Politically incorrect things to say
A tamil youth by name Muthukumaran has committed suicide, ostensibly as a protest to stop the war in Sri Lanka. We have politicians going on fast for protecting the ‘tamil inam’, writing ‘final request’ letters to the central government. There has been widespread protests even in places like Canada to stop the alleged ethnic cleansing. Some Tamil film directors who do not have movie projects are busy staging protests. Tamil magazines have changed tones considerably since the days of May 21, 1991. I saw a poster which demanded a place for muthukumaran’s samadhi near marina, the poster duly indicating the community that was behind this request.
In these charged times, I have a few things to record more for myself than for anything else. I had to record my thoughts since I came across a few IT pros who were ‘proud of LTTE’ and Prabhakaran. People who get agitated when someone kills somebody in Mumbai, are now suddenly proud of their tamil brethren in Jaffna. There is widespread sympathy for LTTE now in Tamil Nadu. It’s been 26 years since the war in 1983. Nobody has any clues on the number of lives lost in a small piece of island south of India - all in the name of war for tamil inam and freedom. I do not want to get into the gory details of the war, about which side was right and which was wrong, about the human rights violations etc. Any armed struggle is bound to result in human rights violations and civilian massacres. That’s precisely why armies and war mongering nations are despised universally. Armed struggle is very little about upholding human rights, and more about crushing resistance somehow anyhow.
But its time the tamil diaspora wherever they are to do some introspection. What has been achieved in concrete terms in all these years? And what has been the actual and opportunity cost incurred to achieve whatever has been achieved? How do we come to the conclusion that Eelam is the only viable solution and nothing else and it’s worth losing whatever number of lives already lost and likely to lose in future to attain that? Even assuming the Sri lankan government has been below par on its treatment of tamils, has the so called tamil leadership taken a pragmatic approach rather than simply rant about veeram, inam, maanam, kalchaaram etc? Why was the LTTE banned from even the European Union? Why even the Norwegians who tried desperately for peace in the region are turning silent spectators today.
To all those part-time politicans and other folks who sympathize with the war and the Eelam cause in Tamil Nadu, what do they know about the fate of tamil refugees once they land in India? How many of them have lived a life of dignity here? I would like to know the contribution of people like Sathyaraj in providing for the betterment of the refugees. Let’s not even talk about those who are caught in the war in jaffna. It’s easy to go to some podhu kootam and rant about how the tamils are victimized across the world and return to their own home, while all this puratchi talk only increases aggression and renders a few more thousands homeless, family less and being thrown into a foreign country.
I think the LTTE and the political leadership of Sri lanka should’ve settled for an amicable settlement where the north east parts had some degree of autonomy but within the state of Sri Lanka. If only the LTTE had agreed to a peaceful settlement, that would’ve given time to educate their kith and kin, and move to countries where the population is sparse and where life is more peaceful than where they are. Leadership is not just about running an army. Leaderhsip is also about being realistic. I do not have much respect for leaders who wage war knowing well the odds are against them. If the tamils can move from Tamil nadu to sri lanka, they might as well move to other countries in much favorable terms. All the fighting all theses years have ensured that the LTTE has been banned by most of the developed countries. When a foreign govt. sees a prospective tamil migrant from Sri lankaa, they will be concerned if the migrants are of the out-lawed LTTE.
On the other hand, the LTTE had done great direpute to its name by systematically eliminating all the other tamil leaders in that region who had views different from them. How many of those who commit suicides today in Tamil Nadu know about the Padmanabha assasination in Chennai in 1989 by the LTTE?
Coming to the alleged threat faced by Tamil Inam, to be sure, there are issues not only in Sri lanka, but also in Malaysia. Problems, issues and perceived discrimination are bound to happen in any place – be it Sri lanka, Malaysia, Tamil Nadu or Bengalooru. The answer to all is not AK-47 or suicide bombings or bus burnings. If suicide bombing can be justified in Sri lanka, it does not take much long to justify it in Chennai. If armed struggle is the only way we can safeguard tamil inam and kalachaaram, then I’d say we are damned stupid and deserve to vanish precisely because of this stupidity. I seriously do not understand in what way is this jingoism different from the activities of some Muslim fundamentalist groups across the world.
I am no ethnographer. But from whatever I’ve seen a group which adapts itself to changing times and opportunities, which prepares its next generation to progress in life, gradually manage to retain its identities and traditions and gets more powerful in the long run. Whereas any group which attaches too much pride to its way of life (it can be linguistic, religious, ethnic, caste - essentially any pride by association), is slow to adapt to changing times and opportunities, faces extinction not because of others but by its own stupidity. Empty rhetorics about veeram, theeram, maanamm etc does not go very far.
