RAMESWARAM: Eight more Sri Lankan refugees, including five children, arrived in Dhanushkodi on Saturday, taking the total number of exiles who arrived in Tamil Nadu in August to 28. With this, the total number of refugees who arrived in India after the onset of the economic crisis in the island nation has gone up to 157.
According to sources, the eight Lankan Tamils consisting of two families and another 65-year-old woman were dropped on the first sandbar near Dhanushkodi in the wee hours of Saturday on a small ferry. They were rescued by the Marine police and coastal security officials and shifted to Mandapam refugee camp.
Marine police officials identified the refugees as R Sasikumar (40) and his children Mohith (7) and Subiksha (9) of Talaimannar; V Jeyanthi (30) and her children Iniya (10), Hariharan (7) and Dhanusan (4) of Jaffna; and D Indhimathi (65) of Talaimannar. Sasikumar said, “Though the government has changed in Sri Lanka, inflation and unemployment are still high.”
They were ferried from Mannar, say police
Sasikumar added, “As a daily-wage worker I could not make enough money to feed my children. I paid one lakh Sri Lankan rupees for the boat ride to India.” Marine police said the eight were ferried from Mannar. As the refugees were all dehydrated, marine police officials provided them with water and food at the sandbar itself.