Authorities late on Friday night issued shoot-at-sight orders against anybody found rioting or indulging in arson or destroying public property.

At the heart of the ongoing agitation is the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils that share close family and cultural ties with the 62 million people that inhabit the state.

After the outbreak of violence, New Delhi finally effectuated a huge volte-face and asked Colombo to seek a political solution to the issue.

The statement issued by minister for foreign affairs, Pranab Mukherjee, came less than 72 hours after he, in a statement in parliament, said India would not intervene in the crisis.

Adding insult to injury, Mukherjee had also blamed Tiger rebels for the growing woes of the Tamil people.

The LTTE is banned in India and is accused of planning out the assassination of former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.

In recent months, global relief and aid agencies have repeatedly urged Sri Lanka to ensure the security of civilian life and property in the fast shrinking war-zone in the island nation’s north.

Sri Lanka bans independent journalists from the war-zone, many believe the decision to be a ploy to censor reports of grave human rights violations being committed by its army

Colombo, however, blames Tamils of sympathising, sheltering and shielding Tiger rebels that are at the wrong end of what Sri Lanka terms as a ’decisive war’.

Tiger rebels have been fighting a bloody 25 year war for a separate homeland for the ethnic Tamil minority that accuses majority Sinhalese of economic and persecution.

The Tigers have suffered repeated setbacks since the fall of their political capital Kilinochchi in January.

The police has filed charges against some 150 lawyers while the Madras High Court has issued a show cause notice to the police asking it to explain as to why suo motu criminal contempt charges should not be brought against it for entering the court premises without requisite permissions.

With the humanitarian situation fast worsening in Sri Lanka and the government utterly irreverent towards local sentiments, there may be, yet more, troubled times ahead for Tamil Nadu.