I do not think upholding a language can help a group survive as the likes of Ramdoss or Bharathiraja claim to be. On the other hand, any step to equip the folks to make a peaceful living eventually ensures the survival of their language and customs and if they are shrewd enough, form a powerful, separate independent state. All this culture, tradition and all those fundas are subordinate to survival and socio-economic progression.
Tamil inam is under threat, and faces extinction primarily because of this empty jingoism, and parochialism of its politicians, part time film directors, jobless actors and the semi-literate populace, and not from outside forces. Lets focus on what needs to be done for the future. And forming human chains in Mount road is not to help the cause of Tamil Inam.
தமிழன் உருப்படுகிற வழியைப் பார்க்கவில்லை என்றால் தமிழை ஆண்டவனால் கூட காப்பாற்ற முடியாது.
தமிழனுக்காக உயிரையே விடுவேன் என்று அலறும் அரசியல்வாதிகள் உண்மையில் மயிரைக்கூட விட மாட்டார்கள்.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:19 am
The world need many Gandhi. I revere that man. His method is so simple, it beats me how nations/groups do not understand its value.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Did not India use armed struggle in attaining its freedom? Let’s not jump to the popular propaganda. Gandhi was but one in many jigsaw pieces that brought about India’s independence. The popular mouthpiece is as good as Rahul Gandhi saying his family brought India Independence. I don’t think so. To the man who said above that Gandhi’s method was so simple; not so simple a conclusion please. There were many factors that played into Gandhi’s 26 year nonviolent approach that didn’t work in the 30 years of nonviolent approach Srilankan Tamils used. Some include: One being the massive unrest, two the armed resistences that were growing, and three, the conscience of the British public that was realizing the errors of colonization to a large degree. These are but a select few. Looking back into history, even India’s supposed peaceful struggle, we can see the loopholes.
I agree with you that armed struggles don’t bring an end. In any case, I do believe Prabhakaran didn’t take advantage when it was at his hand some years ago to find some level of autonomy. Of course, dissent within his own commandment brought about his fall, among other reasons. War is disgusting in its own right, and definitely, the human beasts do come out in full form. Be it the attrocities of the Sinhalese army always, the methods employed by the LTTE; or the inhumane actions of the Indian army in Srilanka. Vietnam, anyone? Nor do politicians, as Rajiv, Sonia, Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha have proved, think beyond their own circle and well-being. Those arguments are right. We have lost lives by all fronts playing games.
Yet, what border doesn’t need to be guarded? Can all the armies of a nation come home. Why is it that it is a terror if it happens from Pakistan but not so if India is the attacker? Why is Assam what it is? Why is Telengana movement there? Human attrocities are a reality. You say ‘alleged ethnic cleansing’. I see videos all over Tamil websites and reports by UN officials stating that safe zones have been bombed, food and medical aid has stopped, there are names of people who have been killed and the numbers are ranging in hundreds. This, in full view of the world that chooses to ignore this gory part. You say ‘even ‘assuming’ that the government has treated Tamils below par’, but I have anecdotes from real life people, who have been treated miserably. People who keep there stories wrapped up because it is a shame to tell others. Indian media, then and now, have not exactly been fair on the Srilankan stuggle, has it?
The issue of Srilanka is that two different nations were forced together. Errors of colonization. To say that Tamils should leave the homeland they lived in and identify with since 500BC, doesn’t make sense. Eelam Tamils are not Indian Estate Tamils, if I can use that for clarification, though all Tamils are Tamils to me. People don’t have the right to their home and land, even if they can make a life there? Then what is the concept of a country, city, etc? I ask you that simply because that line did not make sense to me. Even then, it is only due to Tamil adaptability that they have established themselves around the world. But home is where one’s heart is, as your posts have proved at times.
How right is forced nationalism? How justifiable is it that the powerful countries in Asia choose to play games with a problem that could have been amicably settled long back? Eelam’s separation would mean a threat to India in many fronts. Talking about war, I don’t know if Prabhakaran has used any worse tactics then any military of this day and age. The lose on the Tamil side has been great, and any powers that had the might to stop chose to play fickle.
As for getting on the EU/IC banned list, well, don’t you know? There were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. That’s what killed Saddam Hussein and a million Iraqis.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Prabhu S
Hmm… as the other commentor says, i am inclined to believe that indian Independence was more complex than just the Gandhi. Though i completely agree that it was Gandhi who brought the ‘mass’ factor to the struggle.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
kskajan
I did not say armed struggle in itself bad…but something like using it when the odds are steeped against. I think there is a difference between the two.
There are and there will be videos and still photos which are too gruesome to be described..but whats the point…same happened with afghan war, now gaza..its the same…
>>To say that Tamils should leave the homeland they lived in and identify with since 500BC, doesn’t make sense.
