INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ANTONY VOWS THAT HE WOULD NOT ALLOW TAMIL TIGERS TO USE TAMIL NADU AS A BASE

By Walter Jayawardhana

Speaking from the Kerala state capital of Thiruvandapuram India’s Minister of Defense A. K. Antony categorically stated that the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would not be allowed to operate from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

"We will not allow the LTTE to function in Tamil Nadu. Indian soil will not be allowed to be used as base by any terrorist organisation," said Antony.

Speaking in the backdrop of the terrorist organization’s nascent air wing bombing Colombo, including a petroleum facility run as a joint venture of the Indian government the Indian Defense Minister said his country was watching the situation in Sri Lanka closely, especially in the wake of recent air strikes by LTTE.

The LTTE is the only terrorist group in the world who are running an air wing in the world. Anyway, India has failed to condemn the bombing and the killings and abductions of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the LTTE, reportedly under the influence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Antony said, that surveillance and security had been stepped up in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Earlier on the same day of May 1 speaking at another Kerala city of Kollam Antony said as India viewed internal developments in neighbouring Sri Lanka seriously, coastal security had been stepped up in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

He further added, India viewed the situation in Sri Lanka seriously especially in the wake of recent air strikes by LTTE near Colombo. Considering the southern peninsula's proximity to the island nation, monitoring along the Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts had been beefed up.

"We are giving high priority to the coastal security. This will be done in three levels with the involvement of the Navy, the Coast Guard and coastal police of the states concerned," he said.
All the coastal states had been asked to set up coastal police stations and Kerala and Tamil Nadu had already taken steps in this regard.

As part of strengthening the coastal surveillance and security in the south, more radars would be installed to closely monitor the situation, he said.

On reports that some Kollam based fishermen missing since three weeks back had landed up in an LTTE camp in Sri Lanka along with a group of fishermen from neighbouring Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, Antony said the government had not received any official report from Tamil Nadu on this.