The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) advised Indian nationals to exercise care and caution while being in Sri Lanka.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi talked about the incidents jeopardizing the safety of Indians in Sri Lanka. “Our High Commission is in touch with local authorities in Sri Lanka. I do not think anybody has been attacked in Sri Lanka. We have issued guidance to Indian nationals in that regard,” he said.
“We will advise Indian nationals to exercise care and caution while being in Sri Lanka. They should examine all relevant factors including currency convertibility and fuel situation for any essential travel,” Bagchi said.
Last week, Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said as things get back to normal after the recent political crisis in the island nation, the government aims to receive at least 10 lakh tourists this year, mostly from India.
“Sri Lanka, some would say, is a sort of India, we are a part of India…We are the pearl of the Indian Ocean, the value of Sri Lanka would be for Indians and we need to work that out with Indians,” said Fernando, who was in Ahmedabad to promote tourism in the island nation.
Talking about the alleged abduction of a Sikh woman in Pakistan, who was allegedly forced to marry her abductor, Bagchi said it is “shocking” to see this level of religious intolerance in the neighbouring country.
“It is shocking to see this much further level of religious intolerance in Pakistan. We see this as yet another instance of religious persecution faced by the minority community in Pakistan,” the MEA spokesperson said while addressing a press conference.
Bagchi’s remarks comes after the Sikh woman, who was reportedly a teacher, was abducted at gunpoint from Buner district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 20 and forcibly married to her abductor.
