Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil civilians who fled from Tamil Tiger-controlled areas gather to take food distributed at a government-controlled transit camp in Omantai, Vavuniya, about 230 kilometers north of Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 22, 2009. (AP Photo)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh convened a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the evolving situation in Sri Lanka where troops have launched a "final assault" against LTTE.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon are reported to have attended the meeting. The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapaksa deciding to send a special emissary to India to discuss relief and rehabilitation measures for people who crossed over to safe zones which is estimated to be over one lakh.
The President is sending his special advisor and brother Basil Rajapaksa to discuss the humanitarian situation, as leaders in Tamil Nadu are pressuring that India prevail upon the island nation to declare a ceasefire. The meeting comes a day ahead of the general strike called by ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu tomorrow on the Lankan Tamils issue.
Worried over the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka's north, India has said the continuation of "precipitate military actions" leading to further civilian casualties were "unacceptable" and asked Colombo to extend the "pause" in hostilities.
New Delhi is concerned over the innocent civilians being trapped in LTTE held areas becoming victims in the ongoing military offensive.