Tribunal reserves order on Vaiko’s plea against LTTE ban
By IANSFriday, September 24, 2010
NEW DELHI - The tribunal examining the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) reserved its order on the application filed by the MDMK general secretary Vaiko, seeking to be made a party in the matter.
Through his application, Vaiko challenged the government’s May 14 notification and pleaded before the court to be heard as one of the parties. Delhi High Court judge Justice Vikramjit Sen is the one-man tribunal set up by the central government to go into the validity of the ban, which was clamped under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Vaiko, in his application, stated that MDMK was cited as one of the political parties supporting the LTTE, and this was cited as the reason for the ban. Therefore, he was entitled to make his representation on behalf of the Tamils. The MDMK chief is arguing for lifting the ban saying the LTTE alone was the voice of suffering Tamils since the war got over.
“I have been affected. There are many instances whenever we support the cause of LTTE, we are picked up and harassed,” argued Vaiko.
“The object of LTTE is not for establishing an independent sovereign state for all Tamils living in the entire world but only for Tamils living in Sri Lanka. The object of LTTE is of course for cession and secession of a part of territory of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is not a part of Indian territory and therefore there is no threat to the sovereignty or territorial integrity of India by LTTE,” his application contends.
However, Vaiko’s contentions were objected by the central government on the grounds that as per the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the notification of the government can only be opposed by the members and office bearers of the banned organization.
“Vaiko is neither a member nor associated with LTTE. Simply being a sympathizer to the cause is not enough,” it submitted.
The Tamil Nadu government strongly defended the ban on the LTTE, which was extended May 14 for two more years. India had declared LTTE as a terrorist outfit in May 1992 and banned it.
