Lankan traders stage protest against attacks on pilgrims in TN

"We are staging this walk to hand over a letter to the Indian High Commission noting our protest," M Selvanadan, one of the participants, said.

Several hundred traders walked from the business district of Pettah to the Indian mission here, having shut their businesses.

Some 184 Sri Lankan pilgrims to the Poornimatha Church in Tanjavur were targeted by pro-Tamil outfits. They faced two protests and an attack on three buses carrying them to the Tiruchirapalli airport.

The pilgrims were brought back to Colombo by a specially chartered flight by the Sri Lankan government yesterday.

The incident forced the Sri Lankan government to issue a travel advisory against travel to Chennai.

However, authorities here appear to down play the incident and its implications on relations with the Indian government.

"We are in constant dialogue with the Indian government and we were assured that that all possible measures had been taken to protect Sri Lankan tourists and pilgrims to India," Dallas Alahapperuma, a senior minister, said.

However, the tour operators of Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrimages to India said they were cutting off shopping time in Chennai being part of the tour itineraries in view of the attacks there.

Thousands of Sri Lankan Buddhists go on the Dambadiva pilgrimage to India throughout the year.

Colombo the sympathisers of the LTTE for fanning anti-Sri Lanka flames in Tamil Nadu.