India is committed to ensuring that Tamil people live with equality, justice, peace, and dignity, claimed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Chennai, adding his government has consistently taken up the issue with the Sri Lankan government. 

“Our government has always taken care of the welfare and aspirations of our Tamil brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka,” Modi was quoted by Newswire as saying on Sunday. He further said, “It is my honor to be the only Indian Prime Minister to have visited Jaffna.”  Through development works, we’re ensuring the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamil community as well, he added. 

Modi was inaugurating several key development projects in Tamil Nadu on Sunday ahead of the state elections.

Modi also informed that the Indian government is now providing much more resources for development in the northeastern areas of Sri Lanka than in the past.  The projects include 50,000 houses for displaced Tamils in Northeastern Sri Lanka with 4,000 houses in the plantation areas,” he said. 

He also spoke on the issue of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen. “My government will always protect the rightful interests of our fishermen. We’ve ensured early release whenever fishermen are apprehended in Sri Lanka,” he said. 

Earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also reiterated India’s commitment to the Tamil issue in the Indian parliament. During his visit to Sri Lanka in early January this year, he had raised the issue with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena.