To meet the continued pressure exerted on him, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi issued a statement on Sunday and wrote an emotional poem on Monday. In the Sunday statement, he defended Delhi by pointing out the constraints it had in intervening in Sri Lanka. In Monday’s poem, he said the Tamils of Tamil Nadu are prepared to even sacrifice their lives to safeguard the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.

The statement was his answer to Pattali Makkal Kadchi President Dr. S. Ramadoss’s accusation that he had abandoned the October 14 All Party Resolution to resign from Parliament in two weeks, if the central government fails to compel Colombo to declare a ceasefire.

Karunanidhi answered: “Should we not be conscious of India’s limitations? The central government is helping the Tamils because we have adopted a resolution at the all-party meeting.”

The change in Karunanidhi’s thinking emerged, according to some analysts, following the conveying of India’s assessment of the military situation in the Wanni by the Foreign Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who air dashed to meet him after his talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s special envoy Basis Rajapaksa. India’s position is that a military victory is nearly impossible.

Mukherjee had told Karunanidhi that Sri Lanka had agreed to:

 Safeguard the Tamils of Wanni,

 Speed up the political process to work out a solution, and

 Permit India to send 800 tones of food, clothing and shelter.

For Indian foreign policy planners, that was an achievement because it acknowledged India’s right to intervene in Sri Lankan affairs with regard to the Tamil problem. To Karunanidhi, that was a great achievement, because he had got the right for Tamil Nadu to watch the interests of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. To President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Delhi Accord was a great victory, because India had permitted him to deal with the LTTE militarily.

The three parties to this problem, please note the underlined words, are now coming under increased pressure in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu the pro-LTTE pressure groups are continuing with their agitations.  On Saturday, all shops and business establishments in Chennai observed a 12-hour shutdown expressing support for Sri Lankan Tamils. On Sunday, film artistes staged an 8-hour hunger strike in which superstars Rajanikant and Kamal Hassan joined. Though under strict orders not to speak in support of the LTTE; a banned organisation in India, most of the speakers made veiled reference to it.

Rajanikant said in an emotional speech, “The regime (Sri Lankan Government) that could not put down the brave Tamils for over 25 years, ought to know that dead Tamils' bodies are being sown and not buried.”

 Kamal Hassan said: “Freedom fighters of every nation are always referred to as terrorists till they succeed in their cause. When the very existence of an entire race turns into an unanswerable question, usually extremism and violence are it’s by products,"

Pro-LTTE political leaders are keeping up the pressure on Karunanidhi.  They called his resignation threat ‘a farce’ and ‘stage acting.’  Ramadoss said on Saturday that Karunanidhi had dumped his plan of resignation to help Manmohan Singh. He said the collection of money and material by Karunanidhi was a clever ploy to divert attention from their united call for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Tamil National Movement president Pzha Nedumaran issued a statement Monday evening castigating Karunanidhi for defending Delhi by talking about its constraints. Jayaram Jayalalitha, Karunanidhi’s main opponent, expressed fear that the materials sent to Wanni would ultimately reach the LTTE. She thus accused Karunanidhi of helping the LTTE.

Karunanidhi dismissed the accusations of Ramadoss and Jayalalitha in his poem saying that the goods collected from the people and the materials purchased with the funds raised would be sent to the Wanni. He has also said that arrangements would be made through international agencies to ensure that goods reach the suffering people. He exhorts the people to disregard the criticisms and work with added vigour.

Provoked by the denigration heaped upon him he concludes the poem thus:

Let’s give our hearts to the Eelam Tamils caught in the raging flames

If need arises let’s us be prepared 

To give even our lives!

In Sri Lanka, the Sinhala extremist groups - Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Jathika Hela Urumaya and National Freedom Front have started beating war drums. The JHU which is in the government has threatened to withdraw from it.

But, it is heartening that talk about the devolution package is becoming louder. It is after Mukherjee insisted on it after dismissing the government showpiece, the Eastern Provincial Council, as a toothless body. He had told Basil Rajapaksa that if the government is serious about an eventual political settlement, it needs to let the eastern provincial administration enjoy full powers in areas such as agriculture, education, irrigation, finance and police powers.

All Party Representative Committee Chairman Minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana who had been telling the public that 90 percent of the devolution package is ready has come out with some details. They include the abandoning of the concurrent list which provides for the encroachment of the provincial powers by the centre, the establishment of an Upper House comprising representatives of the Provincial Councils, strengthening of the local government administration by the restoration of the village committees and by making the Divisional Secretariat the executive arm of the Pradeshiya Sabhas.

But, the ultimate outcome depends on the President who has said in The Hindu interview that he would take charge of the matter.