People's Democracy

DMK�s High Drama: CPI(M)

S P Rajendran

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) Tamil Nadu state committee criticised the call for general strike on April 23, 2009 given by DMK chief and Tamilnadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, and termed it as a high drama.

Karunanidhi had announced that the state would observe a general strike to protest peacefully against the killings of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka and demand immediate steps for a ceasefire.

Reacting to this announcement, N Varadharajan, CPI(M) state secretary made the following remarks:

CPI(M) and other democratic movements in Tamilnadu continuously demanded immediate ceasefire in northern Sri Lanka and the protection of innocent Tamil people. They demanded the government of India to press this issue through the United Nations.

But the UPA government, in which the DMK is a key part, is not ready to do this.

In such a situation the chief minister of Tamilnadu, M Karunanidhi announced general strike on April 23 in solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils. In the background of the election scenario in Tamilnadu, Karunanidhi�s call is merely a drama. With such dramas, he cannot protect the Sri Lankan Tamils; and he cannot cheat the voters of Tamilnadu.

Karunanidhi has two goals behind his call for general strike. One, the Sri Lankan Tamil issue is the last weapon to cheat the Tamilnadu voters; Two, the defeat of the DMK-Congress alliance in the coming elections is already decided by the Tamilnadu people, and Karunanidhi preparing to blame the Congress party for the failure in polls. So, the call for strike is a preventive drama.

It is an irony that the DMK, a party which is sharing the rule of central government, is announcing general strike against their own government.