VCK leader Thirumavalavan slams SC verdict on Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, calls it blow to human dignity

Chennai, May 21 (IANS) Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Thol. Thirumavalavan, on Tuesday, expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's judgment denying continued asylum to a Sri Lankan Tamil national in India.

He described the ruling as a violation of humanitarian values and human dignity.

The apex court, in its judgment, rejected a petition filed on behalf of Subaskaran, a Sri Lankan Tamil who was arrested in 2015 on charges of involvement in a conspiracy to revive the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

However, after an appeal filed in 2022, the sentence was reduced to seven years.

The High Court, while reducing the sentence, also ordered that he be deported immediately after serving his term.

Subaskaran's legal counsel recently pleaded that he be allowed to stay in India upon completing his sentence, citing that his family resides here.

However, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea, saying that India "cannot be a dharamshala (rest house) for refugees from around the world," and advised that he seek asylum in another country.

Reacting strongly to the judgment, Thirumavalavan said the court's language and decision were both "shocking" and contrary to India's long-standing tradition of providing refuge to the persecuted.

"The Supreme Court's stance appears to overlook the principles of humanitarianism and the country's moral obligation to shelter those fleeing oppression," he said in a statement.

He also questioned whether denying refuge to a man who had served his sentence and whose family lives in India was just.

"Is it not the responsibility of a civilised nation to provide shelter on humanitarian grounds?" he asked.

The VCK leader urged the Union government to adopt a more compassionate approach towards Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, many of whom fled during the civil war and continue to live in India with uncertain futures.

--IANS

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