brian Senewiratne (8 Apr. 2007)

Just a quick comment on Karen's interview. I have, of couse, known karen for years. We were on the same platform when we addressed the Sangam in Oct 06. I had no time during thst hectic meeting to tell het who I had met in New Zealand when I was there last year lobbying for the Tamil couse. It was an Indian. He told me that he agreed with all of what I had written over the years (he had read the lot!!!) EXCEPT one thing - the assasination of Rajiv Gandhi. I did not actually say so but I alluded to the possibility that it was the LTTE especially after Anton Balasingham had something about "putting things behind ...". As Karen says, it makes no differnece who says what. Whether the lass who blew up Rajiv Gandi was a Tiger or a Tiger-supporter, makes not the slightest difference. The qustion is "Did the LTTE arrange and conduct this?" As Karen says , we might never know. Actually we do. The guy I met in New Zealand was a lawyer in the Case. He said the Indian Government's Case was flawed to the core. The overwhelming indication was that the saasination was carried out, not, as Karen suggested, the CIA, but by a particular Indian group (which I have no intention of naming), which was determined to avenge the Gandhi family of the Golden Temple outrage. Had the guilty party been convicted, it would hav set a terrible precedent since next in line would come Rajiv Gandhi's son etc. The Tamil Tigers were an excellent scapegoat (so he said). I think Satchi Srikantha (Japan), a meticulous researcher, went into this in some detail. I regret I have not had the time to read this massive volume in full. Perhaps I will, when we get Tamil Eelam and I have time on my hands.

Brian Senewiratne

Naga (8 Apr. 2007)

SUNDERALINGAM - RAMUPPILLAI President of Colombo Tamil Sangam (Colombo Tamil Society), Retired Director of Education (Nothern Province), Retired Commissioner of Examinations (Dept. of Education Colombo). Beloved husband of the late Devarani Sunderalingam, beloved father of Dr Sudharshan, Subashini Selvavinayakan, and beloved father-in-law of M. Selvavinayakan (Swiss Biogenics [Lanka Medicals]) and Dr Ratneswary Sudharshan and beloved grand ammappa of Ajith Hemangan Selvavinayakan (Year 5, Royal Institute International School), expired. Last rites at Jayaratne Funeral Parlour, Borella from 1 p.m. Sunday April 08 and cortege leaves for cremation at the Hindu Cemetery at 4 p.m. Condolences: Residence 89/14, Fussels Lane, Wellawatte, Colombo 6, Tel. 2586226, 0777667654, 0773777130.

Ram Mohan (8 Apr. 2007)

It is great that a prominent US citizen supports the Eelam cause and exposes the government of her own country just like Brian Senaratne supporting the Eelam cause and exposing the government of his own country. I agree that the Diaspora Tamils have to do lot more to PROSECUTE GOSL IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC SHAME. GOSL is our main enemy and the US government is the main enemy of the peoples of the world ( Not to be confused with the people in USA and SL ).

KC, Please note the discussion of Rajiv,s murder. Remember my question, "Who killed Kennedy?"

mithrar (8 Apr. 2007)

Could some lawyers in the tamil diaspora, look into the possibility of filing action in the international criminal court, or simillar body against the government of sri lanka. I read many articles giving the various clauses in the charter which the GOSL has violated. It is public knowledge, that its army commits atrocities daily.

I am sure that many of us would be willing to financially support such a venture.

Maybe naming may shame the unshamables. the gosl, eu, us etc

Sengodan.M (9 Apr. 2007)

It is very refreshing to note that no less a person than Karen Parker has said in very clear terms that the Eelam Tamils do possess a de jure State indeed. We the Eelam Tamils and especially the Tamil diaspora should first BELIEVE THIS IN FULL before we proceed furhter. Only then we can make others including the I.C to believe same.

The death of Rajiv Gandhi is one of the most mysterious events in history and perhaps it will remain so for ever however much interested parties may make use of reference to that event to paint a black picture of the National Liberation Movement of the Tamils lead by the LTTE. We should resolve to remain firm under whatever adverse circumstances.

Dr KC (10 Apr. 2007)

Editor, I understand you have rejected my previous posting. I hope that this is suitable for publishing. .............................................................................................................

As you know a couple of months ago Mahinda R behaved like a headless chicken and made a large number of UNP MPs to defect in a disgusting manner. He gave/bribed them with endless number of ministerial posts.

UNP responded to this ,quite rightly, by tearing down the MoU that was signed to bring a solution to the National Question by bipartisan approach. All peace-loving people were devastated by this development.

