No To Division of Srilanka

Date: 
Monday, June 5, 2000

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The silence of the Vajpayee government to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's statement calling for a division of the island nation, is surprising. Earlier, three important constituents of the NDA, the DMK, PMK and the MDMK have been openly advocating the division of Sri Lanka and the creation of a separate Tamil Elam. With the Tamilnadu Chief Minister joining in to echo the demand made by the LTTE, this campaign is sought to be raised to new heights. It is also intriguing that the Prime Minister has failed to react to Shri Vaiko's assertion that he was satisfied after his meeting with Shri Vajpayee.

The statement goes contrary to the country's stand that a solution to the Sri Lankan crisis should be found within the framework of Sri Lankan unity and that it is opposed to the division of Sri Lanka.

Division of Sri Lanka and the creation of a separate Tamil Elam will have dangerous consequences in the region and serious implications for India where separatist movements will receive a boost. It will provide imperialism more room for pursuing its strategic aims in the region.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demands that the Vajpayee government should immediately condemn the declaration made by Shri Karunanidhi and the other allies of the NDA and reiterate India's commitment to Sri Lankan unity.