Sri Lankan Christian Pilgrims Attacked in India

[samv]

Now Sri Lankan pilgrims forced to leave Tamil Nadu


Agencies : Thanjavur (TN), Tue Sep 04 2012, 10:35 hrs


Nearly 150 Sri Lankan nationals, including Sinhalese, on a pilgrimage to a famous Christian shrine near were forced to cut short their trip and head back home after some pro-Tamil outfits staged protest against them.

The Sri Lankans comprising both Sinhalese and Tamils had arrived at the Poondi Madha shrine, on Sunday for the two-day annual festival.

Activists of Naam Tamizhar Iyakkam headed by film director Seeman, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and P Nedumaran-led Tamizhar Desiya Poduvudamai Katchi, who came to know about the presence of Sinhalese people, staged a demonstration asking them to go back, police said.

The pilgrims said they attend the festival every year and offered to return to Sri Lanka to avoid further trouble, they said.

The small group of protesters, known for their pro-LTTE leanings, dispersed after the brief stir and no case was registered, police said.

The pilgrims are likely to reach Tiruchirappalli from where they would leave for Sri Lanka, police sources said.

The incident comes a day after Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa ordered sending back home a football team from Royal College of Sri Lanka which played a friendly match against Customs department in Chennai on Friday last.

Jayalalithaa, who slammed the Centre for allowing the Sri Lankan football team into India, had also directed that eight students of a Lankan school who had come for a tournament with a city-based school and their coach be sent back.

Her action came against the backdrop of her consistent opposition to India training Lankan military personnel, alleging the island republic's forces had committed war crimes against Tamils during the last phase of 2009 war against LTTE.

Now Sri Lankan pilgrims forced to leave Tamil Nadu - Indian Express

 

[Infinity]

Why do they Visit only Tamil Nadu.................

 

[LaBong]

None was attacked, some fringe group staged a protest and dispersed by police. Twisting headline invites infraction.

 

[INDIC]

Headline twisted with attempt to give religious color.

 

[samv]

Buses carrying Lankan pilgrims attacked near Trichy

New Delhi, September 04, 2012

First Published: 15:13 IST(4/9/2012)
Last Updated: 15:17 IST(4/9/2012)


Five buses carrying Sri Lankan pilgrims to the Trichy airport were attacked on Tuesday, according to media reports. Pilgrims were injured by broken glassed inside one of the bus, reports said.

The Sri Lankan government had issued a travel warning to Sri Lankans visiting southern

The external affairs ministry said that it was compelled to issue the travel advisory after 184 Sri Lankan pilgrims visiting a church in Tamil Nadu became the latest victims of intimidation.

As a result Sri Lankan nationals have been told by the government to desist from undertaking visits to Tamil Nadu until further notice.

The ministry said that in the event there is a compelling reason to visit Tamil Nadu, such a visit should take place following prior timely intimation to the Sri Lanka deputy high commission in Chennai.

Travel to all other states in India are safe for Sri Lanka nationals, the external affairs ministry said.

Tamil Nadu politicians have been agitating over the past several weeks against Sri Lanka over allegations of human rights abuses committed during and after the war targeting Tamils.

The Tamil Nadu government had recently also objected to India providing military training to Sri Lanka after the Indian government had insisted that it will continue with the training.

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa had also this week ordered a football team from a leading Sri Lankan school who were in Tamil Nadu to be sent back.

Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu are also opposing an upcoming visit to India by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lankan external affairs ministry on Monday night said that 184 Sri Lankan pilgrims visiting a church in Tamil Nadu were mobbed forcing them to take refuge inside the church.

Sri Lanka says it regrets the increasing number of instances of intimidation of Sri Lankan nationals visiting Tamil Nadu for the purposes of tourism, religious pilgrimages, sporting and cultural activities and professional training.

These visits are a reflection of people to people contact between the polity of two countries which are bound by age-old friendly ties and traditions, the external affairs ministry said.

Buses carrying Lankan pilgrims attacked near Trichy - Hindustan Times

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Nation specific topics are not to be posted in the world affairs, if i recall correctly.

 

[samv]

Nation specific topics are not to be posted in the world affairs, if i recall correctly.

It involves both India and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan pilgrims attacked in Tamil Nadu: 10 developments

Chennai: Five buses carrying Sri Lankan pilgrims to Trichy airport in Tamil Nadu have reportedly been been attacked.The pilgrims were on their way back home after Sri Lanka advised its citizens not to travel to Tamil Nadu until further notice. All 184 pilgrims are now on a special flight back to Sri Lanka.

