Eelam Push To Continue
By Easwaran Rutnam
A former LTTE peace negotiator who now heads a powerful Tamil diaspora group in the United States, said that the push for a separate Eelam State will not be abandoned no matter who wins the Presidential elections next year.
Head of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) V. Rudrakumaran told The Sunday Leader that that the TGTE constitution also states that the TGTE shall endeavour to establish an independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam. He said that the incidents which occurred during the final stages of the war have reaffirmed the Tamils’ faith that only in an independent state could ensure their very physical existence.
“We want to have friendly relations with our Sinhala brethren. However, since the Sri Lankan State is deeply entrenched with racism, we do not believe that we can have reconciliation within the existing state. We firmly believe that the two state solution will foster mutual respect and camaraderie,” he said.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that his government would not allow the country to be divided while common opposition Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the launch of his election manifesto last Friday also assured that the LTTE will not be allowed to regroup in Sri Lanka.
Rudrakumaran said that if the international community makes a request in order to create a conducive environment, the TGTE would be willing to talk to the winner of the Presidential election, be Maithripala Sirisena or President Mahinda Rajapaksa, with the engagement of the international community.