Chennai:
As Sri Lankan army continued to make heavy inroads into LTTE held areas, some political parties in Tamil Nadu are trying to generate a sympathy wave in the state for the civilian Tamils, caught in the war zone, and also for the proscribed militant outfit.
While, all political parties are unanimous in their view that the Centre should take efforts to save the Tamils, caught in the cross fire in the war between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE, they differed on the support to the LTTE.
Pro-LTTE PMK, MDMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamils National Movement, headed by P Nedumaran, and the CPI have recently launched the Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement (SLTPM) and gave a call for a general strike on February 4 to press their demand for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.
People of the state had sympathised with the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils and LTTE in the past, but the situation had changed after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991 by the outfit.
The ruling DMK had come out openly in support of the Centre's initiative for saving the Tamils in the island, but had refrained itself from supporting the LTTE and had even slammed the organisation of late.
The DMK's stand on the banned outfit in fact changed after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.
Before the killing, the party supported the LTTE as it saw the organisation as the only forum, which could fight for the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils. But the party had distanced itself from the outfit post-Rajiv assassination.
While, all political parties are unanimous in their view that the Centre should take efforts to save the Tamils, caught in the cross fire in the war between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE, they differed on the support to the LTTE.
Pro-LTTE PMK, MDMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamils National Movement, headed by P Nedumaran, and the CPI have recently launched the Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement (SLTPM) and gave a call for a general strike on February 4 to press their demand for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.
People of the state had sympathised with the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils and LTTE in the past, but the situation had changed after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991 by the outfit.
The ruling DMK had come out openly in support of the Centre's initiative for saving the Tamils in the island, but had refrained itself from supporting the LTTE and had even slammed the organisation of late.
The DMK's stand on the banned outfit in fact changed after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.
Before the killing, the party supported the LTTE as it saw the organisation as the only forum, which could fight for the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils. But the party had distanced itself from the outfit post-Rajiv assassination.
