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India & the
Struggle for Tamil Eelam
Thackeray, Vaiko support Tamil Eelam
T N Raghunatha/Mumbai (courtesy Pioneer) 10 May 2000
"Much to the discomfort of the Nationalist
Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance Government, Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray on
Tuesday night came out in whole-hearted support of the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and advised the NDA alliance Government against interfering
in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.
'At this juncture, the NDA Government should not be doing
anything that idiot Rajiv Gandhi did in 1987 (alluding to the IPKF fiasco). I
have all along supported the LTTE cause. I will continue to do so', the Shiv
Sena chief told The Pioneer here, late on Tuesday night.
In another categorical assertion, Mr Thackeray also made a
strong case for the NDA Government lifting the ban imposed on the LTTE, and give
recognition to the militant outfit in the country.
Mr Thackeray was talking to this newspaper after his
meeting with Tamil Nadu's MDMK leader, Mr Vaiko, at the former's Bandra
residence "Matoshri". Mr Vaiko had been explicit in his party's support to the
LTTE and the welfare of Tamils settled in Jaffna.
Mr Thackeray's categorical stand comes as a big boost to
the Tamil parties of the NDA coalition - the DMK, PMK and MDMK - which have been
building up pressure on the Vajpayee Government, against extending military
support to the Sri Lankan forces.
More than anything else, the MDMK has found a formidable
ally in the Shiv Sena, with Mr Thackeray publicly rooting strongly for the LTTE
cause. As for Mr Thackeray, he had consistently been supporting the LTTE cause
in the past.
Mr Vaiko had taken the initiative to call on Mr Thackeray,
seeking support for the stand his party had taken, at an all party meeting
convened by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, in the capital on Monday.
Seeking to answer a clarification sought by Tamil Manila
Congress MP Jayanti Natarajan at the meeting, Mr Vaiko had reportedly made no
bones about his party's support to the LTTE and said that his party had the
right to express its views, without affecting the collective stand taken by the
Vajpayee Government. At the meeting, the Prime Minister advised the leaders of
the NDA's Allies, to maintain restraint while airing views on the Sri Lankan
problem." |
