India should have sought Sri Lanka’s suspension from Commonwealth: BJP
By PTI | 3 Apr, 2013,“India should have taken the initiative to bring to the notice of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group over the violation of human rights and sought the suspension of Sri Lanka,” senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said, addressing a party meeting here.
Accusing the Centre of “inept” handling of the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said “India did nothing of that kind (to seek the suspension of Sri Lanka).”
Echoing the sentiments of political parties in Tamil Nadu which have been demanding that India boycott the upcoming CHOGM to be held in Sri Lanka in November, he said he was also not in favour of the country’s participation.
“The government of India should tell the Commonwealth Secretary General that it would not be possible for India to attend it in Sri Lanka. If India says we are not going to Sri Lanka, there will be no CHOGM. Will Prime Minister Manmohan Singh show this courage?” he said.
Making his party’s stand clear on the country not attending CHOGM in Sri Lanka, the former External Affairs Minister said “I say, ‘No’ with a capital N and O.”
He advocated that India should press for action against Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth as it enjoyed a strong say in the body. “There is no Commonwealth without India. India is the pivot of Commonwealth.”
BJP may change stance on Tamil Eelam, hints Sinha
Senior BJP leader and former union minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday night warned Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha that the latter’s policies of continued “oppression” against the Tamils there could open the floodgates to Tamil Eelam.
“So far, the BJP’s position to resolve the much-prolonged Tamils ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka has been for a negotiated settlement within the territorial Integrity of Sri Lanka,” Sinha said, addressing a special meeting on the ‘Island-Tamils crisis’ in Chennai, organised by the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit.
But recent history has shown that the more the rulers of a country decide to suppress an already heavily discriminated section of its people, the more independent minded they become,” Sinha said, citing recent examples of separation of East Timor, and North and South Sudan becoming two countries among others.
Stating that he was sending out a message to Rajapaksha from Chennai, Sinha stressed that rulers trying to suppress people’s movements does not work for all times. “If people rise there is no stopping,” Sinha said.
