First-time voter: Sri Lankan Tamil in Tiruchi camp gets Indian rights

Gokuleswaran, a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee in a Tiruchi camp, will cast his vote for the first time as an Indian citizen in the upcoming Assembly election. He is the second in his camp to get voting rights and hopes it will inspire others.

Gokuleswaran, a resident of the Sri Lankan Tamils Rehabilitation Camp at Kottapattu in Tiruchirappalli, is set to cast his vote for the first time as an Indian citizen in the upcoming Assembly election, becoming the second person in the camp to receive voting rights.

Speaking to ANI, Gokuleswaran said he is extremely happy to exercise his franchise for the first time. "I am very, very happy to cast my very first vote in the upcoming Assembly election. I was born on February 9, 1986, in Tiruchi, and also studied here. I applied for my voter ID because I wanted to assert my identity as an Indian citizen. The citizenship will improve the future of my children and also inspire others like me, who may not know about the citizenship process." Gokuleswaran said.

Struggle for Passport Amid Citizenship Recognition

Gokuleswaran is the second person in the rehabilitation camp to obtain voting rights. However, he said his application for an Indian passport has been delayed. "I applied for a passport because I was already a declared Indian citizen as I was born in the country before the cut-off date of July 1, 1987. But the authorities refused to issue it, citing a 'criminal offence' in my records. I filed a writ petition in 2024," he said.

According to Gokuleswaran, the Madras High Court Madurai Bench, while holding that he is an Indian citizen under the Citizenship Act, 1955, issued an order in October 2025 directing that the passport be issued within eight weeks. "I have still not received my passport," he said.

CM Stalin's Plea for Citizenship Pathways

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on February 15, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide citizenship pathways and long-term visa relief for Sri Lankan Tamils who have been residing in the state for decades.

In a post on X, Stalin appealed for a "humane legal solution" for the Sri Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu, stating that many of them had arrived in India with the approval of the Government of India and should not be treated as illegal immigrants.

"Hon'ble @PMOIndia Thiru. @Narendra Modi, please provide a humane legal solution for Sri Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu for decades by enabling citizenship pathways, granting long-term visa relief, and removing administrative barriers that keep them in legal uncertainty," Stalin wrote.

Tamil Nadu is set to go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. (ANI)

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