PM writes to Jaya, Karuna, says trying to find way forward

The Prime Minister wrote to Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi even as MPs from the state forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha and disrupted proceedings in Lok Sabha over rights violations in Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister wrote to Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi even as MPs from the state forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha and disrupted proceedings in Lok Sabha over rights violations in Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

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In the letter to Karunanidhi, the PM said India was in touch with all parties and efforts were on to achieve a “forward-looking” outcome that would avoid “deepening mistrust”.

Singh said India’s objective, as always, remains the achievement of a future for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect.

“We have also emphasised the need for an independent and credible mechanism to investigate allegations of rights violations in a time-bound manner,” he said, adding, “our focus on these issues with Sri Lanka will continue.”

MPs from the DMK and rival ADMK want India to speak against “war crimes” in the island nation before the Geneva-based UNHRC and support a US-sponsored resolution to condemn Colombo’s record in the 2009 war that annihilated the LTTE, killed hundreds of people and left many homeless.

The resolution against Sri Lanka moved by US, France, and Norway is scheduled to be taken up on March 23 at the UNHRC meeting. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said, “Our traditional stand has been that we have never supported any country-specific resolution at the UN Human Rights Council.”

India had abstained from the voting on a recent UN resolution on Syria.

Later, Central ministers privately sought to impress upon DMK leaders that “several facets” were involved and India was in touch with several countries, including Sri Lanka, on the issue.