Karunanidhi whips up Tamil Nationalism

The six bomb blasts that killed at least 42 people and injured over 175 on Monday, the day Sri Lanka celebrated the diamond jubilee of its independence and the two days before, had shaken the country and intensified the political turmoil steadily mounting in Tamil Nadu.

In Sri Lanka, the attacks were at Dambulla, Fort Station and Weli Oya. The first by exploding a bomb in a crowded bus, the second a suicide attack in the country’s main railway station, and the third a claymore mine exploded targeting a crowded bus, grabbed the headlines of the media pushing the historic diamond jubilee festivities to the background. The intensity of the violence had forced editorialists and commentators to comment on the feeling of instability the current war is generating.

The Tamils living in the south are increasingly troubled about their safety and security and the Sinhalese are getting nervous.

In Tamil Nadu, which played politics with the Sri Lankan Tamil crisis since its inception in 1983, the current situation had afforded another opportunity for a major political confrontation between the main rivals Muthuvelu Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and leader of the Dravida Munnetta Kazhagam (DMK) and Jayalalitha, Opposition Leader and head of the Anna Munnetta Kazhagam.

As usual, Karunanidhi, a grandmaster in political manipulation, seized the situation to build on his political base, Tamil nationalism. He started with the Sethu Samudra Project which Jayalalitha opposed, along with Hindu extremists who objected to the breaking of Rama’s bridge. He asked, “Are you blocking the development of Tamil Nadu in the name of mythical Rama?”

Then in mid-November, he whipped Tamil emotion with a eulogy on the death of Thamilselvan. He called Thamilselvan “Uyir annaiyan, udanpirappu annaiyan” (like my soul, like my brother) and declared that he would live forever in “all the lands where Tamils live, and in the hearts of all the Tamils because he sacrificed himself for the war of Tamil people’s rights.”

Like in the Sethu Samudram controversy, he pushed Jayalalitha to the wrong side of the political tide and cornered her asking, “Is it a sin to sympathise on the death of a fellow Tamil?”

Now, he has taken up the growing feeling of hurt and sympathy generated by the continuing reports on killings of Tamils, LTTE fighters and civilians. Like many seasoned politicians, he is using two tiny but vocal groups - Freedom Panthers Party (FPP) and Dravida Kazhagam (DK) - to raise the issues he is unable to do from the position of chief minister.

FPP leader Thol Thirumavalavan and DK boss Veeramani are building support for the removal of the ban on the LTTE, which is coming up for review before the central government for review in March.

Thirumavalavan has raised four questions on Friday at a conference he organised in Chennai: the question of continuing the ban should be decided by the Tamil people at a referendum; does speaking in support of the LTTE constitute an infringement of the right to freedom of speech; does giving moral support for Eelam constitute an offence under existing laws; and whether the planting of mines by the Sri Lankan Navy in the sea off Kachchativu where the Indian fishermen had the right of fishing, constitute a hostile act against India?

The cleverly planned Thirumavalavan-led agitation had created a new situation in Tamil Nadu. The Congress Party of Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi’s widow, which is in alliance with Karunanidhi’s DMK at the centre and the state, is being pushed into an embarrassing position. It is being pressurised into softening its opposition to the LTTE.

Karunanidhi is handling the matter cautiously. He told the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly last week that he would not permit the LTTE to make Tamil Nadu its base and vowed to enact laws to curb its activities, if necessary. He consulted his officials next day and announced that existing laws are sufficient to do the job.

He thus silenced the opposition and on Saturday, in a telephone conversation with Central Finance Minister and Tamil Nadu Congress stalwart P. Chidamparam, told him to act the way he thinks best. Both know that the courts have ruled that the existing laws do not prevent the expression of moral support at public platforms. They are effective only to arrest the people involved in procuring, stocking and smuggling of arms to the LTTE.

On Sunday, at a wedding, Karunanidhi read a long list of the LTTE sympathisers arrested by the police. He said 103 had been arrested in the past one year and 13 of them LTTEers. They were arrested for smuggling or attempting to smuggle phosphorus bombs and aluminum blocks.

Under cover of this controversy, he introduced an emergency law to declare January 14 on which Thai Pongal is celebrated by the Tamils as the New Year Day for the Tamils, a move meant to weaken the hold of Brahmins, the main opponents of the LTTE, among the Tamils. Now April 14 is observed as the Tamil New Year Day.