The leader of the TNA, R. Sampanthan, has affirmed his faith in India to take up the Tamil issue on the island of Sri Lanka, reported Uthayan.
Delivering a statement on the recent trip of a TNA delegation to New Delhi, Sampanthan is reported to have said:
“Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given his assurance that India will take responsibility in ensuring that the Tamil people in Sri Lanka can live with justice, dignity and self-respect. Manmohan Singh said that he will do everything he can for this.”
“Upon meeting leader of the opposition, Sushma Swaraj, we were reassured that this would remain the case regardless of regime changes in India. She further said that it is not just the Tamil Nadu government that is concerned about the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Each state in India is on the side of the Tamil people. Ms Swaraj told us that all Indian states are committed to resolving the problems of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.”
“India’s attitude to the problems of Tamil people is a sympathetic one. I believe that they will soon take up responsibility in finding a solution to these problems.”
“Having understood that our demands and stances are justified, I feel that they should not let this opportunity go amiss. The only individual to talk to us about Sri Lanka’s proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) was PM Manmohan Singh. He stated that the Sri Lankan government had spoken to him before our talks, about finding a political solution to the ethnic issues and about the PSC.”
“However, he simply informed us of the details of the PSC, but made no attempt to persuade us to participate. In fact, no-one on the Indian side recommended participation in the PSC.”
“We are much more enthusiastic and motivated by this recent trip to India, than any other trip we have undertaken in the past.”
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