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The immigration authorities at the international airport in Chennai turned back a senior Sri Lankan political leader Thursday night on suspicion that he might have LTTE links. Middle-aged Nityanandan Indrakumar had to take the return flight back to Colombo after failing to convince the immigration officers that he had nothing to do with the Tamil Tigers and was in fact, the secretary general of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), a recognized political party in Sri Lanka with four MPs in the Parliament.“Indrakumar came with his wife and three children by Air Lanka UL123 Thursday night. The immigration officers at the airport told him that only his wife and children were permitted entry and he should go back to Colombo. He pleaded he was the leader of a recognized political party, which has been pro-India since its birth almost 30 years back. But the officers would not relent. This is unfortunate,” said Mr Sivajilingam, TELO parliamentarian. He said Indrakumar went back with his wife and children by the return UL flight.
“We do not send back anyone unless the documents are fake or the person is banned entry by the Union home ministry. The immigration officials themselves have no great role in these matters,” said a senior immigration officer. He said he would look into the present case when his office opens on Monday. The TELO chief Selvam Adaikalanathan said he would take up Indrakumar’s case with appropriate Indian authorities as he was denied entry despite carrying travel documents and the visa stamped by the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo.
The High Commissioner in Colombo has also come under attack, but in a different case of alleged discrimination in refusing visa to a Sri Lankan journalist, who wanted to fly to Chennai for participating in a conference on human rights. Mr Gnanasiri Koththigoda, chief editor of the Sinhala monthly Haraya (meaning Essence) was denied the visa “because his profession was stamped as journalist in his Sri Lankan passport,” said his colleague Ranath Kumarasinghe, who was, however, allowed to travel to participate in the Chennai meet on human rights.
Both Mr Koththigoda and Mr Kumarasinghe belong to the Nava Sama Samaj Party (NSSP), a prominent Left party in Sri Lanka, and had accepted the invitation from the Chennai-based human rights outfit Manitham to participate in a conference on Violence against the Sri Lankan Tamils.
“We are both journalists by profession and work at Haraya. I got the visa but Gnana was refused because of the journalist stamp on his passport. Are journalists terrorists?” asked Mr Kumarasinghe.
Manitham director Subramaniam said he would petition the National Human Rights Commission seeking action against the Indian Mission in Colombo for denying visa to Mr Koththigoda. [THE END]
| Web : www.manitham.net Email: manitham@... |
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