2ND LEAD
Colombo expands diplomatic missions in India
[TamilNet, Friday, 31 August 2012, 20:14 GMT]
The cabinet of Rajapaksa regime has taken decisions to open a new Consulate General Office in Kolkata, appoint Honorary Consuls in Hyderabad, Lucknow and Thiruvanandapuram, and to expand the existing missions in New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. The new mission in Kolkata will have consular jurisdiction over West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and the 7 Northeast states. While the High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate General office in Mumbai will get additional staff to deal with economic and commercial matters, the Deputy High Commission in Chennai will be posted with two additional Tamil-speaking officers, the PTI said Friday.
The Rajapaksa cabinet approved the proposals presented by its Minister of External Affairs, Mr G L Pieris. According to informed circles, the affairs of Colombo’s Ministry of External Affairs is not controlled by the minister but by an MP personally chosen by Mr. Rajapaksa to supervise the ministry. Diplomatic relations of India with Sri Lanka prevents peoples of India and their political parties from voicing for the independence of Eezham Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka is the stand of New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs, as evident from a recent letter sent by Indian MEA to TESO conference organizers in Chennai last month. The Tamil Nadu State Assembly has passed a resolution last year asking the Government of India in New Delhi to work for investigation of war crimes against the Sri Lankan president Rajapaksa and to impose economic sanctions against Sri Lanka. New Delhi’s response was protecting Rajapaksa regime in the international forums and expanding investment cum economic ties with the island. Recently the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has sent two strongly worded letters to Indian Prime Minister to immediately stop training Sri Lanka’s military personnel in India and sent them back. India and Sri Lanka have ‘military to military’ relationship. Expansion of diplomatic missions of Sri Lanka in India is “to suit the present day needs,” G L Pieris was cited by PTI on Friday. Colombo and New Delhi have long-term plans to isolate Tamil Nadu and the struggle of Eezham Tamils, political observers in Chennai commented.
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