The forgotten people

The forgotten people

Context

• The focus of the media has been on the Rohingya refugees in India. But the plight of Sri Lankan refugees, staying here for nearly 35 years, appears to have gone out of the public consciousness.

The living condition of Sri Lankan refugees

• The condition of shelters, restrictions on movement, and limited scope of livelihood opportunities is pathetic.
• They having been staying in such condition, the one lakh-odd Sri Lankan refugees, in Tamil Nadu ever since the anti-Tamil pogrom in Sri Lanka in July 1983 occurred.
• Statelessness is a major problem for a section of refugees whose roots are from central parts of Sri Lanka, generally called hill country.
• The refugees also suffer from social and psychological problems as reports of suicides, school dropouts and child marriage show.
• Many middle-aged refugees worry about their children’s future, given the fact that 40% of camp refugees are below 18 years.

Efforts by Sri Lankan government

• As 28,500 refugees are said to be stateless, the Sri Lankan government, in 2003 and 2009, amended its laws to enable easier repatriation.
• Tamil political parties asks the refugees to return so that the strength of elected representatives from the Tamil-majority Northern Province will go up in the Sri Lankan Parliament.

What are the results?

• The voluntary reverse flow of refugees has happened only incrementally.
• Even the end of the Eelam War in May 2009 and the decision of Indian authorities in January 2016 to waive visa fees and overstay penalty on a case by case basis for willing persons have not made a huge difference.
• In the last eight and a half years, hardly 10% of the refugees (9,238 people) went back through a scheme implemented by Indian officials along with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). There is perhaps good reason for the refugees’ reluctance to return.

Improvement in lifestyle

• Around 62,000 refugees, living in 107 camps across Tamil Nadu, have been receiving various relief measures of the Central and State governments.
• In addition, in recent years, the Tamil Nadu government has taken steps for scores of young boys and girls of the refugee community to join professional courses, particularly engineering, benefitting eligible candidates among 36,800 non-camp refugees in the State too.
• Regardless of the quality of housing and the nature of their jobs, several camp refugees have experienced a perceptible improvement in their lifestyle.
• The refugees know well that if they go back to Sri Lanka, they will not get many of the benefits they have been enjoying in Tamil Nadu.

Change in status quo

• Currently, for both India and Sri Lanka, the repatriation of refugees does not seem to be a priority.
• India and Sri Lanka both cannot afford continuing with the status quo either, as Tamil Nadu holds the distinction of hosting the largest number of refugees in India.

Need to rethink

• It would be in the interests of the two countries to thrash out the issue sooner than later. While for India a long-standing problem would be resolved, for Sri Lanka it would be a step towards ethnic reconciliation.
• For refugees who want to stay back, India can consider providing them citizenship, as it did for refugees from Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• India has the right not to grant citizenship to trouble-makers. If everything goes off smoothly, authorities can finally close down camps in Tamil Nadu, bringing an end to an episode that has lasted longer than the civil war of Sri Lanka.

India – Sri Lanka relations

• India Sri Lanka relationship is 2500 years old with significant cultural and political contacts
• In the ancient phase of history, Buddhism was introduced in Sri Lanka by Mahinda, the son of Ashoka
• In the medieval phase of history, the Chola kings like Rajaraja and Rajendra -1 occupied the Northern part of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka was also under British rule and got its independence in 1948. Post independence, both India and Sri Lanka became members of Commonwealth of Nations
• Indian government intervened in Sri Lankan civil war to bring out peace in the nation.

Areas of Cooperation:

Diplomatic Cooperation:

• Diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka are marked by visits of high level Government functionaries. A notable diplomatic event in the recent past was our Indian Prime Minister’s address to the Sri Lankan parliament in 2015
• India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission was established in 1992. The commission facilitates discussions relating to bilateral affairs of both the countries
• India and Sri Lanka signed a civilian nuclear energy deal in 2015. The agreement aims at cooperation to explore nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Economic Cooperation:

• India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2010. India is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner
• India is the source of one of the largest foreign direct investments in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is also a potential source of foreign investment in India.

Defence and Security Cooperation:

• India and Sri Lanka conducts one of the largest joint Military exercises called ‘Mitra Shakthi‘
• India and Sri Lanka conducts joint Naval exercise called ‘SLINEX‘
• India is the largest provider of defence training program to Sri Lankan soldiers and Defence officials
• India, Sri Lanka and Maldives signed a trilateral maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. The cooperation aims at improving surveillance, anti-piracy operations and reducing maritime pollution.

Development Assistance:

• The war between Sri Lankan Government and LTTE came to an end in 2009. The armed conflict led to many casualties and internal displacement
• As an immediate response India provided all war relief measures including food, medicine etc.,. As a long term measure, India announced reconstruction of 50000 houses to provide shelter to Internally Displaced People (IDP)
• India is one of the largest provider of development credit to Sri Lanka. As of 2016, a total of USD 1284 million has been provided by India. The credit is mostly provided for the Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development
• India has provided medical equipment and ambulances to hospitals in Sri Lanka.

Cultural and Educational Cooperation:

• India and Sri Lanka signed a cultural cooperation agreement back in 1977
• India Sri Lanka foundation was setup in 1998. It aims at technical, scientific, cultural and educational cooperation by engaging civil society organizations of both the countries
• India cultural centre in Colombo promotes Indian culture by providing courses in Indian music, dance, yoga etc.,
• India provides scholarships to qualified Sri Lankan students in Undergraduate and research studies
• Tourism is one of the important areas of cooperation. Sri Lankan tourists are one of the top ten visitors to India