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Jayalalithaa calls for ‘bold stand’ from India

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has called upon India’s central government to "take a bold stand in support of (Sri) Lankan Tamils" and stated that the aspirations of Tamils on the island could only be realised through an independent state.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Chief Minister urged India to act “as a leader of the region and as a champion of human rights” saying it cannot remain a "passive bystander".

She went on to add that Tamils across the world were,

"outraged and incensed over the impunity with which the Sri Lankan government was ignoring international sentiments and binding resolutions relating to reconciliation and rehabilitation and the ongoing gross human rights abuses against Lankan Tamils."

"For Tamil Nadu, this turn of events, will also mean a threat to its coastal security, the internal security environment of the state and the prospect of a renewed influx of refugees into the state."

Recalling the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly earlier this year, which called for a referendum on the formation of an independent state, Jayalalithaa also stated,

"The Centre should ensure that the process of democratic decentralization, which is integral to the survival of the Tamils in Lanka, is in no way jeopardized."  

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