5 May 2000

From Our Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: The Vajpayee Government may utilise the services of the leader of one of its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies from Tamil Nadu to attempt an unofficial solution to the problem in which the Sri Lankan Army has landed seeking international help desperately to rescue its forces trapped by the Tamil Tigers.

The man chosen for the task is MDMK chief Vaiko, who had undertaken a similar job in 1990 during the Prime Ministership of V. P. Singh when he had quietly slipped out of India through the sea route to have a rendezevous with LTTE chief Prabhakaran in the jungles of Sri Lanka.

His original name is V Gopalaswamy which he changed in 1998 to remove the LTTE tag since the outfit is banned in India since after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and he always found himself being bracketed with the Rajiv killers just because of his LTTE connections.

He has been, however, picked up for the hush-hush job by the Government since he continues to have links with LTTE in Sri Lanka, irrespective of howsoever he may try to deny.

Vaiko had a long session with Vajpayee on Thursday and is having sessions with the External Affairs Ministry since then before he embarks upon his mission "salvation." He is rushing to an undisclosed place on Sunday to meet the LTTE strategicians but he would not disclose whether the meeting would on the Sri Lankan soil or in any other country.

"At this juncture, it is better to keep quiet and not to confuse. It is a war situation. I can not say many things except that 'thambis' (meaning younger brothers as he fondly refers to LTTE boys) are winning the war. I am quite happy that the LTTE has captured most of the areas and have trapped the powerful Sri Lankan army," Vaiko remarked when approached.

After a lot of persuation, Vaiko admitted that he was in touch with top LTTE leadership but he declined to reveal much except that "I have spoken to some of them" and that he was working on a "formula" to resolve the crisis.

The "formula" envisages that the Sri Lankan Army should be told to withdraw from the area, accepting the defeat. "This much I can tell you that there would be no vindictive approach by the LTTE boys if the Army pulls out," Vaiko added.

KARUNA QUIET: Meanwhile, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday fully approved the stand the Vajpayee Government has taken on the Sri Lanka issue.

Emerging from an  hour-long meeting with the Prime Minister Karunanidhi  said it was the prerogative of the Centre to initiate appropriate action in the interest of the nation.

The same Karunanidhi who had criticised the Government for formulating its Srilankan stand without consulting its ministers on Thursday, said: "We have no intention to interfere or tie the hands of the Centre." He obviously understood the gravity of the situation when told by the Prime Minister that Sri Lanka was now trying to get help from Israel and Pakistan which was not in the interest of India.

Union Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran, who belongs to DMK faction in the NDA, said at a joint press conference he addressed alongwith Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh avter the Vajpayee-Karunanidhi talks that the DMK as a constituent of the NDA would work with the Centre in dealing with the situation.

SILVER JUBILEE: Meanwhile, the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE) is despatching its strategician Nedumaran from Madurai to Delhi on Sunday to explain its stand in the Sri Lankan conflict to the Indian Government.

Approached at his residence in Madurai, Nedumaran was quite enthusiastic pointing out that LTTE was celebrating its silver jubilee day since it was formed back on May 5, 1975 as its boys were busy fighting for their rights and capturing Palay air base. He claimed it was a matter of "not more than 48 hours that the LTTE flag will fly over Jaffna."

He said his primary task during his 3-day trip to Delhi was to call on President K R Narayanan to plead for clemency to four LTTE men sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Though LTTE is banned in India, Nedumaran has been able to move around freely in the country since he stresses that he is only a sympathiser of the militant outfit, though it is no secret that he is one of the key advisers of the LTTE leadership. As such he is already a persona non-grata in United States and three other European countries which refused him entry. He is presently being chased by the CBI-led multi-discipline group set up to further investigate the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case on the basis of the Jain Commission report. END.