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Rabble Rousing Random Ramblings by S Jagadish is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Karunanidhi's amazing defense of the LTTE and Prabhakaran
In an interview to NDTV, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi said that he didn't consider Prabhakaran, his friend, as a terrorist.
In fact, he so completely approves of the LTTE and Prabhakaran's acts of terror that:
- He considers that some of the people in Prabhakaran's group are terrorists. He reckons that doesn't make Prabhakaran a terrorist or the LTTE a terrorist organization and Prabhakaran cannot be held responsible for those in his group that are terrorists
- He has had only one difference of opinion with Prabhakaran, and that was over Prabhakaran declaring that a hypothetical Tamil Eelam would have a dictatorial government
As the head of the DMK, an ally of the Congress(I), and as the chief minister of the state, was Karunanidhi expressing his own personal opinions? Even so, how can the Congress(I) now ally with him considering it had withdrawn support to IK Gujral's government in 1997 on the basis of the Jain Commission report indicting the DMK for tacitly supporting the LTTE.
Like I noted 5 years ago before the previous Lok Sabha election
It does seem like Rajiv Gandhi's death was too long ago to matter. Is that true even for Sonia Gandhi?
Labels: karunanidhi, ltte, prabhakaran, tamil nadu, terrorism
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PMK's Ramadoss wants an "indefinite" bandh in Tamil Nadu
In a brazen attempt at terrorizing Tamil Nadu, the PMK's founder & president, S Ramadoss has proposed an "indefinite" bandh in Tamil Nadu in protest against the Sri Lankan army's attacks on the LTTE.
Thankfully, he is charitable enough to exclude ambulances and the supply of milk from the scope of the bandh. Of course he isn't going to be impacted. He and his goons will court arrest and be released in an hour, probably escorted home by the DGP.
The ones who suffer are the general populace, without the ability to go to work, run their business, buy vegetables & fruits at affordable rates, etc.
Given that the Supreme Court had ruled, a decade ago in 1998, that bandhs were illegal and unconstitutional, Ramadoss' demand for an "indefinite" bandh is an indicator of how important adherence to laws and the Constitution is for him and others of his ilk. Although I don't foresee it happening, the Tamil Nadu government should throw Ramadoss & the rest of the gangs into jail for threatening to breach the law and order of the state.
Labels: ltte, politics, strike, tamil nadu, terrorism
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Indian Christians, French Sikhs and Sri Lankan Tamils
India has no business questioning French laws on Sikh headgear or expressing concern over the Sri Lankan government's action on the LTTE.
In much the same manner, no other country has a right to pass judgement on India's handling of the violence against Christians in Orissa & Karnataka.
Update: The original post (above) was more or less the content of a letter I sent to 'The Hindu' (Letters to the editor section) after reading the report on the resolution adopted by the 'all-party' meet in Tamil Nadu.
Just as Pakistan has no business expressing concern over 'atrocities on Muslims in India' or European countries passing judgement on India's handling of violence against Christians in Orissa & Karnataka, India has no business questioning French laws on Sikh headgear or expressing concern over the Sri Lankan government's action on the LTTE.Only the last sentence was published.
The political parties in Tamil Nadu have vested interests. Most of them have been sympathetic to the LTTE, some overtly and some covertly. It is not in India's interest to interfere in Sri Lanka's domestic affairs, especially when the aim of the Sri Lankan military exercise is to isolate and eliminate the LTTE, one of the world's most dreaded terrorist organizations.
Labels: christianity, india, letters to the editor, ltte
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It is in India's interest to not take heed of the LTTE's admission that it regretted the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and that India should put the past behind. Anton Balasingham actually has the temerity to ask India to alter its viewpoint on the violent civil war which has affected Sri Lanka for over a quarter of a century.
We call upon the government of India and people of India to be magnanimous to put the past behind and to approach the ethnic question in a different perspective.While this is as close to the LTTE admitting that it did assassinate Rajiv Gandhi, it is perhaps worth considering that with the DMK in power in Tamil Nadu, refugees have started pouring in, especially in Rameswaram in the last month or two. Add in the MDMK's presence in the central government and the LTTE's apology of an apology will be presented as the LTTE indulging in self-moderation.
Balasingham's veiled threat that "A civil war will destabilise region and have political consequences in Tamil Nadu" needs to be handled in the most appropriate manner, i.e. by warning the members of the Union Government who harbour a soft corner for the LTTE that any attempts by them to raise the Sri Lankan Tamil issue in any forum and for any purpose would result in appropriate action being taken.
India needs a peaceful Sri Lanka. But there're more important things within India which need immediate attention. I don't think India should involve itself in the Sri Lankan Tamil issue any more. India's interference in that issue will result in Pakistan and China poking their head in to say a 'hello' as well. That'd pretty much end any hope of a peaceful negotiation process in Sri Lanka.
Since a peaceful Sri Lanka is in India's geo-political interest, I find it hard to accept his claim.
It's up to them because we have already pledged that we will never to do anything or act anything inimical to the geopolitical interest of India.I assume he implies the various bomb blasts etc. over the last couple of weeks are in India's geo-political interest.
Nitin argues in his post that the LTTE will need to hand over everyone convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to give the impression that they're really sorry.
Update #1: The LTTE has since denied that Balasingham's words were an admission of guilt. Of course, he didn't apologize/admit explicitly, but the fact that he used words like 'deeply regret', 'put the past behind' etc. do indicate a change in the LTTE's 15-year old stand.
Update #2: 'The Hindu' carries my letter based on this post.
Labels: ltte
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Link of the day
If you've been reading this blog for a while (or indeed other blogs as well!), I'm sure you've wondered "Why on earth does this chap blog?!"
Politics
The adage that there are no permanent enemies in politics has been proved true yet again today. The Congress(I) and the DMK have formed an alliance for the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. The last time the two parties were allies was in 1980. In subsequent elections, the Congress(I) either piggybacked on the AIADMK/ADMK or went alone. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination by the LTTE in 1991, the Congress(I) became vehemently anti-DMK because of the DMK's support of the LTTE. Evidently Rajiv Gandhi's death was too long ago to matter, even for Sonia Gandhi?
The situation becomes even more murky because there is a possibility for the MDMK to also be part of the coalition fighting the 'communal' forces. The MDMK broke away from the DMK a few years ago but now their ideologies converge. However several MDMK leaders were indicted by the Jain Commission for their involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.
What next? The BJP allying with VP Singh yet again?
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