Indian Vice President Meets Upcountry Tamil Party Leaders
21-Apr-2026.
Leaders of Upcountry Tamil political parties emphasised that India has a moral responsibility to continue supporting the political, economic and social upliftment of people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. They also welcomed the Vice President’s announcement regarding the facilitation of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) for up to six generations.
The meeting between Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Upcountry Tamil party leaders was held on 19 April at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo.
Representing the Tamil Progressive Alliance were its Leader and MP Mano Ganesan, Deputy Leader and MP Palani Digambaram, and political committee members Bharath Arulsamy and Rajarama Radhakrishnan. Representing the Ceylon Workers’ Congress was a delegation led by its Leader Senthil Thondaman.
Speaking on the meeting, Mano Ganesan stated that the discussions were a continuation of previous engagements with Indian leaders. He noted that Indian-origin communities in countries such as South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore have benefited from stronger integration and opportunities, resulting in improved living standards. In contrast, he said, the living standards of Indian-origin communities in Sri Lanka remain low, with citizenship issues still unresolved.
He further recalled the impact of the Sirima–Shastri Agreement, under which nearly half of their community was repatriated to India without consultation, affecting political representation. He stated that India bears a moral duty to assist the Indian-origin community in Sri Lanka and expressed appreciation for the Vice President’s decision to recognise OCI status up to six generations.
He also urged India to expand the role of the Sri Lanka Estate Workers Education Trust through the Indian High Commission, and to continue support for housing, scholarships, school infrastructure, university facilities, English-medium international Hindu schools, teacher training colleges, nursing training institutes and technical training centres.
Senthil Thondaman stated that he had previously submitted a memorandum in New Delhi raising concerns regarding Upcountry Tamils and reiterated the need for India’s continued support to protect the dignity and welfare of Indian-origin Tamil communities.
