Govt. will not allow LTTE activity: CM

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 12. The Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today categorically declared in the Assembly that his Government would give no room for any activity in the State by the LTTE, a banned organisation in the country, in the wake of the military offensive in northern Sri Lanka.

``There can be no two views on this issue,'' he asserted and made it clear that the Government would not allow the LTTE to use Tamil Nadu as a base for any acts of violence in furtherance of their (the militants) objective.

Stating that the DMK's stand on `Tamil Eelam' was well known, Mr. Karunanidhi reiterated that ``we will be happy if they (LTTE) get Tamil Eelam,'' either through negotiations or an armed conflict. But there was no question of the DMK backing or supporting any moves by the LTTE on Indian soil, he emphasised.

Twitting the main Opposition, the TMC, for seeking to raise the pitch over this sensitive issue, Mr. Karunanidhi, in a half- serious-half- mocking tone, asked whether the debate in the House was on the ``demands for grants for the Police Department or the LTTE.''

The Chief Minister was intervening in the discussions after two strong but opposing views were presented, first by the TMC MLA, Dr. Chellakumar, and then by the PMK member, Mr. G. K. Mani, on the fallout of the latest developments across the Palk Straits.

Dr. Chellakumar, who initiated the debate today, took a swipe at the DMK by voicing a wide-felt apprehension of LTTE rearing its ugly head in Tamil Nadu again through a clandestine network, going by the recent spurt in the activities of certain pro-LTTE outfits, sympathisers and leaders. Recalling the ``free-run'' the LTTE had during 1989-90 when the DMK was in power, Dr. Chellakumar packed into his critique the circumstances that led to the murder of the EPRLF leader, Padmanabha, and the subsequent ``free escape'' route given to the killers and the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, in 1991.

Ten years after the ban on the LTTE, local Tamil groups, ostensibly empathizing with the former, were now camouflaging their orchestration under the guise of ``Tamils Awakening Conferences,'' Dr. Chellakumar said, explaining why apprehensions about the LTTE was growing among the people.

Though the recent one slated at Chidambaram (under the auspices of Mr. P. Nedumaran heading the Tamizhar Desiya Iyakkam) was banned, the TMC member said a closed-door meeting was still held there to which the Police had been mute spectators. Smuggling by the LTTE of diesel and medicines was also on the rise through certain landing-points like Thondi, he alleged.

Later, the PMK member, Mr. G. K. Mani, termed the TMC's perception on this issue as ``condemnable.'' The reason, the member claimed, was that Tamils the world-over welcomed the prospect of ``Tamil Eelam'' and TMC, ``belittling the sacrifices of the Eelam fighters'' in Sri Lanka, was diverting the issue.

Even as Dr. Chellakumar retorted that the TMC stoutly opposed any political party here voicing LTTE's concerns as it meant ``abetting the forces of terrorism,'' the CPI MLA, Mr. G. Palanichamy, wanted to know whether the PMK would quit the BJP- led NDA at the Centre when the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, had clearly ruled out India recognising ``Tamil Eelam.'' Mr. Mani, however, said the PMK was entitled to its views.

Mr. Karunanidhi, who felt that both the sides (TMC and PMK) had said enough on the matter, also dispelled impressions that he had not heard the views of the political parties in Tamil Nadu on the issue before meeting the Prime Minister recently.

Adverting to all the parties expressing themselves against sending the Indian Army to Sri Lanka again and dead set against ``repeating the mistakes of the past,'' as was gleaned during the course of an adjournment motion in the Assembly, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was on that basis that he had explained his views to the Prime Minister.

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