The Indian delegation of Members of Parliament, which arrives here on April 16, will have an opportunity to speak to all groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka – those in the Northern Province, Eastern Province, in the hills, and in Colombo.
Led by the Leader of Opposition in the Parliament, Sushma Swaraj, the delegation arrives here late on April 16, and has a packed programme schedule ahead of leaving on April 21. The next morning, the delegation will meet Minister for Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, before meeting the External Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris.
The team will head to the Sri Lankan Parliament, where they will meet Basil’s brother and Speaker, Chamal Rajapaksa. They will also interact with Sri Lankan MPs, and attend a lunch. The team will meet representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (mostly elected by the northern Tamils), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (largely represent the Muslim dominated east), and the Ceylon Workers Congress (who stand for the plantation Tamils), the same day.
A dinner hosted by the Indian High Commissioner, Ashok K.Kantha, will give the delegation an opportunity to interact with prominent Colombo-based Sri Lankans and Indians.
The delegation will visit Medawachchiya on April 18. Medawachchiya is the site of the largest IRCON base facilities, as they rebuild the northern Railway of Sri Lanka. IRCON representatives will brief the delegation on the projects. Soon after, the delegation leaves for Mullaitivu, where they will witness a slew of projects being carried out – handing over of equipment for a Government Hospital, handing over some units of the dragging Housing Project, inaugurating repaired schools, and handing over bicycles.
The Security Forces Commander will brief the delegation on the progress on various fronts. The delegation travels to Jaffna, where it will interact with MPs and civil society representatives. The delegation will stay over in Jaffna for the night. The next day, the delegation will visit Kankasanthurai Harbour, where India had carried out a US $ 20 million wreck removal operation recently. The Harbour is being rehabilitated, and is expected to begin trade with Nagapattinam, about 60 km away, shortly.
The same day, the team will visit the southern railway project at Kaluthara and witness the handing over of the completed section. It will also meet the Leader of Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament, Ranil Wickramasinghe.
The delegation has one day, April 20, to visit the east and the hills, to meet people. At Batticaloa, where a host of statues were recently vandalised, including one of Mahatma Gandhi, the delegation will meet Chief Minister, a former LTTE child soldier Pillayan (Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan), and visit some projects. In the hills, it will visit Dickoya, the place where a hospital is coming up with Indian support.
The last day, April 21, the delegation will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa over breakfast.
Keywords: India-Sri Lanka relations, Indian delegation visit
WHO care your Delegation , This is a whitewash nothing else.
Why don't you give the full list of delegates?
The correspondent says “The Security Forces Commander will brief the delegation on the progress on various fronts”. Obviously stage managed but the Indian parliamentarians will not fall for this. An important correction. The correspondent says “….The team will meet representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (mostly elected by the northern Tamils), ……”. TNA members were elected by North AND Eastern Province Tamils.
This visit will not bring to anything to the tamils in Srilanka. This is
the visit only for improving indian and Srilankan relationship and their
economic development. They can do this without using our name (Tamil)
and cheating the world.
So the Sinhala Buddhist government will not allow the Indian parliamentarians to meet the war ravaged areas and the ethnic Tamil people living in makeshift tents? But they will have mementos, lunches and dinners?
Except meeting the TNA representatives, the indian team seems to have a busy agenda prepared by the Sri Lankan regime with collaboration with the Indian Congress regime to cover up crimes against huamnity, the sufferings of the Tamils and the real ground situation that the Tamils are experiencing in Tamil areas.
Rajapakse knows how to corrupt visitors and mislead them. AIADMK was wise to withdraw their members from this team's will not do any good to the Tamils' sufferings.
Sri Lanka is probably the worst human rights violaters in the world. The Defence Ministry uses its armed forces, in civilian clothes, for white van abuductions in Colombo etc. There're 56 such abductions in the last six months according to Sri Lankan Sunday Times. Recent ones being Kumara Gunaratnam (Australian National) and Dumita (Srilankan). India should help UNHRC to help implement the recent UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka President's committee recommendations (LLRC)of the May 2009 civil war end. There is no freedom in the nation unless Human Rights are improved and an accountability process for war victims. This is now long over due.The population is not safe in Sri Lanka and will not live in peace with dignity unless India and other world leaders help Sri Lanka to come out of this terrible mess. The entire world Tamil poulation, including South Indians, are very concerned of the Tamils' political future in the island nation. There is no peace without accountability for crimes
Incentive itinery
I do not see any golfing
I ask the delegation ,can you go to meet vaanni peopels ?if you go there you must go , Nedunkeni Mullaitivu, and Naddankandal Manthai East
Mullaitivu.
Sushma Swaraj is almost the shadow PM of India and represent the the whole opposition in Parliament.Therefore she should deal the Tamils issue honestly and judiciously.Tamils have their problems from 1948,their struggle from passive resistence to armed resistence due to local compulsion, forced by the sucessive ruling Singalese politicians.This should be cross checked while interacting.
Tamils can live in peace with the Singlese,provided they take them as their fellow citizens with equal rights.This visit should serve its purpose.Should not be an eyewash.Sri lanka should remain united and tamils should live with equal rights.Federal system alone can ensure enduring peace and stability to this lovely Nation..Sri lanka is not for Singalese only..They should be prepared to live in peace with the Tamils,if not possible,let allow Tamils go free.Tamils suffered enough.They should not live like in Rwanda Ethopia,congo.
BJP should keep in mind that the party need to win seats in TN in 201
Its ok to meet tamil groups. India should stay away from local
politics. We have many problems of our own.
.. The delegation lost its value as the ruling party of TN has disassociated from it . Yes ,Ravi Bernard ,a journalist of no mean order and who has in depth knowledge of Lankan Tamil Problem and also confident of CM Jaya ,will not be a member of the delegation . This speaks volumes of the usefulness of the delegation which will be like a conducted tour. One of the serious rights abuse and mass scale murder has taken place in Northern Lanka and we request to rise like mamtha [ in case of Bengali-es ],Manmohan [ in case of Punjabies ]and at least prevent the ill-treatment meted out to the remaining Tamils in Lanka.Will he ???
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