Palk Strait security beefed-up by India to combat SL refugee influx

By Dinasena Rathugamage

The Indian Coast Guard has from Wednesday beefed up surveillance in the Palk Strait deploying additional patrols to prevent Lankan refugees reaching the Tamil Nadu coast, fishing and naval sources said.

An additional 16 vessels have already been deployed to be increased by nine more shortly, the sources said.

The Tamil Nadu political administration has decided to welcome Lankan refugees and grant them asylum. However several key ministers of the Central Government have expressed opposition predicting that there would be a large influx of Lankan refugees in coming weeks.

In recent weeks 84 Lankans from the northern districts have reached the Tamil Nadu coast and have been granted refugee status while two have been held in an Indian prison over narcotic charges.

Meanwhile, a news report in the The Hindu of May 11 said that a high alert has been sounded in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu to prevent the intrusion of the Lankan nationals into the State.

Patrolling along the territorial waters and roads leading to the coastline have been intensified, police sources said on Tuesday. The state government was in touch with the Union Home Ministry on this matter.

While the arrival of refugees in small batches started in early March this year with several families taking boats to reach the Rameswaram coast, a sudden increase was likely, the sources said.

There was a possibility that many of the 50 odd prisoners who escaped from the Hambantota Prison could enter India by illegal means via the sea route.

Security personnel in the coastal districts were alerted to mount surveillance at vantage points and alert Village Vigilance Committees in all fishing hamlets to keep a watch at known landing points.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka and are in constant touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs and intelligence agencies on the issue,” a top Tamil Nadu government official told The Hindu.

“The Coastal Security Group of the Tamil Nadu police is coordinating with the Indian Navy and Coast Guard on the frequency and patroling pattern along the south-eastern sea belt,”

It was not just Sri Lankan Tamils but Sinhalese, Muslims and others could also flee as the country plunges into a deeper economic crisis, the Indian authorities say.

“There is a possibility that former cadre of the banned LTTE could sneak into India with the support of their sympathisers who are already raising funds to revive the movement. Smuggling of weapons, drugs and other contraband substances cannot be ruled out,” the official claimed.

Officials of the State police, fisheries and intelligence agencies at Rameswaram were told to be in constant touch with fishermen and others sources to look out for families stranded in islands between the two countries, the Indian report said.

“Since vigil has been enhanced, some illegal boat operators dropped fleeing families in islands close to the International Maritime Boundary. Coastal security agencies rescued such families and brought them to Dhanushkodi in recent weeks. If need be, we will request increased aerial surveillance in the area,” the official said.