Members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have failed to persuade the Government of India to play any active role with regard to the arriving at a political solution to the national question in Sri Lanka, including the re-merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the Island.

It is reliably reported that at a recent meeting with members of the TNA, the Indian Foreign Minister, S.M. Krishna had reiterated India's position in the changed environment in Sri Lanka as stated by Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to a group of Sri Lankan editors visiting India last week.

This was the outcome of a visit by a TNA delegation led by Mr. R. Sampanthan that sought to urge India to stop the restoration of military camps in the North, and to influence Sri Lanka to merge the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

It is learnt that the TNA delegation was told that as a friendly neighbour India’s duty and task is to extend its fullest cooperation to Sri Lanka to find a solution suitable to her.