TN not to allow 'Eelam' conference



A conference to support the rehabilitation of Sri Lanka’s Tamil population looked like running into trouble on Friday, with the Tamil Nadu government telling the Madras High Court that it can not grant permission for the event.

The Tamil Eelam Supporters Conference (TESO), sponsored by the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), is scheduled to be held at YMCA grounds in Royapettah in the city on Sunday.

State advocate-general A. Navaneethakrishnan told judges Elipe Dharma Rao and M. Venugopal on Friday that the venue will give rise to several problems as it was located in the centre of the city.

The response came as the court was hearing a public interest litigation.

Navaneethakrishnan said an application for conducting the meeting was submitted to the city police on July 29 and on Aug.8 the police had sought certain clarification from the organisers.

He pointed out that the DMK mouthpiece “Murasoli” was saying that 100,000 people will attend the event, but the venue cannot hold more than 8,000 people. But the DMK’s lawyer said the organisers had permission from the YMCA.

The central government said it has no objection to the conference. Additional solicitor-general of south India, M. Ravindran, said the Centre had not raised any objection to the participation of foreign nationals in the meet. The judges directed the city commissioner of police to consider the representation of the organisers and pass orders.

DMK chief M. Karunanidhi last week said the demand for Eelam (a separate Tamil land in Sri Lanka) will not be a topic of discussion at the conference, cooling Congress nerves as the Centre was worried about the possibility of such a demand irking Colombo. (The Gulf Today)



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