By Thangavel Appachi BBC Tamil Service, Delhi

	FM says Basil Rajapaksa, MP, is due to visit India shortly

He also said that senior advisor to the Sri Lanka President, Basil Rajapaksa, MP, is due to visit India shortly to discuss the issue.

Making a statement in the upper house of the parliament, Mr Mukherjee expressed serious concern over the situation in the island nation.

He said that India is particularly concerned about the situation in the northern part of Sri Lanka.

He said : "We have emphasised to the Sri Lankan Government that the safety and the security of the civilians must be safeguarded at all costs and that food and essential supplies be allowed to reach them unhindered. We have been assured that the safety and wellbeing of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka will be taken care of."

Safety of civilians

The minister said India has emphasised to the Sri Lankan government that the safety and security of the civilians must be safeguarded at all costs and that food and essential supplies be allowed to reach them unhindered.

We have emphasised to the Sri Lankan Government that the safety and the security of the civilians must be safeguarded at all costs and that food and essential supplies be allowed to reach them unhindered. We have been assured that the safety and wellbeing of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka will be taken care of Indian FM, Pranab Mukherjee

Mr Mukherjee reiterated India’s consistent stand that there cannot be military solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

He said political settlement within the framework of united Sri Lanka, respecting the legitimate rights of the minorities including Tamil community.

He emphasised that the rights and the welfare of the Tamil community should not get enmeshed in the on-going hostilities against LTTE.

Indian foreign minister informed the parliament that India has taken up with the Sri Lankan government on the issue of firing on Indian fishermen.

Indian fisherman

India impressed upon the Sri Lankan Navy, he said, to desist from firing on Indian fishermen.

He informed the members that the two governments have agreed to work towards concluding practical arrangements to prevent such incidents.

Pranab Mukherjee's statement came close on the heels of vociferous demand from MPs from Tamil Nadu that the federal government should intervene in the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka and stop the war.

They also accuse the federal government that it helps Sri Lankan government by supplying arms and military hardware equipments.

The demand comes including from the members of DMK, which also a part of the federal coalition government.

Members of DMK, ADMK and Communist Party of India raised the issue in the upper house.

Growing voice in the south

DMK member Trichy Siva mentioned that the reports of chemical weapons being used by Sri Lankan army and expressed apprehensions that there is a danger of Tamil community being wiped out from Sri Lanka.

He demanded the federal government to take immediate steps to send food and medicines to the affected people in the conflict area.

D Raja of CPI asked the government to stop the war in Sri Lanka. He also demanded to review the controversial Kachatheevu agreement between the two nations.

	Tamilnadu chief minister with Sonia Gandhi

In the lower house, MPs from Tamil Nadu raised the issue yesterday night.

Congress MP SK Karvendan urged the government to take steps to send an all party MPs delegation from Tamil Nadu to study the ground situation in Sri Lanka and find out the sufferings of the people.

He accused that genocide is taking place against minority Tamils in Sri Lanka.

MDMK parliamentarian Dr Krishnan demanded the government of India should take back the radars supplied to Sri Lanka.

He also demanded the government should stop training Sri Lankan Army and Air force personnel immediately.

Prof. Ramadoss, a PMK member from Puducherry requesteh the federal government to intervene in Sri Lanka issue directly as it had done in the case of Bangladesh.

DMK lead all party delegation had given ultimatum to federal government to stop the war in Sri Lanka before 28th of October else they resign from the parliament.

DMK MPs had given their post dated resignation letters to their party president and Tamil Nadu chief minister Mr M. Karunanidhi.