'PM should take up Lankan Tamils issue with Rajapaksa'

New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) With the Sri Lankan Tamils issue hogging the limelight again in Tamil Nadu, political parties are demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh take up the matter with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, currently on a visit here, and ensure a ceasefire in that country.

The parties, including ruling Dravidra Munnetra
Kazgam (D.M.K.) and its ally Congress, want India to intervene
into the ethnic Tamils issue and impress upon the Sri Lankan
Government to resolve the decades-old conflict through a
"political settlement".

While the (D.M.K.) and its ally Congress say the Centre
has done "whatever it could" to protect the civilians in Sri
Lanka, Communist party of India (C.P.I.), P.M.K. and other
parties have expressed their displeasure over Centre's
activities in this regard.

"D.M.K.'s stand is clear on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.
Chief Minister (Karunanidhi) has also issued a statement on
Sunday saying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take up the
issue with Rajapaksa," D.M.K. spokesperson T K S Elangovan
told PTI.

Rajapaksa, who is here to attend the BIMSTEC Summit, will
meet Singh tomorrow, during which the later is expected to
apprise him of the steps being taken by his administration to
ensure the safety of Tamils.

"We want the Prime Minister to raise the issue personally
with Rajapaksa and impress upon him the need for bringing
peace in the island by resolving the issue politically," he
said.

The demand from these parties, barring Congress, comes
less than a fortnight after they fail to implement the threat
that their MPs will resign if the Centre did not take steps to
resolve the issue by October 29.

CPI, which has of late started championing the cause of
Sri Lankan Tamils, says India should intervene into the issue
as the problems in the island nation have spilled over to the
country.

"The ethnic conflict in Lanka has, in fact, spilled over
to India. That's why we are demanding Centre's intervention,"
party National Secretary D Raja said.

"Who is taking care of the refugees who come from north
of the island? And who is responsible for those people coming
here?" he asked.

Raja asked when India is ready to give protection and a
new lease of life to the refugees, why can't it tell Sri Lanka
to stop the war and enter into a ceasefire.

The Congress echoes the D.M.K. views and says India
should tell Sri Lanka to implement the Rajiv Gandhi-
Jayavardhane accord immediately "which is a lasting solution"
to the decades-old ethnic conflict.

"We are dead against L.T.T.E., but we are for innocent
Tamils who are caught in the fight between the two warring
sides. The Centre has done everything it could do to protect
Tamils," T.N.C.C. President K.V.Thangkabalu said.

However, Raja wants India to stop the war, ensure a
ceasefire in the country and press Sri Lanka for a "lasting"
political solution.

"The accord signed between Rajiv Gandhi and the then Sri
Lankan President Jayawardhane will provide a lasting solution
to the ethnic issue. We have been insisting the Sri Lankan
government to implement the accord. But, unfortunately it is
not being done," Thangkabalu said.

P.M.K., a constituent of the ruling United Progressive
alliance (U.P.A.) at the Centre, also wants the Prime Minister
to raise the issue with Rajapaksa and tell him sternly to
settle the issue "politically".

Party Parliamentary Party leader M.Ramadass says the
party wants the safety and security of Tamils be ensured in
the island nation in the wake of offensive against L.T.T.E. by
the Sri Lankan Army. PTI ETB