Impress upon Colombo to announce ceasefire, CPI urges Indian government

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 November 2008, 12:24 GMT]
The Communist Party of India (CPI) Tamil Nadu State Secretary D. Pandian, in a statement issued on Sunday, referring to the clarification by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head B. Nadesan on the LTTE stand on ceasefire, urged the Centre to take immediate steps to impress upon the Sri Lankan state to announce a ceasefire without hesitation. Referring to Mr. Nadesan's statement that the Tigers were engaged in a defensive war and that it was the Sri Lankan state that unilaterally pulled out from the Ceasefire Agreement, Mr. Pandian said.

Stating that the CPI was unable to contact the Tigers as the LTTE was proscribed in India, Mr. Pandian welcomed the LTTE response to the public request extended by the CPI on behalf of the Tamils in India.

He also cited the statements issued in January 2008 by the U.N. Secretary General, the foreign ministers of the Nordic countries that had been engaged in monitoring the ceasefire, the United States and Canada, all of whom regretted the unilateral announcement by the Sri Lankan government to withdraw from the Ceasefire agreement.

The veteran CPI leader in Tamil Nadu also urged all the leaders of the Tamil parties in the island of Sri Lanka to extend support the call from the Tamils in India for a negotiated settlement.

Stating that the Sri Lankan officials have publicly confirmed that there was no pressure from India to announce a ceasefire, the CPI leader said all the peoples in Tamil Nadu should unite under a common banner to voice for the rights of Eezham Tamils.

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