In fact, most of them have a filmy background. The Sri Lankan Tamil issue is convulsing the State. But they have no qualms about using the emotive issue for their poll campaign.

The past month has seen many interesting statements and counter-statements even as the Sri Lankan government is trying to box in LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Lankan government is losing patience. For Sri Lankan President Rajapakse, finishing LTTE and its chief Prabhakaran would be a big political bonanza which will ensure his re-election.

Why should the Lankan Tamil cause become a poll issue in Tamil Nadu? The six-crore people of Tamil Nadu have ethnic links with the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. They share age-old family and cultural ties besides the same religious traditions and the same language. The plight of Lankan Tamils has been agitating the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu.

History apart, what is happening in Tamil Nadu is political opportunism of the worst kind. The simmering Lankan Tamil issue reached the boiling point last year when DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi took up the cause of Lankan Tamils and DMK ministers and party MPs went to the extent of resigning. But ironically, they gave the resignation letters to Karunanidhi and not to the Lok Sabha Speaker. Pressured by the main ally, the Prime Minister deputed External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Lanka to persuade the Rajapakse government to go for a political solution. What was Mr. Mukherjee's brief? It is the stated Indian position that the situation called for a negotiated political settlement and the Lanka government should respect and grant the rights of minorities.

The war of words between the two main rivals - the DMK and the AIADMK - is at its peak. The two Dravidian parties are adopting all kinds of tactics to catch public attention. For Tamil Nadu politicians fasts, self-immolations and bandhs are common methods of expressing their protest. The Chief Minister's latest remark, 'Prabhakaran is my good friend, not a terrorist' is clearly to deny any political advantage to his rivals particularly AIADMK, PMK and MDMK which have made the Tamil issue their main poll plank. The AIADMK chief is on record that she would strive for a separate Tamil Eelam if there was no devolution of power. To counter that, Karunanidhi suddenly claimed Prabhakaran is a friend. The AIADMK supremo criticised the UPA regime and the DMK for showing no genuine concern for the sufferings of the Sri Lankan Tamils. Jaya even went to the extent of asking the question: “Why is Sonia Gandhi silent on Karunanidhi's statement on LTTE? She is the chairperson of the ruling UPA, she is the Congress chief and she is Rajiv Gandhi's widow. She should give a clear answer to the nation on what she feels about Karunanidhi's statement on LTTE.” An embarrassed Congress is on the defensive while Sonia Gandhi refuses to be drawn into a debate with Jaya.

More puzzling was that, for the first time, Jaya endorsed the LTTE demand for separatism. She has forgotten that she had jailed her current ally, Vaiko of the MDMK for his pro-TTE utterances when she was the chief minister. If Jaya went on a one-day fast to sympathise with the Tamils of Sri Lanka last month, Karunanidhi surprised everyone by sitting on an indefinite fast which ended in six hours this week. The DMK hopes to blunt the AIADMK onslaught by publicizing Jaya's deeds against the LTTE when she was the chief minister.

Look at the other Tamil Nadu political parties. MDMK leader Vaiko had never shied away from expressing his sympathies openly; he is said to have even crossed the sea to meet Prabhakaran secretly. PMK chief Ramdoss is not far behind in his support to the LTTE chief. Other smaller party leaders like Thol Thirumavalavan, DMDK president Vijayakanth and other minor political parties also sympathize with the Tamil cause.

The long and short of it all is that these political gimmicks are meant to get votes. The rulers of Tamil Nadu have also to deal with the trickle of refugees from Sri Lanka. There are already 115 camps spread all over the state. If the influx grows further, there will be problems.

The real dilemma is faced by the Congress. Prabhakaran is accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. LTTE is banned in India. DMK is a major ally of the Congress. How far can Congress go in dealing with this issue? The political leaders of Tamil Nadu know that India cannot go beyond a point as Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and no one can interfere in its internal affairs. At the same time, the international pressure on the Lankan government is also making a military solution difficult. If they have any sympathy for their Tamil brethren, the Tamil Nadu parties should see that New Delhi ensures the Lankan government comes up with a proper devolution package. The root cause of the problem is their insecurity and demand for development which has to be addressed by the Lankan government. India can do a lot in ensuring this. Tamil Nadu parties should press for this rather than taking short-term political advantage of the emotive issue.#