IIT students to join anti-Lanka stir
TNN | Mar 17, 2013,
CHENNAI: A day after the state government order all arts and science colleges in Tamil Naduto shut down, students of IIT-M on Saturday decided to hold a protest against the treatment ofTamils in Sri Lanka, marking a new chapter in the otherwise politics-free tech campuses.
The one-day hunger strike will begin at 8am on Sunday. The students, who claimed to have obtained permission from the administration for the protest, have also arranged a panel discussioninvolving activists on the issue in the afternoon. The protest will end with a rally.
"We have taken permission from our management for the protest. Many students from other states have no knowledge of the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. It is also an attempt to make them aware of the plight ofTamils in Sri Lanka," said S Rathnavel, a chemical engineering student who is one of the organizers.
"We are holding this protest to highlight the humanitarian crisis. Our panel discussion will focus on the political history of Sri Lanka, current ground reality and other related issues. It will also discuss what will be the best solution for Tamils in the Island nation," Rathnavel said. He said the campaign will be taken to other IIT campuses in the country.
IIT director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, "If the students want to show their solidarity with the cause, they have the freedom to do so." When asked whether the campus will be shut down if the protest escalates, he said he doesn't anticipate any such trouble.
India still backing Sri Lanka
ByManoj Mitta, TNN | Mar 17, 2013,
NEW DELHI: Even as speculation is mounting on the stand it would take on the US-sponsored resolution in the UN Human Rights Council, India has made a statement that is not in the least critical of Sri Lanka's handling of the Tamil issue. The fortuitously timed statement came on Friday in the context of Sri Lanka's universal periodic review (UPR) of its human rights record.
Despite political pressure from DMK to act tough, India complimented Colombo for responding positively to its suggestions on the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which had been set up in 2010 at the end of the civil war with LTTE. "India appreciates Sri Lanka's acceptance of our recommendation to implement the recommendations of the LLRC report," according to the statement on the UPR.
This is in contrast to the US reaction to the same UPR: "We are disappointed that the government rejected all UPR recommendationsmade by states that called upon it to implement the LLRC recommendations."
On the DMK demand for an international tribunal to determine the genocide question, all that the government did was to express hope in its statement that "investigations of allegations of human rights violations and loss of civilian lives will be independent and credible". It added that Sri Lanka had "welcome progress" on residual issues pertaining to the resettlement and rehabilitation process.
While it "noted the commitment" by Colombo to hold elections in the violence-ravaged Northern Province in September, the Indian statement skirted human rights concerns over attacks on journalists and the subversion of the judiciary.
Britain, on the other hand, referred to the attacks on journalists and expressed "serious concerns about lack of freedom of expression in Sri Lanka". Further, UK demanded an explanation for why Colombo was not allowing the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression to visit the island. London was also critical of the impeachment of the chief justice, which it said appeared to "contravene principles of fairness and respect for the independence of the judiciary".
Though this may not be a precursor to its stand on the upcoming US-sponsored resolution, India maintained a conciliatory tone in its March 15 statement on a range of issues affecting Tamil civilians. "We hope other issues like early progress towards reconciliation, reduction of high security zones, return of private land by the military and phasing out of the security forces in civilian activities in the Northern Province, will be done in an effective and timely manner."
TNN | Mar 17, 2013,
CHENNAI: A day after the state government order all arts and science colleges in Tamil Naduto shut down, students of IIT-M on Saturday decided to hold a protest against the treatment ofTamils in Sri Lanka, marking a new chapter in the otherwise politics-free tech campuses.
The one-day hunger strike will begin at 8am on Sunday. The students, who claimed to have obtained permission from the administration for the protest, have also arranged a panel discussioninvolving activists on the issue in the afternoon. The protest will end with a rally.
"We have taken permission from our management for the protest. Many students from other states have no knowledge of the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. It is also an attempt to make them aware of the plight ofTamils in Sri Lanka," said S Rathnavel, a chemical engineering student who is one of the organizers.
"We are holding this protest to highlight the humanitarian crisis. Our panel discussion will focus on the political history of Sri Lanka, current ground reality and other related issues. It will also discuss what will be the best solution for Tamils in the Island nation," Rathnavel said. He said the campaign will be taken to other IIT campuses in the country.
IIT director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, "If the students want to show their solidarity with the cause, they have the freedom to do so." When asked whether the campus will be shut down if the protest escalates, he said he doesn't anticipate any such trouble.
India still backing Sri Lanka
ByManoj Mitta, TNN | Mar 17, 2013,
NEW DELHI: Even as speculation is mounting on the stand it would take on the US-sponsored resolution in the UN Human Rights Council, India has made a statement that is not in the least critical of Sri Lanka's handling of the Tamil issue. The fortuitously timed statement came on Friday in the context of Sri Lanka's universal periodic review (UPR) of its human rights record. Despite political pressure from DMK to act tough, India complimented Colombo for responding positively to its suggestions on the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which had been set up in 2010 at the end of the civil war with LTTE. "India appreciates Sri Lanka's acceptance of our recommendation to implement the recommendations of the LLRC report," according to the statement on the UPR.
This is in contrast to the US reaction to the same UPR: "We are disappointed that the government rejected all UPR recommendationsmade by states that called upon it to implement the LLRC recommendations."
On the DMK demand for an international tribunal to determine the genocide question, all that the government did was to express hope in its statement that "investigations of allegations of human rights violations and loss of civilian lives will be independent and credible". It added that Sri Lanka had "welcome progress" on residual issues pertaining to the resettlement and rehabilitation process.
While it "noted the commitment" by Colombo to hold elections in the violence-ravaged Northern Province in September, the Indian statement skirted human rights concerns over attacks on journalists and the subversion of the judiciary.
Britain, on the other hand, referred to the attacks on journalists and expressed "serious concerns about lack of freedom of expression in Sri Lanka". Further, UK demanded an explanation for why Colombo was not allowing the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression to visit the island. London was also critical of the impeachment of the chief justice, which it said appeared to "contravene principles of fairness and respect for the independence of the judiciary".
Though this may not be a precursor to its stand on the upcoming US-sponsored resolution, India maintained a conciliatory tone in its March 15 statement on a range of issues affecting Tamil civilians. "We hope other issues like early progress towards reconciliation, reduction of high security zones, return of private land by the military and phasing out of the security forces in civilian activities in the Northern Province, will be done in an effective and timely manner."
