Sinhalese professors visit sparks stir

TIRUCHY: Even while the issue of visits by Sri Lankans, especially Sinhalese, to Tamil Nadu had become a contentious issue between the State and Centre, a college here invited a Sinhalese professor, triggering protests from Dalit outfits and Tamil nationalist groups.Close on the heels of a protest against the visit of a Sinhalese professor for a function at the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, the participation of another Sinhalese professor at a conference here evoked vociferous protests. However, before the protestors could arrive at the Bishop Heber College, the venue of the conference, Sinhalese Prof Hemamalie Gunatilake, completed his speech and was sent safely.The protestors — cadre of VCK, Puthiya Tamilagam and Tamil nationalist parties— arrived late, since they got information only after the Prof started his speech.Meanwhile in Colombo, Lankan Tamil leaders of Indian origin are highly perturbed by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s move to curb the visits of Lankan VIPs on the plea that such visits create law and order problems for the State government.“The curb will have farreaching consequences for the leaders of the Tamils of Indian origin in Lanka who have strong social, familial, religious and economic ties with TN,” said Muthu Sivalingam, a top leader of Ceylon Workers’ Congress, a party of plantation workers of Indian origin. He regretted that Jayalalithaa in her statement had not said spoken about giving protection to innocent and peaceful visitors from abroad. “If she had added that assurance, the blow would have been softened.”