Date:30/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/30/stories/2008103054310400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“India should intervene in Sri Lankan ethnic crisis”

Special Correspondent

L. Ganesan

CHENNAI: India cannot keep itself away from the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis since it has a moral responsibility to find a peaceful solution, BJP State unit president L. Ganesan said on Wednesday.

“Lakhs of Tamil refugees are living in India and it costs the Indian government in many ways. India cannot avoid the Sri Lankan problem on the ground that it is an internal matter of another country. It should intervene and help find a solution,” he told reporters at the party headquarters.

Mr. Ganesan said when the Sri Lankan government was seeking support from India to protect its unity and sovereignty, India could certainly impose some conditions.

“It is the duty of the regional leaders to make the national leaders understand the problems of the people in their region. If BJP comes to power it will find an amicable solution to the crisis,” he said.

Advising the Indian government to send relief materials to the Tamils through the Red Cross Society or United Nations, Mr. Ganesan said still there was a doubt whether the materials would reach them properly. The relief materials sent after the tsunami did not reach them, he pointed out.

Mr. Ganesan said BJP president L.K. Advani would visit Chennai on November 12 to attend a function organised to release his autobiography ‘My Country My Life’ in Tamil.