TAMILNADU ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION ON PRABAKARAN REVEALS JAYALALITHAA DID NOT FOLLW MGR's PATH

Prabhakaran's extradition:

IS IT MGR's PATH

TNN | Apr 16, 2002, 22:10 IST [ Courtesy : News } 

Chennai: Even as Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK ) members expressed their protest by wearing black shirts and shouting slogans, the Tamil Nadu assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the centre to take steps to expedite the extradition of LTTE Supremo V. Prabhakaran, the alleged mastermind behind the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. The centre should pursue with Sri Lanka for the deportation of Prabhakaran through diplomatic and other channels for his trial in India, the house said. the resolution states that if Sri Lanka was unable to apprehend and deport Prabhakaran, the Indian government, with the permission of Sri Lanka, should send armed forces to assist the island country in capturing Prabhakaran. the resolution was moved by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who seem to be taking on the LTTE head-on, as she had done in 1991-96.

The main opposition DMK remained neutral on the resolution. after shouting slogans like ``vanjikade vanjikade tamizhazhgalai vanjikade'''' (do not victimise tamilians), ``podathe podathe tamizhazhgaleke edirake theermanam podathe'''' (do not adopt resolution against the tamilians), ``kedukathe kedukathe tamizhazhgalin amaidi pechai kedukathe'''' (do not spoil the peace talks of the tamilians).

The resolution, without naming LTTE spokesperson Anton Balasingham, urged the centre not to allow even a toe-hold for LTTE members in the country in the interest of India's integrity, sovereignty and security. ``The Tamil Nadu people were greatly shocked by the April 10 press conference of Prabhakaran in Kilinochchi,'' said the resolution, rejecting LTTE''s "forget the past" stand. 

"India cannot keep its eyes closed when the leader of the most dreaded terrorist organisation holds an international press conference to say his organisation would continue its fight for a separate Tamil nation. Time has come for the centre to take action to capture Prabhakaran,'''' Jayalalithaa said, moving the resolution. the resolution emphasised that nobody from the banned LTTE be allowed to enter India. though the LTTE had been notified as a terrorist organisation under POTA 2002, the organisation and its other support groups continued to pose a threat to the nation. entities like the TNLA and TNRT not only directly or indirectly supported the LTTE, but also got assistance from it. ``so, we had to ban the two outfits in November under the criminal law amendments act 1908,'''' the resolution said. but the resolution, adopted through a voice vote, made it clear that the state government and its people would be happy if peace returned to Sri Lanka, particularly in the Tamil-speaking Jaffna area. Peace in northern Sri Lanka would also create a conducive atmosphere for refugees in Tamil Nadu to return to their country. Jayalalithaa contended that the Indian government should lobby with the neighbouring states for good neighbourly relations. ``but that is no reason for laxity in bringing Prabhakaran here for trial.'''' justifying the proposal seeking the deployment of the Indian army in Sri Lanka, Jayalalitha said when the us could take steps to catch Osama bin laden after the September 11 attack, India should do the same to apprehend Prabhakaran. while leaders from all parties admitted that Prabhakaran should face trial, concern was raised that the resolution should not hamper the Norway-brokered peace talks. most of those who opposed the move or stayed neutral were against sending the army to the island nation.