NSA, FS to travel to Colombo, to meet Rajapaksa

Ahead of their departure for Colombo, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon today met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and discussed with him issues that will come up during talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.  

The two met Karunanidhi at Tamil Nadu house after which Narayanan said he came to seek his advice on issues.    

"I will be leaving for Sri Lanka today and I will be holding talks there," Narayanan told reporters after the meeting.        

The two envoys are expected to take up issues like devolution of powers to Tamils in the island and their immediate rehabilitation in view of their sufferings undergone during the current war.  

To a question on Prabhakaran's fate, the NSA said "as per our information Prabhakaran is no more".  

Yesterday, Karunanidhi had refused to believe that the LTTE supremo was dead.        

"The news is not yet confirmed. I have nothing to say now on this issue," Karunanidhi had said. India has prepared a Rs 500 crore rehabilitation package for the displaced people.        

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already announced a Rs 100-crore relief package for Lankan Tamils in addition to the Rs 25 crore aid given by Tamil Nadu government.        

India has been asking Sri Lanka to take political steps to ensure "effective devolution of power" so that Tamils in the island nation could live with dignity.

In reply to a question, Narayanan said they will impress upon the Sri Lankan government that the interest of the Tamils should be taken care of.