Lankans seek release of bread-winner

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on December 6, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/lankans-seek-release-of-bread-winner/340487.html

CHENNAI: Family members of a Lankan inmate, now lodged in a Poonamallee Special Camp, went on a fast at a refugee camp located in Vellore district on Monday, seeking early release of their bread-winner.

They have also appealed to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to consider their case with sympathy.

Their protest received immediate attention from the local authorities, who convinced the agitating family with a promise of ‘positive reply’ about the release before January 1, 2012.

According to sources, N Gangadharan, a 42-year-old resident of Jaffna in Sri Lanka, visited India in early 2009 on a business trip.

The ‘Q’ branch of the Tamil Nadu police’s detained him in the State within months on various charges and lodged him at the Chengalpet Special Camp.  In the last two years, Gangadharan had been in Puzhal Prison for six months, before landing at the Poonamallee Special Camp more than a year ago.

Bamini, a relative of Gangadharan, who sat on a fast at the refugee camp located near Palar Dam in Walajapet along with another relative, said, “We took this fasting protest as a last resort as we are running out of money to support the medical expenses of Sivakumar, the brother of Gangadharan, who had been staying in the camp with us with a chronic kidney disease that needed regular dialysis.”

“We were spending the money sent to us by Gangadharan before 2009 for Sivakumar’s monthly dialysis and due to his detention in the state, we have lost the monetary support,” Bamini said.

“We appeal to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to consider Gangadharan’s case with sympathy as his continued detention would adversely affect Sivakumar’s health and our future,” she pleaded.