28 March, 2024

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The Tamil Polity: From Ambivalence To Violence

By Rajan Hoole

Dr. Rajan Hoole

Dr. Rajan Hoole

1979 – 83: The Mounting Repression – Part I

The youth and the more radical elements felt that the parting of ways had come and that coexistence with the Sinhalese was no longer possible. Thus the Tamil bourgeois leadership had to adopt the slogan of “Tamil Eelam – the cry of a separate State – for their political existence…

They kept the people under an illusion, by such slogans calling the TULF leader Chelvanayakam the Mujibur of Eelam, and even hinted at taking up arms from election platforms. Critics of these slogans were called ‘traitors’ to the cause. However, little progress was made inside or outside parliament, apart from the TULF leadership praising [Jayewardene] as the greatest democrat in South Asia. At the same time the Tamil people faced the 1977 race riots…The TULF was impotent. As a result the sense of betrayal was acute amongst the youth and the people.” ~ Rajani Thiranagama, from The Broken Palmyrah

It is futile to describe July 1983 in terms of cause and effect. On the one hand we have the authoritarianism of those in power.

Their reliance on chauvinist ideology precluded their dealing rationally with the ethnic question. The more they tried to knock the Tamils into conformity, the more they lost control and the less real were their pretensions of control over what they conceived of as a unitary state from ancient times. In turn, the resulting nervousness made them more irrational.

On the other side, as a consequence of their being knocked about in bouts of communal violence and other forms of discriminatory treatment, many Tamils had by the 70s come to accept that they needed a violent arm. They were clear that they did not want this violent arm to become their rulers, but only to help the TULF, the main Tamil parliamentary party, to negotiate a decent settlement. This position also reflected a failure of moral and political imagination, and the inability of the Tamil community to muster a principled leadership and make the collective sacrifice required for a non-violent struggle.

It also suited elite Tamil inclinations to promote a jaundiced view of the ordinary Sinhalese people and avoid the nuisance of making sacrifices, while leaving it to the lower orders of society to bear the cost of militant violence. Thus, the TULF leadership exuded a certain ambivalence while promising a non- violent struggle. A TULF leader, who lived in Nallur South, was a refined man with an incisive mind. As with the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, he believed in achieving the separate state of Tamil Eelam through Indian intervention. He had a regular stream of concerned Sinhalese visitors from the South to whom he would very logically in his patient, cultured manner explain the TULF position. Privately he opined that little good would come from the Sinhalese.

The problem with the kind of mindset that was common among the Tamil elite, is its failure to take a responsible view towards the Sinhalese people and to see that the fundamental interests of the Sinhalese are very similar to those of their Tamil counterparts. They also failed to see the need to convince the Sinhalese that Tamil demands are fair in themselves and are not a threat to them. It was a chauvinist approach, albeit the chauvinism of the under-dog. It played into the hands of the chauvinists in the South supported by state power.

A further illustration from the TULF leader mentioned also brings out a serious problem with the TULF. The Jaffna secretary of the Communist Party, Mr. I.R. Ariyaratnam, was his back-door neighbour, separated by the two fences of an access lane. In a conversation in 1975, the Secretary expressed his strong disapproval of the murder of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah by the militant youth. The TULF leader responded, “What else can you do with him?” Taken aback, the communist responded, “Today it is Duraiappah. One day they will come for you!

This TULF leader, an MP, was disillusioned with the long drawn out negotiations with President Jayewardene, which seemed to lead nowhere. He advocated talking to the Indian Government and could not understand the party leader Amirthalingam’s persistence in talking to Jayewardene. He was exasperated with the leadership’s hesitation in going to India and was apt to say some strong things. Though being a heart patient, in 1981, he personally went on a mission to talk to the Indian Government and succumbed to a heart attack in India, so defying his communist neighbour’s prophecy. Eight years later the LTTE killed his party leader and another fellow MP.

A number of TULF activists in this leader’s circle formed the following year, in 1982, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Front, led by an elderly physician and former mayor of Jaffna, Dr. Tharmalingam – nearly all of them personally very non-violent and moderate men. Their number included Kovai Mahesen, a Brahmin and editor of Suthanthiran (Harbinger of Freedom), a paper owned by the family of the late leader, S.J.V. Chelvanayakam. Another key TELF member was M.K. Eelaventhan, a former Central Bank employee and disciple of the late Yogaswami – a well-known religious teacher based in Colombogam on the outskirts of Jaffna Town. The TELF’s main grievance was that the TULF had compromised on the goal of a separate state for which it had received a mandate in the 1977 elections. (The LTTE used the same ‘mandate’ from 1986 as a pretext for massacring other militant groups and even leading TULF personalities!)

Two developments had precipitated the formation of the TELF. One was that in the months following the formation of the District Development Councils in mid-1981 as a means to a political solution, the widespread perception became that they were an eyewash devolving no real power and that the financial provision was inadequate for any serious development work. A proposal by the Jaffna DDC to start a badly needed passenger boat service (of course with all the normal customs and immigration procedures) to the Tamil Nadu coast was disallowed by the Government. The need for the ferry was because flights to India from Palaly had been stopped after a fire-bomb was left behind in a passenger plane from Jaffna, which had landed in Colombo. This was in September 1978.

The DDC elections in Jaffna, in June 1981, had been traumatic for the people. Along with disruptive attempts by PLOTE militants and political killings, there were brazen attempts by the Government to rig the elections in favour of the UNP. The grand finale was arson by the Police, which included the burning of the Jaffna Public Library, the press of the Eelanadu daily and the house of Yogeswaran, MP. Mr. & Mrs. Yogeswaran narrowly escaped the drunken policemen, only to be murdered by the LTTE many years later, in separate incidents.

