Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa appears dead set on taking on the ordinary Sinhalese for her inability to influence the Indian government to pursue a Sri Lanka policy of her choice. It is plain ridiculous to suspend an officer of Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium for allowing the use of the ground for a football match between a Sri Lankan team and a local team. The game, we are told, had hurt the "sentiments" of Indians Tamils, because of the excesses that took place during Sri Lanka's war against the LTTE that also killed many innocents (mostly Tamil).
The Sri Lankan football team was asked to go back. Another Sri Lankan student team also faced hostility. If this wasn't enough, Tamil groups have taken upon themselves to oppose the visit of some 200 Sri Lankan pilgrims to Tamil Nadu. At this rate, will Jayalalithaa call for an end to India-Sri Lanka cricketing ties?
After all, if a football clash between two unknown teams - an event which would have gone unnoticed but for the chief minister's action - can hurt "Tamil sentiments", a high-profile cricket match between the national teams of India and Sri Lanka is bound to cause the same effect. (India won 4-1 an ODI series in Sri Lanka in as July-August and is set to visit Sri Lanka again.)
What more? Will New Delhi be asked to shut its high commission and two consulates in Sri Lanka? Maybe India should also sever
02:52 PM, Sep 04, 2012
With Tamils in Sri Lanka beaten, the time has come for India to intervene. ... 
