Colombo, 30 October, (Asiantribune.com): Last week, Basil Rajapaksa MP was in New Delhi and he successfully managed to difuse the simmering tensions and concerns of the Indian Government by presenting the Sri Lanka’s case convincingly to the Indian authorities. Even Pranab Mukerjee, India’s External Affairs Minister openly expressed satisfaction on his recent talks with Sri Lankan special envoy Basil Rajapaksa. A pat by Mukerjee A pat by Mukerjee
As a special envoy of Sri Lanka’s President, Basil Rajapakse turned out to be a very successful troubleshooter in his debut in the fathomless international political arena.
By handling issues diplomatically, he was able to reduce the tension in the wake of the politically motivated protests that were taking place in Tamil Nadu led by the Chief Minister and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) party chief M. Karunanidhi in moves to pressurize the Indian Government to distance itself from support to Sri Lanka in the country’s fight against the LTTE.
Subsequent to the successful negotiation Pranab Mukerjee publicly announced India’s resolve to crush terrorism and also of further strengthening relations between Sri Lanka and India on the key issue of the ongoing military operations to defeat terrorism. Mukherjee also ruled out any direct role of India in Sri Lanka.
Talks with Basil Rajapakse helped Mukherjee even to obtain an assurance from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi that he "would not precipitate" a crisis in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government over the Sri Lankan ethnic Tamils issue.
Asian Tribune contacted Basil Rajapakse MP after his return from New Delhi, and he said that he welcomes the humanitarian assistance and concerns of the people and the leaders of Tamil Nadu.
Given below excerpts of the interview Asian Tribune had with Basil Rajapakse MP:
Asian Tribune: We learn from news report that Tamil Nadu government is collecting money for the purpose of humanitarian aids to the Sri Lankan Tamils who have been trapped in the war zone in Vanni. Last Tuesday, M. Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has donated from his personal money of Indian Rupees 10 lakhs.
Following the chief minister, the state ministers and others also contributed and they have collected more than 16 lakhs of Indian Rupees in a day alone. They want to buy medicine and food items to send to Sri Lanka.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : We welcome this humanitarian move of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. At the moment, some other countries like Japan, USA through various organizations have given assistance for this purpose. But India has always helped Sri Lanka. Even during the time of tsunami India gave us lot of assistance. This is a very important move by the Indian government and they have also helped Sri Lanka whenever the country was affected by natural calamities.
Sri Lanka President has said that the purchasing power of the people in these uncleared areas living under the Tigers’ control is weak and they are compelled to depend on handouts. Therefore, he has decided to issue free ration. Issuing food and essential commodities is a huge burden on the government. But on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, we continue to issue free ration because those living in those uncleared areas are Sri Lankans and we consider it as our responsibility to help our own kith and kin.
But when I met India’s external affairs minister Mr.Pranab Mukherjee and the Indian officials on last 26 October in New Delhi, I brought this matter to their notice. Then they came forward to help those internally displaced people under the LTTE control area by providing food and medicine. We welcome this move by India.
Asian Tribune: Do you welcome this gesture of the Tamil Nadu Government to provide assistance to the people in the North of Sri Lanka?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : Yes, yes, I think they are showing genuine interest in the people of the North who are being held as human shield by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. We are indeed thankful to the Chief Minister and the people of Tamil Nadu for their good gesture and for coming forward to help the people and alleviate the human miseries caused by war waged by LTTE leader Prabakaran against his own Tamil people and the elected government of Sri Lanka.
Asian Tribune It seems that they are only helping the people trapped in the LTTE controlled area and not Prabhakaran and his carders.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : Yes, they wanted to support the people of the North. You know the amount of hardship they have undergone under the control of the LTTE for more than 20 long torturous years.
Asian Tribune: We learnt that India wanted to provide medicine to the people in the North?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : Yes. Sri Lanka government is providing the required medical facilities to the people in the uncleared areas. We have in place doctors, medicine and hospitals in these areas.
Even day before yesterday there was an urgent need for some medicines and we immediately responded. We were told that there was a shortage of snake bite medicine and immediately dispatched anti-venom related medicine. There was also a shortage of anti-malaria medicines and the government dispatched it immediately to Vanni.
You know, Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world that provide free medicine and healthcare to its people. We are spending a huge sum of money on healthcare and medicine, which other countries don’t do it.
Still there are special needs; time to time and we are taking immediate action to dispatch them to the uncleared areas under the LTTE control on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Asian Tribune: Is India sending any doctors to give health care to the people in Vanni?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : I don’t think that is required. We have enough doctors in Sri Lanka to take care of the health services.
