The Hindu – Don’t dilute promise on better deal for Tamils, India tells Sri Lanka

Khurshid asks Colombo to request Army not to purchase land in conflict-hit area

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, 19 May 2013.  India tried to contain the after effects of a selective briefing it gave on Friday about its relations with Sri Lanka.

During a telephonic conversation on Friday, the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid advised his Sri Lankan counterpart G L Peiris not to take any steps that would dilute Colombo’s assurance of a better deal to island Tamils who had been hit hard by the conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The Indian advice came in the wake of reports about a small nationalist party, the JHU, planning to move parliament soon to abolish the thirteenth amendment — which aims to empower the Tamils regionally.

Asked whether a small party would be able to get the government to drop a clause that it has promised to the world to implement, official sources they feared that an upsurge of nationalist sentiments in the Sri Lankan Parliament may well carry such a proposal through. That’s why Mr. Khurshid thought it prudent to caution Mr. Peiris.

The second counsel by Mr. Khurshid was to request the Lankan Army not to purchase land in conflict-hit areas. Here too the same approach of cautioning the Lankans has prevailed with sources pointing out in the past too, India has drawn Colombo’s attention to the issue of the Sri Lankan Army squatting on prime pieces of farm land years after the conflict ended.

Sri Lankan diplomatic sources continued to remain baffled over this interpretation of the conversation.

“This is strange because I hear there are factual inaccuracies in the reports,” they said. Indian sources also tried to play down the reports that have got adverse play in the Sri Lankan media.

“We were not as stern but we had to take this risk of pointing out the pitfalls. People will take us to task if we didn’t point it out,” they explained while preferring to highlight Mr. Khurshid raising the issue of early release of 26 Indian fishermen detained by Sri Lanka.

Jayalalithaa’s ‘indifference’

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s indifference was one reason for the arrests and long detentions of prisoners, said the MEA sources. They accused Ms. Jayalalithaa of not allowing Tamil fishermen from both countries to meet in order to resolve most issues of discord among themselves.

The sources also blamed her for Indian fishermen being detained in Sri Lanka for long periods because her government tends to arrest fishermen from the other country and not respond to pleas to release them.

“The MEA has written several letters to the Tamil Nadu government on releasing the Sri Lankan fishermen after completing the formalities. But she has rarely, if ever, replied to them,’’ they said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/dont-dilute-promise-on-better-deal-for-tamils-india-tells-sri-lanka/article4728284.ece

The Hindu – Steps under way for polls in Northern Province: Rajapaksa

Manmohan, Rajapaksa hold meeting after two years

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, 21 September 2012. Visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Thursday that administrative and other steps were underway to hold elections in the Tamil majority Northern Province.

This was the first detailed discussion on all substantive issues since June 2010, said officials sources providing a brief outline of the meeting between the two leaders after two years.

The Sri Lankan President gave the assurance while responding to the Prime Minister’s observations on the issue of devolution of powers so that the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka “can look forward to a future where they can live with dignity and respect,” said official sources.

Mr. Rajapaksa indicated that elections in the Northern Province should not be far off in view of the fact that elections were recently held in three other provinces. Official sources did not mention the Sri Lankan President talking of a timeline for holding elections, which is among the steps sought by India for the reconciliation of Tamils.

The absence of progress on giving political rights to the Tamils after the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 was the main reason for India voting against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council in March this year. A great deal of unrest in Tamil Nadu can be attributed to this issue as well. The fishermen’s issue is the other.

In this respect, the sources said the Prime Minister emphasised the need to treat fishermen humanely in cases where they might stray across the maritime boundary. Both leaders agreed that it would be best for fishermen’s associations to meet and discuss these issues further. They also noted the momentum of economic ties and assessed the growth of commercial relations positively.

The Sri Lankan President thanked Dr. Singh for the Kapilavastu relics expositions and said the fact that over 30 lakh Sri Lankans were able to pay their respects signified the strong cultural ties between the two peoples. This is the second visit of Kapilavastu relics to Sri Lanka. The first was in 1978.

Before meeting the Prime Minister in the evening, Mr. Rajapaksa called on President Pranab Mukherjee. Both meetings consisted of discussions in a restricted format, followed by meetings along with delegations. Each of the two meetings lasted more than 40 minutes.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/article3919297.ece

The Hindu – Stop training Sri Lankan Army officials: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

Chennai, 28 August 2012. DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Monday took exception to the training being given to two Sri Lankan Army officials in the Defence Staff Services College, Wellington, and urged the Union government to put an end to the practice.

In a statement here, Mr. Karunanidhi said though the DMK had submitted the resolutions adopted at the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) conference to the Prime Minister, urging India not to provide training to Sri Lankan Army personnel, the practice was continuing.

“India should put and end to it and hold talks with the Sri Lankan government about military training and the attack on Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy,” he added.

Mr.Karunanidhi said the Scout movement in all schools in Tamil Nadu was completely paralysed as the AIADMK government had not formally made any announcement for the appointment of president, commissioner and patron.

Tension near Sam Manekshaw Bridge

Special Correspondent from Udhagamandalam writes:

With opposition mounting to the participation of two Sri Lankan defence officers in the annual course for officer students from India and other countries, tension prevailed near the Sam Manekshaw Bridge at Wellington on Monday.

Activists overpowered

Though the bridge, which led to the Wellington cantonment, had been barricaded by the police and was out of bounds for demonstrators, some activists of the Naam Tamilar Katchi tried to force their way in. But they were overpowered by police personnel. Demonstrators, including 76 activists and four women of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, were arrested.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3829003.ece