Church event: Sri Lanka to allow 100 Tamil Nadu pilgrims

Revealing this, Uva province deputy CM in charge told the media on arrival at the Chennai international airport that his brother Arumuga Thondaiman a Minister in Sri Lanka approached the Lankan President on this issue after it was raised by Union Minister of State for shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and Tamil Nadu CM O Paneerselvam. He said a copy of the permission letter would be given to CM Paneerselvam and another to Pon Radhakrishnan. 

It may be recalled that the St. Antony’s shrine built by the Sri Lankan Navy was first meant to be inaugurated on December 7 to which Indian fishermen were not invited. This led to a flurry of meetings with Rameswaram fishermen informing the media that as they had traditional rights to both Katchatheevu and the shrine, they would go there even if the Union government refused them permission. 

TN chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao then wrote to the secretary, External Affairs Ministry seeking permission for the fishermen to visit the island. The Centre permitted 20 to travel to Katchatheevu. The Rameswaram fishermen were unrelenting and stated that 100 would travel to the island. 

The inauguration was postponed following the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and was later fixed for December 22. The shrine’s annual two-day festival takes place in February-March.