Asian Tribune: Was this issue discussed with the Indian authorities when you were there?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : No.
Asian Tribune: Is there any agenda for India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to visit Sri Lanka?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : No, I am not sure. It was not discussed when I met him.
Asian Tribune: There were some news items to that effect.
Basil Rajapakse: Yes, yes, There was an idea to that effect, but it was not discussed when I was in New Delhi.
Asian Tribune: Were you able to meet India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : No. My Agenda was to meet the external affairs minister, the external affairs ministry secretary, the defense secretary and the National Security Advisor.
Asian Tribune: We received a report stating that Indian government has exerted pressure to prevent Sri Lanka’s defense secretary from visiting Pakistan on a schedule visit. Is this true?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : I did not know that. This is the first time I am hearing.
Asian Tribune: We also published an article in which it says that Gotabaya Rajapaksee was to visit Pakistan, but at the last minute, India pressured to cancel the visit to Pakistan.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : No, as far as I know, there was no compulsion forthcoming from India to cancel any trip. But I don’t know whether he was planning to go to Pakistan on some government business.
Asian Tribune: According to our news report, he was planning to go to Pakistan on an official visit and the dates were also fixed. But suddenly the trip was cancelled due to India’s intervention that is what the news reports revealed.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : I don’t know, I did not hear anything to this effect. But I wish to point out that we have a very favorable and cordial relationship with India, but may be, time to time there are some hiccups which could be resolved mutually.
It must be very clearly told that from the time President Rajapakshee took up the administration of the country, he has strengthened the ties with Indian government as well as with the people of India. He visited for the first time to India on the invitation of the Indian leaders, just after a fortnight of assuming Sri Lanka’s presidency - met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Madam Sonia Gandhi and high government officials as well. Both governments mutually understand each other’s problems and concerns.
Asian Tribune :There was a report to say that the external affairs minister has insisted on the full implementation of the 13th amendment to the Sri Lanka constitution and urged for more devolutions.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : Yes, in the joint statement released on 26 October, when I was in New Delhi, you may notice that subjects discussed were listed under four categories :
1. Both parties agreed: Both sides agreed that terrorism should be countered with resolve.
2. It says that both parties discussed - Both sides discussed the need to move towards a peacefully negotiated political settlement in the island including in the North.
3. Matters that mentioned as comimg from Indian side: India conveyed its concern at the humanitarian situation in the northern part of Sri Lanka, especially of the civilians and internally displaced persons caught in the hostilities and emphasized the need for unhindered essential relief supplies.
4. Where Sri Lankan side said: Mr. Rajapaksa briefed the Indian authorities of the efforts by the Sri Lanka Government to afford relief and ensure the welfare of the civilian population in the North. He assured that the safety and wellbeing of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka is being taken care of.
Asian Tribune:What about Katchativu, the joint statement says that there are some sensitive areas?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : Sensitive areas means those areas that are ear-marked for Military purpose and further more it refers about fishermen. “As part of these practical arrangements on fisheries, it was agreed that Indian fishermen will not venture into areas designated and identified by the Government of Sri Lanka as sensitive areas along the Sri Lankan coastline and their intimation to the Government of India.”
Fishermen issue of humanitarian livelihood matters for both parties were discussed and about Indian fishermen crossing the International Maritime Boundary and coming to our side … sometimes…
Asian Tribune: Not sometimes, everyday for poaching?
Basil Rajapakse M.P : Our fishermen also go to their side.
Asian Tribune: They don’t go. Government of Sri Lanka doesn’t allow them to fish in the Mannar sea.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : They are going. Even when I was in New Delhi they caught some people.
Asian Tribune: Yes, 13 fishermen. That was a very strange coincidence.
Basil Rajapakse M.P : No, we still have about 102 Sri Lankan fisherman in India's custody. We are now negotiating about their release.
Sri Lanka President knows about the fishermen very well, because he was a minister of fisheries for some time. He told us that fishermen never care about the borders. They don’t care about the sea they travel whether it belongs to India or Sri Lanka. They simply go after the fish. Both parties agreed that this is a humanitarian issue and we have to tackle this issue accordingly.
The negotiations resulted in an agreement acceptable to both parties on the contentious issue of Indian fisherman found in Sri Lankan waters, which was also an issue raised by the DMK-led protesters, and which was also mentioned in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent statement on his concerns between Sri Lanka and India.
- Asian Tribune -
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