Tamil Eelam not against India's interest: LTTE

by T. V. Sriram
Colombo, June 17 (PTI) - Assuring that their demand for
Tamil Eelam is not against India's interest, L.T.T.E. has said
that it sought "credible alternate proposals" to resolve the
25-year-old ethnic conflict.

"We believe firmly, our strong cultural ties to our
brothers and sisters in India will help their policy makers to
select a just and fair path towards our people," senior
Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam leader K. V. Balakumaran said.

"We have said clearly Tamil Eelam is not against
India; we will uphold Indian welfare as our own. There was a
time, when India looked after our welfare as her own. India
will change its current policy towards us one day," he told
the Australian Tamil Broadcasting Corporation (ATBC).

He said the L.T.T.E. was guided by the ideal of a
separate homeland since its inception.

"However, the movement has articulated clearly that it
is open to examining credible alternate proposals. We regret
that this request has not received the attention it deserves,"
Balakumaran said.

The L.T.T.E. leader said the outfit believed that
India would change its stance against it, though the tigers
could not wait until that happened.

"We believe firmly, our strong cultural ties to our
brothers and sisters in India will help their policy makers to
select a just and fair path towards our people. We cannot wait
for India's change of mind to continue with our liberation.
One fact should be clear, no one should doubt our friendship,
and strong ties to India," he said.

Balakumaran said the outfit regretted that New Delhi
was viewing the problem only from its own point of view.

"Our regret is that the India's policy makers are
viewing Tamil people's struggle through their lens of their
country's political welfare," he told the ATBC which was
carried by the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website.

Balakumar said until India approached this
"intellectually and recognise that ours is a struggle for
survival by oppressed people in the land of their birth, India
cannot make any healthy, fruitful contribution."

He admitted the Tamil struggle can be achieved only
with the support of the International Community.

"We must inquire why International actors are
responding differently to the national liberation struggles of
different peoples," he said.

In reply to another query, Balakumaran said "we (LTTE)
traditionally equate strength with military might; but,
military strength is only one aspect of the liberation
struggle. Liberation struggle draws its strength from the
determination of its people."

Earlier, P. Chandrasekaran, Lankan Minister for
Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication, had
said the L.T.T.E. had also evinced interest in Indian
intervention and "favourable signals" had emanated from the
outfit in this regard. PTI