Indian parliamentary delegation submit report on Sri Lanka to PM

The Indian parliamentary delegation visited Sri Lanka last month has submitted their report on the situation regarding the ethnic Tamils to the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today at the Parliament House in New Delhi.
The 12-member multi-party delegation led by the Opposition Leader of the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj visited Sri Lanka from April 16 to April 21 to assess the progress of the resettlement and rehabilitation processes of the Tamils in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. Swaraj has met the Indian PM today at the Parliament House and briefed Dr. Singh about their five-day visit to Sri Lanka that included tours in the North, East and central plantations where the Indian-origin Tamils mainly live. The Opposition Leader has told the PM that Sri Lanka's major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance wants dignified rights and living conditions for the Tamil minority within a unitary state. She has told the Indian PM that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa needed to persuade the TNA to join the Parliamentary Select Committee to find a political solution to address the grievances of Tamils. The Prime Minister has assured that India will solidly stand behind the Tamils in Sri Lanka to attain a political settlement to the national question. The delegation which had extensive discussions with Sri Lankan government ministers, the Leader of the Opposition, key leaders of major political parties, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society and travelled to different parts of the country focusing on the North and the East has told the Dr. Singh the Sri Lankan government should take measures to return the land taken away from Tamils during the war. They have told the PM that Sri Lankan Army should reduce their presence in the civilian areas and the government should employ more Tamils into the police service. The delegation in their report has said that the Sri Lankan government needs to conduct elections in the North soon and hand over duties to civil administration. Ms. Swaraj has also emphasized that the Sri Lankan government should implement the 13th Amendment to devolve powers to Tamil-dominated North and East provinces. The delegation has suggested to the PM sending teachers and doctors from Tamil Nadu as there is a shortage of those professionals in Sri Lanka's Northern Province.