In a move to placate the DMK, which pulled out of the UPA on Tuesday, the Government is toying with the idea of bringing a resolution on Sri lankan Tamils in Parliament. But it is also seriously considering the long-term implications of such a move on India’s foreign policy interest.
In a late night development, Congress Core Group called an emergency meeting at the residence of the Prime Minister and discussed the wording of the resolution, which remained a ticklish issue as the Government is not ready to accommodate DMK’s demand to “insert” genocide in the resolution. However, with the foreign policy experts warning of serious consequences of such a move on India’s own interest, the Government remained tight-lipped about the resolution.
A five-member DMK delegation headed by TR Baalu handed over the letter by party supremo M Karunanidhi to President Pranab Mukherjee at 10.30 pm on Tuesday withdrawing support of its 18 MPs to the UPA Government. DMK Ministers will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to submit their resignations, Baalu told reporters after meeting Mukherjee.
“The letter of withdrawal of support from our party chief Karunanidhi has been handed over to the President just now. Tomorrow, our Ministers will hand over their resignations to Prime Minister before 12 noon,” he said.
During informal consultations, both BSP and SP backed the move, but the BJP did not spell out its position. The DMK’s demand that the Government should press for a strong resolution against Sri lanka in the UNHRC is also giving headache to the Government.
While Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said that the Government was open to the DMK’s demands, sources pointed out that even if India wanted to bring an amendment to make the resolution stronger it would not get required support for it at UNHRC.
Seeking to mollify Karunanidhi, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said his "statement deserves all respect". Asked whether he was hopeful that DMK will reconsider its decision, he said that the DMK president had said that he would review its decision if a resolution was brought before Parliament. "We take note of that statement also."
"As far as the resolution in the UNHCR is concerned, we are examining the final draft that came to us late on Monday night and whether amendments can be moved to strengthen that resolution," he said.
Hopeful of resolving the impasse, NCP vice-president Praful Patel cautioned against jumping to any conclusion on the fallout of the DMK announcement. He noted that Karunanidhi himself has stated he would reconsider his decision if Parliament passes a resolution on lankan Tamils.
Formally, the BJP is tight-lipped on whether or not it will support a Sri lanka specific resolution, but majority of the party leaders feel "India's foreign policy should not be compromised" to protect the political interest of an ally of the ruling coalition.
"The temptation to have a resolution against Sri lanka passed in India Parliament may have several ramifications. What if tomorrow, Sri lankan decides to bring in its Parliament a similar resolution on KashmirIJ" a BJP leader asked.
The Opposition party also refused to draw a parallel between a resolution on Sri lanka and another one that Indian Parliament recently adopted on Pakistan. "Parliament resolution on Pakistan was in counter to a resolution of their National Assembly on Afzal Guru. We did not adopt a resolution against Pakistan, we just condemned theirs," said former BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu.
"let those who are in a position (UPA) take a stand on the issue. The Opposition comes into picture only after this," Naidu added.
The BJP has also taken a strong exception to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath's interview to a private TV channel and feared that UPA's enthusiasm to rap Sri lanka on human rights violations in their country could boomerang on India's face.
"There is a section, which is also raising human rights issue vis-à-vis Afzal Guru. What if Sri lanka or any other country lends its weight to this causeIJ Will not it be an embarrassment for India," asked another BJP leader.
The Opposition party is also concerned about India's strategic interest in the region, and feels that such a resolution could force lanka to get closer to Pakistan and China.