Here are the 10 latest developments in this story:

1.The same group of 184 pilgrims had earlier alleged that they were mobbed and harassed while visiting the ancient Poornimatha Church in Thanjavur on Monday. They said they had to take refuge in the church. The travel advisory was issued after that incident.

2. They were scheduled to return home this afternoon by a special Sri Lanka Airlines flight from Trichy. The buses were pelted with stones by protestors at Korratur, about 20 kilometres from Trichy.

Sri Lankan pilgrims attacked in Tamil Nadu: 10 developments | NDTV.com

 

[samv]

Tamil Fanatics Attack Innocent Sri Lankan Pilgrims While on Their Way to Tiruchy Airport

Tue, 2012-09-04 18:04

By K.T.Rajasingham

Chennai, 04 September, (Asiantribune.com):

Sri Lankan Christians – Catholics, 179 of them from Chillaw, who went on a pilgrimage to Poornimatha Church in Thanjavur have been attacked by a group of Tamil Nadu fanatics, when they were taken in three buses to the Tirucirapalli Airport this afternoon.

According to available reports the buses were damaged and a few Sri Lankans in the buses also sustained injuries.

These Sri Lankans, 179 of them including 60 children were from yesterday afternoon holed up at the Catholic Church in Tanjavur after they were surrounded attacked by Tamil Nadu fanatics.

This was brought to the notice of the Deputy High Commission office in Chennai and the Deputy High Commissioner A. Rajakaruna took up the matter with the External Affairs Ministry in Colombo.

Asian Tribune learnt that Sri Lankan President has agreed to send a special flight to Tiruchy to bring back those stranded and attacked Sri Lankans. The flight is expected to arrive in Tiruchy and leave for Sri Lanka by 9 PM today.

In the meantime, it is learnt that the Deputy High Commission tried its best to contact the Catholic priest of the Poornimatha Church in Thanjavur and unfortunately he was not available to seek any assistance to the Sri Lankan pilgrims who were attacked in the Church vicinity.

FULL ARTICLE: Tamil Fanatics Attacked Innocent Sri Lankan Pilgrims While on Their Way to Tiruchy Airport | Asian Tribune

 

[Spring Onion]

dirty south Indian politics

 

[samv]

Lankan govt arranging special plane to fly SL nationals home

PTI

Chennai, September 04, 2012

First Published: 16:03 IST(4/9/2012)

Last Updated: 16:03 IST(4/9/2012)

In the backdrop of protests being faced by Sri Lankan pilgrims in Tamil Nadu, the island nation's government is arranging a special plane to take them back home on Tuesday. "We get reports that some people follow the pilgrims group, intimidate, abuse and even attack them with stones," SriLanka deputy High Commissioner R K M A Rajakaruna told PTI, adding, the group would be leaving today.

The Sri Lankan government evaluated the situation as the people "appealed to us to arrange to send them back to Sri Lanka," he said.

"We thought it would be advisable to arrange their quick eviction from here," the envoy said.

A batch of 178 Sri Lankan nationals on a pilgrimage in Tamil Nadu faced protests for the second day today with a pro-Tamil outfit trying to block their vehicles when they were returning after offering worship at the famous Velankanni Christian shrine near Nagapattinam.

FULL STORY: Lankan govt arranging special plane to fly SL nationals home - Hindustan Times

 

[INDIC]

It involves both India and Sri Lanka.

There is a section for South & Central Asia.

 

[samv]

There is a section for South & Central Asia.

Don't be embarassed when India's nastiness is exposed to the world.

You just want this posted there because less people visit that forum.

 

[notsuperstitious]

Foreign tourists must be given full protection. Some militant Tamil protesters must not be allowed to hold India's image hostage.

If they want to protest, protest in front of the SL or UN offices, whats the point of protesting in front of visiting pilgrims, they are only private citizens and were legally visiting.

 

[RPK]

Foreign tourists must be given full protection. Some militant Tamil protesters must not be allowed to hold India's image hostage.

If they want to protest, protest in front of the SL or UN offices, whats the point of protesting in front of visiting pilgrims, they are only private citizens and were legally visiting.

How protesters became Militant? don't loose mind

 

[samv]

How protesters became Militant? don't loose mind

Maybe when they throw stones, ransack and attack places of worship, attack buses?