Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his three-day visit to Sri Lanka from April 4 to 6, 2025, met with Tamil community leaders. PM emphasized India’s unwavering support for the rights and development of Tamil community in Sri Lanka. The meeting took place amidst a backdrop of cultural and diplomatic engagements, highlighted PM Modi’s long-standing efforts to ensure equality, justice, and dignity for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
In a Tamil X post on April 5, 2025, PM Modi shared, “Meeting the leaders of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka is always a matter of joy. During this occasion, I expressed my condolences on the passing of respected Tamil leaders Mr. R. Sampanthan and Mr. Maavai Senathiraja, both of whom I knew personally.” He further reiterated India’s dedication, noting, “Our unshakeable commitment to a life of equality, dignity, and justice for the Tamil community within a united Sri Lanka was reaffirmed during this meeting.”
This sentiment echoes Modi’s earlier statements on the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils. The Times of India report on February 14, 2021 mentions stating PM Modi, “India was always committed to ensuring that the Tamils there lived with equity, equality, justice, peace, and dignity.” During that speech in Chennai, he highlighted India’s contributions, such as constructing 50,000 houses for displaced Tamils in northeastern Sri Lanka and an additional 4,000 in plantation areas, alongside initiatives in the health sector.
PM Modi also recalled being the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Jaffna in 2015, a significant gesture toward the Tamil heartland in northern Sri Lanka.
PM Modi’s 2025 visit, his first since Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office in 2024, comes at an important moment. According to a report by India Today on April 5, 2025, Modi’s trip, the first by any foreign leader since Dissanayake’s term began is focused on key areas like security, energy, and trade.
However, the Tamil issue remained a priority, especially amidst ongoing regional concerns, such as Tamil Nadu’s resolution to retrieve Katchatheevu, an emotive issue for fishermen due to disputes over fishing rights around the island.
During the visit, PM Modi also addressed the concerns of Indian fishermen, announcing that Sri Lanka had agreed to the immediate release of detained Indian fishermen and the prompt return of their boats, a move that directly benefits Tamil Nadu’s fishing community.
India Today quoted Modi as saying, “I am proud that Sri Lanka is on the path back to recovery. We have always stood by Sri Lanka, be it during Covid, or the terror attacks, or the recent economic crisis.”
India’s support for Sri Lankan Tamils has historical roots, as detailed in a Hindustan Times article from February 8, 2022, which noted that India has consistently raised the issue of devolution of powers to Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority. The article quoted the Indian external affairs ministry emphasizing that “Sri Lanka’s interests are best served by ensuring equality, justice, peace, and respect for the Tamil people within a united Sri Lanka.”
PM Modi’s latest engagement builds on this legacy, with projects initiated during his 2025 visit aimed at contributing to the social, economic, and cultural advancement of the Tamil community, as he noted in his X post. The Tamil community in Sri Lanka, has faced significant challenges. PM Modi’s initiatives, such as the Jaffna Culture Centre mentioned in his 2021 speech, and ongoing developmental projects, aim to address these historical inequities. His personal engagement with Tamil leaders, combined with tangible support, underscores a continued effort to foster reconciliation and development for the community.
As Modi concluded his meeting with Tamil leaders, his actions reaffirmed a message of solidarity, one that resonates with his earlier commitments and India’s broader diplomatic stance. For the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, this visit marks another step toward a future of equality and dignity, backed by India’s steadfast support.
It is to be noted that the with the PM Modi’s efforts of safeguarding the fishermen community in Tamilnadu, Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries between India and Sri Lanka was initiated in November 2016. This step has enormously helped the fishermen from Tamilnadu. The decision to establish JWG came during a meeting on October 14, 2016, in New Delhi between India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, with the first official JWG meeting held on December 31, 2016, in Colombo. This mechanism was set up to address the long-standing fishermen issue in the Palk Bay region through structured bilateral dialogue. The JWG fosters dialogue, reducing tensions over fishing rights. It curbs firing incidents, safeguarding Tamil fishermen’s lives in the Palk Bay. JWG ensures the quicker releases from arrests ease the burden on detained fishermen’s families. By promoting sustainable fishing, it aims to secure their long-term livelihoods. A platform for peace, JWG bridges India-Sri Lanka for mutual benefit.
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