Manmohan, Sonia to take final call on CHOGM
A final call on Manmohan Singh’s trip to Colombo to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be taken by the Prime Minister himself, the Ministry of External Affairs, and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, even as opinion was divided in the Union Cabinet and the Congress Core Group.
The decision will be taken, Congress sources said, after weighing the conflicting views of the people of Tamil Nadu, reflected in stands taken by Congress and DMK leaders, on the one hand, and maintaining good relations with a neighbour, on the other. The Prime Minister’s trip, they said, could jeopardise the Congress chances of finding an ally in Tamil Nadu for the next general election.
At its last meeting on October 30, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram expressed their reservations about Dr. Singh travelling to Colombo.
Support for the visit, however, came from Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Congress MP from Tamil Nadu E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, who met Dr. Singh and explained how India would be in an advantageous position if he attended CHOGM. “I briefed him on the environment prevailing among Tamils in Lanka as well as those in Tamil Nadu and clearly told Dr. Singh that he should take the appropriate decision in the interests of Tamils in both countries,” he told The Hindu.
Asked why his colleagues G.K. Vasan, V. Narayanasamy and Jayanthi Natarajan were opposing Dr. Singh’s visit while he favoured it, Mr. Natchiappan quipped: “It is part of the democratic process in the Congress. The party allows debates which is good.”
If peace returned and development took place in the Tamil areas in Sri Lanka, it would be advantageous for Tamil Nadu in the form of more industrial investments. At present, 10 lakh youths from Tamil Nadu’s southern districts migrate every year to other States in search of jobs, the Minister claimed.
CPI national secretary D. Raja said Dr. Singh and the Congress could not ignore the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on boycotting CHOGM. If Dr. Singh ignored these protests and decided to visit Colombo, it would be nothing but a move to justify the “genocide” committed by the Rajapaksa government against Tamils, he said.
LawAsia president-elect and advocate Prashant Kumar said the Sri Lankan government had denied entry to the participants of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute’s (IBAHRI) high-level delegation which included the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.
The IBAHRI delegation was intending to travel to Colombo to participate in a conference co-hosted by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the IBAHRI titled ‘Making Commonwealth Values a Reality: the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession’.
Asian Centre for Human Rights Director Suhas Chakma urged Dr. Singh to attend CHOGM and demand accountability for the “war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Sri Lanka.”
(The Hindu)
Latest Headlines in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka and United States discuss Economic Support and Reforms April 19, 2024
- Israeli missile strikes Iran amid escalating Middle East tensions April 19, 2024
- President says he will build a Sri Lanka that the youth aspire to April 19, 2024
- NPP presents 7-point pledge on Easter Sunday Attack to Cardinal Ranjith April 18, 2024
- Dialog Axiata to acquire Bharti Airtel’s telecom operations in Sri Lanka April 18, 2024
Cat is out of the bag. Tamil Nadu wants to invest in Jaffna in building industries for their ‘unemployed Tamil youth, one million of them, to be employed in them. How dare they even think of such a thing. This shows their mind set. They look upon SL as their colony.
Who cares if MMS attends CHOGM or not? Better not. Let the tail (TN) wag the dog (Central Govt of India).
I support Blogger 1 ( Mr Nick Dias) in rejecting Ho MMS’s participation in CHOGM.
He has been hanging on the “saree pota” of the Italian Mrs Sonia G for quite awhile.
The Congress is poised to replace him with Rahul Gandhi (whose dad was decimated by the SL Tamils leader, the Late Mr VP) and Rohul, in true Gandhian spirit, will show a thing or two to the separatists in TN and SL NP including that bearded terrorist who has become the CM, NPC through fraudulent means.
The Indian PM’s presence in CHOGM is not really important. There are many otehr important leaders who are not attending. There are a few unwanted leaders eg: the Australian PM, Mr Abbott, who are attending.
If the Indian PM fails to attend, it is allright with us. The British PM, Cameron, is the one who will end with the egg on his face.