Tamils are not the first nor will be the last to move from their homelands..the way i see it its not about right and wrong.. war is hardly about right and wrong… and more about who’s more powerful.. who can get the international attention. if i am not good enough on those fronts, i have no business to carry on a war(or occasionally guerilla war) for 26 years… thats my take.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:31 am
I never said that it was Gandhism alone that got us independence. I do understand the complexities that existed. My point was it was Gandhi who was the guiding force in the later stages of our struggle. And it saved lives. It saved way too many precious lives for sure. But there are no statistics showing that. It is what is called ’silent evidence’ . People fail to get the significance of silent evidence. Statistics show only death.
Yes. I do get hurt by seeing innocent Tamil being killed. Its in the same way I feel for those who died in Iraq, Afghan, Bosnia , Palestine and many more. That is the reason I search for a Gandhi desperately. I am disgusted to know that there is no leader who talks on behalf of the common man , like how Gandhi did. What I see is leaders striving to meet their own goals at the expense of innocent people.
My wish is that if only all the parties involved sit and talk it out , we can save lives. That is of paramount importance to me and other things are secondary to me.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
PK, what a post! I was waiting to read a post like this totally unbiased yet not hesistating to call a dog - a dog! If you read most information on the web, Prabhakaran was inspired by the then Tamil movies which projected heros as larger than life figures and demi-gods! So his revolutionary ideas and thoughts and to wield a gun were a result of such impact. For a stampede in the World Tamil Conference in Jaffna, many Tamil political parties resorted to blame game and the then Jaffna mayor Alfred Duraiappah was made the scape goat and he was Prabhakaran’s first victim. Later, even the 1983 pogrom (which cannot be justified in any way) was a result of LTTE’s ambush of 13 Srilankan soldiers. And LTTE literally wiped out all rival groups just to avoid expartriates funds getting divided. And the numerous killings of intellectuals, politicians, academicians (all Tamil) just because they did not concur with LTTE’s views. I have no doubt that the SL Tamils would be in a far worse situation if LTTE were to rule them.
Moreover its heights of irony and hypocrisy when politicians here speak about rights of Tamil in SL. The justice party’s initial motive to bring reservation was to counter the situation of Brahmins (who constituted a lesser percentage in the population) occupying majority of govt posts. This was a similar case in SL as well. The minority SL Tamils occupying prominent govt. jobs which caused resentment amongst Sinhalese. And they also opposed the Sinhala-only policy. What do we have here in TN? For eg., 30% here are Telugus. Do they have proper representation? And SL’s population and area is much lesser than that of TN! Worse is when people like us getting carried away by such propaganda and brain washing!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Prabhu,
Your last line is the most unbiased so far.
Ravi,
Why not state the reasons behind that ambush? There is a 34 year old story, that climaxed in that violent attack and the resultant riots that killed thousands of Tamils, in the most barbaric manners possible. I am sure I am going to get answers like, ‘assuming that the alleged riots took place and thousands of people were actually killed,’ then it was just majority reaction. Quite as related to Mr. Rajiv Gandhi saying “when a great tree falls, there will be small tremors” in regards to the Punjab riots. Let’s call a spade a spade. The aspirations of Tamils didn’t rise from out of the blue. I am simply spell-bounded by the fact that you compare TN with SL, and how it is vice-versa. Now tell me, Eelam aspiration and Kosovan aspiration was the same. But is Eelam such a hard concept to grasp. Seemingly, discrimination and offense is personal and matters only when ones own community or country feels it.
We all have reasons to like or dislike Prabhakaran. The quest for sovereignity did not begin or will it end with him. That is what people fail to grasp. You can’t put two nations, which even under British rule was brewing with dislike, under one umbrella. Had the Tamils had the protective capability of a real nation, I doubt that there past would have been so full of grief and sorrow. I have already answered international interests in this matter with one line. What’s happening in Srilanka shows the sickening beasts in humans. At this time, the 3 larger powers in Asia are playing a fine game within Srilanka. It won’t be so far in the future when they will be playing against each other. Let us see.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Prabhu
Gandhi was instrumental, ut gandhi was also helped by some other circumstances which made the british rethink on clinging on to India.
A Gandhi now sure would’ve been an inspiration but am not sure if that’s good enough in these times.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
ravi
Thanks. I suppose you seem to know some more details. please do write.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Kajan,
If you think you have more material on this issue, please do write a blog giving your perspective.
