Govt mulling granting Indian citizenship to Lankan Tamils

Last Updated: Saturday, October 03, 2009, 16:24

Tags: India, Citizenship, Sri Lankan Tamils

Chennai: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the Centre would consider a proposal by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to grant Indian citizenship to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in the state.

"We have received a letter (from the state government) in this regard and the Centre would look into it," Chidambaram told reporters here after meeting Karunanidhi.

Ruling DMK, in a resolution passed on September 26 – the centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, had asked Karunanidhi to persuade the Centre to grant citizenship and to rehabilitate over one lakh Tamil Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu.

On the Sri Lankan Tamils living in refugee camps in the Island nation, Chidambaram said the matter would be considered after holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna.

To a query on sending a team of Indian MPs to the Island nation to assess the situation there, he said it was also under consideration of the Centre.

Bureau Report

First Published: Saturday, October 03, 2009, 16:24

Comments

Capt.D.N.Ghosh - Patna
As an Indian I strongly object to this move by the Govt. We already have too many refugees in our country - the Bangladeshis, Tibtians, Afgans and now the Sri Lankan Tamils. Our country is already cracking at the seams by the load. To make things worse our Politicians are apathetic to the fast growing population, because they do have to travel by public transport, nor do they have to go out on the street, or to the pubic healthcare centre or to any hospital as they consider themselves above all this. Karunanidhi is a cheap type of politician, who just wants to buy cheap popularity and build votebank. We as Indians should not forget what allowing Bangladeshi refugees to stay on after 1971 war did to West Bengal.