When the above happened Karen Parker was in India and she was asked to comment. She defended MR with an explanation that MR took these initiatives to secure his parliamentary majority!!!! I must say I was flabbergasted by her response. Secure the Mahinda Bros & Ltd?????

The way she handled Rajiv Ghandhi case in the above interview also puzzled me. If we need the contribution of India to find and underwrite a political institution in Sri Lanka, then we ought to respect and accept the institutions of India. Besides the Indian institutions, the world main stream media (BBC, CNN, AFP, AP etc) point the finger at one particular militant group.

I believe the unfortunate past chapter with India could be remedied politically. I have already discussed how this can be achieved, see below:

http://www.sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/12-03_Reconciliation.php?uid=2098

Rhetoric such as 'Who killed Kennedy?’; 'The investigation of RG case was flawed' will only harm our interests enormously as we are already witnessing it with great pain. And also this will strengthen the resolve and the number of those people, though they are a minority at present, who advocate that the killers of RG should be apprehended and brought to trial immediately.

Thanabal (10 Apr. 2007)

She is 110% correct.

http://www.themorningleader.lk/20070404/spotlight.html

Human Rights Watch is not calling for cuts in funding for the poor country. But it has said it is concerned about funders turning a blind eye to the gross violations occurring there. "When the (US) government sets up benchmarks, then ignores them anyway, it sends a message to all other countries to do so," Abrahams said.

Does it mean HRW is part of US government???

Ethir (11 Apr. 2007)

Touche for Karen Parker. Brian and Adrian have advocated for Tamil Eelam in their writings for a long time. When the GOSL enacted a law to prevent any appeal to the Privy Council and soon after the 1972 constitution where the covenant Section 29, under which the Tamils accepted to be part of Ceylon, was left out, Tamils reverted to their state previous to the colonization era. That is, Tamil Eelam reverted to its de jure state, parts of which are colonized by the GOSL as Karen Parker says. The February 2007 survey of the Sinhalese conducted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives clearly shows that more than 60 percent of the Sinhala voters will not support any form of devolution let alone Federalism. More than 30 percent does not like the present arrangement either. The harder the position of a political party against a Tamil, the better the chances of they coming to power. This have been proven by elections since 1956. It is time for Tamils to think of establishing the separate state and then negotiate the borders and an understanding for both states to live peacefully. Let us not leave the problem to the next generation of Tamils.

Sengodan.M (12 Apr. 2007)

To know correctly the 'contribution of India', I would suggest that every reader and especially Dr. K.C reads the article written by one Rajenthiran appearing in today's tamilnaatham.com webpage. That gives the true picture most accurately.

Dr KC (13 Apr. 2007)

Sengodan.M

In the pre-87 era, the LTTE enjoyed widespread support in India. I urge you to think why India, US, Canada and EU turned against the LTTE. Now Fr Henry of B’calloa speaks up:

http://www.countercurrents.org/chandi130407.htm

We need India to help us to find a solution and underwrite it. Without India on our side we are nowhere.

I very much regret the Editor now rejects comments that are very critical of one particular militant organisation. This forum may not provide the appropriate platform for a debate.

Dr KC (13 Apr. 2007)

My note to Sengodan M re Rajenthiran utterances about MK Narayanan.

If you have any influence over Rajenthiran please ask him to write papers to mend the strained relations between LTTE and India. The only people who are delighted about this divide are that of Sinhala chauvinists.

As far as I am concerned MK Narayanan is one of the architects of the Indo Lanka accord and to my knowledge he engineered this pact in good faith to bring peace to the NE. All the militant groups (including the LTTE: by accepting, the LTTE got millions of rupees from the Indian govt and posed to camera surrendering the weapons) and the TULF accepted this pact. The IC hailed this as a major breakthrough. Sadly, only the LTTE went against the pact one month after accepting it.

In the war that followed 1200 Indian soldiers lost their lives, 2000 were maimed and Rajiv Ghandhi was assassinated. In the aftermath of this how on earth you can expect red carpet from the Indian govt?

Please ask Rajenthiram to write things to initiate conciliation with SL Tamils and the Central govt not to widen the gulf; we cannot afford that.

MK Narayanan is an experienced top civil servant of India and he sincerely attempted to solve the conflict in the NE. I respect him very much.

Nimal (14 Apr. 2007)

Ethir, good point. I wonder how it can be expressed in legal-speak and given such backing.

