A Sri Lankan Minister urged India to intervene in improving the social, economic and educational conditions of the ethnic Indian community in the island nation.
CHENNAI: A Sri Lankan Minister on Sunday urged India to intervene in improving the social, economic and educational conditions of the ethnic Indian community in the island nation.
Community Development Minister P Chandrasekaran said here that Sri Lanka has done 'little' for the 15 lakh-strong ethnic Indian community since it got independence on February 4, 1948.
"While the British rulers, who took people from India 200 years back to employ them in plantation fields, saw them just as labourers and did not give them any major facility, the situation is no different after independence," he said.
"India should ensure the role of its Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in helping us develop in the areas of education, health and sanitation," Chandrasekaran said.
The minister, who recently addressed a gathering of NRIs at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi, said India should also ensure the participation of the members of ethnic Indian communities in such meetings.
"Such meetings can act as a platform for them to air their grievances and attract solutions immediately," he said.
Chandrasekaran also called for India's intervention to put an end to the ethnic strife in the island nation.
"However, we fear that India may not be willing to intervene in the issue immediately and therefore political leaders in Tamil Nadu must press the Centre in this regard," he said.
On the ethnic strife involving Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, he said despite being branded a terrorist outfit, the LTTE alone had the power to 'bargain' for a solution to end the problems of the Tamils.
"Despite all its mistakes, the LTTE alone has the power to bargain for a solution to the issues of the Tamils. There are no alternatives (political parties and organisations) to take up the cause," he said, adding even the US, whose FBI had branded LTTE as the 'most dangerous terrorist outfit', was pressing the Government to involve the outfit in a peace dialogue.
He also alleged that the Sri Lankan government was creating a picture as if the LTTE alone was responsible for the crisis in the country.
"The government is now saying that it will wipe out the rebel forces soon. But, will that put an end to the problem of the Tamils?" he asked.
"Addressing their demand for political autonomy would alone solve all problems," Chandrasekaran said.
On a query over the confusion regarding Prabhakaran's health, in the wake of reports that he was injured in a Lankan air raid, Chandrasekaran said he had no information in this regard.
He said he had learnt about the developments only through media reports.
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