On looking at the activities of some elements, we are only reminded of the dialogue that Arignar Anna penned for a Tamil movie, “The unemployed on the road sides : Dangerous ideas in the minds of the unemployed; O’ King! This is the sign of time”.
For decades now the DMK had been organizing several agitations for the cause of Eelam Tamils as and when they were required and their intensities depending upon the existing situations. Following the end of liberation war in Sri Lanka in 2009 resulting in enormous loss of human lives and dislocation of tens of thousands of Eelam Tamils from their places of living and loss of livelihood for lakhs of them, DMK President Kalaignar revived the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation, which was the compulsion of time to mobilize international and national opinion against atrocities committed by the tyrannical Sinhala regime of Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka and in favour of the immediate and long term requirements for justice to be rendered to Eelam Tamils. The TESO organized a huge conference for the Rights of Eelam Tamils in August last year, which was attended by many prominent leaders of national parties in India and delegate-representatives from various nations and international human rights organizations. Several important resolutions were adopted in the conference. Thereafter, these resolutions along with memorandums were presented by representatives of the TESO personally to the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Organisation in New York, USA and to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UNHRC, Geneva for their perusal and actions. This was also followed up by the TESO representatives meeting envoys of nations in India in New Delhi and urging them to persuade their nations to take a favourable stand for Eelam Tamils at the session of the UNHRC in March in which a resolution on human rights record of Sri Lanka was to be taken up for review and further action.
As the UNHRC session started in Geneva and the situation in Sri Lanka had attracted international attention, the TESO stepped up the campaign against war crimes and violations of human rights by the Rajapaksa regime to ensure a resolution against Sri Lanka adopted in the international body with the support of nations all over the world. To demonstrate the solidarity of all the people of Tamil Nadu with their kin in Eelam in Sri Lanka, the TESO announced a massive picketing of the Sri Lankan mission in Chennai on March 5 and Kalaignar appealed to all Tamils having concern for their brethren in Sri Lanka to join the protest cutting across political affiliations. However some fringe outfits, which are more blinded by their apathy for the DMK and more particularly for Kalaignar than the cause of Eelam Tamils, announced afterwards of the same action programme on a day earlier, March 4. 17 outfits including MDMK jointly organized the protest with just 350 to 550-600 (as reported in all dailies, both English and Tamil on March 5) which would not send a positive signal to the world from the land of Tamils. But the TESO agitation on the next day, March 5 was so massive that even the die-hard anti-DMK dailies had to publish fair reporting.
On the same evening of this successful stir, the TESO consultative meeting was held in Anna Arivalayam, decided for a general strike all over Tamil Nadu on March 12 urging the Centre to support the US sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka and appealed to all sections of people irrespective of political affiliations to support the general strike. In his interview after the success of the picketing programme, Kalaignar said that it was not only the DMK and TESO which organized this stir, but some others had also conducted stirs, for which ‘we extended support’.
In direct contrast to this mature generosity of the seasoned leader, the MDMK leader very hastily issued a statement that Kalaignar, at the behest of the UPA government at the Centre, is trying to divert the issue by announcing the general strike in order to cover up the betrayal of India on the issue of Eelam Tamils. There is a saying in Tamil that “M¤Âu¡fhuD¡F ò¤Â k£L” which means the ill-tempered has less knowledge. This person has said “Since anger against the Lankan regime and grief over Lankan Tamils are fast growing among people of Tamil Nadu, the UPA government is using DMK to divert people from the issue instead showing the path of justice” seeking separate land for Eelam Tamils through referendum. What a contradiction in his statement? If anger is growing among the people of TN against the Lankan regime, the best way to channelize it is by supporting the general strike and not by sabotaging it as he wants. He is confident that Kalaignar will not retaliate saying like him that “Jayalalitha is using the MDMK and other such elements to divert people from the call for general strike and disrupt it”.
The MDMK leader also commented about the US resolution to be moved in the UNHRC that it won’t pave way for justice to Lankan Tamils. The wordings of the US resolution is still not known certainly. It was on the various versions of the draft resolution of the US published by the media in India that the amendments to be made in it were discussed for over two hours in the consultative meeting of the TESO on 25.2.2013, and they will announce in consultation with all in the seminar to be held in Delhi on 7.3.2013. But the MDMK leader has unnecessarily condemned Kalaignar as if he is diverting the issue. Hasn’t he to acknowledge the acrimonious words exchanged on roadside? He has done that using Eelam Tamils issue for their settling scores.
He has said that solution for Eelam Tamils is only creation of Independent Tamil Eelam. Even during his press meet on 22.3.2012 Kalaignar replied that “ Tamil Eelam is the only solution and my dream” and the TESO resolution also insisted for a UN referendum among Eelam Tamils and expatriates to decide their future by themselves. Has Vaiko conveniently forgot it or purposefully conceal it to please his present benefactor ruling the State.
This person and the other lonely ‘Nedu’ could remember 1962 and 1971 and recollect the stands of Jawaharlal Nehru on South African racist regime and that of Indira Gandhi on Bangladesh respectively. But how easily they feign forgetfulness of Jayalalitha on 17.1. 2009 defending the Lankan army’s killing of Tamils during the final phase of war saying “collateral loss of innocent lives in any war is normal and it was not the intention of the Lankan army to kill Tamils but the LTTE is using them as human shield”or their own 18 months imprisonment during her regime for speaking in favour of the liberation struggle in Eelam? Is it convenience or concealment? When for sheer electoral gains she diametrically changed tunes in two months and said in March 2009 that she would send army to Sri Lanka and secure separate land for Tamils, these “champions” shamelessly supported her, but the people of TN were wiser than them to believe her opportunism and inflicted defeat for her in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Jayalalitha hates the very word Tamil Eelam and always maintains that there is only Sri Lanka.
While these outfits were resorting to only token hysteric actions with handful of protestors the approach and actions of the DMK were wholesome and sustained which has now resulted in national consensus and international intervention.
Let this person be not grateful to Kalaignar for making him member of the Rajya Sabha for three consequitive terms and thus introduce him in national politics. But let him not unnecessarily drag him for his baiting to please his benefactor. Kalaignar is known for his sacrifice and toil. Vaiko is known for betrayal and cunningness. Let him mind his words lest even his last minute misleading guidance to the militants which resulted in their defeat and killing of several thousand Tamils will be brought to light. r
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