Chennai, September 4, 2012 | The Hindu
DMK president M. Karunanidhi with Ram Vilas Paswan and DMK general
secretary K. Anbazhagan at the TESO Conference in Chennai recently. Photo: R
Ragu
The Tamil Nadu Government’s action in sending back Sri Lankan school
football teams and attacks targeting Christian pilgrims from the neighbouring
nation evoked adverse reactions from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and
the CPI (M) on Tuesday.
Distancing himself from the strident stand of Chief Minister
Jayalalithaa, who ordered that the football team be sent back and the
suspension of a stadium officer for allowing a game at a State-owned facility,
DMK president M. Karunanidhi made it clear that his party was only opposed to
the training of Sri Lankan military personnel in India. It would not agree with
moves such as sending back football teams and attacking pilgrims from that
country.
CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan condemned the attack on Sri
Lankans in Tamil Nadu as well as the State Government’s decision to send back
football teams. People-to-people relations between the two countries should not
be allowed to suffer, he said.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Karunanidhi said that sportspersons,
particularly cricketers from Sri Lanka, had been visiting India and Indian
cricketers played in Sri Lanka. “These sporting ties are there for a very long
time.”
Asked whether the attack on Sri Lankan pilgrims visiting Velankanni
would not lead to adverse consequences, the DMK leader maintained that his
party was only against the training of Sri Lankan Army personnel.
“If we have lost a lot of Sri Lankan Tamils and their families, it is
because of the Sri Lankan Army. That is why we are opposing the training and
raised the issue in Parliament.”
Mr. Karunanidhi, however, said that his party would not wholeheartedly
welcome the reception to be accorded to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
who, he alleged, was responsible for the killing of lakhs of Tamils.
Mr. Rajapaksa is to lay the foundation stone for a Centre for Buddhist
Studies at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, on September 21.
‘“I do not like to say anything more,” Mr. Karunanidhi added.
The CPI (M) Polit Bureau also expressed its concern at the “hostility
displayed towards the people from Sri Lanka who are visiting Tamil Nadu.”
Quoting the Polit Bureau statement, Mr. Ramakrishnan said such incidents
would only aggravate the situation in Sri Lanka and would not help in finding a
solution to the problems of Tamils, who continued to suffer even though the war
was over three years ago.
“The Sri Lankan Government failed to find a political solution to the
problems of the Tamils. They are being denied civil rights and not given a
status on a par with the Sinhalese. The army continues to be present in Tamil
areas and India should use its diplomatic relations to find a solution.”
Mr. Ramakrishnan said that political parties should focus their energy
in mobilising international opinion in favour of a political solution to the
Tamils’ cause and should not disturb cordial relationship between the people of
the two countries.
