said.
The group earlier faced the ire of Tamil outfits in the morning at the Christian shrine at Velankanni when they tried to block their vehicles while returning after prayers. The Lankan nationals were meted out a similar treatment at their pilgrimage to Poondi Madha Christian shrine near Thanjavur yesterday.
"Sinhalese go back" shouted the protesters as one of the tyres of a bus got punctured and had to stop, bringing the convoy to a halt. The protesters then attacked three buses and used two wheelers to block the road, police said.
"We get reports that some people follow the pilgrims group, intimidate, abuse and even attack them with stones," Sri Lanka Deputy High Commissioner R K M A Rajakaruna said in Chennai.
The Sri Lankan government evaluated the situation as the people "appealed to us to arrange to send them back to Sri Lanka," he said. We thought it would be advisable to arrange their quick eviction from here," the envoy said.
In New Delhi, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said India would take all measures to ensure safety and security of Sri Lankans in the country.
"I wish to convey here that the Government of India, in close consultation with the concerned state governments, 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," he said.
"From childhood, we have been speaking Tamil. For the past 15 years, we have been visiting this place. We are very sad..." said one of the pilgrims.
The Lankan nationals had worshipped at Poondi Matha shrine last evening on their annual pilgrimage when activists of Naam Tamizhar Iyakkam headed by film director Seeman, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and P Nedumaran-led Tamizhar Desiya Poduvudamai Katchi, staged a protest, asking them to go back.
The incidents came even as Sri Lanka yesterday issued a travel advisory, asking its citizens not to visit Tamil Nadu until further notice in the wake of "increasing number of instances of intimidation" of Sri Lankans in the state.
The developments also come close on the heels of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday ordering sending back a football team from Royal College, which played a friendly against Customs department in Chennai on Friday last.
Jayalalithaa had also directed that eight students of a Lankan school who had come for a tournament with a city-based school and their coach be sent back.
Striking a discordant note against the action of his arch rival Jayalalithaa, DMK Chief M Karunanidhi said his party is not averse to India's cultural and sporting ties with Sri Lanka, but to training of Lankan defence personnel by India.
"All that we can insist is there should be no military training to Sri Lankan personnel in India as the military was responsible for death of civilian Tamils (during the armed conflict). That is what we have been striving for and even stoutly opposing in Parliament," Karunanidhi, whose party is a key UPA ally, said.
Expressing concern at the hostility towards the people from Sri Lanka, CPI(M) said, "whatever the differences and opposition that exists regarding the Sri Lankan government's approach to the Tamil question in Sri Lanka, nothing should be done to disturb people-to-people relations".
AIADMK, DMK and some other political parties have joined the chorus of opposing India training Lankan military personnel, alleging the island nation's forces had committed war crimes against Tamils in the last phase of 2009 war against LTTE.
All Indians who are not Tamils should be careful about venturing in to Tamil Nadu. The cops at the border posts ask money (even from tourists), the auto / cab drivers refuse to speak in any other language other than Tamil (though they may be able to speak English / Hindi). Where ever you go, you feel that Tamil men are most frustrated sexually - they ogle at women (even on Marina beach). Crime may be low but it is a very hostile place. Tamils cannot adjust so I treat it as hostile territory! So, in my opinion, Sri Lanka is a safer (and better) place to go as compared to Tamil Nadu. Best wishes Kishore Nair from Mumbai
First off Tamil Nadu from what I've researched is one of the most educated states in all of India. Indias nuclear program is run mainly by Tamil scientists. The Indian government has supported the genocide of Tamils by providing logistic support to the Sri Lankan Army. If I was a tamil I for one would not want people from a genocidal state who have elected a democratic government with majority to come into my country freely and take part in sports with my fellow people. Then we're training their military too? Come on what is wrong with some of you Indians, I really hope Tamil Nadu does eventually break away as a seperate state as many of you do not understand the pain many tamils feel from the genocide. I guess it goes to show" if you are not the one affected, you can't really care less"
VERY SAD. VERY EMBARASSED. LAST TIME WHEN I VISITED SRI LANKA, I HAD A CHANCE TO TRAVEL TO tRINCOMALEE AND JAFFNA WITH SOME LOCAL SINHALEESE AND TAMIL PEOLE. THE LIFE OF TAMILS I CAN ASSURE IS WELL TREATED THEY ARE HAPPY AS NEVER BEFORE. NO BODY WANT WAR. THEY HATE tn POLITICS AND THE COUNTRY HAS DEVELOPED VERY FAST. MY ISSUE IS I'M SO EMBARASSED AS THE SRI LANKANS ARE SO HOSPITABLE. THEY ARE VERY COOL. THERE IS NO OTHER COUNTRY GOOD FOR TAMILS TO LIVE IN HARMONY THAN SRI LANKA. THEY ARE LIKE ONE NATION. I THINK TAMILS IN TAMIL NADU SHOULD GO TO SRI LANKA. GURANTEE YOU WILL LOVE YOUR STAY!
