Opposition within the Government for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming visit to Colombo to take part in Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), gained in strength on Monday with two more Ministers, hailing from Tamil Nadu, urging him to boycott the summit.
The Ministers want the Prime Minister not to visit the island country to respect the sentiments of people of Tamil Nadu on the issue of atrocities against ethnic Tamils in Sri lanka.
Despite such strong opposition, the Prime Minister is likely to go to Sri lanka, sources said, adding that Singh will go to Colombo for a few hours to attend the inauguration of the summit. However, a final decision will be taken after the Cabinet gives its approval or disapproval. The MEA, sources said, has advised the PM to attend the meeting to ensure India’s absence doesn’t lead Colombo inching closer to Islamabad and Beijing.
While Shipping Minister GK Vasan, was the first to meet Singh last week urging him not to go to Colombo. Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy and Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Monday came out openly to oppose Singh’s visit. Finance Minister P Chidam-baram is also said to oppose PM’s visit to Sri lanka.
“I have conveyed my opinion to the Prime Minister that he should not visit Sri lanka,” Narayanasamy said. Representing Pudducherry, which has substantial Tamil population, he said majority of Congress Ministers and MPs from Tamil Nadu do not want the PM to participate in the CHOGM from November 16 to 18.
“Some Ministers have met the PM insisting that he should not attend the meeting while few others have not met. But the majority is that he should not visit Sri lanka,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, in Chennai, Natarajan said she would write a letter to the PM urging him not to attend the summit held in Sri lanka. “With the atrocities against Tamils in Sri lanka and sentiments of people in Tamil Nadu, I hope the PM will take a good decision,” she said.
The increasing opposition from within the Government comes even protests on the issue were marked in Tamil Nadu. As many as 45 people belonging to different pro-Tamil outfits were arrested for attempting to picket trains and bus-stand in
Tirupur and Udhagamandalam demanding that India should not participate in the CHOGM. A Congress leader from Tamil Nadu S Natchiappan, who is Minister of State for Commerce, however, wanted the PM to visit Sri lanka for the welfare of the lankan Tamils.
“PM should travel to Jaffna and other Tamil-dominated areas before reaching Colombo. Perhaps this is the demand of the elected Government in the Northern region of the island nation,” Natchiappan said. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy asked Singh to take immediate decision on the issue of attending the Summit while considering India’s national interest.
Chidambaram had on Saturday also met DMK chief Karunanidhi. He said there is still time to take a decision even as he hinted he too was not in favour of Singh going to Colombo.