Nedumaran, supporters arrested

INDIA: Tamil National Movement leader P Nedumaran and 500 volunteers were arrested last evening when they tried to proceed to Sri Lanka by sea with medicines and essential commodities to “help the suffering Tamils” there.

Nedumaran, addressing the volunteers, said that they tried their best to send the items including medicine and food to the suffering Tamils legally through the Red Cross society but their efforts became futile as permission was denied.

The TNM leader also said he had no other option but to observe a fast-unto-death if no help was forthcoming for the Tamils.

Meanwhile, another batch of around 150 TNM volunteers, who were supposed to set sail from Rameswaram in a boat, began an indefinite fast there as the police were neither arresting them nor allowing them to go to Sri Lanka.

The TNM activists had collected medicines and food to supply to Sri Lankan Tamils during their proposed trip to the island nation in violation of rules from Nagapattinam and Rameswaram.

Armed police personnel had been deployed in the coastal areas as Nedumaran and his supporters arrived at Nagapattinam yesterday.

No one can proceed to Sri Lanka by sea without passport and visa. Action will be taken against those who try do so, warned District Collector R Kirlosh Kumar said. He was reacting to reports that

representatives of Thamizhar Desiya Iyakkam (Tamils National Movement) led by Pazha Nedumaran and cadres from other like-minded organisations were planning to leave for Sri Lanka by boats with consignments of food and medicines.

Another team is scheduled to leave from Nagapattinam. The Collector said that no one would be permitted to enter the sea without passport and visa.