Lankan Tamil MP urges India to play decisive role

Chennai, Dec 13 (UNI) Sri Lankan Tamil MP Sivajilingam today urged India to play a more ''decisive role'' in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue to ensure a negotiated settlement.

Addressing a press conference here, he said Tamils in the island nation were not against a negotiated settlement to usher in peace, but the all pervading feeling was that a separate Tamil homeland ''Eelam'') was the only solution.

Mr Sivalingam of Tamil National Alliance, a pro LTTE group also pointed out that India had already initiated several steps and has even expressed concern over the happenings there.

''But it has to go beyond this'', he said.

He said the need of the hour was to provide food and life saving drugs for the starving Tamils and added India could help in an effective manner in this regard.

He blamed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Government for the problems and alleged that it was not being serious and causing delay in arriving at a negotiated settlement.

Hence, if the situation has to change, India should play a crucial role to end the six decade-long- strife to help Tamils live in peace and dignity there, he added.

He also charged that it was the Lankan Government's attitude which had brought the Norwegian-brokered peace talks to a standstill. He also charged the Sri Lankan Government with closing the National highway connecting Jaffna with rest of the country, thus preventing food articles reaching the Tamils.

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