India on Tuesday again expressed concern over the plight of civilians caught in the conflict in Sri Lanka and stressed on the credible devolution of powers to end the ethnic conflict in the island nation.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed concern over the safety and security of the civilians and the internally displaced persons when his Canadian counterpart Lawrence Cannon rang him up Tuesday.
"He reiterated that the only way forward would be to ensure credible devolution of powers at the earliest," according to a statement from the external affairs ministry.
"During the call, both ministers expressed concern over the situation of the civilian population in northern Sri Lanka," the ministry said.
A couple of days ago Mukherjee had underlined that the Sri Lankan forces should make a distinction between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Tamil civilians, and not fire at 'safe zones'.
Pointing out that India has no sympathy for the terrorist organiation LTTE, New Delhi had stressed that "the way forward" must include credible devolution of powers, early return of democracy and rehabilitation of affected areas.
When his Danish counterpart Per Stig Moller rang up him Saturday, Mukherjee had stressed that the Indian government was "doing its best to ensure that the civilians are moved to safety".
{{/usCountry}}When his Danish counterpart Per Stig Moller rang up him Saturday, Mukherjee had stressed that the Indian government was "doing its best to ensure that the civilians are moved to safety".
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