Well Said brother. Thanks for reveal the truth.But beware of racist in TN. Will ask for a separate state form India.
well said and good observations I'm a Sri lankan and we know the behaviour of dirty politicians in TN
JJ acts like a cowboy unleashing her hounds including Seeman said to be a film director (what kind of cinema can you expect from such a petty minded man) They are real hounds following the order of the mistress, no brain no human at all. After all India means not JJ, she is insulting India. Pitty!
Sri lanka never killed civil tamilians. they are killed LTTE . you all are know LTTE. They are killed Sinhala tamil muslim people for Eelam. they set bomb every where. 10.000 of civilians killed by prabhaharan. he killed tamil. I am sinhales. i know all things. Mahinda Rajapaksa's govt. makes good country now. no LTTE. NO BOMB. NO HURT. sinhala thamil muslims now living in one flag. Sri lanka never give again for eelam dream. I it's DREAM. All sri lankans thamil people agry with me. LTTE hurt thamil people. I have one of tamil friend in Trinco. His father and mother was killed by LTTE. very sad. he always hurt with ltte works... Seriously we dont want thamilnadu. But INDIA our friend forever. china, pakistan india. iran .. they all are our friend. they support to destroy LTTE.
According to me priority is Nationality not religion. If it's Sinhalese they have to be revenged...not the Christians.. Obama by birth is a Muslim does not mean that he need not to punish Osama or culprit Muslims. Hi IE team, when replying to others, the terms and condition tab is not visible to select even in Mozilla. Pls check.
First is who had the brainwave of inviting Sri Lankans to Tamilnadu? Why should he or she not be punished? In the world of realpolitic, India is always a loser, being a house ever divided. Why will China or even Pakistan not have an edge over India in relations with Sri Lanka? Given the difficulty in feeling 'Indian' among the people inhabiting India, this country shall always lose in the game of global politics. Indians are India's biggest enemy!
There is absolutely no way these attacks on Sri Lankans can be justified.Indians visiting Sri Lanka will agree that one is pleasently surprised to meet such likeable and hospitable Sri Lankans. To reciprocate their good will in this manner is most unfortunate. The though that TN Govt is tacitly supporting such actions of a segment of its population should be totally unacceptable. One wonders whether this hostility shown to visiting Sri Lankans is by our people or the Migrant Tamilians !
tamil indians should behave in a responsible way.you can not change a country's policy by attacking pilgrims in our country.they are our guests.have some least common sense.
Tamilnadu's are so sad about tamils, but Tamilanadu forget that was the same tamil people who killed their PM (Rajiv Ghandhi). So the people in Tamilnadu are basically the betrayed people of India :-) Also if political figure says to do any shit, they will do because they are not educated. Also these people still shit on the road although India looking to launch space mission. I think it is a place of mad-house. No wonder of the comments of majority of Tamilnadu's except from some educated people who understand the truth.
The systematic hounding of Sri Lankans by a section of Tamilians, tacitly supported by the Govt , is indeed very sad. Indians visiting Sri Lanka will endorse the fact that the Sri Lankans are excellent hosts and very cordial in their interaction with us. To reciprocate their good will in the manner presently being demonstrated by a section in Tamil Nadu, and more shamefully by the TN Govt should be should be strongly condemned . At times one wonders whether this demonstration of violence is really by Indian Tamils or people who have migrated from Sri Lanka, in which case the TN Govt needs to identify these people and deport them
This kind of act just shows the real character of those seeking to incite racial hatred in order to get their gains (of a hallucinated eelam nation). All the commotions by Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha are not too different: they are interested only in themselves. Hope the world finally realizes who these hooligans really are.
