Jaffna undergrads urge India not to support Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 17:47 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) Friday wrote to the Indian Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh not to extend his Government's support to Sri Lanka government in its attempts to crush the freedom struggle of Eelam Tamils by providing financial assistance for the implementation of the Palaly airbase runway project in Jaffna district, sources in Jaffna said.

Instead, India should support Eelam Tamils who are struggling to obtain their legitimate political aspirations, JSUS appealed to Mr.Manmohan Singh.

Several hundreds of thousands of Tamil families have been displaced as their houses and agricultural lands located in close proximity to Palaly airbase, have been occupied by troops of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). Further extension of the Palaly airbase runway would make those displaced live-forever in refugee camps and welfare centres, said the letter of JUSU.

Sri Lankan political leaders are creating dissensions in the cordial relationship between India and Eelam Tamils to achieve their political ends. India should not be mislead into supporting the Sri Lankan government, said the JUSU letter.

Centuries old relationship between India and Sri Lankan Tamils should be maintained. India should honour the sentiment of Eelam Tamils and should take positive steps to maintain the existing cordial relations, JUSU said in its letter.