Reinforcing the message that it is fully capable of dealing with the domestic consequences of the tsunami on its own, India politely turned down a request last week from the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to visit Tamil Nadu. After attending the tsunami summit in Jakarta last Thursday, Annan has been visiting the badly affected regions in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Annan’s office apparently expressed a desire on the part of the Secretary General to see relief work in India. The Manmohan Singh government, which has been discouraging its own ministers from travelling to the tsunami-affected areas, was in no mood to have a high-profile international visitor like Kofi Annan adding to burden of the local administration. It is also being pointed out that once the doors are opened to one foreign visitor, there will be no end to similar requests from other international personalities. More important, the government is determined to stay with the message that no foreign involvement is necessary in the massive relief effort under way in various states. Following the tsunami strike, New Delhi had rejected offers of assistance from other governments. Amidst widespread criticism of its policy, the government clarified that it had adequate resources to deal with the immediate task of relief and that it would consider taking international aid when it comes to reconstruction and modernisation of coastal infrastructure. The government also made it clear that contributions to the non-governmental organisations in India would be permitted. It also said India’s long-standing partnership with the UN agencies already working in India on humanitarian assistance would continue. Sources here insist that the decision to discourage Annan had nothing to do with the past record of frosty relations between New Delhi and the UNSG. During his many visits to the United Nations in New York as Prime Minister during 1998-2003, Atal Behari Vajpayee did not meet Annan. During his maiden visit during September 2004 to the United Nations Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had an amiable and productive meeting with Annan. The decision to turn down Annan’s request to visit Tamil Nadu, sources say, was in consonance with the firm policy decision not to lend any international dimension to the tsunami relief effort at home. Annan has wound up his travel today in Male, the capital of Maldives. He is heading to Geneva where an international conference convened by the United Nations will discuss aid commitments to the tsunami-affected nations.
