India’s decision to abstain from voting on the resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has evoked severe condemnation from DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, who only on Wednesday had agreed to support the Congress if it regretted its mistakes. Even Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday opined that India should have voted in favour of the U.S.-sponsored resolution.
In a strongly-worded statement, Mr. Karunanidhi likened the Centre’s decision to “a mother strangling her child.”
“India’s stand has made us hang our heads in shame before the world community. While countries like the U.S. that had no direct connection with the Sri Lankan Tamils have moved a resolution purely for the purpose of upholding human rights, India, the motherland of Tamils, has abstained from voting,” Mr. Karunanidhi said.
He also criticised the remarks of Dilip Sinha, India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N., that the resolution imposed an “intrusive approach” of international investigative mechanism that was counterproductive, apart from being inconsistent and impractical. “Even the Congressmen in Tamil Nadu will not accept his argument,” the DMK leader said.
Mr. Karunanidhi said even though a few days ago he came forward to forgive the Congress for its “ungratefulness” for the sake of forming a secular government after the polls, the UPA government had taken a decision against the Tamil race and shut the doors permanently on them.
To a query, Mr. Chidambaram told reporters at the Chennai Airport that India should have supported the resolution which was finally passed by the UNHRC in a 23-12 vote. “It is my personal opinion. Twenty three countries had supported it and we also should have supported even if it was a watered down version,” he remarked.
The decision could have been taken by the External Affairs Ministry officials, he said, adding, that there was no consensus among political parties in Tamil Nadu over the issue.
