The president of Lok Janshakthi Party from the state of Bihar, Ram Vilas Paswan, on Sunday, took part in a candlelight vigil organized near the Kannagi statue at the Marina Beach, Chennai by May 17 Movement and signed on the list of the signature campaign calling for UN referendum among Eezham Tamils to assert their political destiny. Mr. Paswan, a Rajya Sabha MP, talking to media also said that Tamils had mandated the creation of Tamil Eelam in 1977 elections, which was based upon Vaddukkoaddai Resolution of all Tamil parties that represented Tamils in the island. The Sri Lankan state has not only ignored Eezham Tamils democratic mandate, but also unleashed violence on them.
The LJP leader, while talking to media, said what happened in the island was not only war crimes but a systematic and intentional crime of genocide.
The people who took part in the candlelight vigil, jointly organised by 17 May movement and Periyar Dravida Kazhakam (PDK), raised slogans that they would neither forget nor forgive the genocide of the people of Tamil Eelam.
Veteran Tamil political activist Pazha Nedumaran and Vaiko of MDMK presided over the event which saw the participation of Eezham Tamil poet Kasi Anandan, Vanniarasu from the VCK, Kolathur Mani and Viduthalai Rajendran from the PDK, among others.
The organisers said the police was blocking many participants from attending the event, which was well attended by civil society activists and the public.
The main demands of the event were that there should be an independent international inquiry into the genocide of the Eezham Tamils and that a UN-monitored referendum must be conducted among the Eezham Tamils to allow them to determine their political future.
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