A shipment of urgently needed medicines, rice and milk powder from Tamil Nadu arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday, as the island’s economic crisis continues.
The shipment, worth US$5.6 million, were just the first consignment in a US$16 million humanitarian aid package from the neighbouring Tamil Nadu state. In total, more than 40,000 metric tons of rice, 500 metric tons of milk powder, and medicines are set to be delivered.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin flagged off the consignment from the Chennai port on May 18, as Tamils around the world marked Tamil Genocide Day.
In addition to the shipments, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs will donate a one month of their salary to a fund for Sri Lanka, the party announced last week, as Stalin described the situation on the island as "pitiable".
Receiving the shipment, Sri Lanka’s continuing foreign minister G L Peiris said "India has not sent any assistance anywhere of this scale ever before”. “They are to assist us more for which we would be grateful," he added.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka called the shipment “a message of care,” but omitted naming Tamil Nadu specifically – a point that was noted by several commentators. Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickrememsinghe also thanked the “people of India” for the shipment.
Previously Stalin met with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his wishes to send aid to Sri Lanka. The initial proposal invovled sending aid to Eelam Tamils and those working in plantations in the Hill Country, but Stalin said he had heard from others who called for aid to be sent to the whole island, adding those calls "moved me."
"I could not control my emotions on hearing this. This is Tamil culture," he said.
