Before leaving on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday afternoon, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee spelt out his stand regarding the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) saying “India has no sympathy for LTTE” but pressed for the protection of civilian Tamils.
“India is concerned over the plight of civilians and we will see the civilian Tamils be prevented from becoming hapless victims of the conflict,” remarked Mukherjee hours before his departure and added, “We are for fight against terrorists and all sorts of terrorism. The Indian government has no sympathy for any terrorist activity carrying out by LTTE or any other organisation.”
During his visit Mukherjee will meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama, and will discuss the latest situation in the northern part of the island nation.
As India believes the military victory is not an apt solution to the problems upsetting Sri Lanka, the foreign minister is likely to convince the Rajapaksa government to go for a political settlement to the ethnic trouble to ensure aspirations of all communities, including ethnic Tamils.
Mukherjee’s visit follows close on the heels of a visit by Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to Colombo last week, and in the backdrop of repeated demands by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and other political parties that India should take up the Tamil’s cause and send foreign minister to bring about a ceasefire in the ongoing military offensive in the north.
His visit is also being seen as the appeasement of the Tamil body, however Mukherjee explained the government’s intention saying neither it supports LTTE, the banned organisation in India, nor has any sympathy for it. Mukherjee, however, said he would see what best could be done in this situation.
Accompanied by several political leaders from the state Karunanidhi had visited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at New Delhi in December last year pressing for India’s intervention on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and ensure a ceasefire. Karunanidhi had also said that some forces were dragging the name of the LTTE to divert our voice. Earlier, many MLAs and MPs from his party had threatened to resign if India do not take up the plight of Tamil civilians with Sri Lankan government.
Reportedly above 200,000 civilians are trapped in the northern battle zone. Not less than 70,000 people have become victim so far in this one of the longest civil wars between LTTE and army.
The LTTE has been fighting for more than two decades to carve out an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east, claiming the fight will not come to an end until they are given a guarantee of living with freedom, dignity and sovereignty.
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