The TULF leader, Mr. Amirthalingam as a result of these developments came under heavy pressure, both at home and abroad, to go for a UDI – Unilateral Declaration of Independence. On a tour abroad during early 1982, Amirthalingam doughtily defended his position of pushing the Government towards a workable political settlement. He addressed many public meetings among the diaspora. There was protest and heckling. But even so, Amirthalingam was yet the king. The Saturday Review which was started in Jaffna about this time and edited by S. Sivanayagam, was seen by many to lean towards the TELF position even though it admitted a variety of views.

*To be continued..

*From Rajan Hoole‘s “Sri Lanka: Arrogance of Power – Myth, Decadence and Murder” published in Jan. 2001. Thanks to Rajan for giving us permission to republish. To read earlier parts click here

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Latest comments

  • 2
    0

    Yes, TULF was very ambivalence in their approach achieving the due rights of Tamil minorities from a chauvinist majority government going forward, I mean, there was nothing like Tianamen Square in terms of non-violence struggles. Of course, the baton charge by SL police of Dr Naganathan at Galle face Stayagragam was over played and Selva was compared to Majibir of Tamil Eelam, there had been not much for moderates to claim that they used all the means that were available for them had been exhausted, only buzz words and dramas. At the least, in hindsight we could say TULF could not muster the support of moderates to stage a resilient and robust non-violent struggle that otherwise must have put SL government put spot light. Ironically what TULF trying was on the one hand, they wants to show GoSL that they have nothing to do with militant, on the other what they had been trying with Tamil people was that they were very close with boys, just to harness the popularity they boys have had to maximize their chances winning electoral votes. In my view, TULF didn’t see what was coming from youth uprising, Amir saw a Thambi (brother) in VP, but VP has had something else in his mind. That was how things were disorganized, ultimately the top layer of the TULF leadership had become the victims. Had this been sacrificed in a non-violent struggle, a bargaining opportunity could have been turned in minorities’ favor, and kith and kin of those who made the great sacrifice would feel proud rather than being ridiculed as traitors by LTTE and their sympathizers.

    The actual situation in SL was, Sinhalese in general thought and scared that Tamils have united and fighting for a cause that would jeopardies SL being a sovereign nation, Tamil moderates’ days were being countered down. What happened after it, is history. VP became a leader accidently and he was a lone figure those days and later developed into a gangster deserved to be leader of a gang. It is unfortunate for Tamils that Thankathurai was captured and was a victim of 1983 program, if he was out and about, VP could have listen to him. Even if VP had caught by SL police like Kalapathy and Loganathan in the shooting of AT, destiny of the minorities may have been different and the all sacrifices made by innocent youth, particularly after witnessing and escaped deaths in the 1983 program. All in vein now, which is sad. The fact is we didn’t have a moderate leader of Mujivir caliber nor was a militant leader of Thangathurai or Balakumar caliber. That is sad but the truth.

  • 17
    26

    Neither satyagraha nor militancy did come naturally to the Tamils. They did not understand the dynamics of both. Non-violence was a charade that could not withstand State violence, although much was made of it by Chelvanayagam & co. A mole hill was portrayed as a mountain. Militancy was a graft that was imposed brutally and could not be sustained. It with time became a curse. Both were grafts that failed, leaving behind a society in turmoil.

    The Sinhala leadership was as blind as bandicoots to understand the rationale and dynamics of the Tamil grievances, and made little effort to find solutions. They also made a mountain of a mole hill for cheap political gain.

    All of us paid a heavy price that we could not afford as a result.

    Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

    • 32
      10

      Rajasingham,

      It is sad that it took 140,000 lives and a solid thrashing of your favourite regime after 7 years of misrule for you to finally concede that (a) Militancy was a graft that was imposed brutally, and (b) The Sinhala leadership was as blind as bandicoots to understand the rationale and dynamics of the Tamil grievances?

      In the three or four years when you were in the pockets of the MR regime, you were all gung-ho trying to convince what a benevolent and altruistic clan of leaders the Sinhalese and MR regime in particular were. You in fact wrote very explicitly that you had full confidence in MR’s regime, (and laughably claimed you knew that because of your super-human instincts in mindreading imparted to you by the Vet school). Didn’t you do all that just for the handful of shillings that the MR regime was able to dupe you with?

      In any case, you are wrong again – the Sinhala leadership is not as blind as bandicoots! That is not the reason for their relentless dismissal of the Tamil grievances. The Sinhala leadership of all parties, beginning from Banda, have intentionally and very carefully, cultivated, nurtured, and progressively expanded, election after election, a hatred and enmity between the ethnic groups, because that was the sure-fire way to a block vote, ignoring and diverting attention from all the growing economic ills! That is what they continue to do, and are now in the second phase turning focus on Muslims, now that they have silenced the Tamils. If you cannot see that, guess who the blind bandicoot is!

      Leadership will not change their tune until voters begin to see the light – the truth of what these extremist policies have actually done to the country – furiously exporting daughters, mothers, wives and sisters as maids, rather than help harness the resources internally for nation building. From the pearl of the orient, far superior to even Singapore in the 50’s to worse than the scum of the earth dictatorships of Africa! That is the progress the Sri Lanka leadership can be proud of!!

      • 11
        21

        Kumar,

        Although I have not commented before, I have been reading this website over a long time. Your above comment and those of a similar nature over the years, are ugly and vicious. I have been reading Dr.Narendran’s articles and comments over the years and have found them objective, sensible and thought provoking. He has been consistently for ethnic reconciliation and has fearlessly said what he had to say, even while writing under his own name.I think many readers will endorse my comment.

        • 19
          8

          “Although I have not commented before, I have been reading this website over a long time. “

          we heard that when you support palestine and also read him write that the northern army pays for prostitution while tamils do not because the GA informed him. Can you confirm that because he makes tea in his pyjamas.

          he has grown senile and intrusive into other professions of technology which require at least 7 years of study unlike his 3 year veterinary qualification. Wiki and web are his new gods who would demolish us all- porriki velala from the village can never be anybody like his other supporter Anpu the cut and paste engineer.

