CPI urges aid for insurgency-hit Lanka

New Delhi, Jan 8 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) today asked the Centre to extend humanitarian aid including food items to Sri Lanka and urged both the Rajapaksa government and the LTTE to resume talks to end the ethnic conflict which has claimed over 50000 lives so far.

''Northeast Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of food items,'' CPI national secretary D Raja told External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is leaving for the Island nation tomorrow as part of his visit to the SAARC countries.

Mr Raja's one-hour meeting with Mr Mukherjee came close on the heels of CPI(M) leaders -- Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechuri holding a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday.

The exercise is part of the government's initiative to discuss foreign policy matters with the political parties, which began on January 2 when it invited top BJP leaders -- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Jaswant Singh for talks on the subject.

During his one-to-one meeting, the CPI leader also apprised the Minister of the party's concerns over the exodus of refugees to Tamil Nadu and the sufferings of civil society in Sri Lanka.

Mr Raja told UNI that during the discussions the situation in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan also came up in detail.

On Pakistan, Mr Mukherjee said the government was committed to a composite dialogue to usher in an era of peace, stability and development, the CPI leader said adding that his party opined that the peace process should continue.

The two leaders were unanimous in their view that the Maoists and the Seven party Alliance in Nepal should find ways and means to build a democratic society there. The Manmohan Singh government was also committed to help condolidate the democracy in the neighbouring country, Mr Mukherjee said.

The deepening crisis in Bangladesh arising out of a joint opposition decision to boycott the general elections also came up for discussion, Mr Raja added.

UNI