The Government of India has told the Sri Lankan government that the “safety and security of civilians must be safeguarded at all costs” and that food and essential supplies be allowed to reach them.
In a suo motu statement, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha that Colombo had been apprised of New Delhi’s “serious concern’ on this issue. The minister will answer clarifications on the statement on Thursday. Regarding the “deteriorating humanitarian situation in the north of Sri Lanka”, Mukherjee said the government had been assured the safety and well-being of the Tamil community in Sir Lanka.
He told the Rajya Sabha that Sri Lankan parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa, also a senior adviser to the Sri Lankan President, would be visiting India soon.
Mukherjee said India had reiterated its conviction that “there is no military solution to the ethnic conflict. What is required in Sri Lanka is a peacefully negotiated political settlement within the framework of a united Sir Lanka respecting the legitimate rights of the minorities including the Tamil community”.
India has also taken up with the Sri Lankan government the need to ensure the safety of its fisherman.
{{/usCountry}}India has also taken up with the Sri Lankan government the need to ensure the safety of its fisherman.
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