By giving a huge mandate to the Tamil National Alliance in the election to the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, the Tamils there have declared that they are clear about what they want — democracy (“Testing time for Jaffna, Colombo,” Sept. 24).
Political leaders of Tamil Nadu, who claim to be the redeemers of Sri Lankan Tamils, should keep themselves away if they want the community to live in peace. The Sri Lankan government, too, should respect the mandate. One hopes the Rajapaksa government will work for lasting peace.
E. Rajakumar Arulanandham,
Palayamkottai
If Eelam was the only solution, as advocated by some of our leaders, the people of the province would have boycotted the election. But they turned out in large numbers to vote. The verdict in favour of the TNA is encouraging. In the past, the moderates who espoused the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils were brutally eliminated by the LTTE. If we really care for the Tamils of the island nation, let us put our weight behind the democratically elected party.
R. Ravichandran,
Chennai