LTTE could have threatened Karunanidhi, U.S. surmises
Posted on April 9th, 2013
R. K. Radhakrishnan (Courtesy the Hindu)
Tamil Tigers might have threatened the then Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, in 1989 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-with a significant increase in the level of militant violence in Tamil NaduƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ if he did not ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-boost their cause,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the United States surmised.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-While all agree that it would be counterproductive for Karunanidhi to continue overt support for the several losers among the Sri Lankan Tamil political groups, his energetic and unwavering and totally uncritical agreement with the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s every move is raising numerous eyebrows, and alienating members of his own party… One extreme view, to which we do not subscribe, is that Karunanidhi is interested in a Tamil eelam variant for his Indian state. Another, perhaps more credible theory is that the LTTE has threatened Karunanidhi with a significant increase in the level of militant violence in Tamil Nadu, enough perhaps to lead to the imposition of PresidentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s rule, if he doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t boost their cause,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ says a cable from the U.S. Consulate in Chennai to its Embassy in New Delhi and the State Department (90MADRAS1249_a, CONFIDENTIAL).
In its heyday after ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”drivingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ out the Indian Peace Keeping Force, and burning bridges with friends in New Delhi and Colombo, the gun-toting Tigers had a free run in Tamil Nadu, till they over-reached themselves with the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The cable speculates if Mr. Karunanidhi was becoming the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s elder statesman, and details the understanding of the U.S. Consulate of the situation which led to Mr. KarunanidhiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s change of stance.
Citing Mr. KarunanidhiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s stance against the Indian Peace Keeping Force, his spin on the LTTE abducting Tamil Nadu fishermen and his futile but persistent attempts at forging unity among the fratricidal militant Tamil groups in Sri Lanka, the cable concludes that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the Chief Minister has gone out of his way to demonstrate his commitment to the Tigers ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ at what would appear to be significant political cost. No political figure here, least of all from the DMK, can explain to anyoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s satisfaction the gamebook Karunanidhi is using. As he becomes more and more of a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Tamil eelam hardlinerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, some may feel he is burning bridges with Delhi. We are at present baffled.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Noting correctly that the LTTE ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-had never been KarunanidhiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s favourite Sri Lankan Tamil militant group, principally because of their close ties with his arch-rival, the late M.G. Ramachandran,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the cable says Mr. KarunanidhiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s about-turn came soon after ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-mediation talks began in December, and specifically discussions between the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Anton Bala- singham and Karunanidhi.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ After this, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the chief minister chose to ignore the other groups, advising them to bury their differences with the LTTE and support their obvious power position and assist in developing a viable Tamil political environment.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
When the cable was brought to the attention of a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam functionary, the leader responded that the U.S. and others were free to have their points of view. The DMK had stood for Tamil rights in Sri Lanka, and it had been dismissed from power too.
April 10th, 2013 at 1:31 am
We have always said that a Tamil Dominated Northern Provincial Council was the FIRST STEP to an independent Tamils-only Eelam.
Well, here is the PROOF: TNA says a Provincial Council under the 13th Amendment IS NOT ENOUGH for them! Nothing will EVER BE ENOUGH!
Are we still supposed to PARLEY with UNREPENTANT SEPARATISTS, or should we SCRAP the 13th Amendment, draw up the drawbridges and PREPARE TO DEFEND the Integrity of the Motherland?
There is NO OTHER CHOICE!
………………..
Sri Lanka Tamil leaders demand an interim self-government
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Apr 10, Colombo: The Tamil people in Sri Lanka can find solutions to their grievances only through an interim self-government, Tamil political leaders have told the visiting Indian joint parliamentary delegation.
Demanding an interim administration, Tamil representatives who met the Indian MPs in Jaffna had told the Indian delegation that the Provincial Council system under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution are inadequate to solve their problems, BBC Sinhala Service reported.
Quoting the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP E. Sarawanabawan, the BBC said that all Tamil MPs belonged to several parties and the religious and civil society leaders asked the delegation for an interim self-government.
“We all said we wanted an interim self-government,” the MP was quoted as saying.
The TNA MP has said that the Indian parliamentary delegation did not respond to their request.
A five-member joint parliamentary delegation comprising delegates from all Indian political parties arrived in Sri Lanka Monday night for a for a five-day tour from April 8-12. The visit, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), is aimed at enhancing the relationship between the two countries.
The delegation comprises Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress), Sandeep Dikshit (Congress), Anurag Thakur (BJP), Dhananjay Singh (BSP), and Prakash Javadekar (BJP) accompanied by two FICCI representatives.