Organisers from two French universities have embarked upon an international pluridisciplinary conference on ‘Tamil communities and the Sri Lankan conflict’, based on presumptions that the LTTE has ‘surrendered’ and what exists is only Tamil ‘minority rights’ issues, as though the question of Eezham Tamil nation doesn’t exist. One of the conference themes is the role of religious communities in seeking solutions to “the traditional Tamil society founded mainly upon the importance of caste and religious solidarity.” A Tamil academic in Colombo, responding to the conference scheme said the current task of the Eezham Tamils is to prove their status of nationhood since the agenda of priority for Colombo, New Delhi and the IC that orchestrate media and universities, is to nullify Eezham Tamil nationalism.
UFR de géographie et d’aménagement du territoire of the University of Paris-IV Sorbonne and Pôle Droit-Science Politique of the Université de Lille 2 are the institutions involved in the conference scheduled for February 2010.
Keeping with the trend set by the Establishments, the conference will discuss reconciliation, reintegration of Tamil minority in national politics, people in detention camps, IDPs as minorities responding to ‘multiethnic environment’ of Colombo, and women finding work and taking family responsibilities as ‘others’ have joined the Tigers (a pet agenda of MS Swaminathan that was viewed by a people’s group in Tamil Nadu as a conspiracy to turn the Tamil women as bonded labourers while keeping the men in custody).
As the Tamil diaspora pricks everybody’s eyes, the other major theme for the conference is to investigate at length, the functions of the Eezham Tamil diaspora and how the other Tamil diasporas as well as the people of Tamil Nadu respond to the question of Eezham Tamils.
“Eezham Tamils and their diaspora should take special note and respond appropriately to the West and its institutions that are seemingly sympathetic to the plight of Eezham Tamils with verbal articulations, but act subtly and systematically in denying Eezham Tamils the identity they wish to have and in imposing an identity they hate,” said the Tamil academic who responded to the news about the conference.
The preamble announcing the conference maintains that the LTTE was holding Tamil civilians as human shields.
“ The leaders of the West, including Obama and Hillary have to first apologise to Tamils like the Emperor of Japan apologising to the people of Okinawa,” said the academic, citing that those who repeatedly called the civilians to come to concentration camps could do nothing about them thereafter and they are responsible for every death, disappearance, human rights abuse and loss of physical cum mental health that is taking place in the camps. “If not today, one day, the posterity of leaders, especially the Indians will have to apologise, shaming the present lot of them,” the academic said.
“ In seeking solutions, one need not refuse to look at the reality of Eezham Tamil nationalism that has been amply demonstrated by the people. The West doesn’t need to copy the paranoid approach of Colombo and New Delhi in this regard. Recognising the Eezham Tamils as a nation is the smooth way to find formulas and solutions”, the academic said adding, “the Eezham Tamils have an immediate task of reasserting their national quest as the world conveniently tries to project that as an LTTE-orchestrated agenda crushed along with it.”
Neither the Eezham Tamils nor the LTTE under Pirapaharan have ever surrendered the national cause or the struggle for it. Academics and universities should show intellectual honesty at least in acknowledging it, commented the Tamil academic.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow TNN on Facebook and Twitter )