TNCC president B.S. Gnanadesikan rejected the criticism against the Congress on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, and said that imposing economic sanctions on Sri Lanka would upset the ongoing rehabilitation process.
He said those who were seeking a referendum were fully aware that India alone could not make it happen. “When a referendum is sought on the internal matters of a country, it should be approved by members of the UN Security Council,” he explained.
Mr. Gnanadesikan also appealed to political leaders and students not to aggravate the situation for the Tamils in Sri Lanka by their activities here.
Chidambaram’s hope
Addressing a public meeting in Karaikudi on Saturday night, Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said: “My feeling, your feeling, our feeling and the feeling of the people of Tamil Nadu is that India should support and vote in favour of the resolution. Wait till March 22 [when the resolution is moved in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)] for the good news,” he said indicating that India would vote in favour of the resolution.
Recalling India’s support to a resolution moved by the US against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC for human rights violations, the Union Minister said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid could not announce the stand just like that and Mr Khurshid had made it clear in Parliament that India would support the resolution, provided it called for an ‘independent, credible and international enquiry’ into the human rights violations.
The Congress was the only other party to take part in the recent Tamil Eelam Supporters’ Organisation (TESO) meeting, he said. “The Congress will continue to raise its voice and fight for the Tamils in Sri Lanka and get them equal rights,” he added.
