Silence on Lankan Hindus in CAB flayed 

While the AIADMK made no secret of its support to CAB, other BJP allies like PMK and Vijayakant’s DMDK have maintained an eerie silence on the controversial law that has exposed the secular credential of parties on either side of the political spectrum.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill has not only exposed secularism-preaching state parties, but self-proclaimed saviours of Eelam Tamils. The silence of Tamil nationalists on the CAB denying citizenship to Hindus from Eelam has drawn widespread criticism. DMK has used it against the Tamil nationalists who have been criticising Anna Arivalayam for letting down the ethnic minority in Sri Lanka so far.

Unsurprisingly, pro-DMK Twitterati did not waste any time in lashing out at the AIADMK and Tamil nationalists who have been taunting them with an embarrassing regularity on Lankan Tamils issue. #ADMKbetraystamils was created by the DMK support base to vent its anger at the ruling party of the state not making fuss about either the anti-Muslim nature of the Bill ignoring Hindu-majority Lankan Tamils.

“Where did all the saviours of Tamils and minorities in AIADMK and other parties vanish? We voted against the Bill. Those who supported it could only manage to spread falsehood that we had abstained from voting. Now, who is the traitor of Tamils and minorities? Is it fair to call them traitors?” argued a DMK functionary requesting anonymity.

“It is unfair to just call Citizenship Amendment Bill as anti-minority. It is anti-Muslim. If their intention was to give refuge to minorities (Hindus), why are they ignoring Sri Lanka? It only shows their unwillingness of even accept Eelam Tamils as refugees, let alone Hindus,” said writer V Mathimaran.

“Instead of opposing the Bill against Muslims and Eelam Tamils, the so-called Tamil nationalists are busy wishing people for Karthigai Deepam. All the self-proclaimed saviours who called Eelam Tamils as Hindus and helped establish wings of Hindutva groups there (Eelam) are silent because they are only benomis of the BJP. Their silence has demonstrated their collusion with the BJP, who pitch the groups against the Dravidian movement and its offshoots,” Mathimaran added.

Founder of Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has demanded citizenship for Sri Lankan refugees settled in India. “I request the Government of India to consider giving citizenship to more than 1 lakh Tamil Sri Lankans who are living in this country as refugees for the last 35 years,” said Ravi Shankar, in a tweet. He also said that he has already given representations regarding his demands when former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in power. “I had met Dr Kalam when he was the President regarding the citizenship of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. We also presented 10 million signatures from Tamil Nadu to Manmohan Singh government,” said Ravi Shankar. He further stated that when Sri Lankan refugees have been given citizenship in Europe, Canada and other countries they are still living in refugee camps in India. “I have personally visited these refugee camps and their plight is really woeful,” said Ravi Shankar.