Sri Lankan MPs seek PMs intervention

New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) A five-member delegation of Tamil MPs from Sri Lanka today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to exert pressure on their government to take steps to protect the rights, dignity and self-respect of the Tamil-speaking population in the embattled island nation.

The meeting with the MPs belonging to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lasted 40 minutes at Dr Singh office in South Block. Pointing out that lives of innocent civilian Tamils were lost and their properties destroyed in the fight between the LTTE and the armed forces, the leaders sought the good offices of Dr Singh to restore peace in Sri Lanka.

''The meeting was very successful. We impressed upon the Prime Minister the pathetic and deteriorating situation in regards to rights, dignity and self respect of Tamil civilian population in Sri Lanka,'' TNA President Era Sambandan told mediapersons after the meeting which was also attended by National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and External Affairs Secretary Shivshankar Menon.

''We are of the view that India should play a total role in resolving the Sri Lankan issue. We have conveyed our feelings to Dr Singh,'' he added.

The delegation was in India in September to meet the Prime Minister, but they could not make it at that time.

The meeting was made possible this time because of the intervention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi whom the delegation met at Chennai on Wednesday.

Besides Mr Sambandan, the delgation had MPs Mavai Senatiraja, Gajan Ponnamblam, Selvam Adaikkalanathan and Suresh Premachandran.

Tamil National Movement leader S Veerapandi also attended the meeting. The Tamil MPs also held discussions with CPI(M) General Secretary A B Bardhan, CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja.

UNI SH VD GC1846