Indo-Lanka ferry service soon

5 May 2010 09:59 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 35 Bookmark

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By N. Parameshwaran

A ferry service between India and Sri Lanka will be launched soon, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha said today after opening an Indian visa office in Jaffna.

The ferry service will connect Thalaimannar in northern Sri Lanka and Rameshwaran in Tamil Nadu but the envoy did not give a time frame as to when the ferry service will be launched.

Meanwhile with the opening of the visa office in Jaffna, Sri Lankans applying for a visa from Jaffna could obtain their visas within three working days. The applications will be processed at the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the visas will be dispatched to Jaffna. (Daily Mirror online)

Comments - 35

Wednesday, 05 May 2010 02:58 PM

So this is the outcome of those long and boring SAARC talks! Yowzer! Soon sinhalese will be the minority in Sri Lanka. Congratulations to the govt for their achievements thus far.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:57 AM

How come ?? This is only a ferry !!!

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 12:03 PM

In the absence of a functioning Opposition this is what happens. Where are the guardians of this nation like JVP, NFF etc?

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 12:14 PM

Smuggling is the least problem. The Indian consulate in Jaffna will issue visas for hand picked youth who will then take the ferry to India where they will be trained for the next Eelam phase and return by ferry to Sri Lanka to be on standby for the next assault. Just an opinion.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 12:26 PM

Sri lanka is getting too much indianisation, not good in long term

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 12:35 PM

When will we play Ranjit Trophy.More players from this state will play for IPL

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 01:03 PM

Don't give the high commissioner a free hand to decide. SL gov. should declare these kind of things. Wake up Lankans.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 01:23 PM

Good for the Buddhist Pilgrims who travel to India.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 02:34 PM

Mostly all are talking about smuggling. There are not many items that cannot be smuggled to India, whereas there are lot of items that can be smuggled from India. BUT IN THIS CASE THERE ARE CUSTOMS ON BOTH SIDES, AND THERE IS NO QUESTION OF SMUGGLING. . By this Tourism will be promoted.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:56 AM

That''s why people in the north do not learn Sinhalese because they do not need to come to Colombo anymore. Even the foreign travels will also be channeld through India. They want to make English the language of administration in North ( perhaps in East also). In contrary Sinhalese studentS in south learn Tamil and not english. The biggest loosers are sinhalese because they will end up in knowing only tamil and sinahala languages.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 03:27 PM

its a good move for people who cant afford air travel. they can benifit from this. dont think negatively every time

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 09:58 PM

India and Sri Lanka were one country, before the ancient tsunami.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:18 PM

India should also come forward to help rebuild more than 3000 hindu temples that were destroyed by war in the Northeast.

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Thursday, 06 May 2010 05:51 AM

This is not politics, but reality!

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Thursday, 06 May 2010 06:48 AM

If this happenED while UNP in power we all canl see the demostratgion and public outcry. This govt can do anything and the people support it. they can build an airport, Make another hopelss air carrier and pump billions and they can make palaces etc etc. India is already dominating us, we think its our friendly neighbour. Now with this they will monopolise the whole northern peninsula. What does patriotic 'weerawanse' say?

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Thursday, 06 May 2010 07:19 AM

WHY SAARC CITIZENS NEED VISAS?.SASRC IS A FAILED ORGANISATION ONLY LIMITED TO WORDS.MAKRE IT ONE SAARC CURRENCY AS PRESIDENT MAHINDA SUGGESTED,AND MAKE IT A VISA FREE ZONE.DON'T SAY EXCUSESS AS 'TERRORISM' ETC.IF MORE COMPLEX EUROPE CAN HAVE IT, WHY NOT SAARC?.

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Thursday, 06 May 2010 07:38 AM

local boy, you are very optimistic in everything, I wonder whether you are sri lankan. Unfortunately we were same but eventually pushed by stupid politicians to become critical, and pessimists! You dont deserve to stay in this country!

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Thursday, 06 May 2010 10:18 PM

Being a Tamil from Tamilnadu, I welcome this ferry service! We do not have any ill feeling towards anybody from Sri Lanka. All Sinhalese, Buddhists, Muslims and Tamils are welcome in India! Put the history and bad politics aside and look towards a better future!

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:07 AM

Environmental pollution!

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:16 AM

(Drugs) Smuggling will go sky high & Custom-officers at the both ends can become very rich !.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:17 AM

Very good move. But beware of Tiger shadows and smugglers.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:34 AM

Smuggling is not happening only through ferry service, it can happen under so many covers; there were detections in high seas in fast out board fishing boats with large cache on tip in the western sea near Chilaw. It is foolish to stop people going to and fro on a reasonable charge- the airlines may find ways to stop the service on frivolous charges like this-

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:38 AM

How about indians smuggling in things to Sri Lanka. Specially since TN has so many LTTE elements also

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:50 AM

Will the Visa Office be followed by Indian Banks, Indian Customs Office, Indian Duty Fee Shops, Indian Tax Office, Indian Waiting Rooms etc, etc? It might be like Kilinochchi under the LTTE.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:54 AM

Smart Alec, you are smart. And at the end of the day, we will become another Regional State of the Republic of India.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:00 AM

Doesn't this show that India are slowly but strongly footing in SL soil with plans to make it another state of India.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:02 AM

A good move , fisherfolk smugglers will have a hard time.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:16 AM

So we can expect a lot of smuggling! asking for trouble!! India though a big nation, will never learn about how clever the sri lankans are !!

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:13 AM

What's more there to make this a state, there are lots of leading indian businessmen own blue chip companies, what about food, songs, movies, dance, culture, costume, traditions?? we are more Indian than sri lankan!

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:16 AM

interested parties could smuggle rubber based items like bicycle tires to india as our products have more flesh (rubber) than indian products.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:42 AM

This is a typical Indian tactic to trick Jaffna Tamils that India is conccerned about them. Far from requiring Indian Visas, the present population in Jaffna is in need of proper shelter, schools and teachers for the children, nuitriional foods and last not least employment for survival.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:42 AM

i can not understand why people have so negative views of this service.connecting countries cost effective ways will bring lots of good things. just to remind, europe is connected by train services. for instance giant germen and small eastern european countries connected by train service.does this means that germeny wants to acquire other countries ?

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:44 AM

These are all for show. No real benefit to anyone in Lanka. It is all for their benefit at the expense of the Lankans.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:56 AM

India is wary of the China's pro-active role in Sri Lanka, and its growing security implications for India. India is embarking on a different kind of war to equip the Tamils through higher education and economic empowerment. This would ensure a fiercely loyal Tamil base to India among the Jaffna Tamils who would even engage in espionage. With easily obtainable degrees and other academic credentials in India the Tamils will again pose a threat to the majority community. While Indians are welcome to operate in Jaffna, their contribution should not be disproportionately distributed. Let SL encourage the people of Anuradhapura to obtain visas from this facility.

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 11:56 AM

malkanthi, King Vijaya came from India, Buddhism too from india, Here your all against, only because the government is UPFA. If these things happened in UNP era, then you'd all welcome everything.

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