In what could be a major embarrassment to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a constituent of the UPA, on Sunday said it would keep out of a Parliamentary delegation going to Sri Lanka to understand the situation there.
“There were examples in the past that tell us that such delegations would not serve any useful purpose. Therefore, the DMK will not be part of the delegation,” DMK president M. Karunanidhi told reporters here, when asked whether he believed that the visit of the MPs would help improve the lot of the Sri Lankan Tamils. “It is wrong to ask whether the DMK will join the delegation as per plan. It never had any plan to join the team,” Mr. Karunanidhi said. Originally, the DMK had nominated T.K.S. Elangovan to represent it in the delegation.
A few days ago, the DMK's principal rival, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), had withdrawn its nominee with Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa terming the proposed visit a mere “eyewash” and expressing the doubt whether there would be any genuine interaction between Indian MPs and Sri Lankan Tamils. Ms. Jayalalithaa had said the itinerary prepared by the External Affairs Ministry provided no opportunity for the team members to interact with Tamils there.
With both the DMK and the AIADMK staying away from the delegation, Tamil Nadu will be represented by four Congress MPs – E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Manick Tagore, N.S.V. Chitthan and M. Krishnasamy – and CPI (M) member T.K. Rangarajan.
The delegation, headed by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj (Bharatiya Janata Party), will tour Sri Lanka between April 16 and 21. The team has a hectic schedule and will interact with representatives of the Sri Lankan government as well as political parties representing various sections of the Tamil community.
On the agenda are meetings with Sri Lankan parliament's Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Minister for Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris. The MPs would have a breakfast meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on April 21.
The team will inspect the progress made in various Indian projects in Sri Lanka. India is engaged in improving Sri Lanka's railway system and the northern port of Kankesanturai, besides building houses for Tamils displaced by the war.
This is the second time a delegation of MPs from India are visiting Sri Lanka after the end of the protracted civil war in 2009. In October 2009, MPs from Tamil Nadu visited camps for the displaced Tamils and interacted with some of them. The delegation comprised only members of DMK, Congress and Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK), a composition that drew criticism that it was not a parliamentary delegation but only a UPA team.
The TNCC president B.S. Gnyanadesikan on Sunday urged both the AIADMK and the DMK to reconsider their boycott decision.
Vasan expresses concern
Staff Reporter from Hosur writes:
The Union Shipping Minister, G.K. Vasan, on Sunday expressed concern over withdrawal of AIADMK from the parliamentary delegation visit to Sri Lanka, beginning from Monday.
Talking to reporters here, Mr. Vasan said the team would visit the Tamils in Sri Lanka and hear their grievances. “It will see that the Tamils in Sri Lanka will get their due share in authority.”
A ‘drama,' says Vaiko
Staff Reporter from Erode writes:
MDMK general secretary Vaiko has termed a ‘drama' the Central government's move to send a Parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka to assess the rehabilitation and political process there.
The MDMK never had a plan to be the part of the delegation.
The Centre's effort to send a delegation was an eye-wash and it would do no good to the Tamils living in the island nation, Mr. Vaiko told reporters here on Sunday.
If the Centre really wanted to help the Tamils, then it should urge the Sri Lankan government to withdraw the troops and police personnel in the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka. Then all the Sinhalese settlements, which were forcefully established in the traditional Tamil homeland, should be removed, he said.
The MDMK leader wanted the international community to create a conducive atmosphere to hold a referendum on the question of Tamil Eelam.
Modalities should be worked out so that the Tamil diaspora around the world could participate in the referendum, he said.
Keywords: Sri Lankan Tamils issue, displaced Tamils, DMK, Tamils' rehabilitation, Indian MPs delegation, India-Sri Lanka ties, Tamil Nadu politics
Both the DMK and AIADMK have pulled out of the MPs delegation that is going to visit Sri Lanka. The reason put forth by both the parties may be understandable. However, the DMK, being a part of UPA govt. has more responsible than the AIADMK. It should have instructed the centre to prepare the agenda which is acceptable by all the parties. In the past, the DMK has handled the Lankan tamil issue as a political gain alone. When the tamil civilian, the children, the women above all the tamil women sexually harrassed by the Lankan army, the DMK chief who was the CM of TN simply claimed that India could not interven the internal issue of Sri Lanka. It is hightime DMK should change thier Lankan policy.
