10 more refugees from Sri Lanka reach Indian islet

Ten more refugees, including three children and four women from Mullaitivu in Sri Lanka, reached India’s Dhanushkodi islet on a vessel, in the early hours, Indian Marine Police said on Saturday.

After receiving this information, the police personnel rushed to the islet and spotted the refugees waiting on the Indian shores. They were brought to the Mandapam station at around 7 a.m. for an interrogation.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the 10 people from Mullaitivu had decided to leave their country following the economic crisis, and the prices of essential goods touching new highs. The refugees claimed that they were not getting jobs regularly. A fisher said that for the last two months or so, he had not got work daily. “In a week, for at least four days I remain idle... With no money in hand and the prices of rice and sugar rising due to scarcity, providing a proper meal for the family became very tough,” he noted.

Even borrowing money from friends or other sources had become difficult as the interest rates were high. “ I thus decided to sell off some of my movables and with the proceeds, hired a boat to reach Indian shores,” he summed up.

A young woman, who was carrying her little child, said that they were coming to India for the first time and it was a bitter experience in Sri Lanka. “Even with the new government in place, things have not improved from the common man’s point of view. Getting jobs and essential goods from local grocery or ration shops remains very tough,” she said.

“Having come to know that the Tamil Nadu government provided shelter and food, we felt at least for a temporary period, we could live peacefully. When things improve, we want to go back to our home,” she said.

The authorities, after completing verification, sent the refugees to the Mandapam Rehabilitation Centre. Last month, five refugees had come from Sri Lanka in a vessel. There are a little over 250 refugees staying at the Centre, officials said.

Source – The Hindu
-Agencies