Blood shed, physically challenged people, Bombshell phobia, exodus from one place to another; the plight of Tamil civilians in Srilanka is far worse than what we can imagine. Those who do not know about their torments, please watch the Maniratnam’s film “KANNATHIL MUTHAMITTAL” which emulates the Srilankan Tamils’ life. The film clearly exemplifies the pathetic situation of Tamils in Srilanka. When we in India, strive to get a well settled life, in Srilanka, Tamils strive hard to even survive. At this juncture the war between LTTE and Srilankan army is on its last legs, the army ending victorious. Amidst the abysmal situation, Srilankan Tamils do not have security and rights in the country. As an Indian, a Tamilian, I find there are no true hearts to understand their situation. In Tamilnadu, demagogic Politicians try to be opportunistic and their ostensible emotions for the Srilankan Tamils show their mere vote bank politics eyeing plebiscites on the issue. As an avid news follower, I have been following the news concerned with Srilankan Tamils for months and I am saddened that none of the news channels really shows the true face of the war and the unjust behavior of the Lankan government to Tamils. They are obsessed with the LTTE –Srilankan army fight and project a heroic Srilankan Army and “sanctimonious” Rajapaksa who had completely forgotten the humanitarian cause. I mind you that LTTE is not the label of Tamilians.
Can you call Afghanistan a secular country? No, like wise you cannot call Srilanka as a secular one. Retrospection of incidents shows you that for more than half a century years Tamils have been fighting for their rights and the Srilankan’s racial prejudice. History clearly depicts that the Singhalese Buddhists have been biased with their hatred against the Tamils. When a person from deprived community can become the President of India or even every one born in India can aspire to become President of India because we have the fundamental rights, how many of you know that the Srilankan government has a law that only Singhalese Buddhists can become the President of Srilanka and no other castes have the right? The Tamils’ struggle has its roots way beyond 1959 and still it continues. The treason of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in early 1960’s to the Tamil’s by swearing to accomplish the Tamil federal party’s obligations, formed the government and later acted against Tamils that led to a revolution later.
What Tamils’ want is a Tamil Eelam. What does it mean? It means that they want an ethnic identity both geographical and cultural with active participation and recognition in the society. Why do we have Tamilnadu as a state in India, for that matter all the regional states which has its own language other than Hindi. The answer is to have diversified culture, and identity that does not harm the united society of India. Having all these diversification in language, culture, food etc., the success of united India is its democracy, giving equal rights to everyone. Likewise, had Srilankans given equal rights to the Tamils what is the necessity of a rebel organization like LTTE? Mr.Rajapaksa vindicated his stance asserting if India stands for majority Hindu community, why can’t we have the same in Srilanka with Singhalese(Ref: The Hindu ,January edition for exact words-don’t know the date)But he has not understood that India has given equal rights to everyone ,irrespective of any community. So what they want is a place and a society where they can be recognised, either part of or separated from the Srilankan government depends on the government’s decision.
Now then, the war has reached its culmination point and Srilankan government boasts its victory over LTTE. India acknowledges its victory. Medias make hot head lines and it is like film ending with a happy note. But what’s going to be the aftermath of the War. I envisage that the post war situation is going to aggravate the situation further. The Tamils lost all their properties, homeless, many of them are physically handicapped and impecunious. Unless the government gives some benefits to the Tamils like India has given Scheduled Caste, Backward caste benefits in all the sectors of the government for their growth and welfare, it’s hard for them to survive. But this certainly might not happen as many Singhalese would protest and condemn the “biased” stand of the government against them. If the rehabilitation should happen, it should have happened fifty years back when they were first debilitated by Bandaranaikae. My fear is that there is every possibility for the Tamils to become slaves of Singhalese (though it is exaggerated, it is only my opinion)and when you say slavery is abolished in the world, only humanitarian organization should help them to bail out from the situation. Many Srilankan Tamils are deserting to Tamilnadu as refugees leaving their home land, and this would continue even after the end of the war.
I appreciate India’s aid in training the Srilankan army to demolish LTTE but it could have given diplomatic solution years back like they aided Bangladesh, helping them to get out from the hands of Pakistan. I think East Pakistan,former Bangladesh, was in the same state like Tamils in Srilanka .India,being a powerful Asian country,could have intervened in the Srilankan-Tamil issue and tried to find a solution. I don’t know what stopped them from doing so.
My blood boils whenever I see the exodus of Tamil people from their mother land, the handicapped Srilankan tamils and the number of deaths happen during the war. Though Srilanka claim that they are waging war against only the LTTE and taking care of the Tamil civilians, what they perform is carnage against a group of people. What Hitler did against Jews, the same thing Rajapaksa does in a civilized manner against Tamils. The right term to describe this is “Genocide “and they camouflage this genocide in terms of War against terrorism.
