Vaiko seeks PM's intervention on Mullaipperiyar, Lanka issues

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) MDMK General Secretary Vaiko today sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Mullaperiyar Dam and Sri Lankan issues to ensure justice for Tamils.

Mr Vaiko called on Dr Singh and submitted two separate memoranda, demanding that the Kerala government be stopped from misusing the Indian Navy to assess the strength of the dam and that India impress upon Sri Lanka to lift the economic blockade against the Tamils.

In the memoranda, which were also signed by the party's four MPs, the MDMK said it would organise a peaceful fast at Jantar Mantar here on November 27 to protest against the visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse ''whose hands are stained with the blood of Tamils'' and express the party's sympathy and support to the suffering Eelam Tamils.

On the dam issue, he sought the immediate implementation of the February 27 Supreme Court verdict for raising the height of the dam from 136 feet to 142 feet and disallowing Kerala from creating impediments in the way of strengthening the dam.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court had rejected the review petition of the Kerala government and reiterated its earlier order. Though the court suggested talks between the two states, it did not modify the February 27 order, he maintained.

However, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan led a delegation to the Prime Minister and presented a memorandum with ''full of distorted facts,'' demanding that the dam be handed over to Kerala for its control, management and maintenance.

Mr Vaiko regretted that Dr Singh had referred the Chief Minister's memorandum to the Law Minister and the Irrigation Minister for their perusal.

Further, ''it is reliably learnt that Indian Navy personnel have obliged the request of the Chief Minister of Kerala to assess and report the strength of the dam. It would be amount to trampling upon the rights of the Union Government and encroaching upon the legal rights of another state, which would become an assault against the unity and integrity of India.'' It was high time the height of the dam was raised as heavy rains had lashed the area, he said and added that there was no use in the proposed talks between the concerned states unless modalities were discussed to raise the water level.

On Sri Lanka, he said India should have sent food, milk powder and medicines to Sri Lanka through the Red Cross as requested by him, instead of directly. ''We are bound to place our genuine apprehension that the despatched food and milk powder will not reach the Tamils'' and these would be diverted to the Sri Lankan army.

Mr Vaiko urged the Prime Minister to withdraw the radars supplied by the Indian government to the Sri Lanka Air Force and stop forthwith any training given to Sri Lanka Air Force pilots in India.

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