Tamil Nadu: Internal strife over external strife

(January 18, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Even as various political parties appealed to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan to call off his indefinite fast over the Lankan issue citing his health condition, suspected activists of the party went on the rampage in Madurai district yesterday, demanding India’s intervention to stop the ongoing war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army.

Three buses were burnt and 28 others damaged in the violence in Madurai district. Officials said two bus conductors were robbed of Rs 2,800 in cash and tickets worth about Rs 5,400 taken away at Kuruthur and Malayapatti.

In the wake of the attack on buses, officials suspended bus services, reports said. VCK activists vandalised buses with catapults, police said, adding that four persons have been arrested and cases against 40 others have been registered. VCK, a supporter of the banned LTTE, has a lone legislator in the Tamilnadu Assembly. The party supports the DMK government from outside.

Meanwhile, various parties, including the ruling DMK appealed to Thirumalavan to call off his indefinite fast seeking Centre’s immediate intervention to end the ongoing Lankan army’s offensive.

Electricity Minister Arcot N Veeraswamy, representing Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, met Thirumalavan at the venue and urged him to call off the fast, which entered the third day yesterday, saying Karunanidhi was making all efforts to bring a solution to the five-decade-long issue.

PMK founder S Ramadoss, who also met Thirumalavan, told reporters that he had asked him to call off the fast considering his deteriorating health conditions. Thirumavalavan had told him that he would discuss the matter with his party’s office-bearers, Ramadoss said.

Meanwhile, CPI (M), an alliance partner of the AIADMK, expressed concern at Thirumavalavan’s ‘deteriorating health’ and said the party’s executive committee requested him to call off his fast.

In a press release here, party’s State secretary N Varadarajan said VCK workers could get emotional when their leaders go on indefinite fast and this could lead to ‘unwanted incidents. We believe he will consider this and call off his fast.’

On the other hand, former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa has said that, ‘ our country should not interfere in the internal affairs of another nation,’ while referring to the ethnic conflict in Lanka. - Sri Lanka Guardian