A delegation of MPs from Tamil Nadu on Saturday arrived here on a five-day visit to Sri Lanka, during which they will visit camps where Tamils displaced due to the civil war are currently lodged and see for themselves the living conditions there.
The 10-member delegation led by senior Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) leader T. R. Baalu and parliamentarians from DMK, Congress and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogologama during their stay.
The MPs will visit rehabilitation camps in various areas in Manik Farms camp in Vavuniya and see the current situation there. They will also interact with the displaced civilians.
Kanimozhi, A. K. S. Vijayan, T. K. S. Elangovan, Helen Davidson (all DMK), Sudharasana Natchiappan, N. S. V. Chithan, J. M. Haroon, K. S. Azhagiri (all Congress) and Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK) are the members of the team.
The MPs are also scheduled to visit Jaffna, the cultural capital of Sri Lankan Tamils, and Kandy, where a large chunk of plantation Tamils live.
The Tamil Nadu MPs will also hold discussions with Tamil leaders in the island, including those of pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance.
After their return to India, the MPs will submit a report to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who in turn will keep in touch with the Centre in this regard.
The visit comes more than a fortnight after a delegation of MPs from Congress and DMK met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to send a team to the island to get to know the situation in camps.
Nearly three lakh Tamil civilians, displaced due to the 30-year-old civil war in Sri Lanka, have been living in camps ever since the curtains on the war came down in May this year.
The Government plans to resettle them in their towns and villages in a couple of months once the northern areas are cleared off landmines
