India will not act hastily on Sri Lankan HR issue

India’s stand at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council meet in Geneva on the resolution against Sri Lanka over alleged war crimes would be taken based on the overall ties between the two neighbours and the sentiments in the country, External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna said on Thursday.

 “Certainly we will take into account the overall relationship between India and Sri Lanka and the sentiments that are prevalent in our country. We will take every factor into consideration before we take a final call on our stand in Geneva,” he said.

Krishana’s comments come days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa shot off two letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking India’s support to the US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka for alleged human rights violations during the civil war.

Krishna also said India was providing a number of humanitarian aids to the internally displaced “Tamil speaking brothers and sisters,” in the island nation. He himself had seen renovation of schools and other works undertaken by New Delhi, he added.

On concerns expressed by Jayalalithaa in another letter to Prime Minister over frequent ‘unannounced’ visits by Sri Lankan VIPs to Tamil Nadu, Krishna said the Centre would take her opinion into account.

“We are a federal state; we have the greatest respect for the rights of States. Whatever is the assessment of the State governments, we will certainly take it into account...we will see how we can reconcile the issue,” he said.   “I would like to assure the Chief Minister that her opinion will certainly be factored in the decision we are going to take,” he said.