Union Textile Minister, Dayanidhi Maran, on Friday called on Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and reiterated the concern of the DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.Karunanidhi, over the plight of Tamils living in refugee camps in Sri Lanka.
During the 30-minute meeting, Mr. Maran told the Prime Minister that the displaced Tamils were facing untold sufferings for want of medical care and other basic amenities and complained that the Sri Lankan Government was delaying in taking remedial action.
He urged Dr. Singh to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to arrange for the refugees to return to their homes at the earliest.
According to sources close to Mr. Maran, the Prime Minister assured that the Government would take all possible measures to impress upon the Sri Lankan Government to address the issue.
National Security Advisor, M.K.Narayanan, was also present at the meeting.
The Prime Minister had recently assured Mr. Karunanidhi that India was committed to work on a priority basis for the relief and rehabilitation of Tamils displaced in north Sri Lank and that New Delhi has conveyed its concerns on the issue to Sri Lanka in ``no uncertain terms’’.
The communication was in response to a letter from the Chief Minister voicing his concerns about the welfare of Tamils lodged in various camps after the end of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
