Give Indian Citizenship to Tamil Refugees: Ravi Shankar

BANGALORE: Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has backed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's call to give Indian citizenship to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India.

Ravi Shankar said that his Art of Living Foundation had taken up the matter since August this year. "We are conducting a signature campaign in support of this issue. We have over a lakh of signatories.We were about to bring this to the chief minister's attention when we learnt he is already taking up this matter with the central government," Ravi Shankar said. "We hope that citizenship will be granted soon to the Tamil refugees," he said, adding that the foundation was now terminating its signature drive. Several thousands of Tamils have taken refuge in Tamil Nadu since fleeing the war in Sri Lanka.