MK gives up on Tamil Eelam

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday said that a separate Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka was not feasible in prevailing situation. “We can only fight for equal rights and devolution of powers for Tamils and equal status for Tamil language,” he said in the Assembly.

Indicating that seeking a State with autonomy and equal rights for Sri Lankan Tamils alone would be a pragmatic solution now, Karunanidhi drew a parallel between the need for giving up the demand for Tamil Eelam and the decision taken by DMK founder Arignar Anna decades ago to give up the demand for Dravida Nadu.

He said Anna gave up the demand for Dravida Nadu when a situation arose for the DMK to chose between the existence of the party and realising Dravida Nadu. 

Demands for suing Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the international court would only aggravate the problems faced by Tamils there, he said. 

“We can increase the livelihood resources for Tamils in Lanka only with the help of that Sinhala government,” he added. 

“We should not fuel the anger of Sinhalas…indeed we should adopt flexibility in dealing with the situation and if we forget this fact, only Tamils will be affected by that. If we really desire to do good for the Tamils in Lanka, we should not express views that would increase hatred feelings of Sinhalas,” Karunanidhi said while replying to a discussion on Sri Lankan Tamils issue in the Assembly.