Amidst pressure on the Centre aggrandised by Karunanidhi’s daughter and Tamil Nadu MP Kanimozhi’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dubbed the Tamils suffering residing in Sri Lanka as of “grave concern.”
Instead of straight interfering in a sovereign country, like Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister opted for advice to Sri Lankan authorities to work for a negotiated settlement rather than military settlement.
Manmohan Singh, who was speaking on the sidelines of India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) summit in New Delhi, said: “The government is concerned about intensifying animosity, civilians’ sufferings and spate of displaced persons.”
The current situation demands a negotiated political settlement, that respects the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka and simultaneously grants essential human rights of the minorities especially Tamil, rather than call for military campaign, Singh added.
India has conveyed its concern regarding military offensive against ethnic Tamils to the Sri Lankan government including harassment and killing of Indian fishermen while fishing in maritime area between India and Sri Lanka, but accepted Indian government has certain limitations.
He also mentioned here the calling of Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner last week by National Security Advisor M K Narayanan to underlining India’s concern, after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi appealed the PM to intervene.
Manmohan Singh though not said directly, but perhaps wanted to say that India was fully aware of the situation in Sri Lanka and was left little India could do to stop the military campaign by the Sri Lankan government against the LTTE.
Meanwhile, the Congress made it clear that it would not mount any pressure on the government. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi was quoted as saying, "Those who make demands for interfering with the sovereignty of other countries should know that India's sovereignty runs through the boundaries of India. While condemning any violent act in another country, I do not think anything should be done or asked from the central government."
The Prime Minister's remark came against the backdrop of an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday demanding that the Centre should intervene to stop military offensive against Tamils in Sri Lanka failing which all 39 Lok Sabha MPs from the state would resign within two weeks.
The all-party resolution though gave two-week ultimatum to Centre, Kanimozhi expressing her solidarity with the Tamils being the first MP from the Tamil Nadu to offer her resignation soon after the end of the meeting.
In the meantime, Sri Lankan government on Wednesday said it would carry on its military operations against the LTTE, a banned organisation in the State, as the battle were against the terrorists, and not the Tamils.
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