“I too was an IDP,” Lord Naseby tells Badiudeen

The differentiation of Northern Muslim IDPs into ‘old’ and ‘new’ continues to fester among the Muslim community and needs to be resolved.

“If the Government recognises this clearly, then you can move forward. But it will take a long time. I can say this since I too was an IDP once,” said Rt. Hon. Lord Naseby, PC, Baron of Sandy and Member of the House of Lords of the UK Parliament and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka yesterday.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen (left) greets Rt. Hon. Lord Naseby, PC, Baron of Sandy and Member of the House of Lords of the UK Parliament and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka (right) when Lord Naseby made a courtesy call on him yesterday at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce

Naseby was addressing Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka when he made a courtesy call on the Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Colombo 3.

“These (types of) negotiations take years. But in the end, you have to move forward. During World War II, our residential area in UK was flattened. I was evacuated 180 miles away and we became IDPs for a long period of time. We even had rationing of essential foods, including milk and butter, and certainly no chocolates! Interestingly, my father was entrusted with planning and designing our neighbourhood and when we resettled eventually, it was after a considerable period of displacement,” Lord Naseby said.

Minister Bathiudeen told Lord Naseby: “Thanks to the efforts of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, we now have peace. We all now live in unity. However, the ‘old’ IDP issue is burdening the Muslim community, which is a peaceful community.  President Rajapaksa has given his word to me that he will solve the ‘old’ and ‘new’ IDP differentiation issue.”

Both Bathiudeen and Naseby also stressed on the historical trade and bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and the UK.

Among others present during the session were Deputy Director of Commerce Kosala Godawita and Himali Jinadasa, Advisor to Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.