Karat wants India to demand credible probe into Sri Lanka rights violations
February 24, 2013
India should demand an independent, high-level, credible inquiry into the atrocities and human rights violations that took place in the last phase of the war in Sri Lanka, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said on Saturday.
Asked what should be India’s stand on the resolution that was likely to come upon in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) against Sri Lanka, he said though it was not clear about the nature of the resolution, India should ask for a high-level, independent, credible inquiry.
The CPI(M)’s state unit had already announced that India should support the resolution against Sri Lanka and make efforts to bring to book those responsible for the killings of innocents and other human rights violations.
Mr Karat, who was here to release the book The Making of the Madras Working Class by the late D. Veeraraghavan, said despite setbacks, the trade union movement in the country had progressed and the two-day strike by all trade unions, irrespective of their political affiliations, proved their unity.
“After a long struggle, trade unions affiliated from BJP to the Congress have come together on a common platform for a nation-wide strike on February 22 and 23. The unity is crucial for the working class,” he said, pointing out how many factors including the emergence of a multi-cultural society impeded the creation of a revolutionary class consciousness among the workers.
Karunanidhi slams Pranab’s remarks on Sri Lanka
February 24, 2013
DMK president M. Karunanidhi, an ally of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, on Saturday criticised the reference made by the President in his address to Parliament on improving ties with Sri Lanka.
“When the entire world has taken note of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s dictatorial policies and condemned him as an international war criminal, I am not able to understand why the President in his address should talk about improving the country’s relationship with Sri Lanka. When will India understand the man who sports a smiling face but harbours a heart full of poisonous vengeance?” he said in statement.
Mr Karunanidhi said though the situation in Sri Lanka had reached such a pass that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was “shedding crocodile tears”, President Pranab Mukherjee was trying to paper over the real problems faced by Tamils in the country.
“There are empty words like rehabilitation of Tamils and securing rights for them on a par with Sinhalese in the speech. It does not, however, reflect the agony of the Tamils,” he said.
He also ridiculed Ms Jayalalithaa decision to cancel the Asian Athletic Championships on the ground that Sri Lanka would also participate in the event. He wondered whether she was not aware that Sri Lanka would also participate in the Asian event when she made the announcement.
