‘Abuse of Lankan pilgrims unfortunate’ – Indian External Affairs Ministry
August 5, 2011 11:46 pm
NEW DELHI (PTI): The External Affairs Ministry today termed as “unfortunate” the attack on a group of Sri Lankan pilgrims in Chennai and said it “strongly disapproves” of this kind of behaviour towards those visiting the country, especially religious pilgrims.
“The Ministry’s attention had been drawn to an incident in Chennai on August 3, in which Sri Lankan pilgrims staying at a guest house in the city had been targeted and also subjected to some physical and verbal abuse by a local group.
“The Ministry considers this to be an unfortunate incident and regrets the inconvenience caused to the visitors from Sri Lanka. It also strongly disapproves of this kind of behaviour towards those visiting the country, especially religious pilgrims,” the ministry said in a release.
It said India has always made its guests feel welcome and such incidents do not go with our highest traditions of treating guests with respect and dignity.
The Ministry also noted that following investigations, three people have been arrested for their involvement in the incident.
In an earlier report, the Indian Express stated:
In a shocking incident, three Sri Lankan pilgrimage tour organisers were asked to remove their T-shirts, which had Sinhalese words printed across them, by members of a pro-Eelam outfit.
They then made a bonfire of the garments in Purasawalkam on Wednesday. The intruders, identified as Naam Thamizhar Iyyakam activists, were later arrested.
It was about a month ago that Sarath Jayavardhana (39), Sumit Kumara (32) and Chamunda Nuwan (32), all hailing from Alpitiya in Sabaragamuwa region in the Island Nation, brought a group of 80 pilgrims on a tour of places of Buddhist interest in India.
“On reaching 55-60 years of age, Sinhalese wish to visit the Buddhist sites in India and worship there,” Reverend Mahanama, Thero (monk-in-charge) of Maha Bodhi Society on Kenneth Lane, Egmore, told Express.
After visiting Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, Lumbini, Sanchi, Kapilavastu, Saravasti and other places in north India, the 83-member pilgrimage group arrived in Chennai on Wednesday, according to the monk.
Since there was not enough space to accommodate the large group, the society arranged for their stay at a guest house on Perambur Barracks Road in Purasawalkam.
Around 1.30 pm, the three Sri Lankan tour organisers were having lunch at the guest house, when three men barged inside.
When they that the Lankans were sporting T-shirts with Sinhalese words, they ordered the trio to take them off immediately, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kilpauk) K Bhavaneeswari told Express.
The intruders then took the T-shirts outside the hotel and burnt them. Warning the hotel owner not to allow the Lankan nationals to stay there, they went away, the DCP said. Based on a complaint filed by the manager of the guest house, the police later registered a case and have launched a search for the trio.
With the help of footages from the CCTV cameras installed in the hotel, they nabbed the three men, who were identified as Rajkumar (40), area secretary of Naam Thamizhar Iyyakam in New Washermenpet, Mahendran (25) of Vyasarpadi and Kartikeyan of Jamuna Nagar, both members of the Seeman-led outfit.
Officials of the Sri Lankan consulate here visited the Maha Bodhi Society and conducted an inquiry on Thursday morning.
