The referendum on Tamil Eelam scheduled to Saturday and Sunday in UK, organized in unison by all main stakeholders of Eezham Tamil nationalism, is going to be very significant, said diaspora circles. Apart from the size of Eezham Tamil population in UK, the significance actually lies in how the public spirit is going to be demonstrated through participation, as it holds the key in inspiring all united democratic efforts in future everywhere in the diaspora, they further said. The referendum is on re-mandating the main particular of the Vaddukkoaddai Resolution of 1976 that called for the formation of independent and sovereign Tamil Eelam in the north and east of the island of Sri Lanka. After Eezham Tamils in 6 countries endorsing it by overwhelming 99%, the ballot in the country of the former colonial masters fundamentally responsible for the plight of Tamils, has a particular bearing.
Following are the views of Mr. K. Raghunathy, presently based in UK and a veteran activist of the times of the Tamil Students Organisation (Thamizh Maa’navar Pearavai) of early 1970s in Jaffna:
The presidential election held this week by Sri Lanka has clearly demonstrated that Tamil speaking peoples in the entire north and east, in the hill country, in the capital Colombo and in the pockets of Puththa’lam, Galle etc sharply differ from the perspectives of the Sinhala nation on the political future of the island.
It has also demonstrated the failure of the idea of achieving ‘reconciliation’ by bringing in changes through mutual cooperation with Sinhala nation.
The attitude shown by the Sinhala nation in the election in response to the question of the Tamil nation should not be misunderstood as a freak influenced by the bitterness of war but it is something persistently demonstrated at every crucial stage of politics in the island, ever since universal suffrage was introduced in 1931.
The impending programme of the ‘democratically elected government’ of such a peculiar partiality in the island is going to be exploiting that status to whitewash its genocide and war crimes, to whitewash the regional and international abetters, to silence the global community and to continue the very genocide in a multifaceted way against the Tamil nation. Thus Sri Lanka will contribute a new political philosophy to human civilization on the righteousness of ‘democratically’ enacted genocide.
While the remedy of national liberation to Tamils is obvious and is long due for decades, the geopolitical competitors trapped by their own twist of the national question are bereft of all guts other than competing in appeasing the monster for their own gratifications.
What is the point in diaspora re-mandating the Vaddukkoaddai Resolution of more than three decades old, critiques may ask, even though the question should not arise now after tangential politics failed in the presidential elections in the island.
It is not a diaspora project. Tamils in the island have given their verdict in the presidential election in an abstract language possible for them in the current circumstances.
Sensing the pulse of the people in the island and understanding the structural meaning of their electoral language, the free diaspora has a duty to tell it loudly and clearly to the world what the Eezham Tamils want.
While telling it to the world, we have to pass the responsibility of democratic struggle to our younger generation and finally we have to tell it to ourselves to forge solidarity in our aim.
The foundation of our political organization of future lies in the referendum. Whether Country Councils of Eezham Tamils or Transnational Government have to come from that sound foundation, endorsed by the grass root.
New awakening and commitment in the society, spirited involvement of the younger generation and fresh faces to take up political organization and leadership are some of the positive outcome noticed at the grass root of the nation, in the process of the exercise of the referendum.
In the coming years Eezham Tamils may have to fight a democratic war with Colombo, with New Delhi and with the Establishments of the ‘International Community.’
The referendum has to be extended to Tamil Nadu, the voice should come from inside India, not only from Tamil Nadu but also from other states; it has to come from countries where people of Indian origin live and it has to come from peoples everywhere in the free and democratic world, correcting the establishments.
But first, we have to tell it, in one voice and in mass numbers.
Lethargy, frustration, bias and internecine feuds are no excuses for failing in the historic duty to the nation that will have a bearing on the self-respect of not only our generation but also that of our progeny.
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