We will not deal with state governments - Keheliya

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Government of Sri Lanka does not deal with provincial governments. It deals only with sovereign governments, the government spokesman and Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella declared yesterday.

The minister was categorical in stating that the government of Sri Lanka will deal only with the Central Government of India about recent incidents that had taken place in Tamil Nadu where Tamil political activists attacked Lankan Buddhist monks in Chennai.

In the latest incident reported from Chennai, a Sr Lankan Buddhist monk was attacked at the Central Railway Station in Chennai while on pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya with several other Sri Lankans. In a similar incident a few days ago, activists attacked a Buddhist monk in Tanjavur.

The monk was a student pursuing an archaeological degree in New Delhi. He was attacked while visiting archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu.

According to Indian media, Tamil Nadu state police arrested 12 suspects in connection with the attack on Buddhist monk in Tanjavur and they were supporters of Sri Lanka’s defeated terrorist outfit LTTE.

Commenting on the incidents, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said, these incidents are internal matter of the Indian Central Government. And that they are to be dealt with by the Indian Center.

“We do not want to interfere with internal matters of India or any other sovereign state. Even as we express our concern about recent hostile developments in Tamil Nadu against Sri Lankan citizens that visit Tamil Nadu, it is not our intention to interfere with or intervene in domestic affairs of India,” he said.

“We do not want to interfere with Indian sovereign government affairs just as much we do not want any other countries to interfere with our sovereign governance,” said Rambukwella,.

As a sovereign state, Sri Lanka will deal with the sovereign government of India, about the problems faced by Sri Lankan citizens in Tamil Nadu.

He said, “ Sri Lanka and India have long-standing and close diplomatic relations. We are confident that we can sort out the matters.”

Asked if the recent attack on Buddhist monks in Chennai, exiting by DMK Chief Minister M Karunanidhi from Indian Coalition Government stating that India should take a strong stand against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC and the cancellation of defense Conference between India and Sri Lanka by India without a reason, could have any impact on India-Sri Lanka relations, Rambukwella said, All these incidents had taken place within a span of 48 hours.

Besides these are internal issues that the the government of India has to deal with as a sovereign state, he added.

Meanwhile, High Commission of India in Colombo has said in statement issued by them, that recent incidents in Tamil Nadu do not reflect the strong people-to-people bonds that have been an integral part of the close historical, cultural and civilizational ties between India and Sri Lanka.

“The statement read: We have noted with concern the recent incidents involving Sri Lankan citizens in Tamil Nadu.

The Government of India in consultation with the concerned state governments has taken and will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety, security and well being of of Sri Lankan visitors to India, including to Tamil Nadu.

The state government of Tamil Nadu has taken immediate action to identify and prosecute the miscreants in respect of recent incidents”.