>>Why not state the reasons behind that ambush?… I am sure I am going to get answers like, ‘assuming that the alleged riots took place and thousands of people were actually killed,
I am sure there are thousands of websites who will give a detailed view of how some legs were amputated, how a pregnant lady was killed, how tamil girls were gang raped by srilankan forces, how hundreds of tamils were killed. I do not wish to be a nakheeran or junior vikatan who will elaborate for their business reasons.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:41 am
LTTE is a bunch of criminals. I as an Indian Citizen am ashamed that a group that killed our PM Late Rajiv Gandhi has such support from my homeland.
All prides aside - Killing the PM - How can any Indian stand that.!! Where has the Patriotism gone? I can’t digest it even today. Happened in the very soil …TAMIL NADU …!!!
All these idiots who die for ( did he die or was he forced to ) such stupid, laughable causes, are better gone !!! And the Politicians who support all these just to make their Swiss accounts bigger, have to be taken to court.
OMG - I am dreaming !!!
February 4th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Last 2 Punch dialogues super
February 4th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Kajan, I am not contemplating on the sufferings and discrimination metted out to SL Tamils. But what I am saying is LTTE has only made the situation worse. See the problem initally would have started as a political one - Tamil people wanting better representation, equal rights and so on but today it has become a case of genocide! And apart from many other factors, I think LTTE constitutes a major reason for the scene it is today!
There were similar sessionist ideas in TN during 50s and 60s. Infact Hindi agitation was also one of such trump cards adopted by the Dravidian parties. But all that violence did not yield much but today TN political parties have a big say in whichover coalition forms at the centre and this has happened only because the right strategy was adopted - not because we took up arms!
I remember in 80s when there was a huge influx of Tamil refugees into Madras, people rented houses without taking advance or deposit. But later, around 90s, people were reluctant to rent houses to SL Tamils. This kind of a shift was definitely caused by LTTE - the way they resorted to murder in daylight in busy areas and smuggling banks et al. The plight of SL Tamil is all the more pathetic because they are entangled between the LTTE and SL govt. - not being able to take either side.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:00 am
NV sir,
this thamizh unarvu is a big tragedy…
Indha muthukumaran appa amma vikku thiruma vum dr. thamizh kudi thaangiyum badhil solvaangala? evlo madathanam!
nalaiku oru seat extra kedaikum na idhey thirumavum dr. ramdas um congress kooda kootu servanga…
the whole war is like a recursive function where in each iteration we are going away from the solution and where there is no point of exit.
Innaiku 2 lakhs uyirgal oosaladudhunu kaneer vadikira pasanga idhu varaikum ivlo laksham uyir ponadhai pathi yen yosikalai?
my prognosis: irrespective of what happens for LTTE in terms of losing their ground, this war will not end. They will resume their suicide attacks, kill presidents (premadasa) or at least try(kumaratunga) target sri lankan civilians in Colombo, target airports, public places ……. they have used pregnant women as suicide bombers before.. they will use again…
‘thamizhachi ratham’ nu adhuku kavidhai eludha inga oru oonaai kootam safe a chennai laye irukku!
This war was happening in full force even in the nineties… those days nothing much happened in TN because the scars of rajiv assassination was fresh in the minds of the people. (1993 was the year premadasa was assassinated)
There are quite a few people in TN who are ready to disown Rajiv and proudly adopt prabhakaran as their leader.. thats precisely why the central govt. is concerned. the last thing India wants is a secessionist movement based on the tamils from the southern parts… erkanave north la prachnai…
ippove there are comments like ‘Rajiv uyir mattum dhaan uyira? mithavanga uyir ellam enna mayira? etc…(one guy told me this)
namma aalungaloda double standards ku alave illai…. if pak terrorists do this in the name of struggle….. adhu terrorism.. adhey LTTE pannina adhuku peru ‘thamizh unarvu’……
February 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
in general…
‘ayya, un nilamai seri illai….. engana odi poi pozhakura vazhiyai paaru… strong a irukkumbodhu edhiriyai thirumba adikalaam’ nu sonna adhu veeram illai…so pidikadhu…
ivangalai thoondi vittu… war la setha ‘ayyago.. sagodhara unnai ninaithu naan thoongavillai..unakkaga ingu chennayil a/c bedroom il unnaviradham irukkiren.. bandh nadatharen nu sonna ‘ahaa ivan en sagodharan’ nu dhaan nenakaragalo nu varuthama irukku..
eelam tamils india va vida vera endha oor ponaalum idhai vida nimadhiya dhaan irupaanga.. idhai 1983 la irundhu inaai varaikum purinjaangala theriyalai.. munnadiye UK,Canda nu ponavanga buthisaaligal…
idhula ivanga perai kedukaradhuku LTTE vera..ivanga adhuku support vera..citing they protect them in sri lanka…
i dont want to read/write abt this anymore…. manasu kashta padaradhu dhaan micham…