          I have checked out from friends at new delhi why they massacred his relatives….

          He is just another chameleon who has lost his last boss Mahinda unlike Senguttuvan who was well read on philosophy and did not say I know it all. Sengu must have got a top job and business from Ranil whom he used to meet at Bamba temple.

          • 3
            16

            arancha

            “I have checked out from friends at new delhi why they massacred his relatives…”

            you can also tell your friends in new delhi that the tamils will actively help the chinese to destabilise india via srilanka and break it up into southern india and the rest.

            The reason the tamils will do that is because of the IPKF atrocities for which not a single jawan was punished.We will be laughing all the way to china one day when india is smashed by the encirclement of china.However we will see that our dravidian brethren do not suffer by helping them to partition themselves from the rest of your aryan india,just like the muslim india did with pakistan.Our stupid dravidians did not have a leader like jinnah.

            So you can gloat over these massacres but we tamils have a long memory and will never forget or forgive until we get our revenge on india.

            thanks for the 50000 houses bribe.it won’t stop us from joining with the chinese and the sinhalese and the muslims to destabilise india.

            • 15
              8

              “”you can also tell your friends in new delhi that the tamils will actively help the chinese to destabilise india via srilanka and break it up into southern india and the rest.””

              WhoooooHoooo!

              Stupid bigots do not understand Chinese psyche ask your transsexual association USA headed by baldie what happened to your peeelam ambassador to south sudan.

              China had ongoing projects valued at $100billion at Sudan and all said it was impossible to try Sudan. When the CIA decided to bomb China was the first to leave and Sinopac alone lost $60billion contract.

              Go get a tip cut before trying shake the unshakable at the present moment of time.

              IPKF was commanded under 2 school dropouts Sonia and Rajiv and neither are sons and daughter of the soil (rajiv product of islam not indian- a flaw by the naked fakir)
              IAF only lets in engineering graduates and to do pakistan and create bangala in 7 days is a world record. It was to india’s advantage.
              Go to New Delhi and say you are JT and hang around boat club and see what happens.
              You tamils are village bumpkins who are good at belching and farting.
              Gota with his power tried 2 things – I will get the Chinese to train our forces to USA and after that 2 subs.
              So where is the full power but in prison. You try and end up like fatso VP your father.
              If the world was frightened of brown skinned terrorist then you never find others walking the streets.

              “thanks for the 50000 houses bribe.” you are ill informed .that was a compliment for wiping out the tamil menace.
              What is important is the $1.5 billion swap on 15Jan 2015 to stop the devaluation of the SLR as Mara had `helicopter money` go refer what is H.M. different from stimulus.Therefore MR debt was not the books

            • 11
              5

              shaker,

              “.My opinion of you because i am not cultured,is that you are a arsehole who came out of the arse of your mother feaces and all.”

              Then you definitely are an animal and should be put down by the dog squad.
              Or we could ask mudalali to do a white van on you.

              Then we could have pansal and dansal in celebration that we got rid of the pulli padde. karuna , douglas would not mind because they have no b***s like you.

          • 11
            17

            ” I have checked out from friends at new delhi why they massacred his relatives…. “

            Does your profanity know no limits. Whoever you are, you are a CAD of the lowest order!

            ( I hope CT that has permitted this caddish comment, will permit this response to appear)

            Dr.RN

            • 11
              6

              “CAD”
              Computer Aided Design has no low order.

              You said it on CT that some members were bumped off by IPKF. The IPKF knew whom they bumped.

              you are stupid to not understand the jaffna tamil woman GA- when she is supposed to have told just you that army pays but tamil men do not pay for sex services. you had the audacity to try and convince the public that forces at war pay for such services.

              • 2
                14

                arancha

                i think Dr.R’s reference to you as a cad is a understatement really because he is a cultured person.My opinion of you because i am not cultured,is that you are a arsehole who came out of the arse of your mother feaces and all.The IPKF did not target anyone specifically but just to vent their anger at their losses.someone has to only say that person is a LTTE supporter and that will be enough for them.The first lesson india learnt not to muck around with your so called farting tamils was the bumping off of that idiot son of indira ghandhi.The rest will follow with the separation of dravidum from india with the help of china,tamils in srilanka,pakistan,muslims in india,and covertly the CIA.

                • 12
                  7

                  “”i think Dr.R’s reference to you as a cad is a understatement really because he is a cultured person.My opinion of you because i am not cultured,is that “”
                  “you are a arsehole who came out of the arse of your mother feaces and all.””

                  Hoooooo!

                  You are both products of vulture eaten culture demalas SC/ST.
                  barrow loads of manure so the buddhist monks construct buddha statutes to drive the stench away.
                  The fact that you plan to judge others to yours or his standards proves you are still in your animal stage. He being a vet treats animals by shoving the thermometer in animals backside.You see that is what he has done with you.

                  Ha ha. fing cowards crying for land and power. Ha ha

                  Take care TID is still in operation and you can be fixed anytime now that we are aware you roamed borella.

                • 10
                  7

                  “”The rest will follow with the separation of dravidum from india with the help of china,tamils in srilanka,pakistan,muslims in india,and covertly the CIA. “”

                  Ha ha Hooooo!
                  Like your Vet Naria you are making tea in your underpants.

                  Your specialty reading trash and quoting bogus stats of a nation your future generations will never live to see.

                  • 2
                    11

                    “making tea in your underpants.”

                    so javi you are back eh.Everytime you leave when you realise that nobody is interested in your crackpot writings that only neanderthal and human excreta cross like you can understand.Then you comeback with another name and you know how to manipulate the system to add more ayes and nays yourself.I can assure you that under whatever name you come nobody is interested in what you are writing understandable only to you.

                    reproducing one of your old time favourite tea in the underpants.

