Jaffna Bishop thanks India for sending relief

The head of Christians in Jaffna, thanked the Indian government for its relief efforts in the war-torn Sri Lanka, where hundreds of civilians have been displaced.

In a letter to the Indian High Commission in the island nation, Bishop of Jaffna, Rev Dr Thomas Savundaranayagam, appreciated India for sending relief materials and said it was a "beautiful humanitarian gesture."

India in November sent 1,800 tonnes of relief materials to be distributed to the affected people.

The Bishop noted that food and clothes mostly came from Tamil Nadu and were of great relief to the people.

He urged the Indian govt. to press for political settlement and end the conflict in the north and east.

"I pray to God that all people should lead a life without the fear of war, happily and in prosperity, in an atmosphere where human rights are respected, in the year 2009," the Bishop sought the blessings of God.

Pope Benedict XVI has also urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to stop war and ensure stability in the nation.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a banned militant group, has been fighting against the Sri Lankan government for decades to obtain a separate state for Tamils in the northern and eastern parts of the island. Thousands have died in escalating fighting since late 2005.