15 more Sri Lankan refugees arrive in Tamil Nadu

RAMANATHAPURAM

: Fifteen more refugees from the economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka, including an aged couple and two children aged below one year, reached Tamil Nadu. The families set off in a fishing boat from Mannar in the early hours of Monday and reached Kothanda Ramar Temple seashore in

Rameswaram

.


The refugees, members of five families, are from Anaikoddai in Kaakai Theevu in Jaffna. They spent around 2.5 lakh Sri Lankan rupees (around Rs 60,000 Indian rupees) for the journey.

Y Nirojan, 28, a daily wage worker, came with his wife N Vaitheeswari, 20, and their 11-month-old son N Girijan. “We could not afford the rent for the house and basic food items due to the inflation,” said Vaitheeswari.

She told reporters that they had pledged the little jewellery they had to pay for the boat ride. The family went to Neduntheevu and desperately asked a few fishermen there if they would take them to Rameswaram in India.

“At last, around 2 am, one fisherman agreed. All of us boarded the boat, and he dropped us here,” she said and expressed concern over the masses deprived of such an arrangement to flee Sri Lanka.

The other refugees include N Palaniandi, 75, and his wife P Janaki, 63. This is the second time the couple have come to India for refuge. They stayed in the Sri Lankan refugee camp near Alandurai in Coimbatore district, from 1990 and returned to Lanka in 2012.

R Kathiramalai, 72, came with his son K Yogan, 43, and daughter-in-law Mala, 42. Yogan and Mala had lived in the refugee camp in Coimbatore for a couple of decades till 10 years ago.

Y Sathish Kumar, 24, came with his wife S Veethura, 24, and their son S Sabareesan, 3, and nine-month-old daughter Aranya. Y Jayaram, 22, came with his wife J Baby Shalini, 20, and their 18-month-old daughter J Kesana.

So far 75

Sri Lankan refugees

have reached Rameswaram since last month. Considering the influx, PMK founder Ramadoss on Monday issued a statement, appealing to the government of India to recognise these illegal immigrants as refugees so that the Tamil Nadu government can extend all possible support that they are entitled.


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