M.A. Sumanthiran, President’s Counsel and General Secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), has called on the Indian government to grant citizenship to Eelam Tamil refugees who have lived in India for more than three decades and wish to remain there. According to Tamil newspapers printed and circulated in Tamil-dominated areas including Jaffna, he also urged New Delhi to apply appropriate diplomatic pressure on the Sri Lankan government to ensure that refugees who decide to return to their homeland are not arrested by Sri Lankan authorities.
Sumanthiran made the remarks during a recent visit to India as part of a delegation invited by the Indian Bar Association. During the visit, he participated in several meetings and discussions. One of the key events took place in New Delhi at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre’s Nalanda Hall, where Members of Parliament attended a screening of the documentary “Faceless People: The Journey of Tamil Refugees in India,” directed by R.K. Radhakrishnan. The documentary focuses on the experiences and struggles of Tamil refugees who have been living in India for decades.
Speaking after the screening, Sumanthiran said that the long-term aspiration of Tamil political leadership has been for Eelam Tamil refugees who fled the conflict to eventually return to their homeland and help rebuild it. However, he acknowledged that many refugees have now spent more than thirty years in India and that a new generation has been born and raised there.
He noted that the wishes of these families, particularly younger generations who have grown up in India and wish to live with dignity as Indian citizens, cannot be ignored. Providing them with citizenship and the necessary facilities to settle permanently in India would be a fair and humane step, he said.
At the same time, Sumanthiran pointed out that a number of refugees remain interested in returning to Sri Lanka. However, he said there have been incidents where returning refugees have been arrested on the grounds that they had left the country illegally during the conflict period. Such cases, he warned, have created fear and uncertainty among those considering voluntary return.
He stressed that the Sri Lankan government must take proactive steps to prevent the arrest of returning refugees and ensure that those who wish to return can do so safely and with dignity. According to Sumanthiran, delays and lack of clarity from the Sri Lankan authorities on this issue have led the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to suspend its process of facilitating the voluntary repatriation of Eelam Tamil refugees to Sri Lanka.
The question of the long-term future of Eelam Tamil refugees in India remains a sensitive humanitarian and political issue, with tens of thousands still living in camps and settlements across Tamil Nadu decades after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war. Sumanthiran’s appeal has once again highlighted the need for coordinated engagement between India, Sri Lanka, and international agencies to address both the aspirations and security concerns of the refugee community.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi has sought to distance the party from a controversial resolution passed by the Pachchilaipalli Pradeshiya Sabha in Kilinochchi District. The local council had adopted a resolution supporting what it described as United States efforts to maintain world peace and authorized its chairman to send a letter to the U.S. Embassy.
In a statement posted on social media, Sumanthiran said the resolution had no connection to the party’s official position and was in fact contrary to the policies and principles of ITAK. He added that the party leadership had already instructed local government representatives operating under its influence not to involve themselves in matters relating to international affairs.
He also said the party would look into how the resolution had been prepared and circulated and that disciplinary action could be taken if necessary. The clarification came after the move by the Pachchilaipalli Pradeshiya Sabha sparked debate in the Northern Province about the role of local authorities in commenting on international issues.
