India won't get involved in Lanka's internal affairs again: Gujral

Prime Minister I K Gujral made it clear on Thursday that India had no intention of getting involved in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. He was reacting to the killing of Indian fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy.

"We have done it once and burnt our fingers... We don't want to get involved again," he said, referring to the Indian Peace-Keeping Force operations in the island nation in 1987. But he said India was working out a policy under which some area could be reserved for Indian fishermen to operate in.

Gujral said a war-like situation was prevalent in certain areas of Sri Lanka and that it could not be ascertained who actually killed the Indian fishermen. "Allegations and counter-allegations continue to be made by the insurgents and the Sri Lankan navy," he said.

Stating that he shared the anguish of members of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam who had raised the issue, Gujral said India had taken up the matter with the Sri Lankan authorities from time to time.