Thursday will see DMK chief M Karunanidhi leading State-wide demonstrations to “pressurise” the Union Government to take up with the Sri lankan Government the implementation of the 13th Amendment of that country’s Constitution and a host of other issues.
The agitation to be held under the patronage of Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation will also highlight the plight of fishermen from Tamil Nadu who are “victimised and targeted” by the Sri lankan Navy. The TESO launched by Karunanidhi in 1985 was defunct since 1996 when he became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Following his unexpected defeat in the 2011 Assembly election, an out of work Karunanidhi revived the organisation with the claim that he would help the ethnic Tamils in the island nation to realise their dream, the Eelam, a separate country.
Though other major political parties in the State are silent about the formation of Eelam, Karunanidhi has been supported by K Veeramani of the Dravida Kazhakam and Thol Thirumavalavan, the leader of the VCK, a Dalit outfit. The TESO wants the Union Government to force Sri lanka to implement the 13th Amendment of that country’s Constitution which offers the creation of an autonomous provincial council. The 13th Amendment is the result of the Rajiv Gandhi-Jayavardhane accord signed in 1988.
Following this accord, Sri lanka merged the northern and eastern provinces of the country into a single entity by name North Eastern Council. An election was held to the merged provincial council in November 1988 and Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal, supported by the Tamil parties was sworn in as chief minister of the province. In March 1990, Perumal declared the North East Province as an independent country . But the then Sri lankan president Premadasa dissolved the Provincial council and brought it under the direct rule of Colombo. The Sri lankan supreme court later declared the merger of the north and east councils as null and void.
The Mahinda Rajapakse government is considering the amendment of the 13th Amendment in the backdrop of the declaration of unilateral independence by the then provincial government of Perumal. The Tamil National Alliance, an umbrella organization representing various Tamil factions demands that the northern council be vested with the powers to administer land and police. Neither the Rajapakse government nor the people of Sri lanka, especially the Sinhalas and Tamils based in Colombo do not want to take anymore chances with the ethnic Tamils in northern council.
“The 1987 accord was signed under pressure from New Delhi. Things have changed a lot and the 13th amendment itself is an old story. What happened to the Rajiv-longowaal deal IJ Has any of the accords signed by the Rajiv Gandhi government been successfulIJ” asked Shenali Waduge, leading political commentator in Colombo. She also pointed out that the TNA representing Tamils all over the island nation has not demanded that they be entrusted with the authority to administer police and land.
The TESO agitation comes at a time when chief minister J Jayalalithaa, a strong votary of a stable and strong Sri lanka where Tamils could live with dignity and self respect, had expressed his displeasure against the UPA government for doing nothing to save the fishermen from Tamil Nadu who has been arrested by the Sri lankan Navy. She had asked the Prime Minister to at least summon the high commissioner of Sri lanka and lodge a strong protest.
Thursdays’s agitation is an opportunity for Karunanidhi to convince Tamils in Northern Sri lanka that he is concerned about their plight. His procrastination before Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek her help in the re-election of his daughter Kanimozhi to Rajya Sabha has dented his image as the spokesman of lankan Tamils.
Interestingly, on July 8, Karunanidhi led a state-wide agitation demanding the implementation of the Sethusamudram Canal Project which he claims would bring prosperity to his future generations. Considerable interest has been generated in Tamil Nadu over the selection of August 8 for the TESO agitation. “It could be due to astrological advice. Though a rationalist, Karunanidhi and his family has a penchant for numbers,” said a veteran commentator.