The Tamil Nadu dilemma
Very soon the LTTE is going to be defeated:
Excerpts of an Appeal to the leaders of Political Parties and the
People of Tamil Nadu, by the President of Tamil Untied Liberation Front
V. Anandasangaree
Of all the countries in this world India more particularly Tamil Nadu
one of its 28 States and Union Territories, should be more concerned
about Sri Lanka than any other State in India, being its immediate
neighbour, separated by the Palk-Strait a distance of only about 30
Kilometers. Our languages Tamil and Sinhala and our culture have their
routes in India.
Ghana Devi Temple |
Both the Sinhala Buddhists and Hindu Tamils worship the common
Deities such as Ganapathy, Murugan, Eeswaran, Vishnu, Paththini,
Sarasvathy, Luxmi and such others except that Ganapathy and Murugan are
their Gana-Deviyo and Kathirgama-Deviyo.
We the Sinhalese and Tamils have many more things in common such as
New Year and family names. Names such as Seeta, Luxman, Arujuna,
Indirajith, Luxmi and many others are very common among the Sinhalese.
Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanithy and some other politicians in both Tamil
Nadu and in Sri Lanka boast of “umbilical cord relationship” the Tamils
of Tamil Nadu have with the Tamils of Sri Lanka, to rouse the feelings
on both sides.
I am sure even many senior politicians of Tamil Nadu are not aware of
the similar relationship the Tamils of Madurai have with the Sinhalese
of Sri Lanka. I don’t think even 0.1% of the Tamils of Tamil Nadu are
aware of this fact.
Vijaya
The name Vijaya itself is also the name of the founder of the
Sinhalese race.
There had been several interactions between the Sinhalese and the
Tamils. Lot of inter-marriages had taken place with very rare
separations.
An Amman Kovil or a Kali Kovil has more Buddhist female devotees than
Hindu devotees at Poojas. These facts explain as to why there are no
Tamil Buddhist and Hindu Sinhalese in Sri Lanka.
The Sinhalese and the Tamils are real cousins speaking different
languages.
The day Sinhalese and Tamils become fluent with each other’s Language
the ethnic problem will vanish automatically.
It is very unfortunate that the Tamils of Tamil Nadu without knowing
much about Sri Lanka and with hardly any knowledge of the ground
situation, rouse the feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu, without
realizing the grave damage they had done for the Tamil cause already and
continuing to do so still.
Misled by a handful of Tamil Nadu Politicians, almost all Political
Parties except two or three are playing cricket with our problem and
trying to score one over the other.
It is the ball that is hit over and over again and the ball, in this
case is the innocent Tamil people, cannot bear the pain any more.
Human chains, hartals, hunger strikes, demonstrations, stopping the
train service and many such other activities of various organizations
did not bear fruit but had only become counter productive. The conduct
of some Lawyers is least expected from Members of that profession.
Involving the students, undergraduates and insulting the Buddhist
clergy did not achieve the desired goal but only proved detrimental.
I myself invited the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu long ago to visit
Sri Lanka and make an effort to find a solution.
Powers
I canvassed for powers for our regions equivalent to that of the
powers enjoyed by the Chief Ministers of the various Indian States
including Tamil Nadu. Even recently I made a request to the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu to pay a visit. Soon after, the President of Sri
Lanka too had extended his invitation to the Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu.
Very many people in Tamil Nadu, without realizing the agony the
Tamils underwent during a quarter of a century of the LTTE’s atrocious
rule, still want to save Prabhakaran and his ruthless group. The Tamil
people who had undergone all these hardships wanted liberation only from
the LTTE.
The people liberated by the Government Forces are now in refugee
camps. Why can’t some leaders from Tamil Nadu, at least now come and
find out for themselves from the refugees as to how they suffered, how
hard life was under the LTTE, how their children were sacrificed at the
battle front by the LTTE.
When the war is about to end with only a small area yet to be
liberated and especially when people themselves wanted liberation from
the LTTE, which Government will agree to stop the war?
Fresh demand
Tamil Nadu should know what is happening in Sri Lanka. There is now a
fresh demand made by some leaders that Sri Lanka should close down its
Diplomatic Mission in Chennai.
One day, very soon the LTTE is going to be defeated. It is the duty
of the Tamil Nadu leaders to see that whatever number left alive in the
LTTE cadre are saved along with the civilians detained by them.
The most valuable help the people of Tamil Nadu can do to the poor
Sri Lankan Tamils is to help them to save their properties which is
possible only by stopping the war.
If the war stops and the LTTE surrender their arms these poor people
leading their lives like nomads can get back to their houses safely soon
and save whatever property is still left, although whatever life lost
cannot be regained.
The time has come for Tamil Nadu to wake up and tell the LTTE enough
is enough and also to do its best to rebuild the good relationship that
prevailed between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka until recently, when the TNA
Members of Parliament of Sri Lanka misinformed them and roused the
feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu.
I strongly urge Tamil Nadu to persuade the LTTE to give up their
demand for separation and to agree for a solution based on the Indian
constitution and also to lay down their arms.
I wish to remind Tamil Nadu what Mahathma Gandhi said many years
before he was assassinated that, “India and Ceylon cannot afford to
quarrel each others”.
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