Sri Lanka assured India on Wednesday that its aid for the displaced Tamil civilians in the island nation was very much needed and stranded vessel vessel MV Captain Ali would soon be allowed entry into Lankan waters.
A high level delegation comprising Gotabaya Rajpakse, Basil Rajapakse and Lalith Wiretunge met External Affairs Minister SM Krishna to discuss the situation in the island nation post war with LTTE.
At the meeting Minister Krishna requested the delegation that as a humanitarian gesture, the Sri Lankan Government allow the ship Captain Ali to off load the relief items on board meant for IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka.
Presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse told the media persons after the meeting that he had given positive reply to India’s query on the vessel. The same would be conveyed to Tamil Nadu government by the Government of India, he added, refusing to divulge details.
Just minutes before the meeting, Communication Minister A Raja submitted a memorandum with Krishna demanding India's intervention to persuade Sri Lanka to allow unloading of the ship carrying relief material sent by the Tamil diaspora.
Mr Krishna said that the Sri Lankan delegation agreed to his suggestion and the ship would now be routed to Sri Lanka through the Indian Red Cross.
The vessel, which set sail from Britain on April 20, is currently anchored outside Chennai port as it was turned away by the Sri Lankan Navy on June nine after detaining it for several days.
Basil also said that elections for the Tamil regions will take place once the people settle down. The devolution package for the Tamils, which has been designed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will answer India’s concerns, he further stated.
Mercy mission UK office has released a statement in response to this decision. The statement said:
"Mercy Mission welcomes the statement from the External Affairs Minister Hon. SM Krishna after his meeting with the Sri Lankan delegation and thanks the Govt of India and Tamil Nadu for their advocacy and intervention. We are cautiously optimistic that we will now be able to unload the humanitarian assistance in Chennai and then have it ‘routed to Sri Lanka through the Indian Red Cross’ as stated by the External Affairs Minister. What is most important is that this urgently needed humanitarian assistance gets to the 300,000 persons in the camps in Sri Lanka as soon as possible."
Leaders must prove to the world that they speak truth and have passion for their fellow citizens.
Catain Ali's mission will be acomplished when Red cross distributes.These gifts were sent by those who bear the same national identity as "Srilankan" as we say "American" whether black or white.