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December 27, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat met Tamil Nadu chief minister M.Karunanidhi to find an amicable settlement to the Mullaiperiyar dam issue that will protect the interests of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The DMK and CPI(M) are partners in the UPA ruling at the Centre.

Karat met Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to understand how the Tamil Nadu government views the Mullaiperiyar issue and offer his services for working on a negotiated settlement. Karat said that his party was interested in seeing that there was an amicable solution to the issue.

Mr.Karat told reporters that he hoped both the government would take appropriate steps to resolve the issue keeping in mind the interests of the people of both the states. Emerging out of 45 minute discussion the state PWD minister Durai Murugan, Union Minister A.Raja and CPI(M) central committee member T.K.Rangarajan also participated.

He also told that he was going to meet their leaders in Kerala next month. Mr.Karat said he had also discusssed the Lankan situation, particularly in the North and East where Tamils faced undue hardship. He declined to answer a query on the indefinite fast of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

The Tamil Nadu government is exploring the construction of a second airport for Chennai, near the temple town of Kancheepuram. For this, the state government is acquiring 583 hectares of land (1150 acres) adjoining the existing airport in Meenambakkam. which is located in the southern part of Chennai.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said in New Delhi that the Tamil Nadu government was examining the feasibility of constructing a second airport for Chennaion the site 70 kms south of Chennai near Kancheepuram. The existing Meenambakkam airport is being managed and operated by the state-run AAI which comes under the purview of the Civil aviation ministry.

Sources said that if 583 hectares of land adjoining the existing airport at Meenambakkam was acquitted, a parral runway could be built at Chennai airport, there was no need to build a second airport, otherwise, a parrel runway could not be built during airport expansion and modernisation, there is a need for building a second airport.

Civil aviation minister Praful Patel had recently met communications minister Dayanidhi Maran in New Delhi and discussed the issue of modernisation of Chennai airport. Mr.Patel also told that the issue of land acquition had to be decided by the Tamil Nadu government.

Even so far as the existing Meenambakkam airport is concerned, Prime Minister Manmohan singh has already accorded “in-principle” approval for its modernisation through the joint venture route.

December 25, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vailko said that the party’s relations with the AIADMK would be strengthened further. He attended a meeting with party functionarities and district secretaries.

After the meeting with district secretaries, high level committee and central committee members, he charged that some vested interests were hatching a conspiracy to force MDMK out of the AIADMK led alliance, lure party functionaries and destroy the party. He also said that the DMK president M.Karunanidhi was taking many steps to destroy his party.

Vaiko said that they would face the case which the party’s decision against the two MPs was stayed, legally. He also said that the decision to suspend the two MPs was taken by him in his capacity as general secretary of the party under provision 19(5) of party rules. He said that he conveyed the resolution to the media to show that the decision of the partymen was also the same.

Vaiko welcomed DMK’s announcement that it would file a defamation case against him and said that it would give him a chance to expose the facts in the court. He said that four district secretaries did not attend the meeting. Three of them sent messages extending their support to the meeting while there was no word from the Thiruvallur secretary.

Vaiko said that the MDMK district functionaries’ meeting would be conducted in all districts on December 28 and the party’s general council meeting would be held in Chennai on January 10.