Prabhakaran is dead! What's next!

[dahiyarules]

I just saw videos and images of a dead Prabhakaran. I am still trying to consolidate a final opinion on the way the events turned out eventually. But, I would still like to summarize some of the thoughts that I have in my mind.

Prabhakaran was a hero for some and a terrorist for others. Even though he fought for the noble cause of dignity and autonomy for an oppressed minority, he did not tolerate descent. He is known to have ruthlessly eliminated all rival schools of thought.

I have always believed in the power of ideas over the power of the gun. There was no way Prabhakaran could have matched the massive military infrastructure of a well-funded Sri Lankan national army, with his own band of rag-tag militants. The only way Sri Lankan Tamils will ever live with dignity is if they somehow convince their fellow Sinhalese Sri Lankans to accept such an arrangement.

I will write as more thoughts come to my mind.

 

[sandeep5]

I just saw videos and images of a dead Prabhakaran. I am still trying to consolidate a final opinion on the way the events turned out eventually. But, I would still like to summarize some of the thoughts that I have in my mind.

Prabhakaran was a hero for some and a terrorist for others. Even though he fought for the noble cause of dignity and autonomy for an oppressed minority, he did not tolerate descent. He is known to have ruthlessly eliminated all rival schools of thought.

I have always believed in the power of ideas over the power of the gun. There was no way Prabhakaran could have matched the massive military infrastructure of a well-funded Sri Lankan national army, with his own band of rag-tag militants. The only way Sri Lankan Tamils will ever live with dignity is if they somehow convince their fellow Sinhalese Sri Lankans to accept such an arrangement.

I will write as more thoughts come to my mind.

Sumit ji,

As per my view from the very beginning (since childhood), we are listening that Prabhakaran is a Terrorist. As per media and other sources also he was involved in Bomb Blast of Former PM of India Mr Rajiv Gandhi. He has been charged for 17000 people murder and so on.

How can we say that he was a hero. If we can acknowledge this than we will have to be equal to all terrorist (who are killing innocent people at all over world), they are also hero.
In Today's world everyone who is enemy of democracy than he is terrorist.

 

[brahmtewatia]

Prabhakaran was a hero for some and a terrorist for others. Even though he fought for the noble cause of dignity and autonomy for an oppressed minority, he did not tolerate descent. He is known to have ruthlessly eliminated all rival schools of thought.

I have always believed in the power of ideas over the power of the gun. There was no way Prabhakaran could have matched the massive military infrastructure of a well-funded Sri Lankan national army, with his own band of rag-tag militants. The only way Sri Lankan Tamils will ever live with dignity is if they somehow convince their fellow Sinhalese Sri Lankans to accept such an arrangement.

I will write as more thoughts come to my mind.

exactly !!! the minorities should learn to live in the mainstream... thts the easiest nd surest way of survival. sri-lanka does not follow the same policy as we do in india... minority appeasement errr p(sadu)-sickurarism.

as far as my knowledge goes, prabhakaran was a terrorist - a ruthless megalomaniac. albeit late, he got what he deserved. sri lankan forces shud have done that decades back, but it seems there was no will. a very good example of crushing (almost) a civil war by military prowess.

 

[richi]

I dont think so that pra..n is at all dead cus if he wud hv been dead ,maddening turmoil would hv pervaded all over in tamil nadu..i think its jas like yet another osama dying in the row!! The word around here is that ..he might hv probably fled somewhere...nd there are always solid reasons for a punctilious revolter to actually launch a revolt irrespective of what dire consequences that might bring.Its always the way the revolt gets asserted or manifested categorises it as that from a terrorist or from a simple,noble revolutionary!

 

[shailendra]

Do you know that the 'now deceased' Prabhakaran (or should I say LTTE) is a huge deal for the Tamil Diaspora in general... (especially in England, for example)???...

