திராவிடமாயைசுப்பு
This situation remainds me of a story from the life of Buddha.
Once, Bhuddha was asked about the karma theory. The question was ‘Does one suffer because of his deeds in earlier births? Buddha maintained a stoic silence. Pestered again with the same question, He replied, “You are talking about the cause of the conflict; but I am busy offering succour to the affected”.
The Sri Lankan imbroglio involving the Tamils is much akin to the above. The political leaders in Tamil Nadu are hell-bent on punishing Rajapaksa for violation of human rights. But the reality is that this sort of misplaced bravado will not a wee bit alleviate the suffering of the Tamils. The Tamils need all the help and support that can be given.
Eric Golsheim, the Norwegian peace negotiator, in an interview to the daily Afton Posten said, “It is clear
Cho, Editor, Thuglak, the popular weekly from Tamil Nadu, says, “Adequate compensation to those affected by the LTTE – Sri Lankan government war, immediate logistical facilities for the displaced to return to their own places, ensuring equal status to Tamil, equal opportunities to the Tamils, in education and employment; installing a federal governance as in India, implementing the Rajiv- Jeyavadana accord are some of the activities that beg the immediate attention and concerted effort of the Sri Lankan government. “
Karunanidhi, the DMK leader said “It is my ardent desire to see the dawn of Tamil Eelam in my lifetime”. But in the TESO meeting held in Chennai, no one whimpered about Eelam. It is an open secret in Tamil Nadu that Karunanidhi and his associates were simply acting according to the compulsions of the alliance at the centre.
“Give me half-an-hour to speak in the UN; I shall attain Eelam” claims Seeman, Leader, Nam Thamizhar Party. This is a call from a leader who has not contested any election so far.
Thol Thirumavalavan, Leader, Viduthalai Chiruththaikal Katchi, is moderate when he says, “Freedom struggles have never succeeded without the support of the world nations. So, let us garner their support”.
But all these have not helped to change the situation.
Politicians in Tamilnadu crying for Tamil Eelam want to raise their flaccid political fortunes. Sooner the Sri Lankan Tamils realize this, quicker will be their relief.
The most horrific violation of human rights has happened In Sri Lanka. The victims of this horrendous crime are our own brethren, who had migrated to erstwhile Ceylon. They still speak the same language, follow the same customs. It is puzzling why the Sri Lankan Tamils do not get what is their due.
The oral submissions made to “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee” committee set up by the Sri Lankan government point fingers squarely at the Sri Lankan army for the crime. Human right violations by the LTTE was also recorded by the same committee.
It is quite incomprehensible how Tamil Nadu has not fully grasped the fact that evidences of wrongdoing on
Let us recall that India and other 23 countries supported the resolution in the United Nations Human Right Council in March 22, 2011. Fifteen countries including China and Cuba opposed while eight abstained from voting. One must realize that only after incorporating the words, “in consultation with and with the concurrence of the government of Sri Lanka” could the resolution be passed.
It is quite evident that the political forces in Tamil Nadu are not capable and hence cannot create any support for the Sri Lankan Tamils in the comity of nations. It is equally clear that it is the people of India who can rise up to the occasion.
There is only one way out of this. The concerns of the people of Tamilnadu over this issue should be made into the concerns of the Indians as a whole. The entire country must understand the seriousness of the situation in Sri Lanka, the untold sufferings that the poor Tamils are put to.
It is India which will bring lasting peace in Sri Lanka and alleviate the sufferings of the Sri Lankan Tamils by getting them their right to living alongside the Sinhalese.
This must be explained to the people of India; it must be dealt in each and every language of the country. Public meetings must be organized in Jammu to Jamnagar; Surat to Bhubaneshvar; Delhi to Dornakal. People of Punjab, UP, MP, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat must be apprised of the atrocity against the Tamils.
Conclaves must be convened in Cuttack, Kolkatta and Kochi.
Indian society must realize that what is happening to the Sri Lankan Tamils does affect India. Only then the Government of India will feel the enormity of the situation and act decisively. Geopolitical compulsions and generally accepted ethics of governance will prevent other countries from supporting the Sri Lankan
government. It is India’s strength that will stand the Sri Lankan Tamils in good stead. The Sri Lankan Tamils and the Tamil diaspora must realize this.
It must be remembered that it was the support that the Indians gave that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh It was the Jan Sangh which facilitated Bangladesh. When Sheik Mujubir Rahman won in the elections in East Pakistan, the democratic rights of the East Pakistanis were denied because of the adamantine attitude of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, The then Prime Minister of the undivided Pakistan. The Pakistan army massacred the Bengalis. Lakhs from East Pakistan escaped to India as destitutes.
Jan Sangh, under the leadership of Atal Bihary Vajpayee, staged a massive demonstration for the “Freedom
seeing the groundswell of participation.
Smitten by the support India gave to Bangladesh, Pakistan attacked India. Indian armed forces gave a stunning reply and defeated the Pakistan. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s determination helped in the birth of Bangladesh.
A similar situation has arisen now. India has the opportunity to show its strength yet again. The historic task of teaching a lesson to the Rajapaksa government and ensuring peace, justice and prosperity for the Tamils is awaiting the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Date
Line:
3rd Century BC : Tamils from India migrate to Sri Lanka
1796 - 1948 :
British rule in Sri Lanka
1830 : Tamils
come to Sri Lanka as plantation labours
1944 : All India
Ceylon Tamil Congress by G.G. Ponnambalam
1948 : Sri Lanka
attains freedom
1948 : 10,00,000
plantation Tamils lose citizenship
1949 :
Selvanayagam forms Federal Party
1956 : Prime
Minister WRT Bandaranayaka makes Sinhala as the sole official
language
1959 : Sirimao
Bandaranayaka becomes Prime Minister
1961 : Sinhala as
the official language in Tamil provinces
1964 : Shastri -
Sirimao Bandaranayaka pact
1972 : New
constitution
Birth of TULF
1974 : Birth of
TELO
World Tamil
Conference at Jaffna
Police attack
1975 : Birth of
EROS
1976 : Birth of
LTTE
1976 : Call for
Tamil Eelam
1977 : Prime
Minister Jayavardane
Riots against
Tamils
1981 : Riots
against Tamils. Jaffna library gutted
1981 : Birth of
EPRLF
1983 : Riots
against Tamils
1984 : Tamil
militant groups get training in India
1985 : Clash
among Tamil groups - Killings
1987 : Rajiv -
Jayavardhane accord
13th amendment
1987 : IPKF -
LTTE war
1987 : Premadasa
- LTTE negotiations
1989 :
Amirthalingam killed by LTTE
1990 : EPRLF
leader Padmanabha and twelve others killed by LTTE in Chennai
1990 : IPKF
withdrawal from Sri Lanka
1991 : Rajiv
Gandhi assassinated by the LTTE suicide bomber
2000 : Mediation
by Norway
2002 : Prabakaran
and Ranil Wikramasinghe sign accord
2004 : Karuna
breaks away from LTTE
2005 : Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes President
2007 : War
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