Stepping up his campaign for carving out a separate ‘Tamil Eelam' in Sri Lanka, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday sought the revival of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO), an outfit he was associated with in the 1980s, to fight for a separate State for Tamils on Gandhian lines.
Addressing a public meeting, organised by the party in Kolathur constituency, Mr. Karunanidhi, a key partner in the ruling United Progressive Alliance, appealed for the Centre's support for creating Tamil Eelam.
Foreseeing a new rising there, he said the struggle should be peaceful and in the path of non-violence adhered to by S J V Chelvanayakam, or Thanthai Selva, founder of the Federal Party in Sri Lanka.
Life's mission
“The Sri Lankan President may reject the idea, but it will be my life's mission hereafter,” the DMK leader said.
Tamils here should raise support for ‘Eelam' by reviving the TESO, of which he was a founder, with the help of leaders such as Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani.
Critical of the way the Opposition was treated in the legislature, Mr. Karunanidhi said that the ruling party should respect and guarantee the freedom to raise peoples' issues in the Assembly.
Earlier, the DMK treasurer, M.K. Stalin, said that the government was resorting to eviction of Opposition members from the Assembly, frequently denying them the opportunity to raise issues or even seek clarifications in the House.
He says that struggle should be peaceful
Critical of ill-treatment of Opposition in Assembly
