PM Modi always been an inspiring figure to all of us, says Sri Lanka politician M Senthil Thondaman

Speaking to ANI, he praised PM Modi and said, "PM Modi has fulfilled whatever he has committed to Sri Lanka in the previous time."

"We were glad to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He's always been an inspiring figure to all of us, especially politicians. This is his fourth visit to Sri Lanka. During all his visits, he's made the relationship between India and Sri Lanka much more stronger than the previous time," he said.

"Today also was a strong visit like the previous time. During his visit, he ensured that the Indian government and the people of India always supported Sri Lanka, not only at the time of the crisis but also at the time of the development and especially the Indian Origin Tamils (IOT) community in Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Modi has fulfilled whatever he has committed to Sri Lanka in the previous time," he added.

Senthil Thondaman, the current President of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), has been actively involved in Sri Lankan politics. He served as the Governor of the Eastern Province from May 2023 to September 2024 and has been leading the CWC since March 2022.

The Ceylon Workers' Congress is a political party in Sri Lanka that has traditionally represented Sri Lankan Tamils of Indian origin.

Earlier, PM Modi held a meeting with leaders of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community in Sri Lanka's Colombo and stressed that the community "constitutes a living bridge" between two nations for more than 200 years.

During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's "strong commitment" to the development and progress of the Indian-origin Tamil community. He said that India will support the construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple, and other community development projects for the Indian-origin Tamil community in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government.

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1908496252146237748

"The meeting with leaders of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) was fruitful. The community constitutes a living bridge between the two countries for over 200 years. India will support construction of 10,000 houses, healthcare facilities, the sacred site Seetha Eliya temple and other community development projects for IOTs in cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka," PM Modi posted on X.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to X to share details regarding PM Modi's interaction with the Indian-Origin Tamil community.

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1908501051793125416

In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, "PM @narendramodi interacted with the leaders of Indian Origin Tamil community in Colombo. Underlining the special bond India shares with the IOT community, PM reiterated India's strong commitment to the development & progress of the IOTs."

Notably, PM Modi is on a State visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Disanayaka. His arrival in Colombo on Friday marked his first visit to Sri Lanka since 2019.

PM Modi was accorded a historic ceremonial welcome at Independence Square in Colombo on Saturday. It is the first time that Sri Lanka has honoured a visiting leader in this manner.

Prime Minister Modi reached Colombo after concluding his visit to Thailand, where he attended the BIMSTEC Summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay.