Stalin urges Centre to allow Tamil Nadu govt to ship essentials to Sri Lankan Tamils
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday urged the Centre to allow the State to ship essential commodities from the Thoothukudi port to Sri Lanka as humanitarian aid to the people, especially Tamils, severely affected by the food crisis there.
Recalling his discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue on March 31, the Chief Minister reiterated Tamil Nadu government’s commitment to ship foodgrains, vegetables and medicines from the port for the Tamils in northern and eastern parts of Lanka and its capital Colombo as well as those working in the plantations.
“It has now been reported that the Union government has enabled the shipping of food and other essential commodities to Sri Lanka…(hence) I request that this may be facilitated at the earliest in view of the worsening situation in Lanka,” Stalin said in a letter addressed to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.