<b>India prepares to ban LTTE </b>

S.S.Selvanayagam - Daily Mirror

India is taking preparatory action to renew the ban on the LTTE for a further two years. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, New Delhi has issued notice on the LTTE calling upon it to show cause in writing within 30 days from July 6 as to why it should not be declared an unlawful association and why order be not made confirming the declaration already made.

The notification has referred to the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice S.K.Mahajan, at the Delhi High Court.

Ignoring the LTTE's plea to lift the ban on it, the Indian government has gone ahead to renew the ban. India has also already ruled out her involvement in the Norwegian-brokered peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.

India's main opposition party Congress is pressing the government for the extradition of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran supported by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha whereas the Marumal-archchi Dravida Munnetra Kalagam (MDMK), a constituent party of the ruiling coalition in New Delhi is demanding that the ban imposed on the LTTE be lifted.

At a news conference held in Wanni, in April LTTE leader Prabhakaran had asked both India and Sri Lanka to lift their ban imposed on his organisation deploring Rajiv Gandhi's assassination as a tragic incident that happened 10 years ago.

The LTTE was proscribed on May 14, 1992 following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991. LTTE leader Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman remain on India's most wanted list.

The Sri Lankan government proscribed the LTTE in 1998 following a truck bomb attack on Dalada Maligawa.

Since then the LTTE has been proscribed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

-Daily Mirror-