DMK president M. Karunanidhi has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that India bring a resolution in the UN General Assembly and the UNHRC for bestowing rights on Sri Lankan Tamils to decide a political solution by themselves.
In his letter to Mr Singh, Mr Karunanidhi urged the Indian government to initiate all possible “diplomatic strategies” to bring other member countries to support the resolution.
He told Singh that these were some of the resolutions adopted at the Teso conference in Chennai last week, which also criticised the Sri Lankan government for its “inaction” in providing a political solution.
In the letter, handed over to PM by DMK Parliamentary party leader T. R. Baalu and others, Mr Karunanidhi also asked him to grant Indian Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status to all Sri Lankan refugees living in India.
“A team should be sent to monitor if the Rs 500 crore granted by the Indian government as rehabilitation assistance and other material assistance for Tamils is properly made use of for these works,” he said.
The letter also asked India to play a primary role in implementing the solutions including release of imprisoned Tamils, free and safe home-coming for overseas Sri Lankan Tamils and restoring Tamil tradition and culture.
DMK chief also demanded that the government take appropriate measures to protect Indian fisherman from the attacks by Sri Lankan Navy by bringing back Katchatheevu under the control of India.
He also said that India should avoid training Sri Lankan defence personnel as requested by the conference.
CPI seeks jaya help on lanka issue
The Tamil Nadu unit of the CPI on Tuesday sought chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa’s assistance to float a movement concerning the Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue and use it as a medium to raise the subject with Centre for assuaging their sufferings.
“I told (Ms Jayalalithaa) that we should have a movement to take up the issue with the central government and assuage the sufferings of the Sri Lankan Tamils,” CPI state unit secretary D. Pandian said emerging from a brief meeting with the chief minister at the secretariat here. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Pandian said that it was proposed to highlight the issue of frequent attacks on the Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy.
The chief minister had endorsed the proposal and said that she would discuss the matter with her party, Mr Pandian informed. The CPI senior invited like-minded parties to extend support to the movement.