Tamil Nadu on Wednesday upped the ante on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue with the state Assembly passing a strongly-worded resolution which called for a comprehensive set of measures against the Lankan regime and creation of a separate Tamil Eelam state. It also urged the Centre to stop referring to the island nation as “our friend.”
The resolution came a day after the governing council of the Indian Premier League decided against fielding Lankan cricketers in matches scheduled to be played at Chennai, in view of Chief Minister J Jayalalitha’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Moving the resolution after a special mention discussion on the students’ agitation in the state, Jayalalitha asserted that the Centre should “shed its quietism and do more in International forums.”
“The Centre turning a Nelson’s eye to the sentiments of the people and the state’s pleas on this sensitive issue will not help, as ethnic hatred continues to be unleashed against the Tamils in Sri Lanka,” she emphasised.
The resolution urged the Centre to work towards moving a resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to “ensure an independent, international inquiry into the Sri Lankan regime’s genocide and war crimes in the last phase of the war there in 2009, bring the guilty to book before the International Court of Justice, impose an economic embargo on Sri Lanka until it stopped all forms of repression against the Tamils there, and in their future interest, facilitate a referendum by the Sri Lankan Tamils and their diaspora abroad for creation of a separate Tamil Eelam state.”
The DMK too has demanded several of these, but not in one sweep as done by Jayalalitha through the unprecedented resolution she piloted in the House.
Speaker P Dhanapal declared that the resolution was carried unanimously despite objections from the Congress and the CPM on certain words in the resolution, especially on the creation of a Tamil Eelam state. The Speaker said no remarks were possible after the resolution was voted by the House.
Earlier in the day, DMK members, led by M K Stalin, strongly objected to Jayalalitha’s reference to “the DMK’s duplicity” in shedding tears for the Lankan Tamils now, despite supporting the UPA government during the most crucial phases of the war against the separatist Tamil Tigers. India had allegedly assisted Sri Lanka by installing high precision radars. The DMK members were evicted by the watch and ward staff.
Terming the IPL governing council’s decision “a very big victory for the deep concerns expressed for the sufferings of the Sri Lankan Tamils by the AIADMK government led by me,” Jayalalitha defended the students’ agitation in the state. “It was reflective of those concerns and actions taken by us,” she said.
Referring to the boycott of classes by students of over 100 colleges in the state, Jayalalitha said: “I urge all of you to go back and concentrate on your studies and do your parents and the state proud.”
She also sought the political parties’ cooperation on all “constructive initiatives” being taken by the AIADMK regime on the issue.
High on emotions
-Sri Lanka Cricket allows its players to play in the IPL, but tells them not to play in Chennai
-Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga slams IPL governing council's decision and asks the players to opt out of the entire IPL beginning April 3.
-Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan: “It’s a sad day for cricket as we (Sri Lankan players) are not allowed to play in a certain part of India.”
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