, Ananthy Sasitharan, has become a rising Tamil voice in the North-East.

Tamil Guardian caught up with the activist-turned-politician on the phone, as she made her way home from a day of campaigning. The interview was interrupted briefly when Ananthy – who has already escaped an attack on her vehicle in recent weeks – suspected that her vehicle was being followed.

TAMIL GUARDIAN: How would you describe the present state of the Tamil homeland in the North-East?

ANANTHY SASITHARAN:

"Our homeland is completely occupied by the military, so much so that the military presence seems larger than the actual Tamil population. At any event, the army is there. People are scared by the army presence, they live in a state of fear, too afraid to talk or do anything. All our native lands are in their hands, they have seized everything.

The Indian government outlined today that it was yet to decide on its level of participation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHoGM).

The Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin, said,

"My delegation finds it disconcerting to keep noting the said allegations, particularly when the Council has been continuously sensitized to the action taken on the very same issues."

"My delegation is equally dismayed by the lack of objectivity displayed by Germany with reference to Sri Lanka in their statement which has chosen to ignore the concrete steps taken by the Government to achieve comprehensive reconciliation within the context of the LLRC, including to investigate atrocities alleged to have been committed at the end of the terrorist conflict in 2009"