The Hindu : Front Page : Congress, DMK join hands on Sri Lankan Tamils issue

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Congress, DMK join hands on Sri Lankan Tamils issue

Special Correspondent

— Photo: M. Vedhan

FOR A CAUSE: Finance Minister Anbazhagan, Union Ministers T.R. Baalu and G.K. Vasan, and TNCC president K.V. Thangkabalu, at a rally in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: The Sri Lankan Tamils Welfare and Liberty Peravai, an umbrella organisation formed by the DMK, on Saturday launched a campaign with the active participation of the Congress, demanding a political solution to the crisis in Sri Lanka.

Members of the Peravai took out a rally, which started from Royapuram and culminated in a public meeting near the Mint Clocktower. It was flagged off by Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan and Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation G.K. Vasan. Union Minister T.R. Baalu, TNCC president, K.V. Thangkabalu and Fisheries Minister K.P.P. Samy came in an open jeep.

Addressing the meeting, Mr. Anbazhagan said as of now there was no better option than pressing the Centre to intervene and stop the war and find a political solution to the problems of Sri Lankan Tamils. “Sri Lanka cannot ignore the voice of India, a big neighbour, if the Centre makes consistent efforts,” he said and explained that Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi was fully aware of the implications, which was why he was avoiding a confrontation .

The DMK was not interested in weakening the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre because there was no guarantee that the new regime would listen to the views of Mr. Karunanidhi and protect the interests of the Tamils. “We don’t want to lose the government in Tamil Nadu and we are equally firm that the Congress government guided by Sonia Gandhi should continue at the Centre,” he said.

Mr.Thangkabalu said that the Congress and the DMK were working together to find a durable political solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils problem. MGR Kazhagam leader R.M. Veerappan said former Chief Minister M.G.Ramachandran wanted to work with the DMK leaders to find a solution to the Sri Lankan issue, and had asked the then Speaker K.Rajaram to speak to Mr.Karunanidhi to give up plan to resign from Assembly.

Dravidar Kazhagam leader K.Veeramani; Tamil Maanila Indian Union Muslim League leader K.M. Khader Mohideen; Jananayaka Munnetra Kazhagam leader Jagatrakshakan; and Gingee Ramachandran, MP, participated.

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