TN advocates Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka

Jaya demands withdrawal of 1974 pact on Katchatheevu Chennai (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday urged India to introduce a resolution in the UN Security Council seeking a referendum in Sri Lanka to carve out an independent Tamil Eelam state. A resolution moved by the AIADMK-controlled House said Tamils living in Sri Lanka as well as Tamils of Sri Lankan origin in other countries should take part in the referendum. The resolution also urged India to stop describing Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and sought an international probe on war crimes during the war against the Tamil Tigers that left thousands dead. It said those responsible for the alleged war crimes should be tried by an international court. The Indian government was also asked to impose economic sanctions on the island nation until the "oppression" on Tamils there ended. Speaking in the House, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa referred to the widespread protests by students in the state demanding action against Sri Lanka over the deaths of Tamil civilians in the war against the LTTE. Voicing concern over increased attacks on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Jaya asked the Centre to initiate diplomatic steps to check it and urged for withdrawal of the 1974 agreement ceding Katchatheevu islet to the island nation. Replying to a special call attention on the issue in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said her government would seek legal course if the UPA government failed to accede to the demand. In her detailed reply, she said ceding of Katchatheevu had resulted in attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy as Colombo was not respecting various provisions of the agreement relating to traditional rights. She also spoke about the UN Human Rights Council resolution that pulled up Colombo over accusations that many innocent Tamils died in the military blitzkrieg against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "India should stop calling Sri Lanka a friendly nation," Jayalalithaa said. "There should be an international probe on the war crimes during the war (against the Tamil Tigers) and people responsible for that should be tried before an international court," she said. Sri Lanka crushed the LTTE and wiped out its leadership in May 2009, ending one of the world's longest running conflicts. She described as a victory for her government the Indian Premier League's (IPL) decision not to hold any cricket match in Tamil Nadu if Sri Lankan players were involved. She accused DMK president M Karunanidhi of being insincere vis-a-vis the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. She charged the Congress-led Indian government, of which the DMK was a major partner, with helping Sri Lanka to kill Tamils. Jayalalithaa said it was regrettable that the Indian government was indifferent to the Tamil issue and not respecting Tamil sentiments. She said she had introduced the new resolution in the House to show "the entire Tamil community's feelings". She demanded firm diplomatic action from the Centre to stop the frequent attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Sri Lankan envoy in New Delhi should be summoned to lodge India's strong protest against the attacks.