Chennai: India is committed for rehabilitation and resettlement of Sri Lankan Tamils housed in relief camps in the Island Nation and devolution of equal powers to them.
This was conveyed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a letter to DMK President M Karunanidhi.
In his reply to the DMK Chief’s August 20 letter on the issue, the Prime Minister said the Indian government was engaged with the Sri Lankan Government for the achievement of a future for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka that was marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect.
In the letter, copies of which was released by the DMK to the media here, the Prime Minister reiterated that “since the of the conflict in Sri Lanka, the focus of the Indian government has been on the welfare and well-being of the Tamil citizens in Sri Lanka”.
“Their resettlement and rehabilitation have been of the highest and top priority for our government”, the Prime Minister said.
“We have also conveyed to the Sri Lankan government the need for taking forward dialogue with the political representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamils on devolution of power,” he said. The Prime Minister said, “in this context, we remain engaged with the Sri Lankan government for the achievement of a future for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka that is marked by equality, dignity, jsutice and self-respect”. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress in Karnataka on Tuesday termed the State government’s decision to file review petition on Cauvery water release issue in the Supreme Court as ‘nothing but an eye wash’.
Speaking to newsmen after celebrating 144th birth anniversary of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi here, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dr G Parameshwar said “the State government has decided to file review petition on October 15 after releasing water till that date which was mentioned in the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) direction. Where is the need to approach Court after releasing water.”
Dr Parameshwar demanded Minister for Water Resource Basvaraj Bommai to tender public apology for failure to handle the legal battle on the issue. (UNI)