Lanka crisis: Karunanidhi for amicable solution

Chennai, Aug 21: The Sri Lankan Tamils' issue rocked Tamil Nadu Assembly today with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi making a fervent appeal to stop the ''fratricidal war'' and work towards an amicable solution to solve the ethnic conflict.

The Chief Minister's intervention came after the House witnessed noisy scenes when a Congress member questioned the main Opposition AIADMK's silence on its ally MDMK's stand on the issue.

''With whom are we fighting? We are fighting against the Sinhalese chauvinists. We are fighting against the Sinhala hegemony.

We are fighting to save the Tamils (in the Island Nation),'' he said.

''While fighting for protecting the interests of the Tamils, there could be competition on who should save the Tamils. But it was improper to push down those coming forward to save the Tamils'', he said and added, ''If we fight among ourselves, then we will lose the right to tell them to stop indulging in the fratricidal war.'' Stating that he would not be overtly worried about people criticising him on the issue, Mr Karunanidhi said even if any one talks about it, he was prepared to bear the onslaught in the interests of the Tamils.

UNI

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