Gagged Tamil leadership fumbles on telling truth

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 August 2012, 23:32 GMT]
Eezham Tamil political leaders in the island refused of visa by the New Delhi establishment to participate the TESO conference convened by the DMK chief Mr. Karunanidhi, fumble on telling the truth. Instead of letting the world know that they were unable to do justice to the democratic struggle of Eezham Tamils due to New Delhi and Colombo jointly gagging them, they surrender by simply saying that they had cancelled their participation considering circumstances, commented new generation Tamil political activists in the island. The Sinhala politician, Dr. Wikramabahu Karunaratne is honest in bringing out the circumstances to media. Three years ago, Mr. Karunanidhi in the hands of New Delhi was accused of dishonesty and betrayal. Whether the Eezham Tamil leadership is in his shoes now, the activists asked.

Sending a note to TamilNet and other media outlets on Friday, Dr. Karunaratne came out with the following statement on the status of his Indian visa for participation in the TESO conference:

“I was invited by ex chief minister Karunanidhi. He telephoned me and I agreed to participate. I got the invitation letter dated 14th July on 20th July and I applied for visa 27 July. Aug 2 I got the e-ticket from ex CM's office. I was asked to collect the passport on 3 August. When I went to collect the passport on 8, agency told me that visa was not given. I informed Karunanidhi’s office, and an hour later, I was requested by the Indian HC council Sunil that I should bring the passport to Indian HC for visa on 9th morning. I handed over the passport to Ramesh Ayyar, the visa officer, on 9th 9.:0 am. Thereafter no communication and passport is in Indian HC.

Dr. Karunaratne further stated:

“I was planning to say that Mahinda regime, who was supported by India in his genocidal war, has not done any thing to implement the political recommendations of the LLRC report. Instead he is building roads, hotels and other structures for the benefit of MNCs grabbing lands of Tamils. There is non-consultation even with TNA MPs. Military is everywhere and military rule is supreme. However we are campaigning against this set up. The protest of the opposition which includes UNP, TNA, DPF, and the left is having success in actions and meetings. We all agree with LLRC recommendations and demand full implementation. NSSP believes that this will be a serious step towards autonomy for the Tamil homeland. Today the government is unpopular and opposition was able to mobilize trade unions, peasant movements, fishers associations and students. If Mahinda continues his chauvinist oppressive policies he will be thrown out and a government that will implement LLRC could come to power.”

With all respect to the good but naïve intentions of Dr. Karunaratne, the thrust of the LLRC recommendations is the annihilation of the identity and territoriality of the nation of Eezham Tamils in the island, and this goes contrary to Dr. Karunaratne’s earlier spirit of recognizing the nation and right to self-determination of Eezham Tamils, the activists in the island commented, but adding that they appreciated the Sinhala leader’s exposure of the joint suppression of polity in the island by Colombo and New Delhi.

The TNA leaders Mr. Sampanthan and Mr. Maavai Senadhiraja also have earlier told media circles that they had been personally invited by Mr. Karunanidhi and they wished to honour it.

The TNA and Mr. Mano Ganeshan came out with statements on the cancellation of their participation in the TESO meet, without revealing the true reasons. The TNPF is silent, even though the circumstances were the same.

Meanwhile, sections in a leading diaspora outfit have been ‘advised’ to revise its constitution to drop the sovereignty of the nation of Eezham Tamils to accommodate ‘non-descriptive self-rule,’ informed circles said.

The entire scenario is one such that even the democratic polity of Eezham Tamils is brutally gagged in the island, in India and in the diaspora. Those who play a role in Tamil leadership are obliged to tell the truth and expose the culprits, so that, if they can’t do justice to the struggle any further the next generation would do it and take care of the culprits in appropriate democratic ways, the new generation political activists in the island said.

TESO would do a great service if its resolutions and future operations were going to be of any substance in providing confidence to the gagged leaders in the island. Tamils all over the world are watching whether TESO is going to do any justice to the polity or is going to advocate succumbing to the gag, the activists further said.