Respect sentiments: Karunanidhi to Centre

(December 27, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Tamilnadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said it was high time the Central government intervened in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

Speaking at the general council meeting of the DMK in Chennai, the Chief Minister said that even after an all-party team led by him met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, the Union government, which assured to send External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to the island nation, had not yet sent him.

The Union government is not acting fast. It has not taken a firm stand. Those at the helm of affairs should understand that a Tamilian is being killed every second in the island nation. We are ready to abide by the decision of the Centre. But it should take a decision which is acceptable to everyone,’ he said.

Stating that the UPA government should respect the sentiments of Tamils, Karunanidhi said it should immediately send Pranab Mukherjee as its emissary to pressurise the Lankan government to stop its attack on Tamils.

‘We have belief in you. We are waiting for you. And we are expecting a favourable reply from you,’ Karunanidhi said. Stating that he was putting forth this as a humble request, the Chief Minister said he was even ready to give up his life for the cause of Tamils in Sri Lanka. ‘I had once resigned my post as MLA over the issue. Now, I am ready to die for the benefit of my siblings in Lanka’, he said.

The Chief Minister also took a dig at ‘some politicians’ who were playing divisive politics by saying that those supporting the Tamils in the neighbouring nation were supporting the LTTE. A resolution urging the Central government to act fast over the ethnic crisis in Lanka was passed at the DMK meet. - Sri Lanka Guardian