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As India stays cool, Lanka readies for the long haul

Amid speculation that India has been contacted for help, the Sri Lankan government is preparing a 'contingency plan' to meet the challenges posed by the Liberation Tigers in northern Jaffna.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga summoned a meeting of the security council yesterday to review the situation in the north which was attended by the three service chiefs and deputy defence minister Anuruddha Ratwatte. Highly placed sources said the meeting was summoned to discuss the contingency plans which would be finalised within two or three days.

Meanwhile, official sources today refused to confirm a report aired by a private television channel last night that the president had sought the help of the Indian government to evacuate 40,000 troops trapped in Jaffna. ''The government is in touch with authorities in India. To the best of our knowledge the president has not made such a request though it may be an option at a later stage,'' the sources added.

However, informed sources said Sri Lanka has sought the assistance of India and it was not known whether the help was for troops or equipment.

There was speculation in the local media that Indian high commissioner Shivshanker Menon's departure on Sunday to New Delhi was in connection with a request by the Buddhist monks for military help from the neighbour.

A spokesman of the high commission said, ''I would not like to make comments on speculative reports.'' He would neither confirm nor deny reports that Sri Lanka has sought India's help to evacuate soldiers from Jaffna.

The scheduled visit of the chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis has further strengthened the speculation, but sources said the visit was a pre-arranged one and it has nothing to do with the present situation.

Yesterday, the president chaired a series of meetings to discuss the northern situation after the security council meeting. She also met opposition United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed the latest security situation.

UNI

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