India is weighing various options including deputing a Special Envoy to understand the humanitarian crisis confronting Tamils in Sri Lanka after the vanquishing of the LTTE.

Informed sources said that New Delhi was greatly concerned about the plight of 4 million Tamils now living in appalling conditions within camps set up in the territory formerly controlled by LTTE. This concern had been conveyed to Colombo in strong terms.

Indications from Colombo are that President Mahinda Rajapaksa is keen to come here at the earliest but the visit has not been formalised because India is still closely monitoring the situation in the camps, the sources said.

"We are aware that a number of foreign powers are trying to fish in Sri Lanka's troubled waters. The Chinese, for instance, are building a port. All this will be factored in India's approach," a highly-placed source said.

Summing up, the source said India had made it clear to Sri Lanka that "victors must be just and the weak must be protected".

Keen to ensure that normal life for Tamil refugees gets going again at the earliest, India is planning to work with Colombo for rehabilitation apart from de-mining of agricultural lands in northern part of Sri Lanka.