Tamil Nadu stand on Lanka could endanger India unity: Newspaper

Terming the recent expression of concern by Tamil Nadu parties over the ongoing violence in northern Sri Lanka as a contradiction of India's own policy on terrorism, a leading newspaper here has called it "latent separatist tendencies" in the Southern state.

In a front page editorial titled "India's moment of Shame", the Island Newspaper warned that the pressure from some Tamil Nadu politicians could endanger the unity of India.

"Interestingly, India has spelt out this strategy to deal with terrorism while it is coming under increasing pressure from backers in Tamil Nadu to intervene and put obstruction's on Sri Lanka's 'robust fight' against terrorism.

"The pro-LTTE sections are all out to make India undertake something fraught with the danger of leading to its own disintegration one day, given the latent separatist tendencies in Tamil Nadu," the editorial said.

The newspaper also said the LTTE, has managed to hold India to "ransom through its terror partners in Tamil Nadu" in spite of its proscription.

"What (LTTE Supremo Velupillai) Prabhakaran has achieved -remote-controlling the Central Government of India representing one billion people -- is something that not even countries hostile to India can ever dream of," it said.

Recalling that Prabhakaran was a convicted criminal in Sri Lanka and wanted in India for the assassination of a former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the editorial said "he has made a mockery of Indian law and sovereignty".

Source: Hindu