Support Indy
Media

Popularise CC

Join News Letter

Read CC In Your
Own Language

CC Malayalam

Mumbai Terror

Financial Crisis

Iraq

Peak Oil

Alternative Energy

Climate Change

US Imperialism

US Elections

Palestine

Latin America

Communalism

Gender/Feminism

Dalit

Globalisation

Humanrights

Economy

India-pakistan

Kashmir

Environment

Book Review

Gujarat Pogrom

WSF

Arts/Culture

India Elections

Archives

Links

Submission Policy

About CC

Disclaimer

Fair Use Notice

Contact Us

Subscribe To Our
News Letter

Name: E-mail:

Printer Friendly Version

A Pause For Reflection

By Chandi Sinnathurai

03 June, 2009
Countercurrents.org

As part of citizen journalism I've had the opportunity, in the not too long distant past, to interview the Tamil Tiger Leadership including the people in the North, East and the South. Some of these interviews were published in various websites. The Hindustan Times, Colombo Bureau Chief, PK Balachandran's interview gave some rare insights. As I look back, some of the things he shared during the interview was extremely accurate. Say for example, the myth of the invincibility of the Tigers have been ruthlessly busted. PKB also had prophesied that Rajapaksha would turn into a leader who would crush Tamil resistance.

Right now, the winds of change are blowing. Tamil tigers have reportedly renounced violence. But, it must be said, there are still serious doubts about the demise of the Tiger leader V Prabaharan. Many in the diaspora believe, he is alive. The government of India asked Sri Lanka to provide DNA evidence in order for them to officialy close files on the Rajiv Gandhi murder trial.

All what they got from Sri Lanka was a piece of paper: A Death Certificate. No independent scientific evidence was forthcoming.

Rumours are currently circulating like wild fire that the tiger intelligence chief Pottu Amman; and the Sea Tiger head Colonel Soosai are still alive. The ball is on Sri Lanka's court to come up with evidence of the Tiger leadership's demise.

This is indeed a key factor in the peace building process of Sri Lanka.

Retuning to Tiger leadership's interview, I found each of these men and women absolutely dedicated to the cause of liberation. If need be, they were ready to give up their life, for the emancipation struggle of the Tamil people. Many have disagreed with their tactics and strategies. Fair enough. But no one was able to convince them of a viable alternative. These men and women were rejected by world powers as terrorists. The attempts of negotiations were fraught with duplicity.

There was no doubt, an obstinate streak in the tiger out-fit. They were not willing to disarm. But this stance has to be understood in its context. The tigers saw them selves as protectors of the Tamil nation from the Cingalam hegemony. "Cingalam" is to mean the institutionalised racism and its systemic annihilation of Tamil aspirations for self-determination. Tigers were willing to consider internal self-determination. That is to say, some form of autonomy to the Tamils with a unified country instead of an out right separation. Sadly, Cingalam, wouldn't budge from the stance of "Sri Lanka for Sinhala nation".

The democratic world, which is now shedding crocodile tears about Tamil genocide and war crimes, stood in silent inaction.

Tigers had their serious flaws. They were no saints. Not at all. But the Sri Lanka Regime calling Tamil tigers terrorists is akin to pot calling the kettle black.

Sri Lanka has suffered and been traumatised by violence for over 30 years. It is time to heal, recover, reconstitute, restore and to usher in sustainable peace with honour, dignity, decency and freedom for all.

During my interviews with the tiger leadership, I also found that they wanted solution to the national question to come from within "the soil" as they put it, not something that is "Imported." It is "Our" challenge; "Our" struggle; it is we who understand "Our suffering and our context" they emphasised. In essence, they were saying, 'no out side forces can dictate terms to our people'. They were passionate about it. And the people trusted them.

After, the Leadership's seeming demise, there are some interesting explorations published by Tamilnet. Their reading is, that the oppression to Tamil nationalism is trans-national and hence the diaspora must come up with an elected trans-national government (Government in exile?) that could "negotiate" with the world (perhaps meaning the democratic Western world!). This action is based on democracy, renouncing all forms of violence.

This may taste palatable to the world-wide "Oppressors" of Tamil resistance. But such a departure would have brought shock waves to the Tiger Leadership I interviewed. They would have seen such a solution as "foreign import" to their national struggle.

Tamilnet comes up with another imaginative explanation: "It may not be possible to involve people who have no political freedom in the camps and in the open prisons....But the global Tamil Diaspora is free to demonstrate this noble venture." 01.06.09.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=99&artid=29504

Eelam Tamils have no political freedom this view point states, hence let us use the diaspora of the free world to exercise their right to democracy and 'import' some form of solution to the Tamil national question. While negotiating with the "Oppressors of world-wide Tamil nationalism" we some how will mange to "import" some form of democratic "Solution" to the Tamil Question through the "Elected vehicle" of "Trans-national Governmnent." A grand ideal.

This may highlight the gun-point democracy in Sri Lanka. However, it is not entirely convincing that such a drastic move is the answer.

The Democratic 'free' world opposed Tamil nationalism only when it turned into an armed struggle. But it did not turn against the Tamil resistance per se when it came through as a democratic force, arguably however weak it was. This distinction is essential.

Now, as the Eealm Tamils rise up from such holocaustic sacrifice, what gives the vicarious right to the "diaspora leadership" to take up not just the humanitarian cause of the Tamils but essentially the inalienable democratic voting right to elect a leadership to this lofty ideal of a "Trans-national Government"?. When did the birth-right of the Eelam sons and daughters, got transferred to the diaspora? From when did the Eelam Tamil voice loose their voice of Independence? It is one thing for the diaspora to speak and act on their behalf. But it is utterly despicable, to surreptitiously take their birth-right from them, without their voting consent?

It is a complete undermining of the Eelam Tamils. And a hilarious superiority complex of the faceless so-called diaspora leadership. Such action is illegal defrauding and immoral, especially when the Tamils are not sure as to what has happened to their genuine leadership.

The diaspora ding-dongs will soon realise that the State-run internment camps will have proved to be the breeding grounds for the next phase of Tamil resistance.



Leave A Comment
&
Share Your Insights

Comment Policy

Fair Use Notice


 

Share This Article



Here is a unique chance to help this article to be read by thousands of people more. You just share it on your favourite social networking site. You can also email the article from here.



Disclaimer

 

Feed Burner

Twitter

Face Book

Support Indy
Media

CC on Mobile

 

Search Our Archive

 



Our Site

Web