Nedumaran accuses Centre of intimidation

Photo: Pala Nedumaran addressing the LTTE fund raising rally in Swizterland

(October,22, Trichy, Sri Lanka Guardian) Tamizhar Desiya Iyakkam (TDI) president P Nedumaran has charged the Centre with intimidating the state government by foisting cases through the Central Intelligence Bureau (IB) against pro-LTTE movements and political parties who are allies of DMK.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Nedumaran said that arrest of DPI spokersperson Vannaiarasu by Q branch sleuths on the charge of smuggling ball bearings to LTTE was nothing but a part of the game being played by Centre and IB to intimidate the state government and to seek the extension of existing ban against LTTE.

He said that the cycle spare-parts including ball bearings were being sent to SriLanka from various countries in the world ever since the day of its independece as there was no cycle manufacturing unit in SriLanka. He also rejected the version that the ball bearings were used by LTTE for making powerful ammunitions.

Both Centre and IB know very well that these cases will not stand in the court but they keep foisting cases of smuggling ball-bearings only to seek the extension of the renewal of the existing ban on LTTE by creating an impression that pro-LTTE activities are taking place in the state, Nedumaran said. The existing two-year ban expires in May next year, he said.

On the charge that Rajiv Gandhi ordered the IPKF to eliminate LTTE chief Prabakaran, Nedumaran said that such charges had been made in the autobiographies by various army officials. This only proves that there had been an idea to eliminate Prabakaran, he added.

To a querry, he said that SriLankan government had been trying to scuttle the implementation of Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) right from the beginning as SSCP would undermine the importance of Columbo international port.

On the repeated firing by Srilankan navy personnel on the fishermen fishing on the international maritime boundary, he said that atleast 300 fishermen had so far been killed in the firing by Srilankan navy since 1965 and boats and nets worth several crore had been damaged.

He charged the centre with failing to protect the lives of fishermen in Tamil Nadu.

To another question, he said that he was awaiting the Centre’s permission to send food and medicines to the affected Tamils and added that he would resort to agitation if permission was not granted.