COLOMBO (NNI): A former Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebel who is now in the custody of the government slammed south Indian politicians for using the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka for their political gain.
Kumaran Pathmanathan, better known as KP, who was once the chief arms procurer for the Tamil Tiger rebels, said that politicians in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi were using Sri Lanka to secure votes at elections.
"But innocent people who don't know their political agenda believed them but it is sad and unfortunate how this pack of politicians used them as a tool to strengthen their vote base," Pathmanathan told state media on Sunday.
He also said it was hilarious to see the concern of Tamil Nadu politicians to create a separate land for Tamils in an era when Sri Lankan Tamils want to live in a united country.
"I strongly believe now that no external force can solve our problems, which are unique to us," he said.
Pathmanathan issued an open challenge to the Tamil Nadu politicians to show their genuineness by voicing their concerns on behalf of more than 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu who are living in poor conditions.
"If they want to support the Sri Lankan Tamils then voice on their behalf for those living for more than 25 years there. They are struggling to live. Children don't have proper education as they don't have birth certificates. They are still languishing in camps with poor living conditions," he said.
Karunanidhi and current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha often voice concerns on Sri Lanka over various issues and seek the intervention of the Indian government. They however objected to a recent visit to Sri Lanka by a group of Indian legislators who were invited by the Sri Lankan government to see for themselves the ground situation in Sri Lanka three years after the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 30 years of war.
Pathmanathan was arrested in Malaysia by the Sri Lankan military intelligence soon after the war and has been in custody since then and is now working with the government.