BJP: Attitude of DMK Govt/TN-state and the UPA government at the Centre in addressing the concern of Sri Lankan Tamils was far from satisfactory...!!!

BJP for rehabilitation of Lankan Tamils

Chennai, (PTI): Sri Lanka should take immediate steps to rehabilitate the internally displaced Tamils in the island nation and ensure they were resettled in their original place of inhabitation, senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said.

"The displaced Tamils are staying in many camps in Sri Lanka. There are reports that the camps lack basic amenities and the people were suffering. Even a former judge of Sri Lanka had expressed displeasure at the condition of these camps", he told reporters.

He urged the Sri Lankan government to accord equal rights to the Tamils as enjoyed by the Sinhalese.

Naidu alleged the attitude of the DMK Government in the state and the UPA government at the Centre in addressing the concern of Sri Lankan Tamils was far from satisfactory.

Meanwhile, Express Buzz. Com reported that the BJP Leader expressing its concern over the plight of Tamils living in 33 camps in Sri Lanka, the BJP has urged the island nation not to wage a war against innocent Tamils.

This strong message was conveyed to Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India C. R . Jayasinghe, when 22 BJP MPs interacted with him in New Delhi on July 16, he said.

“The Lankan government should differentiate between fighting the LTTE and Tamil people. Also, it must not conclude that the fall of LTTE has put an end to the Tamils’ issue, which will continue unless and until legitimate rights were provided to them,” he said.

Venkaiah also wanted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevail upon the neighbouring country over the Tamils’ issue on a regular basis. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi must also take it up frequently with the Centre.

Observing that even the former Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Sarath N. Silva, had termed the grave situation prevailing in Sri Lankan camps as “appalling”, Venkaiah said that effective steps should be taken for the devolution of powers under the 13th amendment to Tamils.
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‘Tamils are safe; their rights will be protected’
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, C. R. Jayasinghe assured India that there will not be any suppression of Tamil rights in Sri Lanka.

“The Tamils who constitute 16 per cent of the population will enjoy equal rights with the 70 per cent majority Sinhalese and devolution of power to the Tamil-dominated areas is a priority of the Rajapaksa government, which is now engaged in a massive rehabilitation effort following the elimination of the terrorist outfit LTTE.”

This assurance came from the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, C. R. Jayasinghe, in an informal chat with about two-dozen BJP MPs and intellectuals at the residence of senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu in the capital. The meeting was organised by the pro-RSS think tank India Foundation headed by Ram Madhav, a member of the RSS national executive.

Responding to the feelings expressed in the discussion, Sri Lankan High Commissioner reassured with a promise that the two-decade-old Rajiv Gandhi-Jayawardana agreement formed the basic framework for the devolution of powers to the Tamils. Like in the Indian Constitution, under the new scheme in Sri Lanka, all parts of the country would have provincial set-up under a chief minister and the Tamil-majority areas would elect their own provincial governments with all powers under a federal set-up. He stressed that as of now a majority of Tamils live in Sinhala-majority areas and that there is no threat to their safety and security. They enjoy good social interaction. There will not be any discrimination against Tamils, he said. (Organizer.com)