NEW DELHI: Though the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils was never discussed due to disruptions in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the text of the issue for the debate underwent a dramatic change, much to the chagrin of MPs from Tamil Nadu. During the day, Speaker Meira Kumar’s office issued a corrigendum — no less — to “correct” the text of the notice that was printed on the morning list of business proceedings in the House.As per the list of business circulated in the morning, a discussion was to take place under Rule 193 on “alleged killing of Sri Lankan Tamils by the island nation’s Lankan army in 2009 as recently revealed in a United Nations report”. The issue was to be raised by DMK MP T R Baalu and Samajwadi Party member Shailendra Kumar. However, by noon, another version was circulated to MPs. The corrigendum to the list of business read that the discussion would be “on the steps taken by Government of India for relief and resettlement of Tamils in Sri Lanka and other measures to promote their welfare.” The sting was gone. This change of text, which had the Tamil Nadu MPs fuming, was allegedly due to an intervention from a ruling party member. According to sources, the ruling party MP drew the Speaker’s attention to the original text of the notice circulated in the morning and pointed that it would be unbecoming to discuss the alleged Lankan army’s action against the Tamil population of that country in Parliament, since it was an “internal matter of a sovereign nation, a neighbour.’’ The Speaker, already upset with some of the MPs from Tamil Nadu for raising slogans in the House against a visiting Sri Lankan delegation on the first day of the session, immediately carried out the correction. Thus, a fresh circular followed. Unable to openly criticise the Speaker’s action, angry Tamil Nadu MPs, cutting across party lines, vowed that they would ensure that the Lankan Tamil issue was raised in the House in the same manner as it was first listed. That is, whenever the debate takes place.
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