Empowering genocide-victims, particularly women, is nation-building: diaspora writer

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 November 2017, 20:16 GMT]
A France based Eezham Tamil diaspora writer, Parani Krishnarajani, who has been studying sexual violence unleashed on Tamil women and children in the aftermath of the genocidal war, says rape was not only used as a tool of war or as tool of terror, but as a tool of genocide with multi-pronged effects. The effects are well-recorded but not the intentions and how they were set in motion to achieve the end results that we are witnessing today in the society. The genocidal intent seems to vary from suppressing the memories of valour of Tamil women from the times of Pirapaharan’s LTTE and to the destruction of their familial set-up, nullifying all positive social transformations that had been achieved during the times of the armed struggle. The nation of Eezham Tamils should empower the victimised Tamil women on the ground through evolving familial institutions for them.
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Veteran journalist of Tamil Eelam passes away at 87

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2017, 16:07 GMT]
S.M. Gopalaratnam (SMG), the most senior journalist to serve the Tamil Eelam liberation struggle with a prolific journalistic career in the Tamil-language press with more than 50 years of continuous service, passed away at the age of 87 at his residence in Batticaloa on Wednesday. Born in Jaffna and based in Batticaloa, Mr Gopalaratnam joined Virakesari in Colombo as a proof-reader in 1953 and rose to the level of sub-editor in the same year. SMG joined Jaffna-based Eezha Naadu daily in 1961 as one of the founding editorial board members and served the paper for 20 years covering the non-violent struggle of Eezham Tamils. He narrowly escaped from an arson attack by the occupying Sinhala police who burnt down the office and machinery of Eezha Naadu the very night the Jaffna Public Library was put to ashes in 1981.
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SL constitutional discourse seen coupled with ‘Vision 2025’ policy of genocidal Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 October 2017, 23:00 GMT]
The World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have influenced the Colombo-based unitary system to prepare ‘Vision 2025’, a policy which gives a face-lift to the ‘development paradigm’ of genocidal Sri Lanka. The drafters of SL Constitution, engineering ‘reforms’ in the unitary system, are also the agents serving the external masters. The new constitution is going to be the bed-rock for many more so-called reforms and Acts to be enacted in future to permanently lock the island as a single-unit into the bandwagonism of the West. New Delhi has already been locked in the grid as a ‘Strategic Partner’. The interim report on the constitutional discourse should be seen coupled with ‘Vision 2025’, launched in September jointly by SL President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
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Genocidal ‘Sri Lanka’ sentences life imprisonment to popular Tamil artist

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 July 2017, 20:12 GMT]
Popular Mridangam artist Kannathasan Kanesasundaram, who is a lecturer at the Arts faculty of the University of Jaffna and who was formerly the director of Tamil Eelam College of Fine Arts while he was a member of LTTE's Political Division, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a High Court of the judiciary of genocidal Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The news has sent shockwaves across the intellectual community of Eezham Tamils. The 50-year-old father of three has been earlier released after SL military ‘rehabilitation’. However, he was again targeted by the SL military intelligence through a family that had lost their daughter in the war. The artist, known by his stage name Tha'nikai-maa'ran, was a close associate of Eezham Tamil Poet Puthuvai Ratnathurai, whose whereabouts is still not known after the occupying Sinhala military had him in its custody in May 2009.
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Understanding ‘Quisling politics’ and facing it with ‘Navaratnam School of Thought’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 July 2017, 23:31 GMT]
The internal and external proponents of unitary constitution of genocidal ‘Sri Lanka’ want to remove Justice C.V. Wigneswaran from the position of Chief Minister in the NPC at whatever price before selling the Singapore principle-based SL Constitution to Eezham Tamils. The proponents want to preserve the unitary character of SL State. This means preserving the genocidal character of the SL State as far as Eezham Tamils are concerned. All the previous constitutions in the island have been rejected by Tamils. Knowing the Tamil discourse of the past very well, the external powers, particularly the West, is currently promoting ‘Quisling politics’ among Tamils. It is therefore vital to grasp the synthesis of the Quisling politics and regain the strength to address it through the approach embraced by enlightened leaders of Eezham Tamils in the past.
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Eezham Tamils mark MGR’s birth centenary

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 January 2017, 21:53 GMT]
The birth centenary of the late M.G. Ramachandran, a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who extended his support to the struggle of Eezham Tamils and wholeheartedly backed both Thanthai S.J.V. Chelvanayakam and LTTE Leader V. Pirapaharan, was emotionally marked in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils on Tuesday. The people of Aaladi in Valveddith-thu’rai (VVT), mobilized themselves to renovate the statue of MGR, which was destroyed by the Sinhala military near Mr Pirapaharan’s house.
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University of Jaffna commemorates Tamil Eelam Heroes

