Ten days is a long time in politics. In as many days after the first political suicide in Tamil Nadu on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the ground situation the state had undergone a sea change. There has been a significant reduction of tensions over the continuing war in Sri Lanka. The bitter sparring between the ruling party, the DMK, and its one-time ally, the PMK, has resumed.

The ongoing war in Sri Lanka between the army and rebel cadres of the LTTE has always been an emotional issue in the state. The ?Eelam? was a cause supported by all parties in the past and by many even now, even though the LTTE has been proscribed as a terrorist force responsible for the assassination of leaders including former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

The suicide of 26-year-old Muthukumar on January 29 imparted a new urgency to the efforts for a ceasefire, seen variously as a humanitarian measure and as a strategy to help the LTTE.

The ruling DMK was confronted by a potential crisis following the announcement of a state-wide bandh on February 4 by the Sri Lankan Tamil Protection Movement (SLTPM), an umbrella forum comprising parties like the CPI, PMK, MDMK and VCK, apart from social organisations. Except the VCK, all others belong to the Opposition camp or, like the PMK, are opposed to the DMK though yet to formally join hands with the Opposition.

Students also erupted in protest after Muthukumar?s death. This was, however, limited to the law, and arts and science colleges run by the state government. The government came down on the swelling protests by announcing the blanket closure of all colleges.

On February 3, the DMK executive committee met and the outcome was the Sri Lankan Tamil Welfare Rights Forum, a group of like-minded parties and organisations. The Congress party too joined the DMK-led forum.

But the crisis appeared to have finally dissipated when the bandh, later termed as a general strike to escape the Supreme Court?s ire, evoked mixed reactions on February 4, and not the anticipated mammoth anti-Lanka, anti-Centre and thus anti-DMK agitation.

As he announced the party?s decision to float the new forum, Karunanidhi said he was convinced that the PMK was conspiring to upstage the ruling party. Officially, DMK-PMK relations seemed to have come a full circle.

The two parties had come together to confront the AIADMK in the 2004 general elections in an alliance that took on board almost every party including the Congress, the MDMK (now in the Opposition) and Left parties.

The Democratic Progressive Alliance swept all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and one in neighbouring Puducherry. The two shared power at the Centre, with their nominees occupying cabinet berths of their choosing. But the situation soon changed.

Though they fought together in the 2006 assembly election and the local body polls in October the same year, the mutual distrust between the DMK and PMK grew. The latter?s founder-patron S Ramadoss? open and harsh criticisms soon became unbearable for DMK leaders, finally leading to the PMK?s expulsion from the alliance last June.

When the going got tough for him recently, Karunanidhi made overtures to woo the PMK leadership. Senior leader and Cabinet minister TR Baalu, was sent as his emissary to Ramadoss? residence. Yet, Ramadoss continued his tirade on various issues. More recently, on the Sri Lanka issue, Ramadoss accused Karunanidhi and his state government of not doing enough, joining hands with the anti-government SLTPM.

According to the DMK patriarch, Ramadoss? effort was to cause a rift between the DMK and Congress. Ramadoss wanted to call the shots in the alliance at the Centre, accused Karunanidhi, and for doing that, he wanted the DMK to be out of it. The circle was now complete.

Though politicians from all parties, including the chief minister, have been reiterating that the Lankan Tamil issue is larger than the coming election, there are few takers for their claim. Everyone in Tamil Nadu is awaiting the formation of new alliances and fronts in the general elections in April/May. Nothing, certainly not the emotive Lankan Tamil issue, is above or beyond politics.