Developments in Tamil Nadu not in favor of Sri Lanka government
Tamil Nadu youth resorts to self-immolation in full public view in protest of Sri Lanka
(W3lanka, Feb 01, Colombo) On January 29, a lone Tamil youth, apparently not affiliated to any political movement came to Shastri Bhavan (union government office of Tamil Nadu) with a can containing petrol. After distributing copies of a letter written by him to some people, he raised slogans demanding withdrawal of military support to Sri Lanka and doused himself with petrol.
He suffered 90 per cent burns and died soon after admission to hospital. Before death he requested the police to inform LTTE chief V. Prabakaran and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Tirumavalavan about his sacrifice.
The young man is identified as 26-year-old K. Muthukumar from Tuticorin district was working in a Tamil magazine as a writer and a data entry operator.
All kinds of protests against Sri Lanka government’s military operations in north are spreading in an alarming trend. But the center is not taking heed of them seriously and just does something to calm down them. But elections are coming soon and the environment can change.
“Save Tamil” movement launched by Communist Party of India along with like-minded parties and groups is planning to stage a silent protest on next Friday over Sri Lankan issue.
“Mr. Mukherjee should have made a serious effort at persuading and pressuring the Sri Lankan Government to take an initiative for ending the war,” CPI general secretary A. B. Bardhan said on Thursday after CPI State executive committee meeting. “The Centre should immediately suspend military aid in the form of equipment and otherwise.”
He says that LTTE will have to respect the world public opinion and Tamil Diaspora, and realize that it cannot risk the lives of lakhs of ethnic Tamils by insisting on battling it out.
AIADMK leader Jayalalitha says that her party opposed to any attempt by the Sri Lankan government to reduce the Tamils in the island nation to secondary citizens. The party fully supported the Tamils’ struggle for self-determination and equality, but was opposed to acts of wanton violence to achieve the goal.
Stating that independent Tamil nation in Sri Lanka is impractical; she says the demand for provisional autonomy for the Tamil-dominated areas within a federal set up is perfectly justified.
A solution to the ethnic issue should also include plantation Tamils, Muslims and other minority groups, and should not be restricted to Tamils in the north and east of the island, she says.
Meanwhile, K. Anbazhagan, Finance Minister and Leader of the House, said to Tamil Nadu state assembly, “We can only in a restrained manner discuss with a foreign country an issue that is a matter of internal affairs of that country, though we have concerns [for the Tamils]. Only in a discreet manner, we can emphasize [our position]. In this context, it is possible to conclude that Pranab Mukherjee has appropriately discussed the issue of protecting the Tamils from undergoing brutalities.”
He noted that Mr. Rajapaksa had assured Mr. Mukherjee that there would be no aerial attacks on Tamil settlements.
LTTE, a banned outfit in India cannot claim open support of the political elite of Tamil Nadu. But it is not the same regarding the Tamil masses. Escalation of collateral damage to the civilians can explode the tension in south Indian Tamil state where 70 million Tamils live.
Mukherjee; a problem unsolved
Killings continue; pro-LTTE website charges
(W3lanka, 29 Jan, Colombo) The recent unscheduled visit of the Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Sri Lanka has roused serious doubts in the minds of the Sinhala nationalist forces. They are suspicious that India is an attempt to push Mahinda Rajapase government to either come to a ceasefire with the Tamil rebels or to devolve power as a solution to the ethnic problem, two hated factors of the nationalists.
Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) readily accepted the challenge and held a press conference yesterday in Colombo and said that India is a party to the problem in north and she cannot be a solution maker.
Mukherjee said the humanitarian situation in the war zone came up for discussion and the President assured him that his government would respect the areas demarcated as safe zones and minimize civilian casualties, reported The Hindu newspaper.
Sources in the Indian mission in Sri Lanka were at pains to emphasize that the visit had nothing to do with the demand from some Tamil Nadu political parties for a halt to the military operations against the LTTE, The Hindu said.
In a statement, the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry also said that Mukherjee’s visit was “in response to an invitation” and in keeping with the tradition of regular, frank and constructive dialogue between India and Sri Lanka at the highest levels of political leadership, on important matters of mutual interest.”
“We have no sympathy for any organization indulging in terrorist activity, particularly the LTTE, which is a banned organization in India. However, we shall have to see how civilians can be protected and [we can ensure that] they do not become hapless victims of the situation,” Mukherjee said to media before leaving India.
Unconfirmed government sources said that the President had promised the Indian Minister to fully implement the 13th amendment to the constitution or to go beyond it if necessary.
Meanwhile pro-LTTE Tamil Net reported that 23 civilians were killed inside the 'safety zone,' injuring at least 121 persons in artillery barrage on Wednesday noon.
Independent verification is impossible in the war zone since journalists are not allowed there and communication is also almost broken down.
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