India has urged Sri Lanka to take pro-active and positive steps to bring about a political settlement to the ethnic issue in the island nation. Responding to a Calling Attention in the Lok Sabha, on the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. S M Krishna, expressed the hope that the Sri Lankan government will make every effort to bring reconciliation and the displaced Tamils will be rehabilitated at the earliest.<br/><br/>He said Colombo has assured New Delhi that three hundred thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be resettled in three months time. The Minister said it will be a very difficult task but hoped that all the displaced Tamils will be able to go back to their homes in that country. He said that Sri Lanka had gone through a very difficult phase for the last two and a half decade of ethnic conflicts leading to bloodshed and violence.<br/><br/>Sharing concern of the members on the plight of the IDPs living in camps, Mr Krishna said the issue has been taken up with the Sri Lankan Government.<br/><br/>He also said that the government will consider the opposition suggestion for sending an all party Indian delegation to Sri Lanka. Dismissing the allegations that the Indian government has joined hands with the Sri Lankan government against Tamils there, the Minister said, that on the other hand, all the efforts of the Centre have been geared to support and defend Tamils in the neighbouring country.<br/><br/>On the fishermen’s issue , the External Affairs Minister said that the Sri Lankan Government has assured India of the full implementation of the agreement last year on the issue although Colombo has some reservations about it.<br/><br/>He said that as a result of an understanding between the two neighbours, there has been a sharp decline in the number of cases of arrests of Indian fishermen and seizure of their boats.<br/><br/>Members, expressing serious concern over the pitiable conditions of Tamils living in camps, alleged that the minister’s statement was made to please the Sri Lankan government than addressing the violation of human rights of the Tamils.<br/><br/>In the Rajya Sabha, opposition parties charged the government with the failure to take up strongly the need for early solution to ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.<br/><br/>Seeking clarifications on the Suo Motu statement by the External Affairs Minister on the recent development in northern Sri Lanka, the members wanted the government renegotiate the agreement on the Kucchhathivu island to restore the rights of the Indian fishermen.<br/><br/>The Minister will reply to the clarifications in Rajya Sabha on Monday.<br/>