Lanka crisis does not bother the common man

Politicians have been crying hoarse on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, but the man on the street is guarded in his reaction. He believes if it is a humanitarian crisis, the world needs to intervene and ensure civilians are not subjected to hardship. DNA spoke to a cross section of people on the issue and here’s what they had to say on the crisis that has political parties across the state worried.

Karuppaiahan, auto driver: It doesn’t make a difference if anybody fasts or not. Whatever happens in Lanka, we will continue to struggle to survive. Even a day’s strike hampers my life. As it is, the life of an auto driver is difficult as people prefer public transport. The going gets tough if there’s a strike.

Shruthi Ramakrishnan, MBA student: I don’t think it is a question of Tamils. If the pictures of women and children injured in attacks we see on TV are true, surely there’s a humanitarian crisis. All countries should work together to mitigate the suffering of people, be it in Lanka or Darfur.

Deepa Jain, homemaker: Any issue based on race, language or religion needs to be handled sensitively. We should not interfere in such matters and allow respective countries to take a call.

R Subramanian, software professional: Language, race and colour are issues of the past. When we talk of the world as a global village, how can we speak about secessionism?
Jaganathan, insurance professional: Sir, you must be joking. What can I say about Sri Lanka? Let us first think of ourselves. As an insurance professional, I’m finding it tough to make ends meet in this time of recession. Let us think how we can lead our daily life.