India tries to rebuild ties with Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday sought to mollify Sri Lanka's hurt over India's joining US and other nations to censure the island republic for human rights violations, by stressing that Indian diplomats had actually helped temper down the criticism at UN's Human Rights Council.
In a letter to Sri Lankan President Mahnda Rajapaksa, Singh said "Your Excellency would be aware that we spared no effort and were successful in introducing an element of balance in the language of the resolution''. As part of the damage control move, the Indian prime minister also said that he had instructed Indian delegation to at the UNHRC to remain in close contact with its Sri Lanka counterparts ``in an attempt to find a positive way forward''.
India had voted in favour of the resolution criticising Sri Lanka even as other neighbouring countries like China, Pakistan and Bangladesh voted against it.
Singh also expressed India's wish for a continuing partnership with Sri Lanka to achieve a "political solution that will address all outstanding issues, in particular the grievances of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, in a spirit of understanding and mutual accommodation".
However, while seeking to assuage Rajapaksa over India becoming a party to US-sponsored criticism, Singh also reminded Rajapaksa of India's grouse that the Sri Lanka had not done enough for giving autonomy to Tamil -dominated northern and eastern regions of the country.
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