Chennai: Sri Lanka refugees living in Tamilnadu who had wished to go back to their nation are in a dilemma after the deadly bomb blasts on Easter Sunday, in which 310 people were killed.
S C Chandrahasan, who is the founder of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation in Tamilnadu, speaking to a media agency said about 3,815 refugees living in the State had recently opted to return to Sri Lanka. Of the one lakh refugees, approximately 61,000 live in 107 camps in Tamilnadu.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed though Sri Lanka was apprised by the Indian government of the intent of 3,815 refugees to return,” 77-year-old Chandrahasan, who is the son of S J V Chelvanayagam, was quoted saying.
He expressed his concern saying that the blasts back in his homeland revealed the hand of external forces and it could have an adverse effect on the economy, especially the tourism sector, of his country.
He stated that several of the refugees were keen on making their livelihood by depending on agriculture and fishing were confident of going back, but not everyone could be expected to do so. .
Chandrahasan who had arrived to Chennai in 1983 is a native of Tellipalai in Jaffna district in Sri Lanka has been working for the welfare of Tamil refugees in the State. When asked whether the bombings would affect the ties between Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka’s eastern province, he stated that the lives of both were intertwined.
It was only a small section of youth that was influenced by such extremist ideologies, he noted and that the concern over a section of Muslim youth in the eastern province in Sri Lanka getting swayed by extremist influences was shared by Islamic elders.
Chandrahasan wanted the island nation’s government to take all steps to address the issue of extremist influence among youngsters.
“If a Tamil has to visit his farm, he has to traverse a Muslim’s landholdings and vice versa in villages of the eastern province. One village will be Tamil and another Muslim and we live together and we have to do,” he was quoted saying. If the situation was not handled well by all stakeholders, it may lead to problems.
