Eelam no longer possible – Karunanidhi

Advocating a fresh approach to the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka in the post-LTTE era, DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday (July 1) declared in the assembly that achieving ‘Tamil Eelam’ was no more a realistic possibility.

He said Tamils should henceforth work for their livelihood rights in the island nation and struggle for equal rights, equal status for the language and devolution of powers at the regional level.

“Only this is possible, not Tamil Eelam,” he said, responding to views of members from various parties on a special mention on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.

Counselling Tamil parties to adopt a flexible stand on the issue, Karunanidhi recalled that DMK founder C N Annadurai had shelved the party’s core demand — creating a separate Dravidian state (Dravida Nadu) — in 1962 to avoid proscription.

There was nothing wrong in changing stands for the “welfare of the people”, he said.

He said the conflict in Lanka between Sinhalese and Tamils was taking place for more than five decades now.

“I am the one who is aware of this problem since its beginning. I had even penned it in a detail way in my novel Pandaraka Vannian,” the Chief Minister said and added: “Both the Union and Tamil Nadu governments are keen to help the Lankan Tamils.”

“The Centre is now respecting State governments thanks to the pressure from our side on various occasions. Likewise, a Lankan government respecting the sentiments of Tamils should be formed,” he said.

The Chief Minister further said: “Like how Barack Obama from the oppressed community became the President of the United States, let us hope that a government led by Tamils would be formed soon in Lanka.”

Karunanidhi asked the parties not to make provocative remarks against the Sinhalese as that could further affect Tamils in the island nation.

He said that the only way to help Tamils in the present situation was through the Rajapakse government. “In order to help our brothers and sisters in the island nation, we should not come out with hard hitting remarks against Sinhalese. Because, in the present scenario, we could only reach Tamils through them,” he said.

Distancing himself from the demand by the AIADMK and the PMK that Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa be hauled up for war crimes, the chief minister said that it would be an exercise in futility, as it would only adversely affect the safety of the Tamils in that country.