PM rubbishes talk of sending army to Lanka

Chennai, May 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Saturday rubbished the talk of sending army to Sri Lanka and
favoured a political solution to the problem of Tamils within
a united and federal set up, brushing aside the views of
parties in Tamil Nadu, including ally DMK (Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam), pitching for a separate Eelam.

"What is possible and what is not possible, I think it
is a matter of speculation. But quite frankly we are dealing
with a sovereign state Sri Lanka.. a sovereign country. It is
not so easy to march armies to a sovereign state," he told a
press conference here.

He was replying to a question on AIADMK (All India Anna
Dravida Munetra Kazhagam) chief's Jayalalithaa's remarks that
if a government of her choice comes to power after the
elections, it would send army to Sri Lanka for creation of a
separate Tamil Eelam state.

With AIADMK and its allies PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi)
and MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam) raising the
stakes on the Eelam issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M
Karunanidhi also joined the bandwagon for a separate homeland
for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

"There is such thing as international law and all those
constraints I think are known to all those who are making tall
promises," he said in an apparent reference to Jayalalithaa's
recent election speeches.

The Prime Minister appeared to suggest that any action by
India should not also make Sri Lanka go for other options.

Singh told the southern neighbour that there could be no
military solution but only a negotiated political settlement
which is fair to Tamils.

"We are living in very uncertain times. Whatever we do
vis-a-vis our neighbours, we have to recognise that they are
sovereign countries.

"In dealing with sovereign countries who have options
other than dealing with India, sometimes we can hurt the wider
national interests by taking a narrow shortsighted view," the
Prime Minister said when asked why India can't snap ties with
Sri Lanka.

Singh took strong objection to a question that he was
maintaining silence on the Sri Lanka Tamils issue and said it
was not true.

"That's not true. I am deeply concerned over plight of
the civilians in Sri Lanka. I have used every opprtunity to
take up the issue with the President and the Prime Minister of
Sri Lanka," he said.

"This is not an issue which is of concern only for the
people of Tamil Nadu, but for the people of India," the Prime
Minister said.

Asked about different opinions by political parties on
LTTE (Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam), he said: "As as
far as Government of India is concerned, LTTE has been
regarded as a terrorist organisation so far."

On India's stand about Prabhakaran and whether New Delhi
will help Sri Lankan Government in nabbing the LTTE chief, the
Prime Minister said: "Prabhakaran is a proclaimed offender and
he is wanted in India. Now the issue is not this.

"The issue is the future of Tamils in Sri Lanka... On how
the Sri Lankan Government settle the issues through political
means so that Tamils in the country can live with dignity and
self-respect.

"The immediate concern is that the people trapped should
be brought to the safe zone and the Sri Lankan government
should resolve it through a political settlement," Manmohan
Singh said. PTI