The boycott Sri Lanka campaign picked up momentum as the organisers this time selected their venue as Marina Beach on Saturday evening. It was a signature campaign.
Earlier a boycott Sri Lanka campaign went on for a day successfully in the busy Express avenue where many multi national shops were located. This campaign at Marina specifically targeted tourists and beach goers at Chennai. Marina beach is one of the beautiful and long beaches in the world. Many western tourists who visit Sri Lanka land in Chennai on transit. Therefore the campaign at Marina beach is expected to target such tourists who shall have a second thought on visiting and purchases in Sri Lanka.
After the telecast of Channel 4 footage of war crime evidences the people in India are now well informed about the crimes committed by the Sri Lankan army on unarmed Tamil civilians. Therefore the people who visited the beach eagerly came forward to post their signatures on the board. Considering this as an international issue many signed in English for taking this message to the world.
People of all ages from children to senior citizens turned up and appreciated the young men and women who stood on roads and beach sand in this campaign with placards and banners.
It was a passionate campaign, apart from putting signature the people promised by words ‘ We will never encourage flying Sri Lanka air services and cricket”. Children said “We will not watch the Sri Lanka cricket even in television”
One of the significant scene was that a group of Hindi speaking tourists from North India participated in this campaign with genuine interest.
Encouraged by the large turn out of people in this occasion the organisers plan to take forward this campaign to the Capital New Delhi and other metro cities.
