Sri Lankan Tamils meet CM Stalin, amid growing push for their Indian citizenship

A delegation representing the Sri Lankan Tamils living in the state met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai, and thanked him for the welfare measures extended by the DMK government. Earlier this week, Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking citizenship or long-term visas for 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils who have been living in the Southern Indian state after having fled their home country. The timing of this push for citizenship gains significance, as there are barely two months to go for the assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

"Since he assumed charge in 2021, CM Stalin has been taking care of Tamil Nadu-resident Lankan Tamils, just as he takes care of the people of Tamil Nadu. CM Stalin has written to PM Modi, seeking that citizenship be granted to Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu. This has brought renewed hope among our community," said a Sri Lankan Tamil woman, after meeting Stalin at the secretariat.

"The places where we (Lankan Tamils) reside in (in Tamil Nadu), were referred to as Lankan Tamil refugee camps, but CM Stalin changed them to Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps. There are many welfare measures his govt has provided for our community, and now he has written to the Indian Prime Minister regarding granting us citizenship," said a male representative of the delegation that met Stalin.

In his letter to PM Modi, CM Stalin had described the issue as one of "profound humanitarian, constitutional, and national importance concerning Sri Lankan Tamils who have sought refuge in India, predominantly in Tamil Nadu, for over four decades."

Describing the issue, the letter had mentioned that since 1983, successive Governments of Tamil Nadu, with the support and concurrence of the Union Government, have extended shelter, subsistence, support, education, and healthcare to Sri Lankan Tamils who fled ethnic conflict in the neighbouring island nation. It was added that approximately 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils continue to reside in Tamil Nadu, of which a significant proportion of them have lived in India for more than 30 years, and nearly 40 per cent of them were born on Indian soil.

While the State has fulfilled its humanitarian responsibilities with commitment and compassion, these individuals remain in a state of prolonged legal uncertainty. Despite their decades-long residence and integration into the social fabric, many continue to lack access to durable legal solutions such as citizenship or long-term visa status, Stalin said in the letter.

To resolve these issues, the Chief Minister had said that his Government constituted an Advisory Committee to study the status of these Sri Lankan Tamils. The recommendations shared by the committee included: Rescinding earlier administrative instructions that bar consideration of citizenship applications from Sri Lankan Tamils; Issuing an executive clarification waiving passport and visa requirements, where appropriate, for the purpose of citizenship or long-term visa applications, based on verified identity documentation issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Further, it had said that appropriate powers be designated to district-level authorities for streamlined processing. The letter also sought a formal clarification on the legal status of registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals sheltered in India up to 9 January 2015.

"These individuals have lived in India with dignity, discipline, and deep cultural affinity for more than four decades. Their presence has been supported and regulated in coordination with the Union Government. The continued characterisation of their status as irregular does not reflect the humanitarian context of their entry nor the State-sanctioned nature of their stay. I trust that you will take a favourable and humanitarian decision on the above request," Stalin's letter had concluded.