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Talks with Rajapaksa 'fruitful': Congress MP

22 April 2012 02:58 am - 12     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Terming as 'fruitful' talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on issues including devolution of powers to Tamil-speaking areas, a Congress MP, who was part of the parliamentary team that visited the island republic, yesterday said a report would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

On their return from Sri Lanka to assess rehabilitation of internally displaced Tamils, EM Sudarsana Natchiappan, one of the four Congress MPs representing Tamil Nadu in the Sushma Swaraj-led delegation,told reporters here that the MPs had visited many places including the Menik farm where IDPs are lodged.

He and other MPs said the number of IDPs had come down from around 2.5 lakh during the last visit of an MPs delegation in 2010 to 6000 now.

Sri Lankan officials had told the delegation that the rest would be resettled in their areas in the next few months as efforts to remove mines were on in these places.

Summing up their almost week-long (April 16-21) tour, he said while a report would be submitted to Prime Minster Manmohan Singh, the team had taken up various issues with the Lankan President including devolution of powers to Tamil-speaking areas. "We had fruitful discussions with him today for about 45 minutes," he added.

In a guarded response to criticism by Dravidian parties, including ally DMK, regarding the just-concluded visit, he said "in a democracy, every party has its goal, its agenda."

Both AIADMK and DMK had declined to participate in the week-long (April 16-21) excercise. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had pulled out her party nominee and DMK chief M Karunanidhi said his party had no intention to be a part of the team.

Jayalalithaa had described the visit as "mere eye-wash" while Karunanidhi said such visits had served no purpose in the past.

While the MPs said they were able to move independently, Krishnasamy said there was a sense of fear among Tamils in some areas and this needed to be addressed. (IANS)

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  Comments - 12

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  • raja Sunday, 22 April 2012 03:29 AM

    even Robert Blake has said the same thing several times. So far nothing has happened. Kannimohini has said the same thing when she visited Sri Lanka. That view was not accepted either by Tamilnadu or Tamils in Sri Lanka.

    Sinhala Baudda Sunday, 22 April 2012 03:32 AM

    Dear Mr Natchiappan, Thank you for visiting Sri Lanka. IDP population has dwindled from 250000 to 6000 in less than 3 years. Heve you heard about this kind of phenomenal achievement in any other country? Most Tamils in this country move freely. It's too early to pull out army from north and east. Do ordinary Tamils want devolution of power ? There is no need to have a separate state for Tamils in country. Please send representative from karunanidhi's party .

    senthil Sunday, 22 April 2012 03:42 AM

    how many such fruitful talks have you had in the past and what has been the outcome?

    Bigfoot Sunday, 22 April 2012 04:09 AM

    All far. and no sh..

    Nodrog Sunday, 22 April 2012 06:06 AM

    ooohhh Jayalalitha and Karunanidi will not like that comment.

    Labby Sunday, 22 April 2012 07:36 AM

    Doesn't this Congress MP know that Mahinda Rajapakse is just a good politician and not a statesman ?

    rajaa Sunday, 22 April 2012 10:58 AM

    he was afraid to speak any conditions that is not acceptable.

    Manu Sunday, 22 April 2012 11:12 AM

    Talks will be fruitfill... but sure nothing will be happen... only talks for ever...

    citizen1 Sunday, 22 April 2012 03:22 PM

    absolutely!!

    kiribath Sunday, 22 April 2012 04:19 PM

    Rajapakse*s must have given them lots of FRUITS for him to say like that, nothing will come out of this trip,

    Rangan Sunday, 22 April 2012 04:47 PM

    Even His Excellency does not trust Mahinda Rajapakse of the Medimullana.

    How comes you?

    fazan Sunday, 22 April 2012 04:51 PM

    Well said. These are jokers has no regards to the wellfair of those suffering people. Same as Sri Lankan politicians.


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