The DMK cannot be allowed to play petty politics and interfere in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs, which goes against our foreign policy
The ultimatum of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to the Manmohan Singh government that all the 39 Tamil Nadu members of Parliament (MPs) will resign if it fails to pressure the Sri Lankan government to declare a ceasefire in the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is nothing but political blackmail. The DMK has always flirted with the cause of the Sri Lankan Tamils, which is fired by a dangerous kind of populism.
Though the all-party resolution on Tuesday is couched in a language which expressed concern over the civilian population in northern Lanka, it is a way of helping indirectly the banned terrorist organisation, the LTTE, which had a hand in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. In reality, the support of DMK and others for the cause of Tamils across the Palk Strait has always meant support for Lankan Tamil terrorist organisations.
It might perfect realpolitik on the part of Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi to flex his political muscle when the general elections are just six months away. He may even be looking for an excuse part ways with the UPA. But this is cynical and immoral.
The DMK has to accept the simple, if unpalatable, fact that there is no room for playing pan—Tamil politics across national borders. Unfortunately, various Central governments have succumbed to arm-twisting by Dravidian parties on this subject on the false assumption that there is something common between the Tamils in India and in Sri Lanka.
Forty years ago, the problem of the Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka was solved through the Shastri-Bandaranaike pact through which half the plantation workers were repatriated to India and the rest granted Lankan citizenship. It is an altogether different case with the Jaffna Tamils in the northern part of the island which the LTTE claims to represent. They had migrated to the island some 1000 years ago and they belong to Sri Lanka.
From the late 1950s, Sinhala political parties did play a chauvinist majoritarian game of discriminating against Tamils, but it is now an internal matter and up to the Lankan government to address their grievances. India does not enter the picture. More importantly, India cannot support a secessionist movement and terrorist organisation like the LTTE.
The Lankan government has assured that it would protect the lives of the Tamil civilians. India will have to accept the assurance in good faith. The DMK cannot be allowed to play its petty politics and interfere in the internal affairs of a neighbouring country, which goes against the grain of Indian foreign policy. The UPA must send this resounding message to the DMK.
