Playing the 'Prabhakaran' card

"Prabhakaran is not a terrorist" - this is what Chief Minister Karunanidhi said last week. A statement that sent political shock waves. Referring to the LTTE chief in an identical manner was PMK chief Dr Ramadoss.

"Even Subash Chandra Bose, Nelson Mandela and Yasar Arafat were once called terrorists. Prabhakaran is not a terrorist. He is the leader of the liberation movement," said PMK founder Dr Ramadoss.

In the run up to the polls the Lankan Tamil rhetoric is on the rise. Even Jayalalithaa, a strong opponent of the LTTE is now tacitly advocating its dream for Eelam, a separate Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka.

If a Government which will listen to us comes to power in the centre, AIADMK will strive for a separate Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka," said AIADMK Chief, J Jayalalithaa.

The left allies are embarrassed by Jayalalithaa's remarks, seen as a direct interference in the affairs of a foreign country. But they are not letting Amma down. CPI leader D Raja says: "What Jayalalithaa meant was a political settlement in Sri Lanka and ultimately it should be the decision of the Lankan Tamils."

Analysts say just around two per cent of the cadre may consider the Lankan Tamils crisis as an election issue. But parties don't want to risk losing them.

So, the question is that while reports of an end game keep coming from Sri Lanka, are these tough talks mere political gimmicks, too little, too late?