Human chain protest against Sri Lankan ‘atrocities’

Signalling that he would not be satisfied with expression of concern and wanted some concrete action, Tamil Nadu chief minister Mr M Karunanidhi today announced a human chain protest to press for stopping military aid to the island nation and drastic steps for ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

With AIADMK supremo Ms Jayalalithaa putting further pressure on the DMK by describing the all-party meet as a drama, the chief minister said that the human chain protest would be held in Chennai on 21 October, after consulting the leaders of parties who attended the all-party meet on 14 October. The agitation would demand the fulfilment of the demands including sending food and medicine to the displaced Tamil population through the International Red Cross Society and ending the firing of Sri Lankan navy on Tamil Nadu fishermen. It would be a massive protest expressing the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu, since people from all the districts would participate, he added.

Ms Jayalalithaa, meanwhile, said that stopping the training being provided to the Sri Lankan military in India and saving the civilian population was the major concern now and alleged that Mr Karunanidhi was doing nothing about it.
The DMK chief’s daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Ms Kanimozhi opted to resign first and gave the letter to Mr Karunanidhi, in line with the resolution of the all-party meeting.

Meanwhile, lawyers boycotted the courts throughout the state and conducted rallies in their districts as well as the capital. In Chennai, the lawyers of Madras High Court and other sessions courts took out a rally condemning the “Tamils’ genocide”. Mr VKR Bernardshaw, one of the young lawyers organising the protest, said that they had submitted a petition to the Governor’s office, demanding that the Centre should stop its military assistance to the island nation. The lawyers would boycott courts tommorrow also and observe a fast, he said.

“If the Centre can interfere in the Sri Lankan conflict and assist the island military through funds, personnel, radars, training and intelligence, they can certainly use that influence to effect a ceasefire and save the Tamil population. If they did not want to interfere in another country’s affairs, why did they rush to assist the island nation in the genocidal war? Why should Indian technocrats labour for another country’s war and suffer injuries?” he asked.
CPI state secretary Mr D Pandian today asked the police not to use force against the students who are boycotting classes and burning effigies of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. He charged that 16 college students had been injured in lathi charge by the police in Sholinganallur near Chennai. School students also joined protests by college students in many parts of Tamil Nadu yesterday.
The traders had postponed their bandh to 31 October, in view of the two-week ultimatum given by the parties in Tamil Nadu. Film artistes would hold a separate protest in Chennai on 1 November, as all of them would not be able to participate in the protests in Rameswaram.