External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will soon take a break from hectic negotiations with Pakistan and head towards civil-war-torn Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday decided to send Mukherjee to Sri Lanka to press for a ceasefire between government forces and the LTTE and resumption of dialogue.
"I requested the prime minister to send Mukherjee to issue a strong warning to the Sri Lankan government to announce a ceasefire immediately and to hold peaceful negotiations with them," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi told reporters in New Delhi after meeting the prime minister along with a multi-party delegation from the state.
"The prime minister agreed to send the external affairs minister to Sri Lanka and told me that he will travel to the island nation as soon as possible," he said. Mukherjee was also present at the meeting. Karunanidhi said a decision on who will accompany Mukherjee during his visit to Sri Lanka would be worked out in consultation with him.
“Government of India has also taken sincere efforts to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to resolve the crisis in the island nation and arrive at a long-lasting political solution to Sri Lankan civilian Tamil crisis. However, without showing due regard to the efforts of the Government of India and the sentiments of Tamils across the world, the Sri Lankan government continues its fierce onslaught against Sri Lankan civilian Tamils. Hence, we believe that Indians in general and Tamils in particular cannot be mute spectators to the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka and violation of their basic rights,” all party-delegation said in petition to the prime minister.
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"I requested the prime minister to send Mukherjee to issue a strong warning to the Sri Lankan government to announce a ceasefire immediately and to hold peaceful negotiations with them," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi told reporters in New Delhi after meeting the prime minister along with a multi-party delegation from the state.
"The prime minister agreed to send the external affairs minister to Sri Lanka and told me that he will travel to the island nation as soon as possible," he said. Mukherjee was also present at the meeting. Karunanidhi said a decision on who will accompany Mukherjee during his visit to Sri Lanka would be worked out in consultation with him.
“Government of India has also taken sincere efforts to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to resolve the crisis in the island nation and arrive at a long-lasting political solution to Sri Lankan civilian Tamil crisis. However, without showing due regard to the efforts of the Government of India and the sentiments of Tamils across the world, the Sri Lankan government continues its fierce onslaught against Sri Lankan civilian Tamils. Hence, we believe that Indians in general and Tamils in particular cannot be mute spectators to the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka and violation of their basic rights,” all party-delegation said in petition to the prime minister.
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