INDIAN Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed the Defence Minister to send a team of experts to Sri Lanka to help in speeding up the removal of mines in the war-ravaged Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts to pave the way for speedy resettlement of uprooted Tamils now living in make-shift camps in Vavuniya.
This was stated here on Saturday (24) by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. V. Thangabalu who accompanied the team of DMK and Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu when they went to New Delhi last week to brief the Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi about the outcome of their visit to Sri Lanka.
Mr. Thangabalu said that the team submitted a detailed report on Friday to Dr. Singh and Mrs. Gandhi, seeking India's help for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced Tamils.
Following the team's visit, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa agreed to send home 58,000 displaced Tamils in a fortnight.
Already over 40,000 have been sent back. Mr. Thangabalu said that soon after the team's meeting with him, Dr. Singh asked the Defence Minister to send a team of demining experts to Sri Lanka.
The Indian government also spoke to Basil Rajapaksa, advisor to President Rajapaksa, to send a team to India to discuss how to utilise the assistance given by India for the resettlement of internally displaced persons, he said.
- Asian Tribune –
(Courtesy: Daily Mirror)
