Lanka to MK: Persuade LTTE to lay down arms

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is back from his brief visit to Colombo with a commitment from President Rajapaksa that Tamil civilians will be spared in the ongoing military offensive.

At the moment, the Centre appears concerned for the Tamil diaspora.

"Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa agreed to expand the safe zones and to ensure that there will be no firing on the safe zones. India has also requested that relief agencies get access to affected areas," Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday.

With the war almost won, Colombo is finally ready to listen to South Block in Delhi. Mukherjee said assurances were given to him by President Rajapaksa during talks adding, "The President has assured India that the 13th Amendment (which gives Tamil language an official status) will get urgent attention."

And even as war continues in Sri Lanka, so does the posturing in Chennai. Mukherjee's Mission Colombo achieved its limited purpose - that a key ally to the UPA can project himself as a saviour of Tamils. The ally in this case is DMK and the saviour of the Tamils its chief M Karunanidhi.

Over the past 24 hours, the External Affairs Minister has been a messenger - taking M Karunanidhi's message to President Rajapaksa and bringing back President Rajapaksa's message to Karunanidhi. Rajapaksa now wants Karunanidhi to use his influence to persuade the LTTE to lay down arms.

However, Karunanidhi - given his poor health - will not personally accept the offer and neither will his political rival AIADMK Chief, J Jayalalithaa.

"I have no sympathy for the LTTE. They will not listen to me. If they will listen to anyone it will be Karunanidhi, so he should go and persuade them to lay down their arms," she said.

This posturing though will have no material impact on the civil war raging in the forests of Vanni in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan troops have now entered Vishvamadu, the last LTTE stronghold. Up to 2 lakh innocent people still remain trapped, caught in the cross-fire and like LTTE Chief Prabhakaran, their fate remains uncertain.

(With inputs from Meenakshi Mahadevan in Chennai)

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