Jayalalithaa relents, but Lanka won’t withdraw travel advisory

The Government yesterday said the travel advisory on the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu would remain despite the toning down of the anti-Sri Lanka rhetoric by the state’s Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa, a senior official said.

“We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and any future decision regarding the advisory will be taken once the Government is confident that it is safe for Sri Lankans to travel to Tamil Nadu,” External Affairs Ministry (EAM) Secretary Karunatilleke Amunugama said yesterday.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister earlier this week announced that pilgrims and visitors from Sri Lanka would not be harassed. Her statement came days after she allegedly cheered on a mob to attack Sri Lankan Catholic pilgrims at Velankanni and Trichy.

“The statement is encouraging but it is too early for decisions regarding travel to that state. We are in contact with the Sri Lankan mission in Chennai and a daily update on the ground situation is reviewed carefully.

“It is encouraging to note that there have been no incidents since the attack on the pilgrims on September 3. The development has also led to a sharp drop in airline passengers leaving on the South Indian sector,” Mr. Karunatilleke said.

Earlier last week, the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce Industry (TNCCI) put out a damning statement against those responsible for the attack on the pilgrims saying it was seriously affecting trade links between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

In its statement the TNCCI expressed anger at the recent attacks and urged New Delhi to take up the matter at the highest level to prevent a repeat of such acts since it was tarnishing the image of the state.