By
P.K.Balachandran
The main thrust of the two-day visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Sri Lanka which ended on Saturday, was abundantly clear. It was to increase and strengthen India’s economic ties with Lanka, taking advantage of the “transformational change” brought about by the coming into power of two – India-friendly leaders, Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, in January last year.
Although Swaraj assured the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that ensuring a political solution “acceptable to all Sri Lankans” would be India’s “continuing objective”, her primary interest was in enlarging India’s economic footprint in the island for mutual benefit.
Swaraj got Lanka’s consent for the establishment of a Special Indian Economic Zone at Trincomalee, a place of strategic importance to India in East Lanka. She was assured that India’s plans to set up a 500 MW power plant at Sampoor would see progress since environmental clearance had been obtained. Swaraj also took up the development of the 99 giant oil tanks in Trincomalee.
Though given to India years ago, the tanks are largely unused for want of cooperation from Lanka. She got the Lankans to invite a delegation from ONGC Videsh and Natural Gas of India to see how best the tanks could be used.
Swaraj got her Lankan counterpart to explore the establishment of an India-sponsored IT Park at Trincomalee to attract foreign investments. This proposal, coupled with the holding of an exhibition to highlight India’s advances in the IT sector, is significant because the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which India and Lanka are hoping to sign this year, will throw open the Lankan IT sector to Indian professionals.
To assuage Lankan fears about being swamped by Indians through the ETCA, Swaraj said India will hold a workshop at Colombo in March. The workshop will address the issue of Non-Tariff and Phytosanitary Barriers which stem Lankan exports to India.
Swaraj got the Lankans to agree to India’s increased involvement in rail and port development. The Lankans will invite the Indian Minister of Railways to take forward Indian railway projects in the island. A delegation from RITES is to come as a US$ 400 million Indian Line of Credit is available for rail development in Lanka. An IAF team will arrive to upgrade the Palay airbase in the north. The Kankesanthurai harbor there will also be upgraded.
Swaraj got the Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera to visit India soon to find an “innovative and lasting solution to the livelihood and humanitarian problem” of the fishermen of the two countries. While fulfilling the commitment to build 50,000 houses for the war displaced, India will be executing water supply development projects.
India To Help Repatriate and Resettle Tamil Refugees
: India will assist repatriation and resettlement of over 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees living in camps in Tamil Nadu, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told S C Chandrahasan, head of the Chennai-based Organization for Eelam Refugee Rehabilitation (OfERR) here on Saturday.
India will be able to assist in the transportation of the refugees and provide for their livelihood in collaboration with the Lankan government, Swaraj said.
The matter was discussed at the ninth meeting of India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission here on Friday, Chandrahasan told Express.
In his submission to Swaraj, Chandrahasan said that bringing the returnees by air does not help because they can bring with them only a small quantity of their possessions. He suggested the use of ships, which can carry more. Swaraj said if OfERR could get enough voluntary returnees, ships could be chartered.
While the government of India cannot, as of now, provide in Lanka, the cash dole the refugees get in Tamil Nadu, it could discuss with the Lankan Ministry of Finance, ways of disbursing cash assistance for a limited period to enable the returnees to find their feet in a new environment.
However, India will have no difficulty in assisting returnees to find livelihoods, Swaraj said.
“Provision of a livelihood is important because some of those who came to Lanka by air, with the assistance of the UNHCR, went back to India saying that they could not make a living in Lanka,” Chandrahasan said.
OfERR, which is working both in Tamil Nadu and in the war-affected North and East Lanka, has been discussing with Lankan governments the question of getting the refugees in TN to come back to Lanka. While at the top most level, Lankan governments have been receptive to repatriation, others believe it is a futile exercise as the refugees are believed to be better off in India.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which was against repatriation before a political settlement is reached, is now an advocate of it. On Saturday, the TNA urged Swaraj to facilitate repatriation.
TNA Ready to work for political solution
The Tamil National Alliance told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday, that it is ready to work with the new Lankan government to find a political solution to the Tamil question acceptable to all Sri Lankans, the Indian High Commissioner Y K Sinha said.
Briefing newspersons after Swaraj’s talks with TNA and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, he said TNA delegation led by Leader of the Opposition R.Sampanthan apprised Swaraj of the steps being taken by Colombo after the January 8 Presidential election to address the Tamil question and expressed readiness to work for a political solution acceptable to all the people of Sri Lanka.
Courtesy:New Indian Express