Vaiko threatens, DMK declares TN shutdown

[nithyasubramanian]

Chennai, April 21: India would face "dire consequences" if it did not come forward to stop the on-going offensive in Sri Lanka at least at this juncture when innocent Tamils are getting killed there, MDMK leader Vaiko said on Tuesday.

"The Tamils across the world are gravely concerned about the war in the island nation and it is high time the Centre should come forward and stop the war. Otherwise, the country will face dire consequences in the future", he said in a statement here today.

He also urged the United Nations to take immediate steps by intervening directly to stop the war in Sri Lanka as it did in the case of Kosovo and East Timor.

DMK declares TN shutdown

Meanwhile DMK has announced a general strike on April 23 in support of the Lankan Tamils. CM Karunanidhi said they would soon evolve a strategy over the Lankan crisis.

Hours after sending telegrams to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Karunanidhi came out with a statement tonight, saying the need of the hour was an immediate ceasefire to save the Tamils, instead of debating whether LTTE Chief V Prabhakaran was a terrorist or not.

The DMK Chief, whose remarks that he did not see Prabhakaran as a terrorist had stirred the hornet's nest, described the war situation in Sri Lanka as "alarming" and the predicament of the Tamils "very critical".

"I insist that the Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson and External Affairs Minister give an ultimatum to Sri Lankan government for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and save lakhs of Tamils", he said in the telegrams.

In the statement, Karunanidhi said "what we want now is to stop the killings of Tamils there. There should be a permanent ceasefire."

He said though the issue concerned another country, the Centre should view it from a humantarian angle.

courtesy : Zeenews.com

[ganeshbala]

MK calls for strike on April 23

DMK president and Chief Minister on Tuesday called for a dawn-to-dusk general strike on April 23 to urge the Centre to take immediate steps to stop the war in Sri Lanka besides condemning the Lankan government.

"All parties should take part in the general strike keeping aside their differences as the protest is not only aimed at condemning the Lankan government, but also should be treated as the tears we shed for the Tamils who are dying there", Karunanidhi said in a late-night statement here.