DMK won146;t create crisis at Centre: TN CM

Sri Lanka assures India about safety of Tamils; India to send 800 tonnes of relief material.

With just three days left for UPA ally DMK8217;s deadline on the issue of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Sunday assured the UPA Government that his party would not create a political crisis at the Centre. His assurance came after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee went to Chennai and apprised him of the steps being taken to ensure the safety of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Earlier in the day, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also spoken to Karunanidhi over telephone and told him that he would be briefed by Mukherjee following talks with Basil Rajapaksa, the brother and Special Advisor of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

During the course of Mukherjee8217;s meeting with Basil earlier on Sunday, it was decided that India would send around 800 tonnes of relief material to the island nation. The two parties also agreed that Tamil fishermen would not venture into sensitive Lankan areas and would not be fired at by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Basil briefed Mukherjee of the steps being taken by Colombo to ensure that the rights of Tamils are not compromised during the ongoing military offensive against the LTTE. He also apprised the Indian authorities on the efforts by the Sri Lanka Government to afford relief and ensure the welfare of the civilian population in the northern part of the country.

Describing the discussions as 8220;positive and constructive8221;, the Ministry of External Affairs MEA said that New Delhi conveyed its concern about the humanitarian situation in the northern part of Sri Lanka.

8220;As a gesture of goodwill, India has decided to send around 800 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka for the affected civilians in the North and the Lankan government will facilitate the delivery. Both sides agreed to consult and cooperate with each other in addressing these humanitarian issues,8221; a joint statement released by the two countries said.

Both sides also discussed the need to move towards a peacefully negotiated political settlement in the island. New Delhi called for implementation of the 13th Amendment and greater devolution of powers to the provinces. To this, Rajapaksa emphasised that the President of Sri Lanka and his Government were firmly committed to a political process that would lead to a sustainable solution.

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With regard to the issues regarding fishermen, both sides agreed to put in place practical arrangements to deal with bonafide Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and to continue discussions on the proposed MoU on development and cooperation in fisheries.

As part of these practical arrangements, it was also decided that Indian fishing vessels would not venture into areas along 8220;sensitive8221; parts of the Sri Lankan coastline. 8220;It was agreed that Indian fishing vessels would carry valid registration/permit and the fishermen would have on person valid identity cards issued by Tamil Nadu government,8221; the MEA statement said.

Meanwhile, an official release issued in Chennai stated that Karunanidhi had thanked Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mukherjee for the steps being taken by the Centre.

An all-party meeting on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue held in Chennai on October 14 issued an ultimatum that all MPs from Tamil Nadu would resign if the Centre did not take steps to ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka8217;s embattled north by October 29.