DMK echoes Centres peaceful-solution call

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi on Tuesday toed the Centres line and said the conflict in Sri Lanka...

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi on Tuesday toed the Centres line and said the conflict in Sri Lanka could be solved only through negotiations on autonomy for Tamil dominated regions in a democratic way. He was speaking to the media after an executive committee meeting of his party convened to discuss the crisis.

The Centre should make immediate efforts to ensure a lasting solution for the crisis,including devolution and assuring autonomy to the Tamils in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka,with a clear timeframe to achieve this. The Government in Sri Lanka should also support India in this regard, read a resolution adopted at the meeting.

Karunanidhi also criticised LTTE leader Prabhakaran. Initially,there were many organisations in the fight for the cause. But LTTE leader Prabhakaran let only those who accepted him as the leader to survive.

The CM also accused the Pattali Makkal Katchi PMK and its leader S Ramadoss of playing up the Lankan Tamil card to create a split between the DMK and Congress,partners in both state and Centre since 2004.

Referring to statements made by Ramadoss,one of the leading campaigners against the continuation of war in Sri Lanka,Karunanidhi said,Ramadoss had earlier asked me to lead the agitations apparently for the sake of Sri Lankan Tamils. Only now I understand his motive of trying to create a wedge between our party and the Centre. Even Opposition leader and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has been repeatedly stating that DMK would lose power soon,calculating that my Government would withdraw support to UPA bowing to such pressures,and the Congress would in turn do the same to us.

Karunanidhi also pointed out that despite requests to the DMK to head the all-party group on Sri Lankan issue,the party was not an invitee to the meeting that decided to float the Sri Lankan Tamil Protection Movement that was launched by CPI,PMK,MDMK,VCK and others last week. Referring to the rumours about DMK quitting from the alliance at the Centre,Karunanidhi stressed that the partnerships at the state and Centre would continue.

Meanwhile,responding to the resolutions adopted by the DMK,S Ramadoss said that he was disappointed by the resolutions as they do not meet the expectations and yearning of the Sri Lankan Tamils.