[TamilNet, Monday, 06 October 2014, 07:24 GMT]The Hindu group and its associates known for their bias and bigotry
towards the issues of genocide and independence of Eezham Tamils, and
towards the LTTE-led militant struggle of the recent past, have now
reiterated their stand on Palestine, endorsing Hamas as the resistance
force representing the people of Gaza. As a response to the recent
Israeli military offensive against the people of Gaza, The Hindu and
associates have been rallying public opinion in favour of the
Palestinian struggle. In two separate events organized in Chennai in
Tamil Nadu, the affluent Hindu clique has vehemently condemned Israel
and termed its acts against the Palestinians as war crimes and demanded
India to take a more vocal stand against Israel, writes a media watcher
in Chennai.
During the genocidal war, which concluded in Mu'l'livaaykkaal in May
2009, The Hindu was leading the Indian national media campaign, which
effectively distorted the unfolding events as a legitimate war against
‘terrorism’ by heavily reproducing the Sri Lankan state propaganda.
There
is thus a perplexing contrast in their pro-Sri Lanka-ness and their
anti-Israeli attitude: in their understanding and rationalization of the
Palestinian national resistance and the structural nature of violence
Palestinian people face, while demonizing the LTTE and silencing the
structural genocide faced by the Eezham Tamils. This was most evident
during the recent events organized by groups associated with The Hindu
and in an article appeared in The Hindu affiliated monthly, The
Frontline Magazine.
On August 6, a meeting was organized by
Harmony India at New College auditorium, Royapettah, Chennai, in
solidarity with Palestine. The Harmony India – which officially the
‘Association for Communal Amity, Secularism and Human Solidarity’– is
headed by The Hindu’s N.Ram and his associates. Despite its name, the
association is predominantly constituted by a particular section of the
populace.
The dignitaries spoke at the meeting besides N. Ram
were U. Vasuky, State secretary of All India Democratic Women’s
Association, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Bengal governor and former New
Delhi ambassador in Colombo, Nawab Mohammed Abdul, Prince of Arcot, and
T.M Krishna, Carnatic musician.
The speakers stressed repeatedly
that India must be more vocal in condemning the aggression of Israel in
Gaza and its human rights violations. They furthered that the
conflict, which has so far claimed nearly 2000 lives, mostly civilians,
including a large number of children, should be viewed purely as ‘an act
of aggression’ by Israel on unarmed, innocent people. “Gaza has become
an open air prison and unarmed civilians have become easy targets,”
said U. Vasuki. She also urged India to fall back on its traditional
‘pro-Palestine’ stance and condemn the violence. She added that the only
permanent solution for the current crisis was to restore the
Israel-Palestine border to its 1967 position, which in effect expressed
her endorsement of Palestinian statehood and nationhood.
N.Ram,
Chairman, Kasturi and Sons Ltd., said that of the 1,865 people killed
since violence erupted on 6 July, 429 were less than 18 years old, 243
were women and 79 were above the age of 70. He further said that Hamas
was elected by the people in 2006 and was now the vanguard of the
resistance in Gaza. He targeted the present Indian government’s refusal
to allow a parliament resolution to condemn Israel’s assault, as unjust,
arbitrary and illegal. Mr. Ram stressed that the meeting was convened
not to call for the destruction of Israel, but to express solidarity
with the people of Palestine in line with the two-state solution.
Gopalkrishna
Gandhi said that India should take a strong stand on the issue and
Nawab Mohamed Abdul Ali, the Prince of Arcot, said “Mass murder in any
form should not occur. War has achieved nothing other than causing more
wars”. Carnatic musician T.M. Krishna said the violence in Gaza should
not be seen as a ‘Muslims versus Jews’ issue, but should be viewed
purely on humanitarian grounds.
The complete lack of solidarity
with Eezham Tamils was strikingly evident in the meeting that not a
single line of comparison was drawn between the oppression and state
violence committed by Israel on Palestine and Sri Lanka on the nation of
Eezham Tamils. Neither did any of the solidarity dignitaries nor
participants draw any parallel or an even a comment between Eezham and
Palestine.
The logic of solidarity expressed by The Hindu
associates on behalf of the Palestinian people and their struggle has
persistently been denied when it concerns Eezham. This evidences the
Indian national media’s role in delegitimizing the Eelam political
struggle through their control of public and popular opinion.
On
18 August, a panel discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
titled “War and Peace” was held in Chennai at the Indian Institute of
Technology.
The panelists for the discussion were another group
affiliated to The Hindu: Mr. Sashikumar, chairman of Asian college of
Journalism, Dr. Stanley Johny from The Hindu Business Line, Dr. Tabraz, a
professor of IIT Madras and Mr.Pradyot Baradwaj, a student of IIT
Madras.
The panelists were stridently opposed to Israel's
pounding of Gaza and Dr. Stanley Johny stressed the disproportionate
loss of Palestinian lives and property, which he pointed out as nothing
but the attack on Palestinian Nationhood. He gave a brief historical
background to the conflict from 2006, when Hamas won the majority in the
Palestinian election. He stressed the importance of inevitability of
Hamas retaliating to Israel’s structural genocide and said that the
human shield theory used by the Israeli state against the Hamas
militants is hogwash.
Mr. Sashi Kumar called Israel a rogue state and received a roaring applause from the audience.
One
of the students present in the auditorium questioned the panelist on
their double standards in their solidarity with Palestine and denial to
Tamil Eelam. The student noted out the similarities of the military
campaign against Tamil Eelam and Palestine and asked “Why are you ready
to see Hamas as a legitimate group fighting for their self
determination. Why do Liberals and Indian communists like many of you
dismiss the structural genocide against Eelam Tamil children and women
with apathy and scorn?”
Taken aback Shashi Kumar replied, "I
agree with you, if not for LTTE the Tamils would have been finished off
much earlier but the LTTE is a proto fascist organization, which killed
many Tamil groups"
In contrast, in an article carried in
Frontline on August 22, the following was written about Hamas and the
Israeli military attack:
“Demonising Hamas by characterising it
as a “terrorist” organisation, Israel started accelerating its game plan
for the scuttling of the two-state scenario envisaged in the Oslo
Accord […].The flattening of Gaza, in short, has nothing to do with
Hamas or terrorism. It is about never-ending control over Palestinian
land by the occupiers and denying Palestinians the freedom they have
been fighting for. Mahmoud Abbas, speaking for all Palestinians, issued a
heartfelt appeal as Israel was trying to bomb the civilian population
into submission.”
Chronology:
