Karunanidhi hems and haws over pointed queries

(February 03, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) That the war in Sri Lanka is no more than power politics here with plenty much at stake for the parties, especially the ruling DMK, could be confirmed by the very vague and middling responses that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi gave to the queries of reporters shortly after the DMK’s executive committe meeting today.

Of course, it could be argued that Karunanidhi was diplomatic in avoiding certain ‘loaded’ questions, but overall it was clear that since his party had taken varying positions on the matter at varying points, he couldn’t be categorical in anything he said.

Asked whether the Centre had taken ‘required steps’ in the Sri Lankan issue, the Chief Minister said ‘that is why we have been requesting the Centre. The State government has neither the power nor the authority to stop the war (in Lanka)’.

He added: ‘It is only becuase it (the Centre’s reponse) has been inadequate that we have passed resolutions here.’ But even after saying this, Karunanidhi would make push a shove: He refused to crticise the Centre nor warn it on the issue.

On whether External Affairs Minister’s visit to Sri Lanka was satisfactory, Karunanidhi cryptically said that it was not apparent to him that Pranab himself felt satisfied with his visit.

When a reporter asked that since LTTE and Prabhakaran are seen as the representatives of Lanka Tamils, peace could be talked only with him, Karunanidhi again wriggled himself out of embarrassment by taking refuge in pointless generalisations.

‘The issue is not about Prabhakaran. The issue is about stopping the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka’. Karunanidhi refused to comment on a question on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s call to senior Tamilnadu politicians to go to Lanka and appeal to the Tamil Tigers.

When sought to elaborate on his statement that there were forces against his government, he replied ‘they (many parties in Tamilnadu) are holding needless protests’.

Asked about the bandh call given by a few parties, Karuanidhi went into a shell again, and refused any comment. But queries at to what he wanted to tell the public as the Chief Minister over the bandh call, Karunanidhi deadpanned: ‘I want to point to the Supreme Court verdict (terming bandhs illegal).

Queried whether Indian government was helping its Lankan counterpart in fighting the Tigers, Karunanidhi claimed that the Indian government had replied to these ‘false charges’ several times before. ‘The Defence Minister too has given proper reply’.-Sri Lanka Guardian