Click to play videoChennai: With elections in Tamil Nadu just two weeks away, the Sri Lanka issue could well change the fortunes of the parties there. Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajya Sabha Member Kanimozhi says Lanka issue is not about elections and that it’s a concern that all Indians share.
CNN-IBN: Do you believe in the Sri Lankan Govt’s assurance that there will be cease fire in Sri Lanka?
Kanimozhi: Of course I do believe, they have assured, so let us believe. What choice do we have but believe?
They have said that they will stop the war, only rescue measures will continue. So it’s like the Sri Lankan govt has assured. So why should we not believe it.
CNN-IBN: Do you think the Sri Lankan issue has become a big political point for the DMK right now?
Kanimozhi: It’s not a big political point for the DMK right now as you all think. The DMK has been along with the struggle since 1956. We’ve been with them, we’ve been fighting for their rights along with them all these years. It’s not a political issue for us. It’s something that we believe in and we struggle along with them. It might be a political issue for a few parties now. But it’s not a political issue for us now.
CNN-IBN: Most of the political parties have been seen championing the cause of the Sri Lankan Tamil now. It’s also become a big emotional issue among the people. Do you think that, at the end, of the day the voter will truly be concerned about this issue?
Kanimozhi: It’s not what the voter is concerned (about). It might not become a poll issue and there is no need for it to become a poll issue either. It’s more than that. I think it’s trivialising it by calling it a poll issue because this is a larger thing — it’s about people’s rights and people’s lives so we cannot look at as a poll issue.
It might not become a political issue but of course, it’s an emotional issue for the Tamilians here, the people here. It’s just not a Tamil issue — it’s a humanitarian issue — I think the whole of India and everybody should be concerned about it.
CNN-IBN: Why is it that no political party taking the blame on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination?
Kanimozhi: Why should a political party take the blame? What has any political party got to do with it? What are you trying to imply? I don’t think any political party has played a part in it.
You must stop confusing between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. That is very important that before you start talking about the issue, you stopped confusing these two. It’s a civilian issue — their rights have been taken away and what has been due to them has not been given to them for over 50 years. That is important. We’re talking about that. Why are you confusing between these two things? LTTE came much later.
CNN-IBN: CM has been quoted saying that Prabhakaran is a friend and the following flip-flops…
Kanimozhi: Prabhakaran is not the issue now — it’s the people who are the issue now. So please stop sensationalising that? It’s about the people — so let’s talk about the people and let’s worry about what’s going to happen on their plight.
He’s cleared what he’s said, he’s explained—I don’t want to go into that. And I request you to stop at that and start being more concerned about the people and what’s happening to them.
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