India is justified in participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka, because all options for engaging the island nation cannot be closed, Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan said here on Thursday.
By deciding not to attend the meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has abided by the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu. By doing so, he delivered a tough message to Sri Lanka.
But, Tamils in Sri Lanka could not be allowed to suffer. India needed a window to take efforts to get the 13th Amendment (for devolution of powers to the Provincial Assembly) implemented by Sri Lanka, and for resolving the (Indian) fishermen issue amicably, Mr. Vasan told mediapersons.
He was responding to a question whether State Congress leaders were unhappy over the participation of External Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid in CHOGM, especially in view of the resolution for total boycott adopted by Tamil Nadu Assembly. “The Congress had made its stand very clear in the Assembly,” he said.
Asked about the demolition of the compound wall of Mullivaikkal Memorial in Thanjavur, Mr. Vasan said it (memorial) was not acceptable to the Congress, and that the party did not subscribe to it.
