Pranab to visit Colombo

Pranab Mukherjee, India’s time tested trouble shooter is likely to make a two-day visit to Colombo, which has slipped into election mode.

This will be his second visit to Sri Lanka this year, the first being about ten months back as external affairs minister, when the island nation was waging what was a decisive war against the LTTE and its brand of terrorism.

There is still no formal announcement here about the visit. Mr. Mukherjee, who moved from external affairs to finance since his last visit to Colombo, was in Kolkata on Friday. Informed sources said that the Indian Minister will be flying to Sri Lanka, probably on Saturday.

The visit will provide an opportunity to the Indian Minister to gauge the Sri Lanka mood and the evolving situation.

Delhi has been closely following the recent developments that have culminated in the resignation of the Sri Lanka war hero Gen Sarath Fonseka and the media reports about his plans to enter the presidential race.

In a significant coincidence, President Rajapaksa accepted Fonseka’s resignation from the army on Friday itself without waiting till December 1, the day Fonseka has fixed for his resignation to become effective.

Mukherjee’s discussions with his hosts will factor in the findings of Indian lawmakers from Tamil Nadu, who visited the IDP camps last month, and will cover issues related to IDPs rehabilitation and the frequent attacks on India fishermen off Kachchativu.

In May , when the Wanni War ended with victory for Sri Lankan forces, India announced an assistance of Rs 1000 crore towards relief and rehabilitation effort. India also sent a detachment of army doctors to set up a field hospital and provide medical relief to the IDPs to Sri Lanka after the war was over.

The Indian finance minister will do some stock taking on the how the aid was utilised and what more will be needed.

For quite a while the diplomatic circuit has been buzzing with reports about the possibility of President Mahinda Rajapaksa coming to Delhi on an official visit. But a few days back he made a pilgrimage to Tirupati, instead of a political journey to Delhi.

-Asian Tribune -