India pledges more humanitarian assistance to Lanka By T V Sriram

Colombo, Jan 16 (PTI) India Friday pledged additional
humanitarian assistance worth Rs 1.7 crore to Sri Lanka to
help civilians in the embattled north of the island nation as
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon discussed bilateral ties
and issues of mutual interest with senior leaders here.

Amidst demands by political parties in Tamil Nadu for a
ceasefire between Sri Lankan security forces and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Menon held meetings
with the country's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and
Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona.

During their 30-minute meeting, Bogollagama and Menon
discussed matters pertaining to bilateral ties, Sri Lankan
officials said.

Later, Menon met his counterpart Kohona and the two top
diplomats discussed issues of mutual interest, an official
said.

According to an Indian High Commission release, India
will continue to work with Sri Lanka in meeting humanitarian
needs of the civilian population in its north -- where
security forces have dealt a massive blow to the LTTE
capturing their de facto capital Kilinochchi and key rebel
bastions like Jaffna peninsula and Elephant Pass.

India has also decided on a second installment of
humanitarian assistance amounting to about Sri Lankan Rs 40
million (Indian Rs 1.7 crore), it said.

Accordingly, a consignment of medicines was handed over
by Menon to Senior Presidential Adviser and MP Basil Rajapaksa
at a simple ceremony.

Earlier in November, India had sent about 1700 tonnes of
relief supplies as a goodwill gesture in the form of
humanitarian assistance to civilians and internally displaced
persons affected by the conflict in the northern part of Sri
Lanka. The consignment comprised 80,000 ready-to-use family
packs containing food, clothing and personal hygiene items.

The supplies have already been distributed to those in
need with the assistance of the International Committee of Red
Cross (ICRC) with the cooperation of Sri Lankan government,
the Indian High Commission said.

Menon, who arrived here Thursday night, is scheduled to
hold talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday in the
central hill district of Kandy, 115 kms northeast of Colombo.

Menon is expected to fly by an helicopter to meet the
President with whom he is expected to discuss issues of
bilateral interest, besides exchanging views on the current
developments in the embattled north.

At present, the Sri Lankan security forces are fighting
against LTTE to regain the last Tiger bastion of Mullaittivu.

Menon is also likely to meet former Prime Minister and
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, apart from some
leaders of Tamil and Muslim parties, according to sources.

Earlier in June last year, Menon along with National
Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Defence Secretary Vijay
Singh paid an unannounced two-day visit to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Marxist JVP Parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake
was quoted by the 'Daily Mirror' as claiming that India was
pressurising Sri Lanka on the Tamil issue.

Commenting on Menon's visit, Ratnayake told the paper
that "India had no right to apply pressure on Sri Lanka to go
for power devolution at this hour".

The JVP MP said that power devolution would only help
separatism, the report said. PTI TVS
PMR