The Ceylon News

Chennai, March 25: India will "wait and see what steps are actually taken" by Sri Lankan government to implement a power devolution package that would fully satisfy the island's Tamils in view of President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently expressing his commitment in this regard.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a reply to a letter by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on the Lankan Tamils issue, noted that Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa had said that steps to work out a devolution package were being initiated immediately.

"We may wait and see what steps are actually taken," he said.

Singh said during discussions with Sri Lanka, India had consistently proposed a temporary cessation of hostilities which could be utilised to facilitate movement of the Tamil population out of war zone to safety areas and proper rehabilitation facilities could be arranged.

India had urged the Sri Lankan Government to fulfil its commitments to the Tamil population in Sri Lanka and come up with a proper devolution of powers to the provinces in that country, the Prime Minister said.

"We have indicated that this should also include assurances of equality and equal rights for Tamils, as is the case for other citizens of Sri Lanka," he said in the letter, a copy of which was released to media by the Tamil Nadu government today.