A State-level lawyers' conference of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), held here on Saturday called upon the Centre to lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Terming the ban unjust, a resolution adopted at the conference attended by MDMK general secretary Vaiko urged the Centre to recognise the right to self-determination of Sri Lankan Tamils. The LTTE reflected the rightful aspiration for freedom of Sri Lankan Tamils. The demand and struggle for separate Eelam was taken forward by the organisation only after the situation deteriorated to a level where Tamils were not able to co-exist with the Sinhalese, the resolution stated.
The conference also demanded that India sever its diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka. India should no longer support the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, which is facing allegations of committing war crimes. All agreements with Sri Lanka should be annulled. India should take a stand against Sri Lanka in the United Nations, the resolution demanded.
The party also called for a change in the electoral system in the country and suggested moving over to a system of proportional representation as emphasised by former Chief Minister Anna.
Under the existing system, a candidate who gets the support of just 35 per cent of the electorate emerges victorious though more than 60 per cent of voters opt for other candidates. This, the resolution said, was not good for democracy and effectively denied a place for minorities and smaller parties with divergent views in the Legislature.
Through other resolutions the conference demanded changing the name of the Madras High Court into Tamil Nadu High Court; appointment of judges separately for the Madurai Bench instead of the current system of posting judges on rotation from the Madras High Court, permission for arguing cases in Tamil in the High Court and filling of all vacant posts of judges in various courts across the State.
