PM seeks Karunanidhi's advice on Lankan Tamils issue

Prime minister Manmohan Singh has sought Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's opinion on ways to resolve the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka "once and for all" through political agreement.

"My government will certainly do all that it can to enable Tamils in Sri Lanka to live a life of dignity and self-respect", he said in a letter to Karunanidhi, copies of which were circulated to the media here today.

"I also look forward to receiving your views and advice on ways forward towards the process of genuine reconciliation to resolve the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka once and for all through political agreement that we have consistently advocated", he said in the letter to DMK chief and UPA ally.

The letter came in response to Karunanidhi's July 3 letter to the Centre to impress upon Sri Lankan Government to find a permanent solution to the decades-long ethnic issue.

PM said the Centre had already committed Rs 500 crore for rapid rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced persons in the in northern and eastern Sri Lanka.

"Further, we are committed to assist in the construction of 50,000 houses for internally displaced persons and are also trying to restore normal economic activity in these areas by building infrastructure and promoting sustainable livelihood," the Prime Minister said.

He also pointed out that apart from his discussion with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa last month, he had also recently received a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance members from the Sri Lankan Parliament.