Karuna calls for solutions to Lankan Tamils issue

DMK chief M Karunanidhi today called for "short, medium and

long-term solutions" to address the various aspects of Sri Lankan Tamils

issue.

Addressing a conclave at the Eelam Tamils Rights Protection Conference here, he

said "the short-term and medium term solutions include resettlement and

rehabilitation of displaced Tamils, besides reconstruction of infrastructural

and civic facilities."

"Long-term solution is a political solution which has been discussed and

debated for a very long time," the DMK patriarch told the conclave, a

prelude to the international conference scheduled later for the day.

He also expressed anguish that Sri Lankan military runs "a state of

emergency" in the Tamil areas.

The pro-Eelam meet called by the DMK has run into rough weather with city

police refusing permission, forcing the party to change the venue of its much

touted event, even as the Centre did a U-turn saying it had no objection to the

word 'Eelam' (separate homeland) being used.

A single judge of Madras High court had yesterday declined to hear a plea by

Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation, challenging the ban citing security

reasons.

The matter will come up before a bench later in the day.

Recalling his fast in 2009 that was undertaken to demand a ceasefire when the

war between Lankan forces and LTTE was at its peak, Karunanidhi said he had

only given it up relying on the version of the Union government, which in turn

"was misguided by Colombo."

Based on the Sri Lankan statement that the war was stopped, the then External

Affairs Minister had issued a statement, a copy of which was sent to him at the

fast site, he said.

"Since I believed that the war was over, I gave up my fast, but what

happened was that the Sri Lankan government misguided the Government of India

and indeed the whole world.

I had to rely on the version of the Government of India," the DMK

patriarch said.

Karunanidhi's remarks are seen as the DMK chief's first attempt to clarify why

he called off the fast within a few hours of launching it, in the face of heavy

criticism particularly from AIADMK that it was a drama.