CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has flayed some political parties for their attempts to give a clean chit to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the recent attacks on and abduction of fishermen of Tamil Nadu. The party has decided to launch a campaign in the State to counter their propaganda.

The CPI (M) has sought the Central Government's intervention to secure the release of the 12 fishermen of Kanyakumari district detained in an LTTE camp in Sri Lanka.

State CPI (M) secretary N. Varadarajan told The Hindu here on Sunday that the recent killing and abduction of the Kanykumari fishermen by Sea Tigers had betrayed the LTTE's attempts to give a new twist to the travails of Tamil Nadu fishermen. Of late, the issue had taken the centre stage of the State's politics, particularly against the backdrop of escalating tension in the Tamil areas of the island nation, he said.

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, he said.

On the demand by certain parties for retrieval of the Katcha Theevu from Sri Lanka, Mr. Varadarajan said international accords could not be annulled to fulfil their wish.

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 opined.

"Chauvinistic forces"

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.

"Whip up passion"

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.

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