They look at these Tamil Tigers as protectors (or fighters) for the minority Tamil rights... the fact that it is not just a rag-tag team of folks (I disagree with you on that Sumit; they have blown circles around the useless SriLankan govt troops for a good 30 years or so... and I doubt that even with the 'king-pin' gone things or the status-quo would change much, if not temporarily stalled of course) .... and so like I was saying the fact that the LTTE is a group openly supported by organizations abroad (Tamils) is an indication how deep run the roots...

The majority Sinhalese are the happiest folks at the moment, no doubt but these Sri-Lankan Tamils (folks FYI that were transported to the Island during the Britishers time as laborers) would be hard pressed to assess their rights now with the 'creame-la-creame' of the LTTE top brass dead...

HAVING SAID THAT; as an Indian I (obviously) don't give a hoot about Sri-Lankan Tamils or the Sinhalese; and in fact on a personal view-point whole-heartedly welcome this end of a monster (and maybe the monster-machinery) simply for that tactical mistake of mass-murdering and killing of some 1,200 or more Indian Peace-keeping Force Soldiers [and staging the murder of the then ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi, an important national figure, everything else notwithstanding]...
And just as any anti-national group or anti-national action is (and always should be) condemned at every step.... so frankly GOOD RIDDANCE!!!...

ps. I did find it funny (if the reports are to be believed) that the man that had asked millions of Tamil rebels/followers to give up their lives for the cause (I mean isn't he credited for single-handedly creating that human-bomb signature style???) was actually 'running' to save his dear-pathetic life when was duly surrounded by the Lankan troops and massacred on the spot!?!

 

[aryasatyadev]

A stable country in the neighbourhood is always better for Indian progress, whatever the cause of LTTE, but Prabhakaran was a terrorist and his actions ahould be condemned by one and all....... now let's see how the events will turn in SL, because LLTE is the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world and keeping in mind the organisational structure of it, they might be having the second and third rung leaders

 

[jagmohan]

Let us study the past first...

Dear All,

It would be better to first take a look at Sri Lankan history and the background of Sinhala – Tamil Conflict. For those who do not have time for that, here is a quick recap:

• Earliest occupants were ‘Veddas’ (aboriginal people).
• ‘Veddas’ were captured by Sinhalese (originally from N India) in 6th Century BC. The Ramayana probably reflects this conquest.
• Sinhalese settled in the north of the Island and developed an elaborate irrigation system. Capital founded at Anuradhapura, after the introduction of Buddhism from India in the 3d cent. B.C. This became one of the chief world centers of Buddhism. A cutting of the pipal tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya was also planted here.
• The proximity of Sri Lanka to S India resulted in many Tamil invasions.
• The Cholas of South India conquered Anuradhapura in the early 11th century.
• Sinhalese soon regained power, but in the 12th century a Tamil kingdom arose in the north. The Sinhalese were driven to the southwest.
• Arab traders, drawn by the island's spices arrived in the 12th & 13th Century. Their descendents are called the Moors.
• Portuguese conquered the coastal areas in the early 16th century and introduced the Roman Catholic religion.
• By the mid-17th century the Dutch had taken over the Portuguese possessions and the rich spice trade.
• In 1795 the Dutch possessions were occupied by the British, who made the island, then known as Ceylon, a crown colony in 1798.
• In 1815 the island was brought under one rule for the first time when the central area, previously under the rule of Kandy, was conquered. Under the British, tea, coffee, and rubber plantations were developed, and schools, including a university, were opened.
• Full independence was finally granted to Ceylon by the British on Feb 4, 1948.
• Sinhalese declared official language and Tamils were alienated. This is the beginning of the present conflict.
• Protests by Tamils and other minorities. Soon and anti-Tamil attacks followed.
• Riots in 1958 between Sinhalese and the Tamil minority over demands by the Tamils for official recognition of their language and the establishment of a separate Tamil state under a federal system (which had been negotiated but then abandoned by the government) resulted in severe loss of life, predominantly among the Tamil community.
• In Sept., 1959, Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was assassinated, and in 1960 his widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became prime minister.
• The Federal Party of Tamils was outlawed by the government.
• Economic problems in the country up to 1962 due to inflation and burgeoning population.
• Marxist People's Liberation Front, attempted to overthrow the government in an armed rebellion in 1971. With Soviet, British, and Indian aid, the rebellion was quelled after heavy fighting.
• In 1972 the country adopted a new constitution, declared itself a republic while retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, and changed its name to Sri Lanka.
• Economic problems continued: food supplies and foreign exchange reserves dwindled in the face of rising inflation, high unemployment and trade deficit.
• Tamilians continue their agitation against repression of their language. This fuels demand for an independent Tamil state.
• Election of a new UNP government under J. R. Jayawardene in 1977 and the implementation of economic reforms geared toward growth did little to restrain an upsurge of terrorist violence or of bloody anti-Tamil riots (1977, 1981 and 1983).
• In the 1980s the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam initiated a full-scale guerrilla war against the army in the North and East.
• Radical Sinhalese students assassinated government officials whom they believed were too soft on the Tamils.
• In 1987, in response to a request from Jayawardene's government, India sent 42,000 troops to NE Sri Lanka.
• The Indian troops fought an inconclusive war with the Tigers and were asked to withdraw by Ramasinghe Premadasa, who replaced Jayawerdene in 1988.
• Indian Army withdraws in late 1989.
• In 1993, Premadasa was assassinated by LTTE.
• Rajiv Gandhi assassinated in May 1991.

