Tamil Nadu   

Tamil Nadu factor "vital": Nakandala

Special Correspondent

India still offers help to Sri Lanka in solving the ethnic problem, says envoy

CHENNAI: The "Tamil Nadu factor" is very important for Sri Lanka's foreign policy, especially because of the "umbilical cord relations" between the Tamils of the island and India for the last several centuries, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner Sumith Nakandala said on Saturday.

Replying to questions at an interaction at the Observer Research Foundation here, Mr. Nakandala, who will shortly take up a new diplomatic assignment in Nepal, said there was a large scope for promoting these ties.

He agreed that bilateral relations could be strengthened through sports. Some "rudimentary exchanges" were happening now.

Mr. Nakandala denied that India was adopting a "hands-off" policy to Sri Lanka's ethnic problem. Though factors such as the withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Force and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi had resulted in a mental block, India continued to help his country find a solution. During the last four years of his tenure in Chennai, he had no problem with the bureaucracy of the State Government. He was allowed to meet the refugees at venues near the refugee camps and receive representations from them, he said.

He also received excellent cooperation from the State and Central Governments in securing the release of Sri Lankan boats and fishermen.

Mr. Nakandala said the Sri Lankan Government favoured strict adherence to the ceasefire, as it was aware that war would bring destruction. President Rajapakse was for an abiding solution to the problem. The doors were still open for talks to end the ethnic issue, but the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam did not come to the negotiating table, he said.

As part of the efforts to evolve a solution, Mr.Rajapakse had set up a Constitutional Advisory Committee, he said, stressing the need for adopting a holistic approach to the problem.

He traced the steps he had taken during his tenure to simplify procedures for the issue of birth certificates and citizenship certificates to the babies of refugees born in the camps in the State.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Tsunami relief: legislation planned for land acquisition
New lens implant restores vision by 30 to 40 per cent
Tamil Nadu factor "vital": Nakandala
Call to improve safety standards in industry
20 per cent of petroleum products sold `is adulterated'
S. Balakrishnan dead
Jayalalithaa condemns disinvestment plan
Where children cook food, run houses and yet go to school
Minister to study working condition in textile units
Chidambaram urges weavers to utilise insurance schemes
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu