Lanka tieup to join panel after India pressure

Oct 15, 2012 - K.S. JAYASEELAN |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which has all along been opposed to joining the Parliament Select Committee (PSC), proposed by Sri Lanka, to discuss and hammer out a political solution to the ethnic Tamil problem in the island nation is now open to the idea of joining it.
According to sources, India has exerted a lot of influence on the TNA to join the PSC at the instance of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who during his recent visit to India requested the Indian leadership to help in this regard.
Sources also said that Mr Rajapakse, who is under intense international pressure to arrive at an early political settlement by implementing the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), sought India’s assistance in helping ward off global focus over the issue. And therefore, India invited a delegation of TNA MPs to discuss with them ways and means to take the matter of political settlement further. After their talks with the Indian leadership, delegation head Sampanthan declared that they are not averse to joining the PSC provided they are given guarantees that they will not be taken for a ride by the Sri Lankan government. This marked a distinct shift in their position, sources pointed out. And if the TNA accepts the Sri Lankan proposal that would give it the much-needed leeway to declare that a concerted effort is on involving the stakeholders to find a solution to the intractable issue, sources said.
Besides, India is also keen to bring about a political settlement in Sri Lanka alongside the relief and rehabilitation measures that is on in full swing with India’s assistance, sources added.

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