We will fight to attain that independent Eelam: Jayalalitha

A separate Tamil Eelam is the only solution that will permanently put an end to the problems of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka, said Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister and principal Leader of the Opposition, Jayalalitha Jayaram at an election rally in Salem city.

In a powerful, moving speech, on Saturday April 25, she resolved to fight to attain independent Eelam.

"I met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar who has just returned from the war-zone in the Vanni. He gave me CDs and photographs of the atrocities. My heart boils when I looked at it," the AIADMK leader said. If this pathetic situation of the Tamil people has to be removed, if the problems of the Lankan Tamils has to come to an end, an independent Eelam is the only solution, she added.

"We will fight to attain that independent, separate Eelam. Till today, I have never said that separate Eelam is the only solution. I have spoken about political solution, this and that. But, now I emphatically say, a separate Eelam is the only permanent solution to the Lankan conflict, “she said.

Earlier, Jayalalitha had announced at an election rally in Thirunelveali (Tirunelveli) on April 18 that if elected in all the 40 seats, the AIADMK-led alliance would have a say in the next Union Government and would strive to get Eelam if a fair political solution was not found for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

Jayalalitha, had in the past espoused that a solution to the Tamil problem had to be found within the constitution of Sri Lanka.

Few days earlier, in an interview to a popular Tamil weekly, LTTE political wing head, B Nadesan described the AIADMK led alliance in Tamil Nadu as ‘an alliance of friends of Tamil Eelam’ which was widely interpreted as LTTE’s endorsement of AIADMK alliance in the upcoming Lok Sanha elections in  the southern state.

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