Chennai, June 21
India might intervene in the imbroglio between Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam (LTTE), if not directly like the last time, but indirectly.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi late last evening spoke to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and urged him that India must intervene following the massacre of Sri Lankan Tamils inside a church by its armed forces and also Tamil fishermen being shot at by the Sri Lankan navy.
A high-level delegation led by National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan will arrive here shortly and take stock of the situation. Dr Singh has assured Mr Karunanidhi when he spoke over telephone of necessary action.
Mr Narayanan will discuss the issue with Mr Karunanidhi and later brief the Prime Minister whether India should adopt an active role in Sri Lanka to bring back peace in the island ravaged by more that 25 years of violence.
Last month, Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash had said: “The Indian Navy is ready to render its services in Sri Lanka if the Government of India desires. We are watching the situation in Sri Lanka very carefully.”
He said: “We have enhanced both naval and air surveillance in the area in view of the situation in Sri Lanka. We are much more vigilant and on a reasonable state of alert. We should be ready to intervene if the need arises.”
This is sufficient indication that the DML, being part of the UPW regime at the Centre, India this time might intervene in a much forceful manner and protect the interest of the Tamils, if not the LTTE.
Because of the recent violence in Sri Lanka, the situation in Rameswaram, the closest place in India to Sri Lanka, is becoming ugly as hordes of refugees have been arriving following escalating violence between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE.
Only two days, back the Sri Lankan armed forces stormed a church where Tamils had taken refugee and killed many of them who were unarmed.
The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has adopted a resolution urging the Central Government to intervene and bring back peace in Sri Lanka.
After Mr Karunanidhi spoke to the Prime Minister, the latter assured him that he had gone through the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) resolution, which stormed to power in the May state Assembly elections, and would certainly depute a team to study the situation and take adequate action in the interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka and bring back normalcy there.
However, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa in a statement, said the people of Tamil Nadu were very much concerned about the sufferings of the general public in the island due to the ongoing attacks by the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE. She urged the Centre to take immediate steps to restore peace in Sri Lanka.
