|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MARXIST) SAYS IT WILL CAMPAIGN AGAINST PRO-LTTE PARTIES IN TAMIL NADUBy Walter JayawardhanaThe Communist Party of India (Marxist) while demanding Indias
Central governments intervention to get release of the Tamil
fishermen abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
severely criticized some Tamil Nadu political parties who were desperately
trying to white wash the Tamil Tigers in the murder and abduction
of the fishermen. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the party
in a statement, has decide to do a vigorous campaign in the
Tamil Nadu to counter the false propaganda of the pro-LTTE parties. He said in the past the ruling DMK, had its own inconsistencies regarding
the Tamil Tigers but he was glad the party has decided not to support
the LTTE due to its bitter experiences with them. Just as the people in the State were agitated over the attacks
on fishermen, the CPI (M) wanted the Centre to intervene in the matter
to evolve a strategy to ensure a lasting solution to the problem and
prevent attempts to create bitterness between India and Sri Lanka,
Vardarajan further said. However, he stressed the need for ensuring that the rights of the
Indian fishermen to rest in the island and dry their nets there were
protected. The plea by some outfits to arm the Tamil Nadu fishermen with weapons for self-defence was also not acceptable to the CPI (M), as it would lead to unnecessary problems. The safety of the fishermen could be ensured only by stepping up of vigil by Government agencies, he pointed out. On arguments such as the LTTE was the only force that had taken on
"chauvinistic forces" in Sri Lanka, Mr. Varadarajan said
the country had learnt several bitter lessons during the last 25 years
after the outbreak of ethnic conflict in the island in the early 1980s.
" It should not be forgotten that incidents such as the assassination
of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had made a big impact on Indian
politics. These arguments would only whip up passion but would not
help in solving the ethnic problem in the island, he pointed out.
Even while urging the Central Government to find a political solution
to the ethnic problem, the CPI (M) pleaded with the State Government
to provide more assistance to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, Mr. Varadarajan
said. Mr. Varadarajan commended the stand taken by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi
that his Government would not support the LTTE. Though the Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam had shown inconsistency on the issue in the past,
it had taken a firm stand now, thanks to its previous experience,
he said. The LTTE could not be treated on a par with the national liberation movements as in Palestine and Nepal in view of its failure to take other like-minded outfits along with it, he said. |
||||||||||||
|
Copyright
© 1997-2004 www.lankaweb.Com
Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved. |