                    Please go and see a shrink quickly javi.

                    yes,i am from borella,wanathamulla in fact.You name it and i can find it even in nigeria.Even gota had to go scratching his arse when he tried his usual stunts with us.Wanathmulla is never scared of anybody.

                    Expect a knock on your door in the next 10 years and open it for the last time.

                    • 10
                      6

                      “”yes,i am from borella,wanathamulla in fact.You name it and i can find it even in nigeria.Even gota had to go scratching his arse when he tried his usual stunts with us.Wanathmulla is never scared of anybody.””

                      Con artist went to aquinas borella?

                      Ha ha Colombo 7 is beyond your dream Wanatha is your magazine prison borella where Sepala sent 32 JT’s to the abattoir during JVP insurrection

                      You are classic toddy tapper animal with thermometer up their..

                      “Please go and see a shrink quickly javi.”

                      like the chinese philosophy we shrink you before we stretch you. You can tell that to your chavi/javi or what not.

                      ” Expect a knock on your door in the next 10 years and open it for the last time.”

                      You are not european to even get close to my door. so keep it to your JT intercisine butchery that would make the world a happier place.
                      We then need less dallas drones to stop the skunk flowing in the north of lanka.

        • 16
          6

          Dharshana,

          Your defense of Rajasingham is not like that of many others before you, the Rasiahs, Rajeshes, NirmalNs, RagavaN’s, Neruppu (that turned out to be parippu) – all of which were Rajasinnghma surrogates, if not Rajasingham himself!

          In the off chance, you are indeed an independent, may I ask:

          Which of the items in my response were not the deeds of Rajaingham?
          • Was he not for three or four years in the pockets of the MR regime, trying to convince all of us what a benevolent and altruistic clan of leaders the MR regime was?
          • Did he not very explicitly assert that he had greater appreciation of the ground reality that gave him full confidence the MR’s regime was an honourable one, and will be honourable to dealing with Tamil grievances?
          • Did he not laughably claim super-human mindreading skills earned at Vet school that enabled him to make that assessment of MR?
          • Did he not appeal to the Diaspora to desist from seeking international assistance (just as much as DJ did) to address the ongoing humanitaian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of destitute Tamils held behind barbed wires
          • Did he not downright condemn the Diaspora for not funding the MR regime, and plead for them to cease their generous remittances to family and friends and instead divert that to MR and Gota admin?
          • Did he not later call MR the scum bag that even the worst of fools should recognize?

          Tell me which was ugly – my reminding him of his past blunders or the blunders themselves?

          Tell me if you did not read my suggestion at the very beginning of my communications with him that he owed an apology – an earnest, sincere, outright and courageous apology for his blunders? His response in reckless arrogance was that he stood by everything he wrote? Had he apologized I would have respected his sincerity. One can run but cannot hide!

          All what he writes presently is to conveniently bury his past, and pontificate empty rhetoric, fishing for a pat on the back from gullible readers (not unlike you I must say).

          As an ample illustration, he recently raised an ugly stink about “18 pairs of slippers for school children from destitute families,” in response to which I suggested that if he was sincere in his concern, he owe to resolve that quite easily by offering to pay back to that destitute community just a miniscule share of the material benefits he obtained from MR. The irony is that the money that MR spent on Rajasingham (a Diaspora then) was in fact from the donations MR received to help out that same destitute population!

          I appreciate the opportunity that you gave for me to make my case even more explicit – and if you still have further questions and unsure of where the ugliness resides, I will be happy to give you quite a few additional ones to convince you.

          • 5
            17

            Kovana Puhal Kumar R.

            Where were you all these while to return with your usual harangue against Dr R Narendran. Since I fell off with you I went on my holiday to a Banana Republic. Brexit vote also made me to take my holiday in advance.

            Your only theme is Dr Narendran. You hate him so much that you must be thinking of him even when you pass your early morning discharges.

            I know why you hate him. It is good if you tell this to the readers in your own words .

            Dr Narendran is my friend. I understand he is coming to London soon. I will be meeting him and inviting him for a dinner and also organise a public meeting in the Westminster.

            World is changing. Sri Lanka is changing. You must also change. I have given up Gin and Tonic. Instead having cool water. My God, I feel lots of difference in me and I ask you start with Perrier water.

  • 3
    12

    LOL from Ambivalence to violence!

    what did you think the likes of GG Ponnambalam did in 1930s? Violence does not mean taking guns into hands..even violent hateful speech can do that…since 1920s tamils started it

    • 14
      2

      Sachooooooo the dumb arse, anything Tamil is bad for you. The Tamils and other minorities are there to stay, so love it or fuc& off. Bastards like you ruin this beautiful country for all.

      • 3
        13

        I dont have any issue with minority staying in SL. It was you tamils who sent away all Muslims from North, minorities live among us.
        But the narrative that Tamils tried innocent childish methods and they took weapons later is WRONG and FALSE.
        It needs to be countered. the present predicament the tamils suffer is SOLELY due to the vellala politicians of North.

        GG Ponnambalam started racist politics of hatred in 1930s. Tamils were just outnumbered and not innocent or peaceful ever

        • 12
          2

          Sachooooooooothe stupid,

          “I dont have any issue with minority staying in SL. It was you tamils who sent away all Muslims from North, minorities live among us. “

          It was your fathers generation that deported all estate tamils and sucked the economy to sell your own women in ME sex slave market.
          tea is 17% when it was over 80% and would die in the next 30 years.
          Kanda natuva gahapan golf kande udda.

          • 5
            9

            Zorro:

            It is you people who brought back all those Indian Tamils deported from Tale Mannar to Kilinochchi and Resettled them vanni.

            some of those Sri lankan Tamils are those deported from burma. Tamils took by the British to Burma and some from Malaysia.

