Chennai, Nov 5 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss on Wednesday urged the Union government to grant voting rights and complete citizenship privileges to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have been living in Tamil Nadu for decades, many of them born and raised in India.

In a statement, Ramadoss said that following the civil war in Sri Lanka in 1983, over one lakh Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to Tamil Nadu after losing their homes and livelihoods.

“Even after the end of the war in 2009, thousands continued to seek refuge here. Today, nearly one lakh Eelam Tamils are residing in India, spread across 116 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

He pointed out that despite having lived in India for several decades, these refugees are still not allowed to live as free citizens.

“T

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