‘C4 undermining SL’s peace-building’ - BJP National Convenor

Rodney MARTINESZ

National Convenor (External Affairs Cell) of India’s main Opposition Bharathiya Janatha Party Sheshadri Chari yesterday slammed Britain’s Channel 4 for what he said was an attempt to poison the conducive environment that is now being built between the government and the Tamil population for peace and reconciliation.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily News, Chari said the “Channel 4 documentary which in any case does not appear to be made on any verifiable proof was derogatory in nature and only helps in vitiating the atmosphere (of peace building).”

Chari who had visited the North and spoken to the Tamil civilians said the Sri Lankan government was doing excellent work in the North by strengthening the peace process and undertaking economic development.

“For instance the three language formula is also an excellent initiative at creating social harmony asserting that there is “an urge for peace, progress and prosperity in the North”.

“The Tamil population is fearless today. In my interaction with some of them during my visit I found that they are enjoying freedom from the tyranny of the LTTE”.

Issues like Channel 4 is bound to poison this atmosphere the ground reality is so very different” he said.

He also noted that Sri Lanka was probably the only country in the last half a century which decisively won a war against terrorism. “I can’t recall any other country which has won a war against terrorism. Maoist terrorism, the IRA, Al- Qaeda still exist. They have not been totally annihilated as your country has done(with the LTTE)”.

He slammed the Tamil diaspora (he objected to describing them as such. To him they were “economic emigrants”) for feeding distorted information to the West. These elements left Sri Lanka for greener pastures and have no right to dabble in the internal policy decisions of the Sri Lankan government, he stressed.

“Some of these Western governments have their own compulsions and these individuals who are involved in NGOs are taking undue advantage of the liberal policies of some of these countries to foist their hidden agendas”.

To a question that most political watchers here felt that the BJP was supportive of the LTTE during the final stages of Eelam war which also coincided with the Indian Lok Sabha election, Chari said that the BJP never supported the LTTE. “The Party’s very stance from the beginning was that we accept the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and there could be no compromise on this”.

“We are not aware of what the feeling was here. As for the BJP even at the time it was in government(1998- 2004) it did not support the LTTE at all. How, he asked, could they support an outfit who was responsible for killing of an Indian Prime minister.

It is ridiculous to state that the BJP could have supported the LTTE, he said, adding he could claim with assurance that nowhere in India is there any support for the LTTE.

Asked about the situation in Tamil Nadu which had been a hub of LTTE activity in recent times and of the campaigns by elements as Vaiko, Chari who himself hails from Tamil Nadu said these were the actions of mavericks and those guided by financial rewards. “Once the funds dwindle all protests and activity fizzles out” he said adding that the BJP as a party has taken a constant stand that the LTTE is a terrorist organisation and it no longer exists.

Asked if the BJP at any time contemplates teaming up with Jayalalitha who is accusing Sri Lanka of human rights violation of the Tamils, given that coalition politics has now become the norm in India when it comes to forming governments, Chari said,” it is too early to comment on his party’s future political strategies( the next Lok Sabha elections are in 2014) but as far as human rights allegations are concerned he would like to ask a simple question: “Can a terrorist who indulges in inhuman activities be really called a human being?

He went on to ask if a terrorist has the same rights as a normal peace loving citizen and if so did the US government, for instance, extend all the courtesies of human rights to Osama Bin Laden? “All this talk about human rights violations are unacceptable?” he said.