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2016, 22:47 GMT]
Delivering a sharp message against the threats coming from armed Sinhala policemen of genocidal Sri Lanka, who stormed the hostel premises in the early hours of Wednesday and warned the students not to mark Tamil Eelam Heroes Day, the entire University on Friday confluenced at Kailaasapathy Hall commemorating Tamil Eelam Heroes Day. Academics and students, including Muslim and Sinhala students, took part in the memorial event lighting candles in front of the symbol of Kaarthikaip-poo, the flower declared by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the national flower of Tamil Eelam. Photos celebrating the life of LTTE Leader Veluppillai Pirapaharan and posters paying tribute to fallen Tamil Eelam Heroes were put up at several places. The move, planned in total silence, was quickly mobilised as the students wanted to mark it before the weekend this year.
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Veteran Eezham Tamil archivist passes away at 81

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 June 2016, 01:24 GMT]
Mr R. Kanagaratnam (Kurumpasiddi Eraa Kanagaratnam), who tirelessly collected Tamil and English newspaper clippings and manuscripts related to political and cultural affairs of Eezham Tamils for almost 6 decades, has passed away at the age of 81 in Kandy on Wednesday. The leaders of Tamil Eelam and Tamil Nadu respected Mr Kanagaratnam for his contributions to the modern archival history of Eezham Tamils as well as his continued focus on the historiography of Tamils living across the larger region, from Fiji Islands to South Africa. His unique contribution to the nation of Eezham Tamils was collecting, archiving, microfilming and at the same time ensuring secure storage of the Tamil and English documents outside the island – all achieved through his focused and relentless efforts. He was an institution by himself.
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Veteran drama artist Maamanithar S.T. Arasu passes away

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 February 2016, 23:18 GMT]
Veteran Eezham Tamil drama artist Kalaapooshanam S.T. Arasu, who was betowed with the highest civilian Maamanithar title by LTTE Leader Velupillai Pirapaharan in 1990, passed away after a brief illness at the age of 89 in Nalloor, Jaffna on Friday. Sivakkolunthu Thirunavukkarasu (S.T. Arasu) received an emotional funeral service, attended by Tamil artists, academics and politicians on Sunday. As a multi-talented creative artist, S.T. Arasu has worked with prominent drama directors of his times and has contributed at various fronts including make-up and music. S.T.Arasu had a keen interest in sculpture and was also a professional photographer.
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TPC success depends on geopolitically addressing national question

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 December 2015, 18:22 GMT]
Tamil People’s Council (TPC), a 30-member body launched in Jaffna on 19 December consisting of three-member co-chairs that includes NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, has gained momentum and hype despite the shortcomings in the formation of an institution bringing together political, religious, civil activists and professionals at a critical juncture. The TPC is set to meet on Sunday to discuss the way forward to articulate the Tamil outlook for a political framework in resolving the Tamil national question. Those involved in the move should rise above the average introvert dialectics and conceive the TPC as a platform in articulating the real aspirations of the nation of Eezham Tamils to the outside geo-political ‘conflict managers’, who seek to contain the aspirations of the people, Tamil political observers in the island said.
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Tamil leadership need not shy away or react to unfair challenge coming from Sumanthiran

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 November 2015, 03:34 GMT]
The Eezham Tamil leadership should positively consider seeking pardon from the Tamil-speaking Muslims, explaining the dynamics, going back to the root of the evil lying in the mentality of the sections of elite of all sides in upholding the colonially created Colombo-centric genocidal State in the island and its patrons outside, commented Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island. The Muslim grievances, as often highlighted by them, do not begin from the LTTE eviction of Muslims from Jaffna. They start from Sir. P. Ramanathan, lawyering and achieving impunity for the Colombo-centric Sinhala leadership’s crimes against Muslims in the Puththa'lam pogrom of 1915. The dynamics of Colombo, now added with international partners in deploying ‘lawyers’ to seek impunity continues to this day, the activists said.
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David in 2012: Diaspora duty-bound in advancing independent polity of Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 October 2015, 23:32 GMT]
The late Gandhiyam David, when interviewed in Tamil Nadu in 2012 for TamilNet, categorically stated that an independent state for the Tamils was the only viable solution. The USA was playing “double game” behind the back of Eezham Tamils. India took a decisive role in Colombo's war against Tamils. It was Pirapaharan who defended Eezham Tamils through the army he had built up independently, he said. After decades, Colombo had realised the crucial political backing it needed from New Delhi to militarily destroy the Tamil movement and India played a key role during the Mu'l'livaaykkaal massacre, before and after that. It was only recently they are trying to get out and the Chinese are getting into their boots to transform the island into a base for Chinese politics, he said stressing that Tamils need independent people-centric mobilisation to preserve their existence as Eezham Tamils.
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Ex-LTTE Women's Political Head Thamilini dies of cancer at 43