To be contd...

 

[jagmohan]

Sri Lankan Problem...

Why the Conflict

• The Sinhalese belief that they are the sole legitimate inhabitants of the island, that they have been there since Time immemorial and that they have the sole right to be there.
• And also that the island is a Buddhist country and that it should remain a Buddhist country and that it is very important for the Buddhists to fight against any sort of encroachment by Indian Hindus.
• On the part of the Sinhalese there is the notion that they are descended from Aryans and thus racially superior (when in actual fact this is not really true but they just tend to believe this) and that the Tamils are racially inferior and represent a foreign influence in the country which needs to be eradicated in order for the country to reach its full potential.
• It is a very common Sinhala attitude or perception that during the British Raj the Tamils had an unfair advantage in terms of education, access to employment (particularly government and professional employment), etc.
• After the Sinhala majority came into power one of the things they began doing is similar to what you saw in Malaysia: implement affirmative action policies that would bring the Sinhalas on a par educationally and professionally with the Tamils.
• The passage of the Language Act making Sinhala the sole legitimate language of the country.
• Also tendency not to teach Sinhala in the Tamil areas which meant that the Tamils had very little access to education or to professional employment which was one of the main requirements for this was a thorough knowledge of Sinhala.
• Another problem of course is the fact that the island is highly segregated. Even on the village level the villages tend to be segregated along ethnic lines.
• In 1954, there was also an attempt to repatriate thousands back to India. However, population was increasing faster than rate of repatriation.
• This situation was exacerbated by the Buddhist Revival Movement in the 1950's. This was explicitly backed by the Sangha and very explicitly committed to Buddhist chauvinism.
• After the Tamil Federal Party was formed and began having peaceful demonstrations is what I see as the beginning of the Second Stage.
• The First Stage is characterised by the Government pushing for more and more an agenda that marginalises and disadvantages the minority.
• At some point the minority becomes politically aware, begins to organise and begins to hold political demonstrations. When that happens, the next phase, which again you will find in many decolonised states - the Government responds by increased oppression, the idea being that the way to stop conflict is to nip it in the bud with extreme force.
• The majority does not generally see what the minority's problem is. So they see the agitators as people on the fringes, who, if suppressed, would make the conflict go away.
• Of course that does not happen. What happens is that violence begets violence and when the Government begins using violence against the demonstrators the moderates in the Tamil faction became more and more militant.
• It polarises attitudes on the part of the minority but it also polarises attitudes of the majority.
• And another thing that inevitably happens in this sort of conflict is that the minority group becomes more and more militant as the Government uses more and more force.
• Moderates become less and less influential within the movement and the militants within the movement become more and more influential as the minority responds to what the Government is doing.
• The next stage is when the Government realises that violence is not going to bring about a solution to the problem. It then begins to make meaningless and meager concessions - which the Government did.
• At first it relaxed a little bit on language. It agreed that Tamil would become an official language of the country and would be recognised as the language of an ethnic minority but Sinhala was still going to be the language of the Government and the language of higher education.
• But they still did not teach Sinhala in the Tamil areas which meant that the Tamils had very little access to education.
