TIRUCHI, September 14, 2012 | The Hindu
Special Correspondent
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday said Sri Lankan tourists and
pilgrims would face no problem in the State and sought to explain that she had
prevented sportspersons from that country playing or training in Tamil Nadu
only to express the State’s anguish and protest over the denial of rights due
to Tamils in the island nation.
Speaking at a function got up in Srirangam, her constituency, where she
launched or laid the foundation stone for a number of projects, the Chief
Minister said she had taken measures such as getting a resolution passed in the
State Assembly seeking economic sanctions against Sri Lanka to pressure that
government into granting Tamils equal rights.
“Ï wanted those who committed atrocities on innocent Sri Lankan Tamils
declared war criminals,” she said. It was to express Tamil Nadu’s protest that
she had stopped Sri Lankan sportspersons playing in Tamil Nadu and also
insisted that the Central government should avoid giving training to Sri Lankan
Army in any part of the country. Yet, my government is determined to ensure
that Sinhalese visiting Tamil Nadu for tourism and pilgrimage are not harmed in
any way.”
She accused the Centre of having abetted the “genocide of Tamils” in Sri
Lanka. Further, the Sri Lankan navy continued to attack fishermen from Tamil
Nadu while they were fishing in their traditional waters, but the Union
government did not lodge a strong protest, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.
In a veiled attack on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and former
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, she said in spite of the Centre displaying such
an attitude, “someone is unable to question it; he changed the name of the very
conference meant to protect Sri Lankan Tamils.”
Citing an incident in the life of P.T. Thiyagarayar, who was the mayor
of Madras, she said he had declined to forsake his traditional dress for the
sake of receiving the Prince of Wales. Ultimately, it was the British
government that had to shift its stand and accept his traditional attire. Only
such people who had self-respect could talk of the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, she
said. In an indirect attack on Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam leader
Vijayakant, she said “Some who have been with us until attaining victory now
keep levelling charges against us every day.”
The Chief Minister came out with a list of her achievements and
explained how she had extended the anna dhanam scheme to a large number of
temples.
“Now I am introducing anna dhanam in Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple
and the Palaniyandavar Temple at Palani which will be between 8 a.m. and 10
p.m.”
