Pro-LTTE parties go one-up on the Congress in Tamil Nadu as Manmohan Singh turns down the invitation to be the chief guest on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day function. Image : Pro- LTTE Politicians in Tamil Nadu.by P.C, Vinoj Kumar from Chennai
(January 24, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The cancellation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Sri- Lanka on its 60th Independence Day is now set to add to the Congress’ agony in Tamil Nadu. The pro-LTTE parties in the state are claiming credit for “scuttling” the prime ministerial visit. Manmohan Singh was invited as the chief guest for Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations on February 4. India has officially told Sri Lanka that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is unable to accept the invitation because of prior commitments and the visit has just been postponed. An Indian High Commission official said dates for Singh’s visit will be worked out “through the diplomatic channels”.
Sri Lanka downplayed the matter saying the Indian PM’s schedule did not permit him to make the trip. “It is basically a scheduling issue,” said the Sri Lankan foreign office’s Director General of Communications Ravinatha Ariyasinhas, adding, “However, the commitment to pay a bilateral visit during the course of 2008 remains. We will have to discuss other dates.”
Tamil Nadu’s pro-LTTE parties were quick to claim credit, asserting that the Union government declined the invitation because of their protests. The Dravidar Kazhagam’s (DK) official daily Viduthalai reported the news with the headline, “Reward for Kazhagam’s struggle: Indian PM’s Sri Lanka visit cancelled.” The Tamil media also reported the news in the same tone, treating it as a victory for the Tamil cause.
Reports of Manmohan Singh participating in the island nation’s 60th anniversary of independence had triggered angry protests in the state. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko urged the prime minister not to attend the function. The Dravidar Kazhagham, Thol Thirumavalavan’s Viduthalai Chiruthaigal (VC), the Dravidar Iyakka Thamizhar Peravai (DITP) and other parties staged a demonstration in Chennai on December 31 to protest the visit.
DK president K. Veeramani had asked the Indian government to respect Tamil sentiment. “The Central government is not unaware of the umbilical relationship between Indian Tamils and Eelam Tamils,” he says. The protesting parties had argued that Singh’s visit would lend credibility to the Rajapakse government even though it had a disgraceful record of human rights violations of the minority Tamils. “Never have we heard of a country launching air attacks against its own people. Four thousand Tamils have been killed since Rajapakse became president in November 2005,” says Veeramani.
Thirumavalavan told TEHELKA, “In its 60 years of independence, what has Sri Lanka achieved? It has engaged in genocide and is responsible for creating 10 lakh Tamil refugees, who are now scattered in about 90 countries across the world.”
Colombo’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2002 ceasefire agreement with the LTTE on January 3 and the killing of Tamil MP Maheswaran of the Opposition United National Party on January 1 are also said to have influenced the government’s decision. Colombo’s withdrawal from the ceasefire agreement has come under fire from many quarters. Norwegian minister Erik Solheim, a key figure in the peace process, regretted that the government had taken such a serious step. He also said he feared that the violence and hostilities would escalate further.
The agitating parties have hailed the Indian government’s decision. “India has taken a good decision. Now that India has understood the true colours of the Rajapakse government, it should refrain from providing military equipments to Sri Lanka,” says Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK) general secretary Viduthalai Rajendran. The PDK has launched a signature campaign demanding the government stop supplying arms to Sri Lanka.
MPs of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Sri Lanka too welcomed the decision. “India should not do anything that would appear to be strengthening the hands of Rajapakse, who is bent on annihilating the Tamils,” Jaffna MP MK Sivajilingam told TEHELKA. He said India’s decision was a clear message to Colombo that it was not happy with the Rajapakse government’s unilateral withdrawal from the ceasefire and its delay in coming up with a political solution to the Tamil separatist movement.
However, state Congress leaders poohpoohed claims that the Centre bowed down to pressure. “The PM does not function that way. In my opinion, the PM not going to Sri Lanka has nothing to do with the protests here. It must be because of diplomatic ground realities and the inputs the Indian agencies would have given him,” said Congress MP BS Gnanadesikan.
IT ALL started when the Congress and the pro-LTTE parties got involved in an ugly war of words after the LTTE’S political wing leader SP Thamilchelvan was killed in an air attack. Thamilchelvan’s death swept Tamil Nadu with a sympathy wave for the LTTE, with even Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi penning an elegy on the slain leader. Congress leaders protested the paying of tributes to Thamilchelvan and called for a ban on political parties and organisations supporting the LTTE.
Pro-LTTE leaders cite the Supreme Court’s observation in 2003 that mere expression of moral support to a banned organisation does not constitute an offence under POTA. Thirumavalavan says that under the Central POTA Review Committee’s observation in May 2005, “sympathy or oral support for the cause of Eelam Tamils does not mean support for the ideology or methodology adopted by the LTTE.”
The Congress dismissed the arguments. “We cannot forgive the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi. This continues to be our stand,” says Gnanadesikan. The war between the two factions shows no signs of abating in the near future with neither side willing to concede an inch.
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