NEW DELHI: Coming out of the shadow of the checkered past, India on Friday while appreciating the Buddhist linkages with Sri Lanka also sought to bridge geographical gap between the Tamil communities by acknowledging the Tamils on the Island Country as “Indian-origin Diaspora”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka sought to mend India’s ties with both Sinhalese and Tamil communities and also cement the peace in the Island Country as he took part in the UN Vesak Day and interacted with Sri Lankan Tamilians.
“We rejoice in the success of the Indian-origin Diaspora as they leave a mark across the world, near and far…. You form an important link between Indian and Sri Lankan people and government,” PM Modi in a bold statement in presence of Lankan President Maithripala Srisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
India’s large Tamil population lending support to their brethrens in Sri Lanka has been a sensitive issue since the linguistic strife between minority Tamils and majority Sinhalese turned into one-of the most protracted violent conflict in the world. New Delhi has sent its forces to keep peace in the country and resulted in one of its worst military campaigns and also led to assassination of its Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by LTTE. Since then India maintained a studied distance from the armed rebellion of LTTE and the Lankan response. The LTTE was decimated by Lankan military in 2009.
“You have friends and relatives in India. You celebrate Indian festivals as your own. India beats in your hearts. We will continue to work tirelessly for your socio-economic upliftment in all possible ways. I am aware that the Government of Sri Lanka is taking active steps to improve your living conditions, including a 5-year National Plan of Action. India will fully support their efforts in this direction,” Modi had added.
Talking about the sensitive issue of language diversity, Modi said: “There is no better sight than a multilingual society living in peace and harmony. Diversity calls for celebration; and not confrontation. Our past has always been harmoniously inter-woven. Several Buddhist texts including Jataka tales mention Saint Agastya, whom many consider to be the father of Tamil language.”
He also applauded the contribution of Tamilians in both Sri Lanka and India. Bridging the geographical distance between the two communities, he thanked them for gifting Sri Lankan fast bowler Muttiah Muralitharan to the world and national icon 'Puratchi Thalaivar' MG Ramachandran, the Kandy-born actor and politician of Tamil Nadu. Bringing about the beauty of Tamil language, the PM said that they speak “one of the oldest-surviving classical languages in the world”.
Earlier on Friday while addressing the 14th UN Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo, Modi said Buddha’s message of peace is the answer to the “growing arc of violence”. Modi later visited the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.