Friday, August 31, 2012

Commotion as college hosts Lankan students


The Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts in Trichy has had to pay a heavy price for hosting Sri Lankan students at its premises. Volunteers of Naam Thamizhar stormed the institution accusing them of harbouring Sri Lankan nationals and conducting cultural programmes with the latter. As soon as the news that about 70 A-level (equivalent to Plus Two) students of Sri Lanka had landed in the college broke out, Naam Thamizhar volunteers staged a dharna in front the college demanding cancellation of all programmes involving the Lankans with immediate effect.
A police team led by assistant commissioner Gandhi visited the college after getting wind of the protest, and stopped a cultural programme that was scheduled at 2 pm.
Both the Sri Lankan students and the college management paid a heavy price for not taking into consideration the ground realities existing in Tamil Nadu, and the strong anti-Sri Lankan sentiment blowing in the southern parts of the state. "Had I known that this was such a serious issue, we would not have entertained the students at all," Dr Margaret Bastin, principal of the college told.

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