Lanka should devolve powers to Tamils: Chidambaram

Chennai, Jun 7 (PTI) Sri Lanka should devolve powers to
Tamils in line with the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord and "if
possible go even beyond that", Union Home Minister P
Chidambaram said Sunday.

"The Sri Lankan government should implement the 13th
amendment of the Indo-Lankan Accord on devolution of powers
.... if possible go beyond that," he told reporters after
meeting state Chief Minister M Karunanidhi here to discuss the
Sri Lankan Tamils issue here in the Southern state of Tamil
Nadu.

Chidambaram said the Lankan government should strictly
proceed towards rehabilitating the Tamils. India, he said, too
was working for the internally displaced Tamils and had
donated large sums of money.

Chidambaram, who called on Karunanidhi for the first time
after taking charge as Home Minister in the new UPA
government, said he met the DMK chief to get "inputs on what
he was thinking and what has to be done for Lankan Tamils and
how to rehabilitate them as well as how we should be proceed
in this regard".

He said he would present Karunanidhi's "thoughts" at the
union cabinet meeting.

About the arrest of Mohammad Omar Madni, a key LeT
(Lashkar-e-Taiba) functionary, he said police should be
appreciated for that.

The Centre was sharing its intelligence with the state
governments regularly with regard to terror threats in South
Indian cities, he said.

On the US telling its citizens that India was not safe
for travel, Chidambaram said it was "not an advisory" but the
US has asked its people to be cautious while travelling to
India.

"India is one of the safest countries in the world," he
said.

Chidambaram said a National Security Guards unit would
soon be set up in Tamil Nadu. PTI SNR
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