Dr. Sudath Gunasekara (SLAS) 28.9.2009.

It was reported that Tamilnadu Chief Minister has very correctly decided to give Indian Citizenship to all Sri Lankan refugees who are living there. I am not sure whether he could do this under the Indian Constitution, since the decision has to be finally taken by the Central government. Any way I wish him good luck and congratulate him for this bold decision. In fact he should have taken this decision long- long time ago. Because why should ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-their relations unnecessarily suffer in Sri Lanka under the Sinhalese dominated governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as they always say. With this decision I am sure their other kith and kin like Vaiko, Nedumaran and even Rahul Gandhi will be happy. Because that will put an end to the suffering of Lankan Tamils now living in Tamilnadu as refugees.

I am sure Rahul Gandhi who also has recently ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-vouched to do everything to protect the Tamils in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in the following words will be jubilant about this decision and a I have no doubt that he will take this matter with the central government in Delhi as apriority item.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Rahul Gandhi, the general secretary of the ruling Congress party and son of the all-powerful Sonia Gandhi, emphasized that India will do everything in its power to protect the rights of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. There is absolutely no question about it. We will do everything to protect them.”

After all why should these great people of a great country stop at that. Not only their hearts are large but their country too is very large, as all of us know. Therefore I would like to suggest to Karunanidhi that he ask Rahul to take back all the Tamils living in Sri Lanka including the state Tamils and firstly, relieve them of their suffering and secondly, relive us from this headache of looking after nearly 3.5 Million people subsisting on mother Sri Lanka while considering India as their Motherland for all intent and purposes.. I am sure Sri Lanka government will even provide free passage for them as a mark of gratitude for the Indian governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s good gesture.

Once that is done Rahul can be the Prime Minister of India for life as he will have an additional 3.5 million Tamil vote bank in Tamilnadu and also need not make foolish statements like the following that appeared in the Indian press thereafter.

“The central government is applying as much pressure as possible on the Sri Lankan government,” Gandhi declared. “Congress wants the rights of the Tamils guaranteed.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ India will also likely apply more pressure the Sri Lankan government to move in the direction of federalism and autonomy for Tamil areas. Now that the fighting in Sri Lanka no longer stands in the way of the close emotional link between the two countries’ populations, India feels a newfound freedom to use its regional presence to ensure that minority Tamil interests are protected.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

In any case everyone knows he cannot do what he wants to do although he is the heir apparent to the Indian crown for the simple reason Sri Lankan Tamils are our citizens. What is more is we are two different independent sovereign states, though we are small. I am sure he is aware that Sri Lanka is also governed by a government of their own and it is not another regional state of India like Tamilnadu or Kerala.

Nevertheless I think this is the best way Rahul as a young man can react to and also accommodate the world Tamil diaspora who are dead angry against the Indian government for not protecting Pirapaharan and his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”innocentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ friends from the brutalities of the Sri Lankan government. Once this decision is taken and all the Sri Lankan Tamils who consider India s their motherland are gone, those who opt to stay behind as Sri Lankas can assimilate in to the Sri Lankan society and thereafter both parties can forget about each otherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-natural relationshipsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as they claim. We Sri Lankans can then sleep in peace without listening to Indian boastings and blood curdling threats every now and then.

As a first step I suggest that Tamilnadu also take over the IDPS presently living in the Vavuniya camps so that thereafter they need not worry about them either.

After all even these Tamils will then be better off as they are going back to their own motherland, the LAND of PROMIS and HOPE. After all why should they suffer here when they have such large hearted relations in their own motherland.