Why can’t DMK, PMK walk out of UPA?

(January 21, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) ‘A hartal should bring Tamilnadu to a standstill.Barring the movement of ambulances and milk supplies, no other activity should be allowed.

It should go on till the Central government intervenes and ensures a ceasefire in Sri Lanka,’ said PMK founder S Ramadoss at the venue of a hunger protest of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan a couple of days ago.

Ramadoss was reiterating his long-time demand by saying this.‘The Union government is not acting fast. It has not taken a firm stand over the Lankan issue. I am ready to die for the benefit of my siblings in Lanka,’ Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had said at the general council of the DMK last month.

Even two days earlier, he had issued a statement, which more or less echoed his speech at the general council. Ironically, the two leaders, who had never missed an opportunity to claim that they were irked by the attitude of ‘Delhi’ over the Lankan issue, are a part and parcel of the Central government.

In other words, MPs from the DMK and PMK occupy plum portfolios in the Union Cabinet, with Ramadoss’s son Anbumani taking care of the Health Ministry and Karunanidhi’s ‘trusted lieutenant’ A Raja looking after the IT Department.

Besides, there are a wide range of other portfolios from Railways to Highways to Home and Finance, which are held by DMK or PMK MPs either as Cabinet Ministers or Ministers for State.

A simple letter from Karunanidhi that his party was withdrawing its support to the UPA government would fulfill his demand over the issue rather than dragging it with statements and speeches. This is the opinion of political pundits.

Because, Karunanidhi himself had said, ‘Those at the helm of affairs should understand that a Tamilian is being killed every second in the island nation.’Similarly, Ramadoss, who wanted to freeze entire Tamilnadu by an indefinite hartal which would put people in hardship, should make his son ‘sacrifice’ the Health Minister post. This was what political pundits had to say also.

‘But both the leaders will never do that at this moment. They may come out of the UPA government (Congress alliance) during the time of Parliamentary polls citing the same reason, only to shift loyalties to a different alliance and to gain political mileage,’ they say. - Sri Lanka Guardian