NEW DELHI: India will push Sri Lanka for a much faster move towards a political devolution in the country, particularly after the LTTE has been vanquished.
Sri Lanka's top leadership troika -- Gotabaya Rajapakse, Basil Rajapakse and Lalith Wiretunge -- will meet India's top officials on Wednesday. The Indian delegation will be led by national security advisor M K Narayanan, foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and defence secretary Vijay Singh. The Lankan delegation will meet foreign minister S M Krishna at the end of the visit.
India will offer to increase its contribution in Sri Lanka's relief and rehabilitation efforts. There is a feeling here that the rehabilitation needs to be much faster to prevent the camps from deteriorating, or becoming breeding grounds for extremist sentiments again.
On Sri Lanka's part, it will use the opportunity to sensitise the Indian government about the latest situation. The last time this group met, said sources, the political situation in both countries was very different. The LTTE was still in existence and the UPA government was in an earlier avatar.
This time, both sides are reportedly more keen to go forward. India is keen for greater involvement but will certainly insist on a more robust political devolution plan.
India still hasn't agreed to a visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, which he was interested in. That could change after this visit. (Times of India)
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