The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Barnala for voluntary repatriation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 13, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Barnala for voluntary repatriation

Special Correspondent

Launches India chapter of the IRO

A HELPING HAND: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala handing over educational assistance to a student at a function organised by the International Refugees Organisation in Chennai on Saturday. P. Kalyanasundaram, president, IRO, Indian region (centre) and V .M. Kulendran, Director, IRO, London are also seen. - Photo: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI: Voluntary repatriation seems to be the best solution to the problem of refugees, said Governor S.S. Barnala.

Inaugurating the India chapter of the International Refugees Organisation (IRO), he said besides providing immediate relief to the displaced people, a durable solution to their problems should be found. They had to be sent back to their country on a voluntary basis.

If that was not possible, the refugees might have to be settled in the country where they arrived. This might be impossible because several countries offered asylum only for a brief period.

Mr. Barnala said India had been home to refugees for centuries. The Union Government followed a fairly liberal policy of granting refuge to various groups, keeping in mind the nation's security concerns.

Notwithstanding its escalating population and economic factors, India continued to take a humanitarian view of the refugee problem. "Our country has evolved a practical balance between human and humanitarian obligations on the one hand and security and national interest on the other." The Governor paid tributes to the president, IRO, Indian region, P. Kalyanasundaram, for his philanthropy. He said he had been told that Mr. Kalyanasundaram had donated the entire salary of his career to charity work. He gave away educational assistance to student refugees.

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