LTTE and Tamil Eelam (what the hell does it mean?) have become unfit for even news and sensation purposes, however much idle and anti-Indian, anti-Tamil politicians Ike Karunanidhi, the Great Deceiver with selfish clannish ambitions and trickster slogans, or others without no other job in TN politics like, like V gopalan - calling himself VAIKO, Sebastian Seeman with little else to do, and a few spent elements. The pragmatic Tamils who form a predominant majority in TN, will need to be more careful not to give any quarters to these guys but concentrating on meaningful programmes of developing the economy, culture and discipline of all people, for making their best mite to make a strong, prosperous and mighty India, with moral support and business relations only with the Sr Lankan people including the Tamils spread all over the small island.
Should there be any surpise ? Some people even bow to political figures like dogs in there. So when political comments always create this kind of incidents. That region, people being not edcuated and even not knowing what are the basic sanitation (because using road as toilet) nothing else can expect. But what would happen when prople vist SL for T20 matches ? Hmmm....
The Tamils in Tamil Nadu is faithful to New Delhi than to the Sri Lankan Tamils. Tamil Nadu only cares about India's national security. The Tamils in Tamil Nadu not concern about the Tamils in Sri Lanka. They only concern about Sri Lanka's closer relationship with China. India will never get closer to Sri Lanka by using the Tamils. India must play a decent game to keep Sri Lanka closer, by investing, creating jobs and giving better life to the people in Sri Lanka. Having said that the Sri Lankan government must treat the Tamils as their own citizens, and develop the country as well.
This is extremely shameful to India and particularly Tamilnadu. Those tourists are nothing to do with Rajepakshe govt. Jayalalitha approach to send sports persons back is not a healthy sign. I think these silly things going to cost India in a longer run such that we are going to make another neighbouring country - a strong enemy as we have in north, east and west.
Wow I very proud see this news.Great thanks who did this things. hello Mr RG I think now only u r reading news paper read the old things u will also fight agint them what our CM did is perfect.:)
I was looking for a suitable word to sum up the above despicable episode...I found it..NEMESIS Church of South India played a major role in nurturing the Eelam secessionist movement by supporting LTTE, offering moral and financial support. CSI also had been actively campaigning in Tamil Nadu through their mercenary dravidian politicos, sustaining the anti-sinhalese rhetoric. Now, it is all coming home to roost. Let's see how the Church reacts about their own flock getting attacked by their other flock !
Excellent comment and analysis. Christian priests smuggled explosives hiding in their robes for the ltte. Seems like the Good god do not like the actions of the flock and the shepherds
I think you dont know History. LTTE was trained by Indian Government. LTTE is 90% Hindu force. Prabakaran was a staunch Hindu
All the singales would have enjoyed when the tamils are massacred....I don't mind whether they are pilgrims or gods servants....what is done is correct. They can travell to any part of India other than Tamil Nad. It's just hit for civilians....one day it will be an end for Rajapakshe..the naragasuran.
They are attacked by tamils, yes they will do still SL gvt stops killing innocent tamils. Better IE try to understand the sentiment. Even if i am there definetly i will also attack them.
This is surprising that the anger of action of a government be taken out on simple civilians and piligrims. This hardliner approach only shows the rot spread in thinking and our intolerance towards fellow human beings. Show your opposition in peaceful manner
This was also an attack on christians during the very important festival - Vellankani Feast. All attackers should be arrested under goondas act. Police officers who failed to protect despite very clear threat should be dismissed. Indian Home Minister should act immediately and decisively.
This is regrettable incident. But I am surprised at express blowing it out of proportion, as it totally failed to report the other connected that happened / happening with relation to training of srilankan military personal. That was the main reason for current tension. And it is shame IE completely ignored that - as if one side story. Possibly promoting srilankan govt interest?
I condemn such deeds. The more we would push the Lankan's by way of beating them or by way of pelting stones on them would affect our people in Lanka! I must say that this is again a "Vote winning propaganda of the Politicians" to show their "So called concern for the Plight of Tamils in Lanka". And I am worried that, people who do such do not face consequences but the one's who are innocent, who by the virtue of destiny might go to Lanka and face consequence because of the people who are demeaning our culture through hatred. Whereas one must understand all action in Lanka was also a Politically influenced decision.
