Date:03/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/03/stories/2007110360450700.htm

New Delhi

Puthiya Tamizhagam’s plea

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: Founder-president of Puthiya Tamizhagam Dr. Krishnasamy on Friday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to permit relief materials collected in Tamil Nadu, mainly medicines, food supplies and clothes, for the suffering Tamils of Sri Lanka to be distributed through the Red Cross Society.

In a memorandum submitted at the PM’s office, Dr. Krishnasamy said that it was the primary duty of the Government of India to protect the Tamils “whose umbilical cord is with India, particularly with Tamil Nadu.”

He said medicines, food materials and clothes, worth crores of rupees, collected in Tamil Nadu were perishing, and that they should be sent to Sri Lanka immediately. The Red Cross Society should be given permission to distribute the materials to the Sri Lankan Tamils.

He urged the Government of India not to supply arms or ammunitions, or to provide other technical assistance, either directly or indirectly, to the Sri Lankan Government or Sri Lankan armed forces. On Thursday, he met Defence Minister A.K. Antony and submitted a similar memorandum.