MDMK, VCK hypocrisy blocks Rajinikanth’s visit to Sri Lanka

Tamil Nadu superstar Rajinikanth on Saturday announced that he had decided not to attend an event to be held in Vavuniya on April 10 to hand over keys to 150 houses built by an Indian firm for people displaced by the war.

His decision appears to have come in the wake of opposition from Tamil Nadu’s pro-LTTE groups, including the Viduthalai Chriuthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).  

Rajinikanth was supposed to inaugurate the housing scheme built by the Lyca Group’s Gnanam Foundation, which is known to be funding the popular actor’s sci-fi entertainer “2.0” as well. He was also expected to participate in several other events in Jaffna.  Referring to their protest against the actor’s visit to Sri Lanka, Thirumavalavan, VCK’s vociferous pro-LTTE leader claimed that Lyca had business ties with the Sri Lankan Government and it had still not yet resettled the Tamils displaced by the war or to take legal action against the people guilty of alleged human rights violations.  

Thirumavalavan argued that the Sri Lankan Government could use Rajinikanth’s visit to mislead the international community about the resettlement of the displaced Sri Lankan Tamils.  Acceding to the protests, Rajinikanth said in a three-page statement that he would not participate in the event even though he disagreed with the reasons given by MDMK and VCK leaders Vaiko and Thirumavalavan. He had also requested them not to politicize the issue, if he got an opportunity of meeting the Sri Lankan Tamils in the future.   

A statement from Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation said that baseless rumours had been fabricated by their business competitors, stating that they have a business relationship with the former Rajapaksa regime. “Our continuous actions to date have proved that such reports are untrue and unfounded,” it said. “The negative environment surrounding the aid programmes of a charity has been created to further the political gains of some elements.”   

The whole episode again points to the attitude of the Tamil Nadu politicians with regard to the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils in whose name they issue statements, launch demonstrations and even persuade people to self-immolate. In this instance, they had not respected the feelings of the Sri Lankan Tamils who were craving for a chance to see their celluloid super hero on their own land. The detractors are attempting to disrupt development activities carried out in the North just because the Sri Lankan Government might be be benefited by helping the Tamils. In other words they want the North and the East to be ignored so that they will have the opportunity to continue accusing the Sri Lankan Government of ignoring the Tamils and thus gain political mileage.The actor himself had said that he wanted to visit Sri Lanka to interact with Sri Lankan Tamils and participate in a charity-related project that would benefit them.   

These are the same people who speak for those who plunder the aquatic resources and the livelihood of Sri Lankan fishermen in the North and East, while influencing their own people to set themselves on fire on behalf of “Eelam Tamils”.   

They do not like people-to-people contacts being developed between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu. That was the reason behind the attacks on the Sri Lankan pilgrims, students, sportsmen and religious leaders who visited their State a few years ago. Having known this, the superstar requested them not to politicize the issue if he met the Sri Lankans in the future. Apart from this they do not like the Indian politicians or important personalities visiting the North and the East to prevent them from contesting the exaggerated versions painted by the detractors about the situation in the Tamil-dominated areas of the island.   

It has to be noted that the opposition came only a day after the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted the resolution on Friday that gave Sri Lanka two more years to fulfil its commitments for reconciliation and transitional justice. Parties in Tamil Nadu had vehemently protested giving more time to Sri Lanka, in spite of the main Tamil coalition representing the people affected by the war here, the TNA having welcomed it.  It has also to be noted that Tamil Nadu leaders opposed Rajini’s visit on the grounds that the government was yet to resettle the Tamils displaced by the war, while opposing the launching of a housing scheme which was meant for resettlement. Can there be a better case of hypocrisy amid the Superstar himself saying he disagrees with the reasons given by MDMK and VCK leaders.