Baalu seeks Pranab's intervention for release of Tamils

NEW DELHI: Concerned over the detention of Tamils in Singapore on charges of overstay, Union Minister T R Baalu on Monday sought External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's personal intervention in securing their early release "through diplomatic channels at appropriate levels."

In a letter to Mukherjee, Baalu said that despite requests made to the authorities of Indian High Commission at Singapore by kith and kin of the victims for securing their early release, the response of the High Commission "has not been found encouraging."

He also drew Mukherjee's attention to the claim of some of the recently deported persons that thousands of such Indians were still languishing in Singapore jails despite their completing the detention period and also sought a factual position in this connection, it said.

Baalu sought Mukherjee's personal intervention to ask the Indian High Commission to play a more proactive and vigilant role in redressing the problems of the detained Tamilians in Singapore.

"Mukherjee assured Baalu that he would take up the issue with his counterpart in Singapore for arriving at an early amicable solution with a view to mitigating the uncalled for detention of Tamilians," the statement added.