Lankan High Commissioner lauds India's efforts in rehabilitating war victims

New Delhi, May 21 (ANI): Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in New Delhi, C. R. Jaisinghe, on Thursday appreciated India's assistance in rehabilitation people displaced by the war in the island nation.

"We appreciate very much that the Indian authorities are coming forward to help with the rehabilitation and recovery," Jaisinghe told reporters here.

Colombo has to provide basic assistance and services to an estimated 2,65,000 people who fled fighting in the northern part of the country over the last six months.

India has already offered a package of Rs. one billion as relief to Sri Lanka and is considering another package of Rs. five billion.

This latest massive influx of people, who have endured extreme conditions, will put an even greater strain on the camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) that are already buckling under the pressure of the existing IDP population.

The news of the death of LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran by the Sri Lankan government has been hailed across India, which as it had lost one of its charismatic young Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber.

As the country remembered Rajiv Gandhi on his 18th death anniversary on Thursday, All India Anti Terrorist Front (AIATF) President, M. S. Bitta, presented a honorary sword and a turban, both symbols of bravery, to Jaisinghe, hailing Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's initiative in ending terrorism.

Bitta said Sri Lanka had set a precedent before the entire world on tackling terrorism.

"Sri Lankan government has set an example in front of the entire world how to fight against terrorism. The terrorism of 35 years was ended in a month by the Sri Lankan government," Bitta said.

Sri Lanka's army chief General Sarath Fonseka said on Monday that troops had finished the task given to them by President Rajapaksa three years ago.

News of Prabhakaran's death came as Sri Lanka's state TV broadcast images of the body of his son and heir apparent, Charles Anthony, and other dead rebels. (ANI)