Indian HC visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 March 2001, 18:43 GMT]
The Indian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, Mr. Gopalakrishna Ghandi, visited war ravaged Chavakachcheri sector of Jaffna Sunday. Earlier in the morning the high commissioner had discussions with the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) MPs for Jaffna Mr. Mavai Senathirajah and Mr. E.R Sivamaharajah and Jaffna Mayor N.Raviraj about the situation in the north. The TULF told Mr. Gandhi that his government should take constructive steps to resolve the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

The MPs and the Mayor explained the day-to-day problems of the people of Jaffna to the Indian envoy. The TULF leaders pointed out to Mr. Gandhi that the British decision to ban the Liberation Tigers has encouraged Sinhala chauvinists to further run down the Tamil question and scuttle hopes for a negotiated settlement.

The Indian High Commissioner told them that he would bring the issues they had discussed with him to the Indian government's attention. Mr. Gandhi met government officials and some leading members of the Jaffna public during his one-day visit.

He arrived in Jaffna Saturday evening with mission officials and left late Sunday afternoon. Sources said that the Indian envoy had had discussions with the Sri Lanka army brass in the peninsula about the current military situation here.



The TULF delegation met the Indian High Commissioner at local bungalow of the Rehabilitation and reconstruction Authority for the North in Jaffna town.