            Now talk about Vadukkodei resolution and homeland.

            • 4
              2

              The fact is the Portuguese Goa from 1505 to 1970 brought you so called sinhalese to the Island which was uninhabited. Everything about New World is chronicled and still maintained by Europe. you need scholarly permission to read those documents.
              That is why your first words are Spanish not north india sanskrit.
              your DNA is 28% Bangladeshi and the rest is south indian mix.
              If you were pure north indian then Indira G.would not have gone against you stupid settlers.

              Coming to the present: Now talk about yourself the baldies , kuddu and pakistan your business -partners.

        • 12
          1

          Once again Sachoooo the stupid proves himself to be a dumb arse. What else is new with him???

          It was you Tamils who sent away all Muslims from North, minorities live among us – Idiot Sachoo, Muslims are not a race but a religion. Also it was the LTTE, which chased the Muslims out of Jaffna not the Tamils. LTTE is a subset of the Tamil population. Just like racist scum amongst the Buddhists are not all Sinhalese but only a subset of the Sinhala population. Idiot Sachoo do you understand this or is it too hard for you to understand?

          Tamils tried innocent childish methods and they took weapons later is WRONG and FALSE – again Sachoo the clown has proved himself to be a complete jackass. Tamils tried? It was the LTTE who taught you filth amongst the majority a damn good lesson for 30 years. LTTE was rated as one of the most sophisticated terrorist organizations in the world. You call that childish? Ok if they were childish methods, then how is that the brave lions could not beat them for 30 plus years? Childish behavior of the LTTE accidently created an army, navy, air force, police, civil administration, world smuggling operation……..the list goes on, while your brave lions were sitting on their hand and using the other hand to pick their nose for 30 years. How many different armies of the world you needed to beat the childish guys from the LTTE……….Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, USA……….etc? What an idiot, disgraceful fellow.

          GG Ponnambalam, oh yes. One man single handedly destroyed this country eh? That means we had complete incompetent idiots in the south, who had no clue as to what was going on in the country. Oh boy, Sachoo it is time for you to climb into a tree and take a nap.

    • 10
      13

      Most Tamils are very dishonest. They don’t tell what really happened. Every Tamil writes here some how is a Tribalist. They don’t want to how GG ponnambalam created first Racial riots in 1930 or 1933 in Gampola or Nawalapitiya by saying How dumb sinhala villagers were and how brillient Tamils are because Colonial Master treated them well.

      They don’t want to talk how they came here as moving fishermen, kallathonis or brought as highcaste tobacco farmers.

      They don’t want to to talk how anti- Brahmin, anti-Hindi or anti-Hindu, how tribalist they are in their own Mother – state of present Tamilnad formerly known as Just South Indians and how they brought south Indian sentiments to northenr Sri lanka because they were moving freely between South India and Sri lanka. Now, only they are building their Northern Sri lankan Tamil culture by establishing everything in Tamil creating names that can notbe pronounced.

      They want freedom to spread anywhere in the island or dominate any university in the island on the other hand, they want north for they they themselves and Jaffna university for they themselves.

      For beating Jaffna university sinhala students, they say forces were backing the students. But, Tamils don’t talk even when or if the forces were backing those students were beaten by Tamils and sent them to hospitals with major inujries to four students.

      Even Rajan Hoole is a dishonest Tamil.

      The best conclusion I draw always is there are no good Tamils except the dead ones.

      Tamils Just want Ethnic enclave there in which High Caste tobacco farmers abuse dalits, blame everything on the southern Sinhala govt, and then ask for more.

      If they have some money they move to the south, if they have neough they move to the west and fight for the Homeland here because, They are Dalits in Tamilnadu.

      • 2
        13

        “The best conclusion I draw always is there are no good Tamils except the dead ones.”

        rabid racism is a sure sign of mental disease,probably caused by being a loser in life not able to achieve your dreams and aspirations.That frustration leads to bitterness towards scapegoats for ones failure.

        Are you taking your pills?If not please see a good shrink quickly before you end up in fully blown madness.I heard srilanka shrinks only give 5 minutes for a person.I don’t know how you can find the disease in 5 minutes in a complex organ such as the brain.They must be having a standard prescription for everyone who comes,even for those who say they laugh a lot.So try to see a western shrink,All the best for your future.

        • 13
          6

          Stench the Shaker!

          ““The best conclusion I draw always is there are no good Tamils except the dead ones.””

          I have to agree with Jim Softy and add the worse are the JT’s . they have always been filthy wheeler dealers. the sooner the army makes them vanish the nation would prosper.

          • 1
            10

            arancha/javi
            nobody takes you seriously you crackpot.Nobody even reads what you write.You can ask your pals to put the aye and nay to show others that someone is reading your nutty as a fruity crap ,but main thing is you know that no one reads it.That is enough for us.As i told you earlier only a fellow crackpot like you will bother to read your comments.After some time as usual when you realise that you will leave for a couple of months quite deflated and depressed that no one wants to touch you with a barge pole,then when you runout of your pills you will comeback with another name.Oh what a world we are in,full of crackpots and the way things are going it will only increase the mental disease virus.

            • 11
              5

              “nobody takes you seriously you crackpot.”

              Oh the sloth has come down the tree. Phew!!

              nandikadal- Armageddon Hooooo!

              Therefore you take a lot of effort to spew your Vaddukottai/Hydrocele garbage.

              You are devoid of human dignity so you know very little about us poor toddy tapper so get flushed.

              I lead others follow has always been my motto and that is our success.

              • 0
                6

                “I lead others follow has always been my motto”

                in your dreams.that is what i said you are a nutter.This confirms it.

                • 5
                  2

                  then go jump in Vaiko lungi he is SC/ST like you ideal marriage.

