India's presence in CHOGM not dilution of stand on Tamils

“We are doing a lot for Tamils of northern areas in Sri Lanka. We are involved in a big project of building 50,000 houses (in war-ravaged areas), laying roads and erecting infrastructure. Nobody is saying you should not be doing this,” he said.

Five thousand of the houses in the northern areas have already been constructed.

“If we are not here, how can we be doing these things.  Therefore, I am perplexed by the people who say we should not go to Sri Lanka. I find this logic somewhat...My job is to look into and represent in India's enlightened national interest,” he said.

Khurshid was replying to questions on the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolutions and the demand of political parties in the state that no one from India should attend the CHOGM in view of “gross human rights” violations against civilians during the last phase of the war on the LTTE and in light of the Sri Lankan government's refusal to devolve powers to the provincial council in Tamil-dominated Jaffna.