India asks Lanka to accept LTTE offer

India has made an appeal to Sri Lanka to accept the cease-fire offer made by the LTTE to enable the evacuation of civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka’s conflict zones.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Saturday that this move would provide relief to 70,000-odd people who were in dire need of food, water and medicines.

While recognising that the LTTE’s cease-fire does not mean it would lay down weapons, New Delhi believes Colombo should “seize the opportunity presented by the offer to bring about a pause in the hostilities”, said Mukherjee. He said India’s suggestion was based on its “concern for the security and passage to safe zones of the civilian population”.

India’s latest move comes even as Sri Lanka claimed its forces were launching an attack to capture Puthukku-diyiruppu, the LTTE’s last major stronghold. Mukherjee said the pause in hostilities would provide a window of opportunity to evacuate Tamil civilians to areas where aid and rehabilitation was available.

India had earlier announced it would send an emergency medical unit to provide medical assistance to those displaced by the war. Mukherjee also reiterated that peace would be possible only when there was an effective devolution of powers to the provinces, “with assurances of equality and equal rights to all citizens, particularly the Tamil people.”

On Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi welcomed India’s appeal to Sri Lanka to take up the LTTE’s cease-fire offer. He said India’s appeal was a “whiff of fresh air.” But not all Tamil Nadu parties were satisfied by India’s position. MDMK leader Vaiko and 194 members of the Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement were arrested on Sunday when they attempted to show black flags to Mukherjee — who was in Tuticorin for a foundation-laying ceremony — to protest the government's “inaction.”