Nine years have passed since the ethnic conflict ended in Sri Lanka. The hope that Sri Lankan refugees would return to the island has been belied. This book highlights the dilemma faced by the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the context of the twists and turns in Indo-Sri Lanka relations. The global refugee phenomenon and the Indian experience, the movement of Sri Lankan refugees to different parts of the world, the rise and fall of the Tamil Tigers and the competitive nature of Sinhala politics which stands in the way of ethnic reconciliation are analysed in detail. The peculiar problems faced by refugees of Indian origin are highlighted. The Author makes a plea for the enactment of a National Refugee Law, which should combine the humanitarian concerns of the refugees and security interests of the Indian State.

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Contents

Acknowledgements —Pgs. 7

Preface —Pgs. 9

The Refugee Phenomenon —Pgs. 13

Indian Experience: Athithi Devo Bhava —Pgs. 22

Island in Distress —Pgs. 33

Island of Refugees —Pgs. 60

Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu —Pgs. 83

Need for National Refugee Law —Pgs. 108

When will the Refugees Return to Sri Lanka? —Pgs. 117

Bill to Amend the Citizenship Act, 2016 —Pgs. 126

Life in Refugee Camps —Pgs. 131

List of Publications —Pgs. 134

Prof. V. Suryanarayan is one of India’s leading specialists in South and Southeast Asian Studies. For more than two decades he was associated with the Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Madras, first as the founding Director and later as Senior Professor. He was Visiting Professor in several Universities in India, United States and Sri Lanka. 
He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board of the Government of India for one term. He is a member of the distinguished faculty of the Symbiosis University, Pune.  The Kalinga International Foundation awarded  him  the  Kalinga Saraswathi  Sammam  in recognition of pioneering work in promoting  India-Indonesia relations. 
He has written extensively on contemporary South and Southeast Asia.