Even as the trade and business captains are increasingly worried over the fallout of the recent travel advisory issued by the Sri Lankan government telling its citizens to avoid visiting Tamil Nadu, Sri Lankan deputy high commissioner RKMA Rajakaruna pleads for a dialogue with the state government “to clear misinformation about the real situation in Sri Lanka”.
“We would like close engagement with the Tamil Nadu government. Though my functions cover all the southern states, my main focus remains Tamil Nadu as we have close ties with this state and its people for several centuries”, the senior diplomat told DC.
“The recent incidents involving football players and pilgrims which resulted in the issue of a travel advisory, have disturbed the people back in our country. They have seen the TV visuals of the attacks on the pilgrims. Trade and business leaders are worried and many of them have sent me mails”, Rajakaruna said.
He said he had rushed his mission officials to help out the footballers at Chennai airport and the pilgrims in Tiruchy. “I thank the state police for providing security to our people. But then, there are TV visuals showing how they were taken like convicts and detained long hours at the airport”, the envoy said.
He said people in Tamil Nadu were ‘good-hearted’ and nursed no anger against the Lankan civilians. What was happening now was that some fringe outfits, which constitute a small minority in the state, were carrying on the hate campaign “only to nurse their own domestic politics”.