• Another thing that happens is that though the Government may make some symbolic and meager concessions it generally does not follow through with this. They announce them but the conservative elements within the dominant party will tend to react against any sort of concessions at all towards the minority.
• So the Government is forced to withdraw from anything but a symbolic concession. This of course leads to further militancy on the part of the minority. As the Government withdraws more and more from actually implementing even fairly meager concessions (or even if there is some genuine meager concession), at this stage (which I would refer to as the Third Stage) there is a gap between the aspirations of the current leadership of the minority and what the Government is actually offering.
• By the time the Government is ready to recognise that there is a problem and begin making any real concessions the demands of the marginalised groups of the minorities - in this case the Tamils - have increased.
• They have increased to a point where the Government is no longer willing to make those concessions because they have escalated (from the point where the granting of meager concessions could have satisfied the minority).
• So they are no longer in a position to make the sort of concessions that are now on the table on the part of the minority.
• When the Government refuses to do this what we see is an increase of violence as we see today.
• That’s how the growth of movements like the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which is fully committed to a full separation, takes place.
• Initially the Tamils were willing to exist within a federation - with their separate identity, language, culture, etc. respected.
• Now opinions on both sides have hardened to such an extent that this is no longer viable for many Tamils.
• Tamil leadership especially the leadership of the LTTE is completely committed to Tamil Eelam and has shown no willingness to negotiate on this.
• Any negotiation that does not begin with the recognition of Tamil Eelam is generally unacceptable to the Tiger leadership which I think is one of the problems we face today.

And of course, the Sri Lankan military has now crushed the rebellion.

Personal opinion: Good Riddance.

Regards,

JS Malik

 

[dahiyarules]

One point that emerges over and over again in discussions related to Prabhakaran and LTTE is that Prabhakaran is a terrorist and LTTE is a terrorist organization. Why so? Because the Indian governement and several other prominent governments areound the world say so.

The justification given for designating Prabhakaran as a terrorist and LTTE as a terrorist organization is because they were involved in numerous violent acts against civilians and political leaders and entities. Yes, that is true!.

But if we apply the same logic to the other side of the equation, then we can designate Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi as terrorists and the Indian government as a terrorist organization because they sanctioned military actions that caused civilian casualties and terminated political leaders and entities.

The fact of the matter is that both the LTTE and the Indian and Sri Lankan governments had their hands deep in blood.

Prabhakaran was successful only as long as he managed a nimble guerilla autfit. He lost his advantage because he turned his highly effective guerilla outfit into an organizaed armed force. That is when he got the check-mate from the Lankan military forces, because now he was playing ball on their terms.

Besides being a megalomaniac who possessed an ambition to be a ruler with a massive military force, the other reason that I believe Prabhakaran lost was because of his ruthless purging of his associates who he believed to be double-agents for the Lankan government. His closest aides started loosing faith in him and defected to the Lankan side and give the Lankan government an advantage that they did not have for decades. Now, they knew the inner-workings of LTTE and were able to devise a strategy to take down the organization and its leader.

