Indo- Lanka Accord will be fully implemented - Indian PM to ENDLF leaders

(August 08, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) “An Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) delegation led by ENDLF President G.Gnanasekaran accompanied by R. Anbarasu Ex MP, Ex Secretary Congress Parliamentary Party, met the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi on yesterday afternoon,” S. Vaseekaran, deputy Secretary of the ENDLF said in a press statement.

According to the statement, “the delegation discussed the Sri Lankan Tamil problem and explained the difficulties faced by the Sri Lankan Tamils following the end of the war in Northern Sri Lanka. ENDLF delegation urged the Prime Minister for India’s direct intervention in settling the long standing grievances of the Tamils by finding an acceptable political solution.”

The statement further pointed out, “ENDLF delegation presented the following requests to Dr Manmohan Singh:

(1) India should take immediate steps to fully implement the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord ; India should send Indian Peace Keeping Force to Sri Lanka to ensure the Sri Lankan Tamil’s rights, if Sri Lankan Government opposes India should pressurise United Nations to send its Peace Keeping Force to the North Eastern Province of Sri Lanka to ensure the Rights and Safety of the Tamils.

(2) Over three hundred and fifty thousand Tamils are detained in camps in Northern Sri Lanka. All these people should be unconditionally released and re-settled in their own villages;

(3) Sri Lankan Government has embarked on a major colonisation project to settle Sinhalese in North East Sri Lanka in traditional Tamil areas. India should intervene to stop this Sinhala colonisation project;


(4) India should engage directly in resettling the Tamils affected by the recent war and in creating an environment of freedom where the Tamils could resume their normal lives with dignity and without fear;

(5) Tamil refugees now living in India should be given skills training to help them engage in gainful employment on their return to their homeland.

(6) Permission for convening a conference in India, of Sri Lankan Tamils living in various countries.

Shri Manmohan Singh gave the following assurances to the ENDLF delegation:

(1) Indo-Sri Lankan Accord will be fully implemented;

(2) India is aware of the Sinhala colonisation and would take appropriate action;

(3) India has provided the Sri Lankan Government 500 million rupees for the resettlement of the Tamil refugees and further assistance would be provided. India is monitoring the resettlement of these refugees and expect the Sri Lankan government to honour its promise to resettle them within six months;

(4) Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in Tamil Nadu will be given skills training and vocational education to help them find gainful employment on their return to Sri Lanka.

(5) Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured ENDLF President Gnanasekaran that India is sympathetic to the Tamils and will definitely find an acceptable solution to the Sri Lankan Tamil problem.

(6) Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said he will discuss with the Security Advisor Mr. M.K. Narayanan on convening the conference and do the needful.

-Sri Lanka Guardian