Manmohan Singh promises to help rebuild infrastructure in northern and eastern provinces at 1st meet with Rajapaksa after end of ethnic war
With the end of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, India is hoping to woo back the Tamil minorities angry with New Delhi for not helping them in the last stages of the military operation against the LTTE. India wants to begin a new chapter of cooperation with Lanka, including in the defence sector.
Through the years of ethnic conflict in the island nation, domestic opinion in Tamil Nadu ensured India did not sell military hardware to Colombo, which would be used against the LTTE. This forced Sri Lanka to buy from China, Israel and Pakistan. There was much heartburn in India over China and Pakistan making huge military sales to Colombo.
But now it will be different. New Delhi already has defence relations with Lanka, which would now be firmed up with the sale of equipment. Though no deals were signed this time, military hardware will be made available to Colombo.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s first visit to India after the end of the ethnic war gave both countries an opportunity to take ties to the next level of intensive cooperation. At the same time, prime minister Manmohan Singh stressed the need for a political settlement which would give the Tamil minorities full civil and economic rights. India is going to infuse large amounts of funds for reconstruction of the northern and eastern provinces and help in rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. New Delhi has already announced a grant of Rs500 crore and a roughly $800 million line of credit for railway projects. The focus will be to connect the northern province to the rest of the island.
“The prime minister emphasised that Lanka’s emergence from decades of conflict offered an historic opportunity to spearhead an era of reconciliation where all communities can come together to realise a political settlement. He also observed that a meaningful devolution package, building upon the 13th amendment, would create the necessary conditions for this purpose,” foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said after talks between Singh and Rajapaksa.
India will assist Lanka in constructing 50,000 houses in the northern and eastern provinces. It has also promised to build railway infrastructure in the region.
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