        • 10
          3

          “”rabid racism is a sure sign of mental disease,probably caused by being a loser in life not able to achieve your dreams and aspirations.That frustration leads to bitterness towards scapegoats for ones failure. “”

          sounds like you are mastrubating.

          What do arts graduates like you from lanka university know about mental disease, ?? you keep kissing the cows rear and applying its dung on forehead.
          The civilized world does not have a cure and the only medicine is a aspirin type tranquilizer which works 24 hours like an aspirin. i do not want to offer you scientific details because you are from a tamil terror organisation still waiting to kill civilians (from your comments on this thread)
          You nothern demalas are no different from ISIS but the ISIS will not back Fascist jaffna tamils after fatso VP doings.

          • 1
            7

            siri the gona

            “mastrubating”

            must be a cross between masturbation and menstruation no?village gonas,now wearing trousers and trying to be like us.

            • 8
              2

              Nandikadal, you got a medal for Deadication.

              • 1
                5

                gona siripala

                when your ancestors were running around in a loin cloth,mine were still fully clothed driven in horse and carriage.

                As for nandikadal you mention jungle man of north went where he deserved to be in the first place.

                you or he or your self proclaimed jungle man of the south mara will not understand about civilisation and the human evolving process from animals.Animals can’t build a civilisation nor humans who are not yet advanced in the animal to human evolution chain.Many of our parliamentarians for example are still gorillas minus the tail.ranil and siri are fully evolved humans,thank god we can have some respite now.

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMDHKuXx0AQ

                • 5
                  1

                  We are admiring your DEADICATION medal have fun all 3 in 1 with 90k homeland under the tree! Phew

  • 1
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    Tamil brothers/friends,

    Good idea struck me.

    Please don’t ask for Tamil rule for north and East only; ask for a Tamil rule for the whole island.

    Sinhalese would love it (provided there’s democracy); they’ll accept to live under you in a racially undivided country.

  • 6
    4

    These arm chair theoreticians who crtitize TULF and LTTE, what contribution did they make to the suffering Tamils. What sacrifices they made. Why did not they take leadership. Because these authors and commentators selfish scoundrels who are not capable of anything but crtitize the leaders. Why did they not develop relationship sinhala people and safeguard the Tamils. Author is several years older than Pirapaharan. In 1970. When Sinhala students put up posters there will blood flowing in Mahaweli if the 123 Tamil students come to Engineering faculty what author achieved with the sinhala students it was not politicians who put up the posters. It was sinhala students. Government backed Ariyaratnams CP, that reduced the number to 30. What did Ariyaratnam or author did to convince that it is wrong. Prof David Kumar did bring this up in the LSSP central committee. But to be told by Sinhalese that he saying that standardisation is wrong because he is a Tamil. David Kumar that he could only laugh at the guys ignorance but could not do anything more.
    But even today situation has changed. People like author are not willing make sacrifices. Lot of Tamil have made sacrifices. They might lost the battles. War is not lost. Irish fought 300 long years to achieve freedom.
    There have always traitors in the fight freedom. In spite of heavy losses Tamil people are stilling willing to fight for freedom albeit existence of traitors

    • 6
      2

      Rajah
      Instead of finding fault with the author and alleging he had not made any sacrifices, what sacrifice did you make or for that matter do to develop relationship with the Sinhalese people to safeguard the Tamils?
      It is comfortable to live in your own selfish ivory tower and find fault with those for reviewing the historical mistakes made in the past to avoid a future repetition.

      What evidence have you to show that late I.R.Ariaratnam who was a one time Head of Stanley College,Jaffna had played a role in limiting and supporting the government’s decision to reduce the intake of Tamil students to the engineering faculty to 30 just because he was a supporter of the CP which was part of the govt.then?

      What more sacrifices are you urging the Tamil people to make when in fact the irresponsible frivolous political adventurism that people of your mindset had kindled during the last thirty years which developed into violent terrorism and has now brought the Tamils down on their knees?
      Are you a supporter of the KP,Karuna gang from the Tamil diaspora who has made big profits during the war looking after the interests of MaRa & Gota during the last thirty years?

      • 2
        4

        I have made enough sacrifices by staying Sri Lanka. I have worked with enough sinhala people who themselves realise that only separate state is only solution to Tamils. You may not know while the traitorous political leaders except Wiggie and few provincial councilors common people are making the world know how racists Maithiri and his government is, risking the treatment from sinhala racist intelligence operatives. Packiasothy Saravanamuthu tells that he will publish his commission report, if the government does not. These are sacrifices. Author was back licking mara, the war criminal to get Vice Chancellor job of Jaffna university.
        Let us assume that I did not make sacrifices, I am descent enough not to criticise the leaders. Like I said Prof David Kumar Ariyarstnam even though built relationship could not change anything. So authors strategy of making relationship with sinhala political forces does not make things better as he says.
        We need to figure out how to get separate state.

        • 0
          0

          “I have made enough sacrifices by staying Sri Lanka. “

          it’s the biggest mistake you made in your life living the dream of a village bumpkin.i feel sorry for you because the world is such a beautiful place much beyond your dreams. if language is your problem then go to a place in the vicinity where the official language is English- Shillong capital of Megalaya where the world’s most domesticated rice grows – 20,000 varieties, spices etc like ceylon look it up on wiki.

          “We need to figure out how to get separate state. “

          Don’t dream of it your folk messed it and even a hindu can never put it right. The Indians will never ever trust you now or the sinhalese.
          The land is sure to go back to its rightful mother as a union territory like Puducherry but never a state.- That is the thinking US and India.
          When Trump takes the reigns you will witness him keeping his word of removing Iraq of the map and having Exxon within the month.Putin is his fan and admirer. Kim Jong would vanish and Putin Xi are working on it for Trump.

