Protesters called a strike on Wednesday in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu to protest Sri Lanka's military offensive against Tamil Tigers, but many people ignored the call. Buses, trains and planes were unaffected, while government offices, banks and most offices were open, as people disregarded the protest by a newly-formed coalition of pro-Tamil Tiger parties, the Sri Lankan Tamils Protection Movement.
"Life is normal, buses are plying, attendance in government offices is normal," Chief Secretary S.K. Sripathi said, adding stray incidents of violence had been reported in the state. Around 60 million Indians in Tamil Nadu have strong historical and cultural ties with Tamils in Sri Lanka. They have been protesting the Sri Lankan government's offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Buses were run with police protection, and security was tightened at government offices after a man killed himself last week by setting himself on fire outside a government office. About 500 people were arrested across the state for throwing stones at buses and blocking traffic, a police official said. However, the pro-Tamil Tigers coalition maintained the strike was successful.
"The strike is by and large successful despite government efforts to frustrate it," said P. Nedumaran, leader of the Tamil Nationalist Movement, one of the political groups in the coalition. The United States and Britain urged a temporary cease-fire in Sri Lanka to evacuate casualties and allow relief into the war zone as the island nation on Wednesday celebrated its independence day.
Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party, an alliance partner of the Congress-led government, said on Tuesday it would also continue to urge the Indian government toward a settlement in Sri Lanka, where aid agencies say about 250,000 civilians are trapped. Last week, India's foreign minister visited the Sri Lankan president to discuss safety measures for Tamils, and also cool tensions with Tamil Nadu politicians ahead of Indian general elections scheduled by May.
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