Sir — India has formally told Sri lanka that the Prime Minister will not attend the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting. Nevertheless, Tamil political parties are now faulting even the decision to send Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid, saying that they had demanded a total boycott.
By skipping the visit, Mr Manmohan Singh has given his party an opportunity to forge fresh alliances with parties in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2014 lok Sabha election. But by travelling to Colombo, he would have had the occasion to offer the Sri lankan regime the carrot of friendly relations, which would have benefitted the lankan Tamils.