          • 0
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            I have travelled enough to all the continents. Write about the topic not about me

            • 0
              0

              ” travelled enough to all the continents. “

              Don’t be that stupid and display your ignorance- you are telling me that you have read all the books in a library even half the size of British library. We see many tourist of different sizes and shapes looking up but never seen all the continents in its glory even though they are millionaire nomads with all the time to spare. while Asians are not nomads.

              To put it bluntly you can’t have your ghetto land for your good as well as the rest of the population.- period. The army will have to be there permanently until that is accomplished . However if Wiggie can present a non ghetto plan even your worse enemy in the world would approve it.
              Pasku was chairman UDA ask him why ghetto is taboo even in the west CRIME- CT is not a school for me to teach you.
              Your first remote was from ghetto Tirunelveli. We urbanites learn from mistakes but you village bums never learn.

            • 0
              0

              I give you a hint about cities of the world- urban sprawl and economy of cities. Architects wife american Jane Jacobs had to run away to Canada because she wanted to retain the past which was not practical.
              Great writer of homeland and cities.

              Oh give me a home where the buffaloes roam… was a cowboy song of american settlers. You can only sing homeland and if you like to live then it would be one island- its the practical side while yours is like fatso school dropout maniac VP- how were your women killed? sic. learn to love yourself when there are 90k widows.

        • 0
          0

          I missed this important- the division in your community is killing you fellows and the world of tamils who do not follow your line of conflict.

          Here is one instance. When Cameron first came to power. William Hague and he were invited by your boat folk (diaspora) businessmen of UK. The 2 men praised your folk while BTF boasted about £2 billion turnover per year. Just after that one sincere tamil businessman asked BTF business to start a bank like the Gujarati’s have so that they may borrow and prosper than give it to other banks.BTF is only interested in power, glory with VVIP passports like the sinhalese.
          The bank of england lending rate is 0.25% and banks borrow to lend it at 19.9%. What a shame stupid untrusting village bumpkins who can never get together like the jewish families.
          My message is don’t live on false hope as you have no friends in the world because of your own seeking- may 2009 London was enough to seal our analysis. God helps those who help themselves.When there is money in your pocket the world spins for you.

  • 2
    8

    “It is futile to describe July 1983 in terms of cause and effect”

    I agree.the main lesson to be learned from july 83 is that a government should rule,not a mob.Mob rule set the clock back for us by 25 years.now we have to catch up with countries that were behind us or just ahead of us at that time.

  • 3
    1

    1
    “Their number included Kovai Mahesen, a Brahmin and editor of Suthanthiran (Harbinger of Freedom), a paper owned by the family of the late leader, S.J.V. Chelvanayakam. Another key TELF member was M.K. Eelaventhan, a former Central Bank employee and disciple of the late Yogaswami – a well-known religious teacher based in Colombogam on the outskirts of Jaffna Town.”

    Frankly, I cannot understand the significance of Kovai Mahesen being a Brahmin or of Eelaventhan being a former Central Bank employee or his being a disciple of the late Yogaswami or where Yogarswami lived.

    Ramasami Iyer was a founder ofg the Communist Party in Jaffna. That is significant for a Brahmin.
    Yogarsawami had scores of Hindu Vellaala ‘disciples’ from various walks of life. Eelaventhan brand of Tamil natioinalism had more to do with his proximity to Amirthalingam since the 1960’s.

    BTW,
    GGP & SJVC jointly owned the Suthanthiran which was running a huge loss. GGP did nothing to stop its publication, perhaps because in his view it hurt SJVC where it mattered and because the Suthanthiran preached to the converted and was not quite a vote gatherer.

    “A TULF leader, who lived in Nallur South, was a refined man with an incisive mind. As with the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, he believed in achieving the separate state of Tamil Eelam through Indian intervention.”
    If the person had an incisive mind, how come that he was daft enough to believe that it is possible tp secure “the separate state of Tamil Eelam through Indian intervention”?

    2
    I think that Hoole is imagining a monolithical “Tamil mindset”.
    The mindset he talks of applies to a certain class of Tamils or a group of classes that were elitist in their thinking.

    • 4
      2

      In fact Yogaswami who was above all differences of caste, creed,race and religions was responsible for Karthigesan’s appointment as a teacher of English at Hindu College Jaffna.
      When the members of the Hindu Board of Education which consisted of elite Vellalas was undecided about appointing him fearing he would cause trouble because he was a member of the Communist Party, Sir Vaithialingam Duraiswamy who was the Chairman sought the advice of Yogaswami and he is said to have recommended Com. Karthi’s appointment in his own pithy style ” Avan nallavan nallai padipipan avanai podu” meaning, he is a good man, he will be a good teacher appoint him”.
      Com. Karthi as he was popularly known later became the Principal of the school.

      • 3
        5

        Uthugan,

        A reliable tidbit about Yogaswany I heard from a friend yesterday. He was picked up in a car to go elsewhere on a day of satyagraha, near the Jaffna Kachcheri. The one taking him suggested that he could take him to see the satyagraha. His reply was ‘ Ennakenada angay Vellai’ (What have I got to do there).

        Dr.RN

        • 1
          2

          Dr.R.N
          Thanks.

    • 2
      0

      I think Rajan Hoole was referring to Kopay MP S. Kaithravelupillai. Because it can’t be Sivasithamparam who represented Nallur and who lived much longer, even though SK represented Kopay and Nallur. I remember that as a little boy I attended a meeting at a local library in Vadamaradchi where SK spoke to very senior party supporters.

      Though SK was close to the party leadership, and the public respected him as a ‘thinker,’ I doubt he ever understood the differences in the positions of leaders of Tamil Nadu vs the Central government and how that would play out.

      • 0
        1

        I too believe the reference to the Kopay MP Mr. S. Kathiravelupillai by RH is correct.
        He was a good man but he was not as clever as his he tax lawyer twin brother gifted with a profound analytical mind but was not involved in politics. I had heard him chiding his sibling for his simplistic political believes.

