“The approach to central politics differs a lot between Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa. Karunanidhi would prefer to share power at the Centre with either the BJP or the Congress, even if he is not in power in the State. Whereas, Jayalalithaa would prefer to be in power in the State, more than enjoy the pie at the centre.”by B.R. Haran
(November 06, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) LTTE is an internationally recognised terrorist organisation and it is banned in several countries. Supporting a terrorist organisation is against the law and amounts to treason.
As far as India is concerned, it has assassinated the former Prime Minister. Knowing fully well that supporting this organisation is against the law, many leaders in Tamilnadu, in a msitaken show of chutzpah and chauvinism, are cocking a snook at the law of the land. And the feckless Central government is doing nothing. The general public of the State may have a sense of sympathy for the cause of Tamils in Lanka. But the LTTE has lost its goodwill here in Tamilnadu.The politics over Tamils plight in Lanka exposes the parties here. A resolution passed by the AICC against the supporters of the LTTE, is not likely to change the alliance pattern in the state.
Even in the resolution, Congress did not mention DMK or Karunanidhi or any other alliance partners from the state by name, while condemning the support extended to LTTE in Tamilnadu. The resolution had been framed in only general terms. For a party, which has ignored and forgotten the Jain Commission report, the elegy composed by Karunanidhi for a slain LTTE leader is nothing! Also, Sonia and Karunanidhi have many things in common and Sonia is known to for collude with alliance partners while ditching her own party men. Sonia is also an expert in playing dubious dramas and hence the cries of TNCC leaders will not fall in her ears!
The approach to central politics differs a lot between Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa. Karunanidhi would prefer to share power at the Centre with either the BJP or the Congress, even if he is not in power in the State. Whereas, Jayalalithaa would prefer to be in power in the State, more than enjoy the pie at the centre.
Other leaders like Vaiko, Ramadoss, Veeramani and Thirumavalavan have shown themselves to be rank opportunists and they would not mind shifting sides according to the prevailing political climate. Ramadoss, who was telling till a recently that he would lead an alliance, as an alternative to both the DMK & the AIADMK, for the 2011 Assembly elections, has now started talking about an alliance led by Congress. After getting shunted out by the DMK from the DPA, he is attempting to woo Congress to leave the DMK, which will never happen unless Karunanidhi himself goes back to NDA. But, Ramadoss is also aware that he had not won even a single 'council' on his own without alliance support. Right from the beginning, he has been growing only because of the alliance support, as he often shifted his loyalties alternatively between the two mainline Dravidian parties.
Vaiko and Thirumavalavan know their limitations. Veeramani is a known chameleon and he would shift sides as per his personal interest. All these leaders want the LTTE issue to burn continuously for their own surviva. Even today, they have come out with statements against the Central government under the assumption that the UPA is helping Sri Lankan Armed forces by sending technical personnel from Indian Military. MDMK leader Vaiko has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh literally threatening him that the UPA's action would have disastrous consequences against the unity and integrity of India. PMK leader Ramadoss said that he was shocked at the development and urged Chief minister Karunandhi to take up the matter with the Centre so that its commitment of not sending any military help to Sri Lanka is honoured. VCK leader Thirumavalavan has gone one step beyond and 'questioned' the authority of Indian government to get militarily involved in Sri Lanka's war. TNM leader Nedumaran said that the UPA's 'hypocrisy' has been exposed and condemned the centre's attitude of helping Sri Lanka. But unfortunately for them, the LTTE is nearing its doom after which they will lose a potential factor in running their parties.
In a nutshell, AIADMK and BJP are against LTTE; PMK, MDMK, VCK and DK are for LTTE; DMK is in between; and the State unit of the Congress is in a helpless situation because of it high command; all parties will play their roles to perfection as long as the ethnic issue remain unsolved in Sri Lanka. The issue of support to the LTTE would not change the alliance equations any more and if at all the equations are changed, it would be because of some other important reason and certainly not LTTE supports. As things stand today, Tamilnadu is likely to have a three cornered contest.In the meantime, the Hindu council of Sri Lanka has condemned the politi-cisation and undermining of the proposed political solutions to the ethnic conflict by nationalist forces and politicians on both sides of the divide. The Hindu council felt that the previous ceasefires have sometimes become blue prints for escalated conflict and sustainable peace has become a puzzle that would require balancing interests, power sharing and substantive democracy and the need of the hour is reconciliation, decentralisation and devolution of powers.
Kumara Kuruparan, Convener of Hindu Council of Sri Lanka has said that the Buddhists and Hindu Tamils had a long-standing cordial relationship in the past as two different religious communities in the Island Nation and that they have lived together for centuries. He felt that people must build upon this goodwill that there was not even one religious conflict between the two communities in the long history of the country. He referred to the fact that Buddhists worship Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Hindus worship Budddha as an Avatar of Maha Vishnu and that both the communities follow the same calendar and celebrate the same day as New Year.
As the present situation is looking grim, the Hindu council felt that areas of common interests must be identified and along with the religious commonality and cordiality, local capacities could be built for peace. The Hindu council categorically stated that the politicisation of the ethnic conflict by the Tamilnadu politicians to further their political interests and fan Tamil chauvinism for political harvest must be discouraged, as it would complicate the situation and inhibit the capacity of the Indian government to help find a lasting solution by bringing both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamils to the negotiating table.
The other Tamil leaders like V Anandasangaree of TULF, D Sitharthan of PLOTE and T Sritharan of EPRLF are ready for a peaceful and negotiated settlement and hence the Indian government must utilise this opportunity to help solving the decades old ethnic issue by recommending an 'Indian style Federalism' to be included in the Sri Lankan Constitution. The Indian government may find some resistance from 'Tamil' Politicos - who are only pro LTTE - while deliberating with these three leaders, but it should ignore such resistances. Such an affirmative action from the Indian government will also enhance the relationship with Sri Lanka, as President Rajapakse also wants a similar kind of approach from India.
The LTTE on its part must understand that it has gone weaker to a large extent and is running terribly short of funds, cadres, arms & ammunition and other war equipments. It is quite evident that Prabhakaran is waging a losing war! As I am writing this, news of his house at Valvettithurai village in Jaffna district being destroyed by the Sri Lankan Army personnel has come. Though he and his family have not been residing there for quite some time, it is quite a set back for the LTTE and it also goes to prove that the Army has surrounded his headquarters. As his house was being destroyed, he was taking part in a memorial service organised to honour the valour of 11 'Black Tigers' who gave up their lives after launching an aerial strike on the Sri Lankan Military base in Vavuniya. LTTE Chief Prabhakaran must realise that he cannot win a war with just suicide squads.
The Sri Lankan Army's final assault was started some seven or eight months back and ironically at that time, in the media circles, some 'experts' have started speculating about the likely successor to Prabhakaran to lead the terror outfit. Some experts were talking about Prabhakaran's wife and even his son! But what is the purpose of having a leader without cadres?
As long as the war goes on, the TN parties would continue to play the sickening politics of Tamil, Tamil Blood and Tamil Eelam, to the total detriment of both Sri Lankan & Indian Tamils.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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