I am split when it comes to how I feel the way the whole drama unfolded. Should Prabhakaran have been stopped? Absolutely yes! He was responsible for carrying out violence against innocent civillians whose only crime was that they went around their daily lives, one day at a time. Are the Sri Lankan Tamils going to be better off as a result of LTTE's loss? I guess not. Only time will tell if the the Lankan government will keep its word and give the Lankan Tamils a chair at the table when it comes to decide their nation's destiny.

Some people believe that they do not need to care about Lankan Tamils? I beg to differ. My belief in justice, equality and humanity does not stop at man-made borders, but goes well beyond. We as caring human-beings should absolutely care about how our fellow human-beings are treated in our respective societies and in neighboring ones.

Now, that does not call for military intervention in the personal affairs of a soveriegn state that practices double standards against its ethnic minorities. But we can definitely put our foot down and say, enough is enough!

While I really do not care about Prabhakaran, I do care about the future of Lankan Tamils. I believe they have just as much right to respect and dignity as anybody else.

 

[amritkharb]

Bhai mere these tamils specailly hate jats. Tamilians se kameene log muzhe aaj tak nahee milee. Dubara sochoon to Mile haen isne bhi jaayda kamene log woh haen bengali.
Read writings of several bengali writers yeh log kehte haen ke jats ko India meein kisne idiot ne aane diya. in jaaton ne saree acchi zameen le lee india mein.
Why don't you forget about these rascally tamilians and bengalis and jat loggon ke worry karro.
Kya zamana aa gaya hae, log phursat mein kuzh bhi keh jaateein haen.
Internet worry hae to turn off your computer and send some dollars to jat charity in hindustan mein so it can help jats.
yeh sri lanka ke tamil log deserve karte haeen jo inke saath hua.
jaise karni waise bharni.

 

[raj_rathee]

Interesting that no-one has mentioned the role India had been playing.
India had been neck deep in this for a long time...in many ways propping
up the LTTE..and in other ways fearful that Tamil separation in Sri Lanka
could set some sort of precedant in India. As always, truth will be very messy.

Also, note that LTTE was designated as a terrorist organization significantly late in the game...before which it was getting plenty of international
sympathy/support...as well as majority of funding from expatriate Tamils.
This dried up after being declared a terrorist organization.

Prabakaran made too many strategic mistakes and essentially "khud ke
pair mein kulhadi maar lee".

 

[hoodarajesh]

bhai mere these tamils specailly hate jats. Tamilians se kameene log muzhe aaj tak nahee milee. Dubara sochoon to mile haen isne bhi jaayda kamene log woh haen bengali.
Read writings of several bengali writers yeh log kehte haen ke jats ko india meein kisne idiot ne aane diya. In jaaton ne saree acchi zameen le lee india mein.
Why don't you forget about these rascally tamilians and bengalis and jat loggon ke worry karro.
Kya zamana aa gaya hae, log phursat mein kuzh bhi keh jaateein haen.
Internet worry hae to turn off your computer and send some dollars to jat charity in hindustan mein so it can help jats.
Yeh sri lanka ke tamil log deserve karte haeen jo inke saath hua.
Jaise karni waise bharni.

भाई कुछ भी हो पर्भाकरण इतिहाश में नाम लिख्वागा .
खाली हाथ घर से चला था . हवाई जहाज . पनडुब्बी .
टैंक . सारे सामान जोड़ रहा था . फेर हिन्दू भी था वो .
राजीव गाँधी ने श्री लंका में उसके खिलाफ सेना भेजने की
जरूरत ही नही थी . क्या मिला उनके आपस के झगडे में
टांग अड़ाने से . हमारे ५०० से ज्यादा जवान वहा ख़त्म हो
गए थे . और फिर खुद राजीव गाँधी भी गए .

 

[sunillathwal]

1. Bhai mere these (?) tamils specailly hate jats. Tamilians se kameene log muzhe aaj tak nahee milee. Dubara sochoon to Mile haen isne bhi jaayda kamene log woh haen bengali.

