Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, a Member of Parliament from the Illangai Tamil Arasu Katchi, has raised concerns regarding the Sri Lankan Government's alleged attempts to obstruct the initiation of a ferry service between India and Sri Lanka.
In a session of the Sri Lankan Parliament, Rasamanickam conveyed fears that the government was preventing the launch of a ferry service that would enable Sri Lankan refugees residing in Tamil Nadu to return to Sri Lanka, along with their goods, which cannot be easily transported by air.
Rasamanickam emphasized that it appeared as though the Sri Lankan Government was infringing upon the rights of certain Sri Lankan individuals who desired to return to their homeland via this ferry service.
Addressing these concerns, Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Minister of Ports and Aviation, informed Parliament that the Indian High Commission in Colombo had provided assurances that the ferry service would commence within the next one to two weeks.
However, Rasamanickam expressed skepticism not about India's intentions but about the Sri Lankan Government's commitment to implementing the ferry service. He pointed out that in the past, promises of launching such a service had been made, but they had never materialized.
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