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All-party meet

The rapid developments in Sri Lanka and an imminent LTTE defeat have led to the political parties in Tamil Nadu passing a resolution calling upon the Members of Parliament from the State to resign if the Centre does not ensure a ceasefire in the island nation in two weeks. It is a pity that the political parties have failed to discriminate between legitimate political aspirations and militant demands.

The LTTE has thwarted all moves to find a peaceful solution to the ethnic strife and suppressed the Tamils. It has been banned in many countries, including India. Its leader, Velupillai Prabakaran, is the prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Since 1991, India has kept out of Sri Lanka’s affairs. But since a peaceful Sri Lanka is in its interest, it should help find a solution to the problem.

K.P.R. Iyer,

Bangalore

India has already burnt its fingers by sending a peace-keeping force to the island. The political parties of Tamil Nadu, including the ruling DMK, should leave the issue to the Centre for diplomatic handling.

R. Sekar,

Visakhapatnam

The all-party resolution saying the MPs from Tamil Nadu will resign if the Centre does not ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka is unfortunate. Were the MPs elected to serve the people of the State or Sri Lanka? What steps have they taken to alleviate the sufferings of the people who are reeling under the impact of long power-cuts? Where were they when the people of Kandhamal were driven out of their homes?

G. Stanley Jeyasingh,

Nagercoil

It is not in India’s interest to interfere in Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs, especially when the aim of its military exercise is to isolate and eliminate one of the world’s most dreaded terrorist organisations.

S. Jagadish,

Bangalore

If our representatives feel that the Sri Lankan issue is more important than the misery of the people of the State, caused by power-cuts and other burning issues, they should go ahead and resign immediately. We can at least vote for those who really care for their voters.

S. Pushpavanam,

Tiruchi

One is not sure whether the MPs will indeed resign but their threat to resign does not speak well of them. Surely, there are other ways of expressing solidarity with the Sri Lankan Tamils in Parliament? Is it not naïve to assume that New Delhi can help ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, that too in just two weeks?

V.S. Venkatavaradan,

Salem

The political leaders of Tamil Nadu are playing a dangerous game. With many pressing issues at home requiring immediate attention, they seem to have got their priorities wrong. Their plea to save the Tamils sounds hollow because it is obvious that the only Tamils who are facing the heat in Sri Lanka are the LTTE cadres.

It is strange that the State unit of the Congress has jumped on the bandwagon. One wonders whether it has the blessings of its high command.

Arvind Narayan,

Mauritius

The all-party meet has failed to call a spade a spade, in that it has conveniently sidelined the LTTE, the major and perhaps the only force that has contributed to the existing situation. Why don’t the parties declare publicly that they do not support its undemocratic and unethical means?

S.R. Badrinarayanan,

Chennai

I welcome the magnanimous support extended by our political leaders to the Tamils in Sri Lanka. But I wonder why, till date, not even one party or MP or MLA has stood up for the cause of our own brothers and sisters in Orissa. I hope our political leaders will respond to the demands of not only global issues but also to the cries of our brothers and sisters at home.

Rev. Thomas K. Mathew,

Chengannur

The political parties in Tamil Nadu are making an obvious effort to save the LTTE from total rout and possible extinction. The argument that innocent Tamil civilians are suffering untold miseries is not new.

Ever since the war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government started, Tamil civilians have been caught in the crossfire. But our politicians did not even raise a murmur. Now when the whole world has shunned the LTTE, blocking its funds and arms, the Tigers have started feeling the heat. The outcry against the civilian-suffering and human rights violations is an alibi to salvage the LTTE that is at the receiving end.

R. Ramakrishnan,

Chennai

Unless the LTTE gives up violence, it is impossible for any peace-loving nation to help the cause of the Sri Lankan Tamils.

The LTTE has failed to utilise the opportunities to end the conflict and it is to blame for the mess the country is in today. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and has every right to fight for preserving its territorial integrity.

If the political parties of Tamil Nadu really want to help the millions of innocent Tamils, they should condemn not only Colombo but also the LTTE which is killing its own people for personal gain.

Padmasani Rangarajan,

Ontario

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