Date:02/08/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/08/02/stories/2002080204151200.htm

National

'Indians first to inhabit Sri Lanka'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Aug. 1. Sri Lankans are descendants of Indians who crossed over to the island thousands of years ago, according to an ancient Sri Lankan treatise. And these Indians were originally from Bengal.

Relating the age-old story of Indo-Sri Lankan ties, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Mangala Moonesinghe, today said that according to the ancient manuscript, Mahavansa, which has documented events from 2500 B.C., the first people to reach the island were from India. "We are originally from India.'' The Indians from Bengal were led by a prince, Vijay, who later married a princess from Madurai. "So we are linked to people both in the north and south of India,'' he said.