Nedumaran to visit Lanka to distribute medicines, food to Tamils

Villupuram, Aug 5 (UNI) Accusing the UPA government at the Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu of not helping the Tamils in Sri Lanka, Tamil National Movement leader P Nedumaran said he would lead a team of volunteers to the strife-torn island nation carrying medicines and food.

Addressing the Sri Lankan Tamil Supporters Conference here yesterday, Mr Nedumaran said ''though we have collected food items and medicines worth Rs one crore and handed them over to the Indian Red Cross Society, the Centre has not permitted the Red Cross to take the items to the island nation.'' When contacted the Red Cross had expressed its inability to carry these items to Sri Lanka as the Centre had denied permission for it, he added.

Mr Nedumaran said he would sail from Rameswaram coast on a boat on September 12 to Sri Lanka to distribute the medicines and food items.

Two propaganda rallies, one from Tiruchirapalli to Nagapattinam and another from Madurai to Rameswaram, would be flagged off on September seven to create awareness among the public on the sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils.

The conference also passed resolutions strongly condemning the Centre for not permitting the Indian Red Cross Society to take the relief items to the island nation and the Tamil Nadu government's failure to help the affected Sri Lankan Tamils.

UNI