The Hindu : Day-long fast to protest Vaiko arrest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 28, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Day-long fast to protest Vaiko arrest

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI March 27. Marking a convergence of views on yet another issue, leaders of major Opposition parties, barring the CPI (M), the Congress and the BJP, will come together again on March 29, to take part in a day-long fast here to protest the continued incarceration of the MDMK general secretary, Vaiko.

The MP was arrested last July under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for a pro-LTTE speech he made at a party meeting at Tirumangalam, Madurai.

The DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, will inaugurate the fast at Valluvar Kottam in the presence of leaders from the CPI, the PMK, the MDMK, the Congress Jananayaka Peravai and the Puthiya Tamizhagam.

The DMK, which initially said the BJP would be invited for the March 12 meet, at which a decision on the fast programme was taken, changed tack and did not call the party. Though invited, the Congress and CPI (M) maintained that they were not in a position to attend, as the DMK was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which enacted the POTA. They stand by their demand that the DMK come out of the NDA for an effective agitation on many issues, including against misuse of the POTA.

The PMK founder, S. Ramadoss, said he would participate in the Chennai protest in the evening, and bring the fast programme to a close. He said the NDA partners, including his party, raised apprehensions about the misuse of the POTA even as it was being enacted. But the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, categorically stated the law would not be misused.

Dr. Ramadoss said the Opposition had got together and demanded the release of Mr. Vaiko. But this plea has had no effect on the State Government.

Both senior and second-rung leaders from the Opposition will travel across the State to participate in the day-long hunger-strike, being organised in all district headquarters. The DMK has deputed its number two, K. Anbazhagan, to take part in the fast at Vellore, along with the MDMK Union Minister, Gingee N. Ramachandran, and the PMK Union Minister, N.T. Shanmugham. Mr. Vaiko has been held in the Vellore prison.

The DMK made clear that despite differences within the Opposition, there were no two views on the fact that the law, meant to tackle insurgents, was being misused. ``All parties stand for the release of the jailed leader as also his party functionaries, and (the Tamil Nationalist leader) P.Nedumaran. Every party has made its stand clear,'' said a senior party leader.

The parties also pointed to the entire Opposition, including the CPI (M), the Congress and the BJP, signing a petition to the Prime Minister, seeking Mr. Vaiko's release.

Apart from uniting a large part of the Opposition, the March 29 fast will once again bring to the fore the way the POTA is being and the Union Government's promise.

Mr.Karunanidhi said the fast programme would reflect the sentiments of the entire Tamil people. For the remaining Opposition leaders, the issue was humanitarian. In short, viewed from any angle, the continued detention of Mr. Vaiko could not be justified.

There was also a message to the people from the impending protest: the Opposition would not be found wanting in discharging its democratic duty — in this case, the misuse of a law would not go unchallenged.

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