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Sri Lanka Foreign Minister please look into the plight of the thousands outside the Indian High Commission

Shenali Waduge

In 2002 following the Cease Fire Agreement there was another agreement that allowed Indians a waiver on visa to Sri Lanka. Ordinarily such an offer should have been complimented with the same privilege offered to Sri Lankans visiting India. However, none of the Foreign Ministers through 2002 has cared to take up this matter & request a reciprocal offer from the Indian Foreign Ministry.

Instead we see queues of people some even as old as 80 years standing through rain and sun having traveled from even remote Sri Lanka to process their visa forms. These people often end up coming as early as 2 in the morning to stand in the queue. Of late the fiasco with the VVIPs being rushed with their dramatic motorcades has resulted in these innocent people being pushed into the Galle Face Hotel, resulting in a complete chaos where the queue is concerned and obviously leading to unnecessary quarrels as well.

The Foreign Minister, Ministry officials will not know the plight of any of these people because they never have to line up for their visas, however it is part of the Ministry’s duty to look into the welfare of Sri Lankans travelling overseas. If the Foreign Minister is in Sri Lanka more often than not he may go and see for himself the plight of these people but then when he & other Ministers are whisked from place to place and covered by men in uniform how can they ever see the plight of the common man.

Nevertheless, this is a matter that needs to be taken up immediately especially in the light of Indians being offered the privilege of travelling to Sri Lanka without visa. However, the Indian High Commission needs to be commended to trying their level best to process the daily visa applications by end of day but the sudden surge in Sri Lankans visiting Indian of late is too much even for the Indian HC to handle.

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