Tamil diaspora calls off Pongkal, Vanni situation 'precarious'

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2009, 08:45 GMT]
The representatives of Eezham Tamil diaspora organisations in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States on Sunday said they were suspending all Pongkal celebrations as the situation of civilians in Vanni has reached intolerable limits. The announcement came as the Sri Lankan military was preparing for an all out war on densely populated territory in the northeast of Vanni. The diaspora representatives in a joint electronic message said it was "only the pressure from Tamil Nadu that could halt the genocidal onslaught on Tamils by the Sri Lankan armed forces on Tamils in Vanni."

"The genocidal war by the Sri Lankan state is being waged with the tacit approval of New Delhi and its Strategic Partners of the global order," the message said. It also said that the Tamils have lost "even the little hope," which they had on the International Community. But, the IC, which has been dominated by the Strategic Partners of the Geo Politics order have "clearly exposed themselves by their statements issued after the Sri Lankan occupation of Ki'linochchi," they said.

The organisations were also making arrangements to observe the Pongkal Day as Thirva'l'luvar Tamil New Year following the stand taken last year by Tamil Nadu government, associating the New Tamil reckoning of year with the birth of Thiruva’l’luvar and with Thiruva’l’luvar Era.

Tamils of all shades jointly celebrate Pongkal as a common festival of Tamil identity.

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