LTTE CHANGING TUNE AND SHOWING NO FEAR OF EMERGING INDIAN GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER SONIA GANDHI
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
May 17, 12.30 PM: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is changing its tune and making welcoming statements for the newly formed regime of Prime Minister designate Sonia Gandhi, in India whose husband, Rajiv Gandhi they assassinated in 1991.
The Tamil Net, official news website of the LTTE quoted one of its senior leaders, V. Balakumaran , of having said , “We hope Indian new Prime Minister would follow a policy with better understanding in our issue. Change could be seen in our vision towards India and Indian vision towards us. We will co-operate to achieve a better understanding between us,"
Balakumaran was speaking at the launching ceremony of a new book LTTE theoretician, Anton Balasingham had written and published many months ago in London and now being attempted to be popularized in Sri Lanka. A collection of published articles entitled “viduthalai” (liberation) the articles are reportedly preaching separation. The separatist flag of the Tamil Tigers was also hoisted at this ceremony held at the Kailasapathy Auditorium of the Jaffna University.
Colombo’s pro-LTTE /UNP weekly, the Sunday Leader in its latest issue said LTTE leaders laughed off the recent statement of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Washington DC about a possible request for the extradition of Velupillai Prabhakaran. The newspaper said, “The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) yesterday laughed off Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s statement that the new Indian government may call for the extradition of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.
“The head of the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat S. Pulidevan told The Sunday Leader yesterday that if Kadirgamar wants he could come to Kilinochchi and try to extradite their national leader. He said such fruitless talks could only be laughed at.
“Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar last Thursday told the media in Washington that India’s congress that swept to power may raise the question over the extradition of LTTE leader Prabhakaran. He further said that in the coming months this question might well come up.”
Meanwhile Eelaventhan, a parliamentarian of the proxy party of the LTTE , Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi in a statement published in the pro-LTTE Sudar Oli said “evil” forces exaggerated the issue of Rajiv Gandhi assassination to turn the people of Tamil Nadu. The statement said by raking up the issue of the assassination those forces attempted to Sonia change her mind.”
The Hindustan Times reporting on the changing mood of the LTTE said ,
“The main reason for this seems to be the kind of alliance Sonia had struck up in Tamil Nadu, the most important Indian state for the Sri Lankan Tamils.They were pleased that she had taken on board pro-Sri Lankan Tamil or even pro-LTTE parties like the PMK, MDMK and DMK. They saw in this a welcome mellowing of the Congress party's stand on the Tamil struggle in Sri Lanka led by the LTTE.
“ M. K Eelaventhan, a Member of Parliament belonging to Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), which is but a proxy of the LTTE, has praised Sonia for forgetting the past and choosing to align with pro-Sri Lankan Tamil parties.”
