Sri Lankan products taken off shelves in Chennai stores

The Special Officer in charge of the oldest consumer cooperative society in the State, TUCS (Triplicane Urban Cooperative Society) - which runs a chain of provisions stores and public distribution shops in Chennai - issued orders to have Sri Lankan products removed from all its outlets with immediate effect following a representation made to him by Tamil activists.

Two activists from the Boycott Sri Lanka Team (Tamil Nadu) met R G Sakthi Saravanan, the Special Officer, TUCS, Tuesday, after seeing Sri Lankan made biscuit packets available for sale at some TUCS outlets in Chennai.

The Boycott Sri Lanka Team activists who took up the issue with TUCS

Rajkumar Palaniswamy, organizer of Boycott Sri Lanka Team, said they submitted a written complaint to Sakthi Saravanan protesting the sale of Lankan products in TUCS outlets pointing out that Tamil Nadu government had passed a resolution last year in the assembly demanding economic sanctions against the Mahinda Rajapaksa government.

The letter stated: “We were shocked to know that TUCS stores in Chennai are selling products such as biscuits and chocolates that are made in Sri Lanka. You must be aware that the Tamil Nadu government has already passed a resolution in Tamil Nadu assembly recommending imposition of economic embargo on Sri Lanka because of the genocide committed by Sri Lanka on Tamils.

“Therefore it is duty of Tamils to ensure that we do not buy or sell any Sri Lankan products inside Tamil Nadu. Please stop selling of Sri Lankan products at the earliest from all TUCS stores.”

Rajkumar said the official at once summoned the purchase manager and instructed him to remove all Lankan products from TUCS outlets with immediate effect.

When contacted Sakthi Saravanan confirmed the incident and said his purchase team had procured the Lankan products from a local dealer.

“They were being sold in about 10 outlets in the city. As soon as the matter was brought to my notice, I issued instructions to have the products removed from the shelves,” he said. - TWL Bureau