KC, the political games that the present India is playing (together with the US) has nothing to do with personal/moral relationships. It is not a matter of reconciliation or anything of that sort. Find out more about this and then you might be able to understand better, otherwise you will just go on repeating the same things over and over again. (And remember the Tamil Indian Fishermen who were killed by the SLN and the Indian Central government's lack of concern.)

As for the http://www.countercurrents.org/chandi130407.htm link, it seems very selective and biased. I wonder if you realised that Chandi S's point is about "‘Sri Lankan Forces Won’t Attack Tiger Heartland’ - Why?" . The lower part of the article does not look like CS's views at all. But whoever wrote it has put CS's name only next to the heading AS IF it was ALL his [CS's] views. That is not very honest is it? I suspect someone is trying to create a Hindu Christian split.

Also see comments http://www.sangam.org/2007/04/Endless_War.php?uid=2321 re "Sri Lanka: Endless War" by Simon Robinson who is also referenced in 'countercurrents'.

Dr KC (14 Apr. 2007)

Nimal & people with similar political thinking:

Your current strategy & political thinking will only bring deaths, destruction, devastation, starvation, degradation of humanity and coutless number of refugees, orphans, widows and evetually ethnic extinction.

Ethir writes about UDI..... If the LTTE had enjoyed good support in the IC, UDI at present is the right course of action but the point is the LTTE has been banned by all the major players in the IC. Therefore what's the point in making a declaration when there are no audience?

Its very sad you all can't think rationally even after sacrificing over 23000 fighters in their tender age. Who knows, 'sudali gnanam' may set in after sacrificing another 25000 fighters.

Sengodan.M (14 Apr. 2007)

I do not know Rajenthiram personally. But what is obvious is that both Rajenthiram and Narayanan are Indians with a differance. Rajenthiram is one with a touch with ordinary people of India, especially in Tamilnadu whereas Narayanan is apparently living above the clouds, aloof from ordinary people.

Rajenthiran agrees with you on one salient point that Narayanan was 'one of the architects' (if not one of the two as alleged by Rajenthiran) of the so-called 'pact'. Incidentally what has happened to the pact with the de-merger of the North and East? What has the regional super-power done about it?

It is not Rajenthiram who is widening the divide between India and Tamil Eelam, created ( Yes, created) by Dixit and Narayanan. On the other hand he is trying to re-bridge the gulf by persuading the Centre ( Delhi) to accept hte reality of Tamil Eelam only which will ensure the safety and security of India's southern plank. If on the other hand India chooses to take the side of the unreliable Sinhala Sri Lanka the Government of which prostitutes itself with China, Pakistan and the U.S in turn, it will realise its mistake the hard way sooner than later.

Please see the article on 'The dichotomy of India' and my comments in this same webpage.

Dr KC (15 Apr. 2007)

Sengodan

You cannot pick & choose in the Indo-Lanka pact. I L pact stipulates disarming the militants and joining political mainstream but your masters found it very uncomfortable but now you and your masters are shedding crocodile tears over the NE re-merger.

IF YOU AND YOUR MASTERS ARE TRULY SERIOUS ABOUT THE RE-MERGER PLEASE ASK YOUR SUPREMO TO DECLARE TODAY IN A PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT THE LTTE FULLY ACCEPTS THE I-L PACT AND SAY NEGOTIATIONS CAN COMMENCE BASED ON THIS PACT. THIS WILL HAVE A TREMENDOUS EFFECT IN BRINGING NORMALCY TO THE NE. I CHALLENGE YOU WE WILL NEVER ACHIEVE ANYTHING BETTER THAN THE I-L PACT.

Sadly, MK Narayanan's and the central govt's approach is approved by the vast majority of the Indian people. They do not want India to do anything with the LTTE. Unfortunately Rajenthiram's view is echoed by less than 5% of the people of TN, virtually ~ 0% of the people of India.

When the I-L pact was signed the LTTE enjoyed ~100% support and sympathy of the PEOPLE ALL OVER INDIA. Tell me who destroyed all this foolishly?

Sengodan.M (17 Apr. 2007)

The IL pact could never be termed an achievement by any standards. Achievement for whom? The only positive aspect it had for the Tamils was the temporary merger of the North-East which has now been nullified by the GoSL unilaterally ( or God knows whether it was done with the subtle consent of the Indians!). With that little benefit gone, what remains there for the Tamils?

What may appear small today may be potentially large and what may appear large may in reality be very small. You may watch developments as they unfold.

Sakthy (22 Apr. 2009)

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.