It is evident that the agenda for the Indian MPs' delegation visiting Sri Lanka is charted to salvage the Rajapakse regime and, by extension, its accomplice, the Indian Sonia-Congress govt. , from mounting international pressure for accountability and war crimes investigations. The ADMK and, belatedly, the DMK have acted prudently in pulling out of this farce and the fraud perpetrated on Tamils all over. I had listened to Congress MP Sutharsana Nachchiyappan's praise for Rajapakse over the BBC interview on a previous occasion. He had virtually claimed that Tamils in Eelam were living in paradise under Rajapakse dispensation. This time around, on the eve of his visit, his BBC interview betrays a hidden agenda. Tamils! Beware of the ides of April and Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. Congratulations to ADMK and DMK leaders. Particularly, special thanks to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for her timely decision.
How very narrow minded politicians in tamilnadu fit to 21st century world, never. They are
not interested in see for yourself, but continue to run down Srilanka mainly because there
Tamils are a minority, and the majority happens to be Sinhalese.
Keeping away may be a form of protest but it does not any purpose or take things forward. The best thing would have been to be there, on the spot, and make your voice heard. That is the practical thing to do, not sit at home and issue sullen press notes.
It is irresponsible on the part of the two dravidian parties to skip this trip.Now they have no local standi to talk about the welfare of tamils in srilanka.Very poor leadership.
How irresponsible and lame! Forget about everything else.. They do not even want to know the plight of the people there after the UN vote ?
Too late reacion of DMK to stay alive but Tamil world over will not forget DMK with its 40 MP keept alive congress at center to help SL. We hope DMK is done deal with all Tamils.
If Mr. Karunanidhi really concerns about Sri Lankan Tamils he should make accompany his party members to the visiting delegation. Listening from others and seen on our own eyes speaking to the respective community, meeting them is widely deferent aspect. He should show his willingness to be flexible than arrogant.
.. A good move by Karunanidhi. By keeping quiet without threatening to rock UPA during the last stages of Lankan War which resulted in the death of several thousands innocent Tamils & bombing Hospital [ brutal killing of children ] ,Karunanidhi lost the Assembly Elections. VAIKO begged Karunanidhi to do so and said that entire TN would be behind him . At least now ,Karunanidhi has done a good thing.See Mamtha ,MMS [ when Sikhs were attacked in Australia , Karnataka MPs including SM Krishna in protecting the interests of Karnataka etc. With Power crisis in TN ,increase in prices of Electricity Tariff ,Bus Fares etc. people in TN are resenting for voting ADMK and Karunanidhi has a better choice to regain his lost glory .
When did Tamil Nadu politicians ever make any serious attempt to visit that country and look into the actual ground situation or to meet the Sri Lanka government directly to discuss their plans for reconciliation? The Tamil Nadu politicians are only driving a wedge between the two races and will end up dividing the people more and more. But please be aware also that, all such divisional politics will have serious repercussions in TN and India itself. Think that all people are humans. There should not be divisions. All the racial divisions are because of the corrupt politicians who do all the dividing and rule for their own survival.
With this the TN politicians forfeit their right to shout about the Sri Lankan Tamils. They seems to be a group of ignorant goons that consider the ignorance is a bliss. At least announce in public what they want to see and whom they want to meet in LK. If Sri Lankan government denies such then they can say they are not visiting. This is just an excuse so they can keep on issuing press releases based on ignorance and hoodwink the TN people when its convenient to do so.
Finally our leaders have come to their senses. These visits are nothing but staged dramas in a terrible attempt to fool the Tamil community. Nobody is buying it either the Tamil people in India or Sri Lanka. Kudos to both DMK and ADMK for their brave stance.
it should be a serious delegation under UN with USA participating. India should be sending people like PC,Pranab along with MPs from Tamilnadu.If the MPs from Tamilnadu refuse,they should explain to Tamils in Ceylon as well as in Tamilnadu.
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