'I'll don the stripes if UNF peace fails' -Chandranehru

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 February 2002, 21:43 GMT]
"A river of blood will flow in this island if the United National Front government fails to make every effort to bring about peace. Why? Even I, Chandranehru, will wear the LTTE uniform and go to the battlefield. This is the last chance for Sri Lanka to solve the Tamil problem politically. The three communities of this country yearn for peace today.

I beseech the Sinhala people not to fall prey to the propaganda of JVP and the racist Sihala Urumaya, and destroy this last opportunity to bring peace to this islandî said Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandranehru, the Tamil National Alliance MP for Ampara, Sunday, addressing a rally of more than five thousand Tamils and Muslims in Karaithivu, 45 kilometres south of Batticaloa.

"I'll even go to prison to fulfil my people's aspirations. There's a struggle going on for our liberation. I respect the aspirations of the Tamil people. Thousands of them have died while the dream of freedom was still fresh in their hearts. Hence I'll will do anything for the people who brought me to this position", Mr. Nehru said.

Mr. Nehru is the eldest in Mr. Arappor Ariyanayagam's family. Mr. Ariyanayagam was one of the most senior activists of the Federal Party which later became the TULF.

The Tamil National Alliance 'foot walk' in Ampara, led by Mr. Chandranehru started from the Thaamarai Madu junction in Periyaneelavanai around 8 a.m.

A senior Muslim politician of the UNF in the Ampara district, Mr. Myown Mustapha, joined the walk with a large number of his supporters.

File photo of Chandranehru (left) and Selvam Adaikalanathan at a public meeting in Thirukkovil. (Photo:TamilNet)

Shops and businesses owned by Muslims and Tamils were closed in the villages and towns of Neelavanai, Maruthamunai, Kalmunai, Kalmunaikudi, Sainthamaruthu and Karaithivu in support of Mr. Chandranehru's ëfoot walk'.