Encouraged by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assessment that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was “fully conscious” of the realities of managing the India-Sri Lanka relationship, Colombo is learnt to have asked its envoy to engage with the Tamil Nadu government.Moves are afoot, sources said, to schedule a meeting between Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam and Jayalalithaa in the coming weeks.
The Sri Lankan envoy returned from Colombo on Tuesday and officials familiar with the developments said this “reaching out” was a conscious decision taken by the Sri Lankan government.
Sri Lanka is quite enthused at the PM’s assessment of the Tamil Nadu CM. He had told editors at last week’s interaction, “I have had good cooperation with Jayalalithaaji. I raised this matter with her the very first time. Whatever be the resolutions that were passed in the Assembly, I found her fully conscious of the complexities and the realities of managing this relationship.”
Officials said the engagement with the new CM had begun soon after her landslide victory in the Assembly polls in May. Lankan Foreign Minister G L Peiris wrote a “congratulatory letter” to Jayalalithaa, wishing her welland indicating Colombo’s intention to “work with her”.
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