    • 3
      1

      “If the person had an incisive mind, how come that he was daft enough to believe that it is possible tp secure “the separate state of Tamil Eelam through Indian intervention”?”

      He was perfectly right at that time as far as India was concerned- An year after the freedom of bangladesh I met squadron leader chetan at his home in the airbase and asked him what it was like to carry out so many sorties and get freedom for 150 million living in 400 sq Km. He said it would take 3 days to capture Lanka but are the Tamils united like the bangladeshis?

      its the infighting of northern tamils that has brought the island to almost zero. imagine 2009 over a 100k protestors at London and you had no friends.
      At Belgium when the French at France create an issue the Flemish boycott all French products and the matter goes in for negotiation swiftly and it is solved. They have a king to their advantage so even the conflict of no government for 2 years was solved.

      An Unforgettable Royal Audience: John Adams meets King George III on June 1, 1785

      “I pray, Mr Adams, that the United States does not suffer unduly from its want of a monarchy.”

      For Adams, a Federalist and former British subject who was among the more conservative of American statesman, the meeting was a highly emotional one, and he recalled it vividly in a letter to his wife Abigail, who would have her own audience with the King’s consort, Queen Charlotte, only days later….

      After their initial audience, the King and Adams became friendly, and Adams was invited to free use of the King’s personal library, which now fills one of the front halls of the British Museum. The royal library includes a large collection of American books, fossils and other artifacts. It’s a pity that they didn’t form this friendship a decade earlier, in 1775, a pivotal year which saw King George declare before Parliament that the American colonies were in a state of rebellion.

      Had Adams and the King been able to negotiate as well then as they did in 1785, perhaps the War for Independence could have been avoided, and the American colonists been permitted direct representation in Parliament, or Dominion status.

      You fight among selves and expect collective freedom?? Then you get nothing because the yankees Truman knew why he partitioned – to set the muslim state (american proxy colony) against russia. now where is pakistan today and where will it be when Trump wins is your guess.

      • 1
        0

        Simon
        Indira Gandhi had no interest in the problems in Sri Lanka. She had come to terms with the Sirimavo regimes international policy. The FP tried baiting her but she wouldn’t bite.

        Incidentally, were Bangladeshi’s united when India got involved?
        The truth is that India had a score to settle with Pakistan at the time but not with Sri Lannka; and JRJ obliged with the occasion in 1977.

        And do you seriously believe the empty boast that “it would take 3 days to capture Lanka”?

        • 3
          1

          Tamils did not have access to New Delhi but it was karunanidhi who tried desperately. Since LTTE (later known) was at Madras they mingled with retired tamil defence personnel after the onion/chilli issue.
          Chetan is punjabi and for bangala main air base was nagpur because of valley running into kilometer high (deccan plateau). My connections are not nadu because it is underdog of centre. So I put the question to him How long for lanka not are you going to do it because neither he nor air marshal metha new.

          “Incidentally, were Bangladeshi’s united when India got involved? “
          muslims easily unite unlike others and a secret force of bengalis were trained by raw. Sure India needed to separate the 2 pakistanis ideologically for its own safety. They did it at a time China and USA were busy under the watchful eye of Russia.- therefore the speed but kissinger arrived before India could capture west pakistan- 7th fleet takes 4 days from japan so she withdrew.

          “and JRJ obliged with the occasion in 1977.”
          this 77 riots angered many common north indians and it was adverse towards tamils.

          “And do you seriously believe the empty boast that “it would take 3 days to capture Lanka”? “
          Yes even today with IAF not stupid army IPKF. If they ever come it would be with full vengeance irrespective of political command- personal matter of wounded soldiers and their next of kin.
          Therefore it is important to make friends.
          Anyway, it is going to be swallowed like sikkim when you are broke.
          Why do you think they are letting their tamil fishermen get clobbered unlike kerala /italy? It will all add to their credit in an international meet/court.
          Trump may undo what Harry Truman did then lanka goes back to hindustan.
          I don’t know the future but from a western point he is good for us as he is friend of Xi and putin so small nations can’t muck about playing China Russia politics. Behave or be dammed.

          • 2
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            Thanks for the amusing analysis
            … and the final warning– I promise to behave better than Kim Jong-un.

  • 3
    2

    When Rajan HOole says, Tamils politicians from ambivalence to violence, lor of tribalism there.

    He simply has forgotten how South indian tamils are viollent even in the fast and even right now in their motherland.

    when we summarize what every vocl Tamil has said regarding the Jaffna university incident, it clearly shows what Tamils are doing and how Tamils bullying, exploiting and manipulating the southwrn govt is.

    They never contributed to the country for the past 60 years. Only thing they have done is asking every everything where ever possible destroying every thing.

    NOw, it is hard for them to manipulate the Southern govt, and they have to gone to international arena to achieve it.

    My question is how long they do it and whether the southern govt stay silent until tamils ruin Sri lanka all over the world.

    • 4
      2

      “”My question is how long they do it and whether the southern govt stay silent until tamils ruin Sri lanka all over the world. “”

      Stick to northern tamils of lanka and mission would be accomplished like MR did in may 2009. Simple as that- vaiko even lose his lungi permanently. Jayalalitha is brahmin from karnataka and wont get involved when the going gets hot.
      We heard about a priest being assaulted at madras and stern action was taken- it won’t happen again. Fisherman being taken in and does the Indian navy object? No but when a kerala fisherman gets shot by Italian security the government goes into tug a war with italy and the spat is still on. Kerala has been in foreign service for long not Nadu.
      Even billboards of tamil nadu are in english and there are other states of india that have english as the official language.

      you could finish it faster if mangala can woe Trump the highland scot. Putin Trump and Xi think alike on these matters and May would not object.
      If you don’t the country would be bogged not only with military expenses but assassination of character internationally.

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