Family of 5 Lankan refugees land near Rameswaram

MADURAI: Five more Sri Lankan refugees landed near Rameswaram early on Monday, seeking asylum.

All the five refugees, belonging to a same family hailing from Vavuniya, Sri Lanka, reached the shores of Cherankottai. The refugees had reportedly paid a sum of Rs 2 lakh to the boatman, who dropped them around 4.30 am near Cherankottai. The refugees from Vavuniya initially moved to Jaffna, from where they took a boat to Cherankottai in Tamil Nadu. The elders in the group were daily wage earners, who relied on construction jobs. This is said to be their first trip to India, sources said.

S Kanagaraj, Inspector of Police, Tamil Nadu Coastal Security Group, Rameswaram, when contacted, said a two-month-old baby girl was among the refugees who came by an illegal ferry. The group, a man, two women and two girls, were questioned, the Inspector said.

The refugees said the survival became a big question owing to the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. They were not even in a position to buy essential commodities and daily needs. Hence, they decided to migrate to Tamil Nadu.

The refugees have been identified as Rajalakshmi (56), wife of Subramanian Chidambaram, Karkulam, Vavuniya district, P Dhayalan (27), his wife Latha (26), their daughters Dhansika (6) and a two month old Takshara. They were accommodated at Mandapam rehabilitation camp in Ramanathapuram district, sources said.

The elders in the group from Vavuniya, Sri Lanka were daily wage earners, who relied on construction jobs. This is said to be their first trip to India, sources said