PMK urges India, U.N. to recognise Eelam

By Our Special Correspondent

TRICHY, MAY 5 The Pattali Makkal Katchi has appealed to the Indian Government to immediately recognise Tamil Eelam, for which the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka have been waging a battle. An emergency meeting of the PMK State executive, held here today, also appealed to the United Nations to intervene and help create an independent Eelam, so that the war in the island would come to an end.

The founder president of the PMK, Dr. S. Ramadoss, who briefed presspersons at the end of the meeting, presided over by Mr. G. K. Mani, welcomed the Indian Government's stand of not supplying arms to the Sri Lankan Government or supporting it to crush the Tigers. He wanted India to ensure that no major power gained a foothold in the island, in the guise of establishing peace. In the event of any country providing help to Sri Lanka to fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, ``India should not hesitate to take counter measures.''

On the Sri Lankan Government's reported bid to get Israel's support, Dr. Ramadoss hoped that neither Israel nor any other country would support it when the LTTE ``was poised to score a decisive victory.'' This was the right time for the Sri Lankan Government to ``accept defeat'' and hold talks with the LTTE and concede its demands. The Tigers would ``emerge victorious'' in the present struggle for supremacy over Jaffna.

The Indian Government should extend all help to the Tamil civilians in Jaffna, which could be routed through the International Red Cross. A resolution adopted by the PMK wanted the Centre and Tamilnadu Government to take steps to meet any big influx of refugees and provide all help.

Dr. Ramadoss said he would convey the PMK's decision to the Prime Minister and was confident that all the constituents of the NDA would welcome the party stand. He urged the political parties in the State to support the LTTE at this juncture ``whole heartedly.''

Asked whether he would request the lifting of the ban on the LTTE in India, Dr. Ramadoss said the question did not arise at the moment. On whether he thought the LTTE would allow safe passage to the Sri Lankan forces, he said it was not possible to say what the LTTE strategy would be. It had, in the past, allowed prisoners of war and soldiers to return.

Tamils betrayed: Swamy

Our Chennai Special Correspondent writes:

The Janata Party president, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, has accused the BJP-led government of betraying the Tamils of Sri Lanka by promising ``humanitarian aid'' to the Sri Lankan Government without getting a ``time-bound, public, and prior commitment'' for the demand of the Tamils for an Indian-type federal Constitution.

``There is no such thing as humanitarian aid at a time of war when Sri Lanka is on the verge of dismemberment,'' he said in a statement.

The Janata Party would agitate for the resignation of the Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, if he was unable to get the Centre to make Sri Lanka concede the Tamils' minimal demand, by May 15. The Puthiya Thamizagam president, Dr. K. Krishnasamy, urged India to offer help to Tamils in Sri Lanka.

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