On March 18, 2013, hundreds of students took to the streets of Chennai in India for anti-Lanka protests. The students were arrested as they tried to lay siege on Raj Bhavan. The protesters are demanding that the Indian government must move towards a resolution against Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes against Tamilians in the country.
The effect of the protests could be seen across the state and has escalated today. Jaya Lalitha, the chief minister of the state wrote a letter to the Prime Minister saying, “India should move amendments to strengthen the US resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC”. The letter added that it must take a historic, strong and courageous stand on the issue.
The issue is likely to be discussed by Union Ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad, AK Anthony, and P Chidambaram, with DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) chief M Karunanidhi on March 18, 2013. Last week Karunanishi had threatened to snap ties with the Union Government saying that he felt let down on the issue. So far, the government has been non-committal on its stand on the Lanka Tamil issue. DMK, with 18 MP’s, is the second biggest constituent of the UPA-led Congress, which provides crucial support to the government.
