தோழர் தியாகு போராட்டக்குழுவின் ஊடக அறிவிப்பு, போராட்டம் பரவலாக்கப்படும்.

Manmohan assures DMK on CHOGM

October 15, 2013

Breaking his silence over India’s participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting scheduled to be held in Colombo next month, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said a decision would be taken only after considering all relevant factors, including sentiments of Tamil people, the Press Trust of India reported.

‘“I wish to inform you that a decision on the issue of my participation in the CHOGM conference will be taken only after considering all relevant factors, including the sentiments of your party and the Tamil people,” Singh said in a letter to DMK chief M Karunanidhi yesterday.

Senior DMK leader and party’s leader in Parliament T R Baalu called on Singh last evening and informed him about the deteriorating health of pro-Tamil activist K Thiagarajan, on an indefinite fast in Chennai since Oct 1.

Thiagarajan is demanding that India boycott CHOGM, alleging that Sri Lanka was guilty of genocide of Tamils in the island nation. He is general secretary of the Tamil Desiya Viduthalai Iyakkam.

In his meeting with the Prime Minister, Baalu also put forth DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s demand that India should not participate in CHOGM.

The Prime Minister urged the DMK chief to persuade the activist to break his fast.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including DMK, have been demanding that the Centre stay away from  CHOGM.  On October 1, the Madras High Court had directed Chennai Police to grant permission to Thiagarajan to observe the indefinite fast after he moved the court on being denied permission to go on fast by the Police Commissioner.