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India to Sri Lanka: ensure there is no refugee exodus

Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI: India has asked Sri Lanka to provide food and shelter to displaced Tamil civilians in the war-affected regions of the island nation, and also ensure that there was no exodus of refugees to Tamil Nadu. India has promised assistance to Sri Lanka in carrying out relief operations in conflict-affected areas.

“We have told the Sri Lankan government that it was its responsibility to provide aid to civilians displaced due to hostilities. We do not want influx of refugees into our territory because of a situation on which we have no control,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

“India has asked Sri Lanka authorities to ensure that their fight was against terrorists. The problem has become more complicated as there are reports of civilian population being used as human shields by terrorists. There are over two-lakh displaced civilians due to this conflict,” he said, while replying to clarifications sought on his suo motu statement made in the upper house on Thursday on the Sri Lankan crisis.

Mr. Mukherjee said India was ready to provide all necessary aid required to help war-affected people and was in touch with international aid agencies in this connection. “We will provide whatever assistance they require for rehabilitation, relief and succour to the displaced persons.”

Reiterating that the ultimate solution to the problem could be achieved through implementation of the recommendations of the high-power committee set up by the Sri Lankan government, devolution of power and giving autonomy in certain areas, Mr. Mukherjee said they had told the Sri Lankan government to begin the political dialogue soon.

Referring to a recent visit of senior Indian officials to Sri Lanka, Mr. Mukherjee said the officials went there to discuss and assess the current situation. “We will not like to have international players in our backyard. We have maintained a very comprehensive relation with Sri Lanka.”

On the killing of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, he said: “There is no justification for the Sri Lankan Navy shooting Indian fishermen. They can arrest our fishermen if they violate maritime border, which often happens with Pakistan. We will work out a mechanism to resolve this issue.”

Stating that what Mr. Mukherjee said on Wednesday was a “non-statement” on the current crisis in Sri Lanka, senior BJP MP Jaswant Singh expressed concern over targeting of civilians in the conflict. He also asked the Centre to ensure that Sri Lanka immediately removed the economic blockade of regions where a large number of Tamil civilians live.

V. Maitreyan of the AIADMK raised the issue of influx of refugees, while D. Raja of the CPI asked whether the UPA government had recast its policy on Sri Lanka and its military assistance to the Sri Lankan government. He also expressed concern over the plight of Indian fishermen and urged the government to safeguard their rights. D. Siva of the DMK demanded that New Delhi should ensure rehabilitation of those displaced.

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