DMK Victory: Madras HC stays police ban on eelam meet

The Madras High Court has stayed a decision by the Madras police to ban a meet of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation headed by DMK Chief, M Karunanidhi. The ban was imposed by the police hours after the Centre and the Jayalalithaa state government raised certain objections in the Madras High Court yesterday, particularly to the use of the word “Eelam” (separate home land for Tamils) in the meet’s title.

The ban forced TESO to change the venue of its much-touted event even as the Centre did a U-turn, saying it had no objection to the word ‘Eelam’ being used.

In a change of its stance, the Ministry of External Affairs, in a fresh communication to the conference organisers, said that taking note of their clarifications, they had no objection to the meet with the title of ‘Eelam Tamil Livelihood Rights Protection Conference.’

Awaiting the court order, Karunanidhi said in a late evening statement that the meet would take place as per schedule but the venue would be changed to DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam if the court ruled against the event at YMCA grounds.

The Ministry of External Affairs in its communication to TESO, placed before the court, however advised the organisers to ensure that the conference does not issue any declaration or outcome calling into question in any manner the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of any foreign country with whom India has diplomatic relations.

Eelam signifies the separate nationhood concept from Sri Lanka, the core of armed struggle by the now decimated LTTE, which is not in line with India’s stand on the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka.

With inputs from PTI