Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in the Tamil Nadu capital of Chennai yesterday that a military solution was not a viable option to resolve the problems of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, and instead India favoured a solution within the framework of a united and federal nation, according to Zeenews.
 |
| Premier Singh |
"There can be no military solution to the problems of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The legitimate aspirations of the Tamil-speaking minority must be fulfilled within the framework of a united and federal Sri Lanka through a negotiated and peaceful settlement," he said at a news conference.
The Prime Minister, however, did say that the Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue was of great concern to the people of India, especially Tamil Nadu. Acknowledging that the Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka had been badly treated, the Premier stated that his government was doing all it could to ensure civilians there lived a life of dignity.
“It is not easy to send the Army to a sovereign country,” Dr Singh said when asked to respond to demands for military intervention in Sri Lanka. The people of Tamil Nadu recognise that Indias hands were tied and that it could not interfere in the internal matters of a sovereign country, he added.
The Prime Minister’s remarks are in contrast to the stand of the Tamil parties, including ally DMK, which have been pitching for a separate Eelam. |
E-mail