| Font Size |
New Delhi's apprehensions were conveyed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during a meeting with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in Colombo on Tuesday night.
"We made it quite clear our concern about the civilian population which is around 1.50 lakh who are affected by this crossfire," Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday adding that President Rajapakse agreed to expand the safe zone and also ensure that no firing or shelling will take place in this area.
Mukherjee said the Sri Lankan President also expressed concern over the situation and "appealed to all concerned to allow the civilians to come to the safe zone so that they get shelter, food and medical aid."
New Delhi also urged Colombo to allow international agencies like the UNHCR, ICRC and other organisations engaged in relief efforts to visit the areas and supplement the government agencies' relief efforts, he said.
The Sri Lankan President also invited an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu, led by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa.
The invitation came in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu political parties' repeated demands to the government to ask Sri Lanka to end its military offensive against LTTE.
Rajapakse and Mukherjee also discussed "the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution which was effected after the 1987 Rajiv Gandhi-J R Jayawardene agreement to provide devolution and autonomy to Northern and Eastern provinces to ensure the legitimate aspirations of the ethnic minorities" of the island nation.
"The President assured me that this would be the area of his urgent attention and he will try to explore possibilities and improve the conditions there," Mukherjee said.
The talks between the two leaders came in the backdrop of a raging battle between Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE who were defending their last remaining strongholds in the northern areas.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
This incompetent fool just forgot that 3 months back India was attacked by people who came from its western neighbor and he is loosing sleep over some problem in South which has no bearing on Indian security whatsoever, just to get some votes on regional lines
Some people were killed in Mumbai by some pepole came from North.Why every one in India is crying wolf ? Making such a hue and cry on some small incident .
There ends the drama by the Government of India and Government of Tamil Nadu.
Shame on india on supporting LTTE
Yesterday, MNS workers of infamous criminal Raj Thackeray have murdered 5 and 11 years north indian kids as their parents were singing bhojpuri songs for the martyrs of 26/11.As congress government have failed to protect people and hindi speaking north indians the maharashtra govt should be dismissed. Bombay should be separated from Maharashtra and brought under the control of Central government as state police and judicial systems has been infected by the virus of regionalism and marathism. Raj Thackeray and his marathi supporters are walking on the path of Mohammed Ali Jinnah. It is high time ATS should encounter Raj Thackeray or else he will divide India in the name of marathism.