‘Aid to Lanka only after talks with Rajapakse’

On a day of hectic parleys, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon today called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, as part of the ongoing process of consultation on the Lankan issue.

On a day of hectic parleys, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon today called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, as part of the ongoing process of consultation on the Lankan issue.

Hinting at a possible hardening of stand on the issue of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, Menon, whose Colombo visit was primarily “to convey India’s deep concern and anguish” on the violence against Lankan Tamils, said “Colombo should speak for itself”.

Narayanan, who arrived from Delhi this morning to participate in the discussions with Karunanidhi, said humanitarian aid to Sri Lankan Tamils, promised by the Prime Minister last week, would be decided only after discussing the issue with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse during his visit to India. Menon was on his way back from Colombo.

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After the hour-long meeting with Karunanidhi at the state secretariat this evening, in which Menon also participated, Narayanan told reporters, “We will talk to President Rajapakse on the necessity for humanitarian aid. Only then we’ll decide on the modalities of sending it.’’

In a letter last week, PM Manmohan Singh had written to Karunanidhi stating that India would send 7,000 tonnes of essential food materials, medicines and clothing to displaced Tamil refugees inside Sri Lanka.

Stridently protesting the killings of Tamils in Lanka, opposition parties in Tamil Nadu had demanded that the aid be sent through the Red Cross to the displaced Tamil refugees rather than give it directly to the Lankan government as they could divert the supplies to majority Sinhalese population. Narayanan said the matter of routing aid through the Red Cross would be discussed “depending on the situation”. As and when the need for sending humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka arises, “we will decide in what form it should be sent,” he said.

On Karunanidhi’s demand that the Centre take up a pro-active role in Sri Lanka, Narayanan said Tamil Nadu and Delhi shared “an identical approach” on the issue.