Executive Summary:
The Ministry of External Affairs addressed concerns regarding the welfare of the Tamil diaspora in countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Middle East. The response covers measures to safeguard their interests, coordination with the Tamil Nadu government, initiatives to promote trade and cultural ties, repatriation of distressed workers, and the need for a dedicated Tamil diaspora cell. The response was provided on August 1, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
Welfare and Interests of the Tamil Diaspora:
* The Government of India prioritizes the welfare of the Indian diaspora, irrespective of their state of origin.
* The government monitors situations affecting the Tamil diaspora, especially in regions like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and West Asia.
* Indian Embassies and Consulates offer consular assistance, focusing on legal, labor, and immigration issues.
* Coordination with local authorities and Tamil community associations addresses specific grievances.
Coordination with State Governments:
* The Government of India coordinates with all state governments, including Tamil Nadu, on diaspora engagement policies.
* The Videsh Sampark Programme (VSP) promotes cooperative federalism and allows consultation with state governments.
* Requests from state governments are examined and acted upon through Indian Embassies and Consulates.
Promotion of Trade, Investment, and Cultural Ties:
* The VSP presents trade and investment opportunities for enterprises from Tamil Nadu in foreign countries.
* Indian Embassies and Consulates assist Tamil Nadu in organizing events to promote trade, investment, and cultural ties.
* The Ministry supports business delegations, B2B meetings, cultural events, and Investor Summits in sectors like Textiles, IT, and Manufacturing.
Assistance to Distressed Workers:
* Institutional mechanisms are in place to assist Indians in distress abroad.
* Indian Missions and Posts provide food, shelter, medicine, and evacuation to India.
* Operations like Devi Shakti, Ganga, Kaveri, Ajay, and Sindhu have been launched to evacuate stranded nationals.
Dedicated Tamil Diaspora Cell:
* The Ministry has not established a state/region-specific diaspora cell.
* Matters concerning the Indian diaspora are addressed through concerned Divisions and Embassies/Consulates.
* Community Welfare Officers are deployed in countries with a high concentration of the Indian diaspora to handle their issues.
Impact Analysis:
Tamil Diaspora:
* Impact: Enhanced safeguarding of interests and welfare through government monitoring and consular assistance.
* Action Required: Engage with Indian Embassies and Consulates for assistance with legal, labor, and immigration issues.
Government of Tamil Nadu:
* Impact: Opportunities for collaboration with the central government on diaspora engagement policies and promotion of trade and cultural ties.
* Action Required: Participate in the Videsh Sampark Programme, submit requests for assistance, and organize events to promote trade and investment.
Indian Embassies and Consulates:
* Impact: Increased responsibility for addressing the specific grievances of the Tamil diaspora and coordinating with local authorities.
* Action Required: Proactively monitor developments affecting the Tamil diaspora, provide consular assistance, and coordinate with Tamil community associations.
Ministry of External Affairs:
* Impact: Continued responsibility for addressing diaspora concerns through existing divisions and embassies/consulates, without establishing a dedicated Tamil diaspora cell.
* Action Required: Maintain effective communication channels with state governments and deploy Community Welfare Officers in countries with a high concentration of the Indian diaspora.
Key Entities Referenced
Tamil diaspora: Refers to the global community of people of Tamil origin living outside of Tamil Nadu, India, and Sri Lanka. The policy discusses their welfare and interests.
Sri Lanka: A country with a significant Tamil population, mentioned in the context of the welfare of the Tamil diaspora.
Malaysia: A country with a notable Tamil diaspora, referenced in relation to the welfare of the Tamil community abroad.
Middle East: A region with a substantial Tamil worker population, mentioned in the context of safeguarding their interests and welfare.
Tamil Nadu: A state in India with a large Tamil-speaking population. The policy discusses coordination with the Government of Tamil Nadu regarding the Tamil diaspora.
Ministry of External Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for foreign affairs, including the welfare of the Indian diaspora. The policy outlines its actions and initiatives.
Videsh Sampark Programme VSP: A program used by the Government of India to engage with State Governments of India to promote Cooperative Federalism.
Operation Devi Shakti: An evacuation operation launched by the Government of India to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 2153
ANSWERED ON – 01/08/2025
WELFARE OF TAMIL DIASPORA
2153. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the steps taken by the Government to safeguard the interests and
welfare of the Tamil diaspora living in countries such as Sri Lanka,
Malaysia, and the Middle East;
(b) whether the Ministry consults or coordinates with the Government of
Tamil Nadu on matters affecting the Tamil diaspora or cultural
exchanges abroad, if so, the details thereof;
(c) the initiatives taken to promote trade, investment and cultural ties
between Tamil Nadu and foreign countries, particularly in sectors like
textiles, IT and manufacturing;
(d) the measures adopted to address concerns related to the repatriation
of Tamil workers facing distress abroad; and
1(e) whether the Government plans to establish a dedicated Tamil
diaspora cell within the Ministry to better address the specific needs
and issues of Tamils overseas?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) Safeguarding the interest and welfare of Indian diaspora living
overseas is a top priority for the Government of India. The Government
has a robust policy framework to engage with the vast Indian diaspora
spread across the globe and protect their interests and welfare,
irrespective of the Indian state that they hail from.
Government of India closely monitors developments affecting the Tamil
diaspora, particularly in regions with high concentration of Tamil
diaspora, such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and West Asia, and responds to
their welfare concerns through Indian Embassies and Consulates.
Consular assistance, particularly to address legal, labour, and
immigration issues, is extended to affected persons on a priority basis.
Indian Embassies and Consulates in these countries also closely
coordinate with local authorities and the Tamil community associations
to address the specific grievances of the Tamil diaspora.
2(b) The Government of India coordinates with all State Governments of
India on matters pertaining to its Diaspora engagement policies across
the globe. It regularly conducts Videsh Sampark Programme (VSP) with
the State Governments of India and regularly engages with them to
promote Cooperative Federalism. Such interactions enable the
Government of India to consult and coordinate with the State
governments to promote safety and welfare of the Indian diaspora.
Requests received from State Governments, including that from Tamil
Nadu, are examined and acted upon in coordination with the concerned
Indian Embassies and Consulates abroad.
(c) During the interactions of the Government of India with the State
Governments under the VSP, several trade and investment opportunities
for commercial enterprises from the State in foreign lands are
presented. Moreover, Indian Embassies and Consulates abroad assist the
State Governments, including that of Tamil Nadu, to organize special
events to promote trade, investment and cultural ties between the Indian
states and the respective foreign countries. This Ministry also supports
visits of business and official delegations from Indian States, B2B
meetings in foreign countries, cultural events, and Investor Summits,
particularly in focus sectors such as Textiles, IT, and Manufacturing.
3(d) Government of India has established institutional mechanisms to
assist Indians in distress in foreign countries. Indian Missions and Posts
pro-actively help distressed/stranded Indians by providing food, shelter,
medicine and evacuation to India, if necessary, irrespective of the State
to which they belong. Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Ganga, Operation
Kaveri, Operation Ajay and Operation Sindhu are some of the operations
launched during recent years through which Government of India
evacuated Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan,
Israel and Iran, respectively.
(e) While this Ministry has not established State/region specific
Diaspora Cell, matters concerning the Indian diaspora are promptly
addressed through its concerned Divisions and Embassies/Consulates.
This Ministry has also deployed dedicated and well-trained Community
Welfare Officers in Indian Embassies and Consulates in countries with
high concentration of Indian diaspora to handle issues concerning the
diaspora while factoring in their linguistic and cultural sensitivities.
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