India pledges USD 110 million to Sri Lanka

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Indian Parliament that his government had committed Indian Rs 5 crore (USD 110 million) for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs, and that, if Sri Lanka government asked for more financial assistance, his government would be willing to provide that as well.

The Indian premier said his government was keen to see that the IDPs get an opportunity to go back to their places of origin as soon as possible, and hoped to help the process in every possible ways.

"The Tamil problem is larger than that of the LTTE. We hope Sri Lanka will show imagination and courage in meeting the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Tamil people to live their lives as equal citizens, and with dignity and self-respect," Dr. Singh said in the Lok Sabha, while replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address at the joint sitting of parliament.

He said India was taking an active part in the relief and rehabilitation of the internally displaced people in Sri Lanka.

"I have already earmarked Rs.500 crore for this purpose," he said.

Dr. Singh said the Indian government was willing to do more to restore normalcy and to return such people to their rightful homes and occupations,

Meanwhile, several Rajya Sabah members also expressed their concern over the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, prompting the government to assure them that it would give an "appropriate response" to the concerns of the members.

"Government will respond appropriately once the feeling of the House on the issue is conveyed to the Prime Minister," Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, told the Upper House, after several members insistently called for an all-party meeting on the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils.

BJP member Venkaiah Naidu said the reports from Sri Lanka "are horrible, and there seems to be nothing less than a genocide" taking place there.

He said the international community had not done much and the Prime Minister should call an all-party meeting to discuss the issue at length.

AIADMK's V. Maitreyan, CPI's D Raja, Brinda Karat of CPI(M) and some left MPs also joined the chorus, demanding that an all-party meeting be convened, terming it the government's "moral responsibility" to look into the interests of the ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

P J Kurien and Santosh Bagrodia of the Congress also associated themselves with the sentiments expressed, and urged the government to take up the matter with the Sri Lankan government.