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Sea change in stand on Lanka

George Iype in Chennai

The political agenda in Tamil Nadu is witnessing a sea change as main Dravidian parties which fought for Tamil rights are learning to live with compulsions of a coalition government at the Centre and concern for the rightful cause of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Led by Dravida Munnetra Kazagham president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, political parties in the state are exchanging long-held ideologies for coalition politics and Tamil nationalism for practical necessity.

Thus, ever since the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam unleashed the latest battle for Jaffna, there is not much political love left for the militant outfit in Tamil Nadu. What is more, the Dravidian politicians now insist that a separate Eelam for Tamils is not the only solution to end the ethnic conflict.

As political parties prepare for crucial assembly elections early next year, contradictions and concerns and a simmering fear that switching stands on the Lankan Tamil issue could hamper poll prospects among them.

Political leaders and observers point out that Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu have been caught in various stages of contradiction because most of them have been part of coalition governments at the Centre.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's crucial supporters from Tamil Nadu now include the DMK, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Pattali Makkal Katch.

"The choice for these political parties is no longer whether to support the Vajpayee government and advocate concern for the rightful cause of the Tamils in Lanka. Politicians in Tamil Nadu will continue to support the government even if it directly or indirectly involves in the Sri Lankan crisis," says Professor V Suryanarayan, an expert on India-Sri Lanka affairs.

He says even if Jaffna falls to the LTTE, there will not be much of a celebration in Tamil Nadu. "It is because the fever of Tamil nationalism has vanished," Professor Suryanarayan added.

Experts like Professor Suryanaranan cite Karunanidhi's contradictory statements vis-a-vis the crisis in Lanka in the past five years as the best example to prove that the weakening spirit of Tamil nationalism is changing the state's political fabric.

In 1995, Karunanidhi led hoards of DMK activists for a black day procession across the state when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam lost Jaffna peninsula to the Sri Lankan army.

Political parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam also supported the Lankan Tamil cause, by organising a statewide bandh to protest against the loss of Jaffna.

Five years later, the Kalaingar is not enthusiastic about the imminent fall of Jaffna. He has, in fact, distanced himself from Tamils in Sri Lanka getting a separate Eelam.

Thus, when he met Vajpayee on the Lankan mission, Karunanidhi gave the state government's green signal to take appropriate steps to resolve the crisis. He also approved the Centre's decision to renew the ban on LTTE on May 14.

According to state Law Minister Alladi Aruna, though political equations in Tamil Nadu have changed considerably, it is stupid even to suggest that DMK's core ideals of Tamil nationalism and fight for social and economic justice for the Lankan Tamils have subsided.

"But the DMK has distanced itself from the LTTE. That does not mean that our fight for the Tamil cause has vanished," Aruna pointed out.

DMK insiders say Karunanidhi has distanced himself from the Tamil cause in Lanka due to political necessities. "Politically he is on a strong wicket after he decided to support the Vajpayee government at the Centre. So the chief minister does not want to withdraw DMK support if Vajpayee goes in for diplomatic and indirect military intervention in Lanka," a senior DMK functionary said.

AIADMK leader K Selvarajan pointed out that for the innumerable Dravidian parties and 55 million people of Tamil Nadu, the only cause that has united them is the Tamil cause.

"But all political parties in the state are concerned about the LTTE's claim of protecting Tamil interests. How can we blatantly support the LTTE when the outfit has killed more Tamils than Sri Lankan forces," Selvarajan asked.

He said the killings by LTTE and assassination of Rajiv Gandhi are main reasons for "weakening of political interest in the Lankan Tamil cause".

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader R Umanath goes a step further. "The Tamil Eelam is not a solution to the ethnic crisis. The LTTE is not a nationalist movement and therefore not waging a class struggle. Politics in Tamil Nadu can no longer be linked to the fight in Lanka," Umanath said.

But pro-LTTE leaders like Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief V Gopalasamy alias Vaiko claims it is sad and tragic that the so-called old Dravidian parties in the state are trying to distance themselves from the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka.

"The LTTE has been supported by all parties in Tamil Nadu at various times. A separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka is a cause that is directly or indirectly espoused by all political parties in Tamil Nadu," Vaiko said.

Leaders like Vaiko claim the best study describing how political parties were close to the LTTE is contained in the voluminous Jain Commission report that probed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination.

According to the report that overthrew the H D Deve Gowda government, all political parties had contacts with militants from time to time ever since ethnic violence in Sri Lanka in 1981, and along with refugees various groups of Tamil militants came to India.

For proof, the report pointed out that the first public conference supporting Tamil Ealam was held in Madurai on May 4, 1986. Organised by the DMK, it was called the Conference of Tamil Eelam Supporters. Those who participated in the rally included Vajpayee, then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, Janata Dal president Dr Subramanian Swamy and Congress socialist leaders K P Unnikrishnan and Karunanidhi along with DMK leaders.

"All political parties must recall their past and prepare to celebrate the day Jaffna falls," Vaiko said.

Pattali Makkal Katch founder Dr S Ramadoss agreed with Vaiko and adds that no political party can shy away from the Lankan Tamil cause.

"In fact, being part of the coalition government at the Centre, we should find a right synthesis between the Lankan Tamil issue and the Vajpayee government's initiatives," he said.

According to Ramadoss, all political parties in Tamil Nadu should help the Vajpayee government to diplomatically intervene in Sri Lanka and find a permanent solution to the island's ethnic problems.

But public support to valiant calls by Vaiko and Ramadoss are muted these days.

For the main political parties, the escalation of war is no longer a cause to celebrate.

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