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 October 2015, 18:37 GMT]
Sivakamy Sivasubramaniyam alias Thamilni, who was formerly the head of LTTE's Women Political Wing, has passed away on Sunday at Maharagama cancer hospital after battling cancer for some months, news sources in Colombo said. Coming from an Up-Country Tamil family settled in Paranthan in Vanni, Ms Thamilini served in the LTTE for almost 18 years and had earned the trust of the LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan for her political work. Thamilini was one of the foremost political leaders of the LTTE, who had proved that women were not second to men in contributing to the liberation of the nation of Eezham Tamils.
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Tamils need leadership, not hypocrisy of powers: Prof Ramasamy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 October 2015, 17:29 GMT]
“United Nations, super powers, regional powers or self-seeking Tamil politicians cannot address the real grievances of Tamils. It is only Tamils under a good and dedicated leadership can move forward,” said Deputy Chief Minister of Penang state in Malaysia, Professor P. Ramasamy, a long time advocate of the rights of Eezham Tamils in an article to TamilNet on Tuesday. While the actual war saw the murder of Eelam Tamils and the most despicable sexual violence of rape unleashed among Tamil women, it was after the war that the Eelam Tamil nation was plundered of its wealth, Professor Ramasamy said. “The LTTE might not be around; however, the hopes, aspirations and the future agenda of Tamils for ultimate solution were set up by none other than its leader Veluppillai Pirapaharan,” he said.
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TNA's draft on constitutional reforms exposes dilution of fundamental principles

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 July 2015, 00:21 GMT]
“In point of fact, if the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is to be preserved from claims to the right of secession, it is a sine quo non that the right to self-determination of the Tamils is recognized and the nature of the state is restructured to enable meaningful exercise of internal self-determination,” concludes the draft introduction prepared by TNA in November 2009 to accompany its proposals of constitutional reforms. 5 years have elapsed since. The TNA, now claiming a final solution in 2016, is yet to educate the masses on what efforts it has undertaken to establish the sine quo non (“cause-in-fact”) and on how long it is going to cling to the explanation of re-inventing the wheel, getting voluntarily locked to a genocidal situation which is beyond any rectification. TamilNet is releasing the documents from November 2009 for the awareness of Eezham Tamils.
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TNA sabotages Tamils proving will for genocide investigation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 July 2015, 13:49 GMT]
Despite the mounting pressure on the planted Colombo-centric polity controlling the affairs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the alliance has once again sabotaged Eezham Tamils' call for international investigations on genocide. The General Election Manifesto produced by R Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran undermines the unanimous and democratically established position of the elected members of its own alliance in the Northern and Eastern provincial councils on the question of genocide. TNA's manifesto is also non-descript with regards to its demand to the SL State on expected constitutional framework, political solution and the question of accountability, deploying self-contradictory and ambiguous terminology.
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TNA spokesman decries Sumanthiran discourse

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 June 2015, 23:53 GMT]
“Third party mediation and negotiations are important to resolve the Tamil national question. But, the process should be carried out in a proper context involving the actors with peoples mandate. The mediation should be undertaken by international actors, who are capable of course-correcting the Colombo regime”, TNA Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran told TamilNet on Friday. Mr Premachandran, who is an official spokesman of the TNA was responding to an official statement coming from a confidential process embarked on by certain actors, involving the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, a section of Tamil diaspora activists of the so-called Global Tamil Forum (GTF), a South African NGO known as ‘In Transformation Initiative’ (ITI), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) official Martin Stürzinger and the failed Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim.
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Constitutionally recognise Tamil homeland to prove bona fides, exiled poet tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 April 2015, 17:40 GMT]
“We [Eezham Tamils] are not [people of two] provinces. We are [the people of] a homeland. This reality is constitutionally not recognised in the Constitution. Would the Sinhala rulers of Sri Lanka ever be prepared to constitutionally recognise the joint North-East as the homeland of Tamils,” questioned exiled Eezham Tamil poet Kasi Anandan on Wednesday, speaking from Chennai, in an Internet-based video address on the occasion of a memorial event held in Batticaloa on the 10th anniversary of the assassinated TamilNet Senior Editor and popular columnist Sivaram Dharmeratnam (Taraki). The current Sinhala rulers [in the island of Sri Lanka] are only talking about ‘Tamils in the North’ whenever they refer to Tamils, Kasi Anandan observed.
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Sivanesan Memorial Hall declared open in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 February 2015, 18:40 GMT]
A memorial hall has been declared open in Jaffna on Saturday in commemoration of Maamanithar K. Sivanesan, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian who was assassinated in a targeted claymore explosion by the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on 06 March 2006 inside LTTE-controlled Vanni. Sivanesan worked tirelessly to improve the conditions of the deprived sections of population among the Eezham Tamils for a long time. He played also a key role in the democratic mobilization of the Tamil masses at the grassroots level.
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Tamils mark Pirapaharan's 60th birthday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 November 2014, 06:17 GMT]
While Tamil poets, students and activists belonging to all Tamil nationalist movements in Tamil Nadu marked LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan's 60th birth anniversary, political activists marked the day with planting trees at the birthplace of Mr Pirapaharan at Valveddithu'rai in Jaffna. The birth anniversary was also observed in several cities in the West.
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