India’s decision:

Encouraging message to Lanka’s unitary status - Vasu

by P. Krishnaswamy

The Indian Central government’s ban on the use of the term “Eelam” at the conference which was scheduled for today, in Chennai under the auspices of DMK leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi, is a very positive and encouraging message to the government’s concept of a unitary Sri Lanka, Minister of National Languages and Social Integration Vasudeva Nanayakkara told the Sunday Observer.

Minister Nanayakkara said that the Government is committed to ensure equality, justice, dignity, security and fairplay for Sri Lankan Tamils and is immensely working towards that goal.

With the positive message from the Palk Straits, it is time for LTTE sympathisers to distance themselves from the ‘separate state’ concept, he said.

The Government launched its equality of status program with the implementation of the national official languages policy of his ministry, he said. 

Much headway has been made but a lot remains to be done involving all Ministries, District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats and people’s organisations at grassroots levels, the Minister said.