Nedumaran turns down CM's appeal to end fast

Chennai, Sep 14 (UNI) Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran today refused to give up his three day old indefinite fast demanding permission to take food and medicine to suffering Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka despite a fervent appeal from Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Responding to Mr Karunanidhi's appeal, Mr Nedumaran in his reply thanked the Chief Minister for expressing sentiments and appealing to him to give up the fast considering his health condition.

He said the Lankan government had announced an undeclared economic blockade following which more than five lakh Eelam Tamils in Jaffna were suffering from starvation and diseases.

The Tamil Eelam Liberation Supporters Coordination Committee, headed by him, had collected Rs one crore worth of food and medicines to the suffering Tamils, he said and drew the Chief Minister's attention to the Centre not according permission for the last seven months to send the relief materials through Red Cross to the Tamils in the island nation.

Expressing the hope that Mr Karunanidhi would take steps in this regard, Mr Nedumaran said the committee members were keen to meet him on his return from Salem and Erode.

''In this scenario, there is a need to continue with my fast'', he said in the letter to the Chief Minister.

UNI