Leaders should urge for political solution in Lanka

Economic ban on Sri Lanka may only worsen the situation for Tamils in Sri Lanka, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan on Saturday.

Addressing a well-attended public meeting in Jaihindpuram, he said that many businessmen and traders selling textile goods in the island nation procured them from Pondy Bazaar, Chennai, and other cities in the State. When such was the situation, economic ban, as suggested by some political outfits and leaders, may affect the Tamils there.

Instead of issuing emotional threats, leaders should urge for a political solution, which alone would ensure cordiality among the two nations. Only, when Sri Lanka remained a friendly nation, talks and dialogues would be possible. Hence, fighting or threatening in an emotional tone may only aggravate the situation.

When many leaders here claimed that they were champions of Tamils and had played role in preserving Tamil culture, Mr. Ramakrishnan said that it was the Communists who had truly fought from time immemorial for a different cause.

Tracing the role played by many stalwarts in the Communist Party since Independence, he said that be it in Tamil Nadu Assembly or Parliament, it was the Communist leaders, who had taken up the Sri Lankan issue with wide acceptance from other parties. The role of leaders like P. Ramamurthy, K.T.K. Thangamani, N.S.Jeevanandam cannot be taken lightly. Instead of looking in a smaller circle, the Communists had always been impartial and broad in their outlook on sensitive issues.

Mr. Ramakrishnan hoped the Centre would impress upon the Sri Lankan government to bring to book those responsible for the killing of innocent Tamils and also ensure that Sinhalese did not enter or encroach upon the localities, where Tamils live. Instead of fighting or finding fault with the Sri Lankan administration, the Indian government should get basic amenities for the Tamils there on a war-footing, he reiterated. (The Hindu)