2. Read writings of several bengali writers yeh log kehte haen ke jats ko India meein kisne idiot ne aane diya. in jaaton ne saree acchi zameen le lee india mein.
Why don't you forget about these rascally tamilians and bengalis and jat loggon ke worry karro.
Kya zamana aa gaya hae, 3. log phursat mein kuzh bhi keh jaateein haen.
Internet worry hae to 4. turn off your computer and send some dollars to jat charity in hindustan mein so it can help jats.
yeh sri lanka ke tamil log deserve karte haeen jo inke saath hua.
jaise karni waise bharni.

1. In last 3 and 1/2 years, i have met many Tamilians (Indian tamil ofcourse) and believe me they don't have much idea about the JATs.. who or what 'we JATs' are!! My interaction is with the educated ones (guys with masters and phds) and IF all that they know about JAT is that it is a 'caste' in north india demanding reservation.. i had to spent some time in explaining the JAT as caste and as a race!!
i highly doubt that the ppl in remote villages of tamilnadu condemning/ hating JATs.

Only thing i found a bit 'odd' (not wrong or bad) is that they are very very passionate about their mother tongue.

2. Kindly provide some references!!
BTW how do you manage to read Bangali literature ??

3. Bang on this time and your statement has a 'universal' applicability. you being the one of those who belong to that universe!!

4. U r kidding, right??

 

[yudhvirmor]

My Two cents..

North side of India: Nepal

Maoist joined govt. and put pressure on govt.. with support from China, Now they started spitting against India. Rebel leader won

East side of India: Bangladesh

Border forces of Bangladesh tried to over-throw the govt. Failed attempt and they were crushed. Rebels lost

West side of India: Pakistan
NWFP, SWAT, Baluchs are fighting and pakistan army is putting lots of efforts to calm down so -called landlords.
status: It is still going on.

South of India: Sri Lanka
Rebels are crushed and it was most brutal act by any army. Good for Sri Lanka. It looks like many countries would like to try that war doctorine in near future(Russia in Chechanya, USA in Afghanisthan)
Status: Govt won.

India thinking lost in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Pakistan situation is inconclusive.All three went in favour of China and Pakistan.

My Take: if situation worsens in Maoist affected states or Kashmir.. we can use some options from Lanka's adventure (God sake move out Journalists and Human Right activists out of war zones)

 

[brahmtewatia]

My Take: if situation worsens in Maoist affected states or Kashmir.. we can use some options from Lanka's adventure (God sake move out Journalists and Human Right activists out of war zones)

correct. tht's the only answer.

 

[amans]

He is a small fat man with big moustache? Just about the size of hitler. I have met tamils here and they don't like north Indians. They stick to their own kind. I hope they all leave India. I have met malays and they don't like tamils either. They also think that tamils are Africans. I think they are correct.
I am wondering if these tamils were donating cash/other things to this evil man?
Hope tamil nadu breaks up and falls into the ocean.
Good riddance.

 

[deepika]

Well now as you can see Tamils are agitated...I am sure its happening everywhere right from India to all the places which are messed up by Tamils....there is going to be some protest infront of High Commision of Sri Lanka here in Kuala Lumpur( i read a poster)...and the reason behind the prostest is been said to be the genocide of the Tamils by the Sri Lankan Govt showing some pictures of crying Tamils and some handicap kids.....Malaysians hate Tamils and for them Tamils are the Indians....So when i tell local mAlay that i am Indian they are surprised and say"But you are not dark".....In all notorious activites one can find Tamils involved here....really they are bigtime trouble makers....Tamils have taken revenge for Prabhkaran's death rather in a brutal way by giving Sri Lanka the bloodiest day in the history.They are spreading terror now

I just saw videos and images of a dead Prabhakaran. I am still trying to consolidate a final opinion on the way the events turned out eventually. But, I would still like to summarize some of the thoughts that I have in my mind.

Prabhakaran was a hero for some and a terrorist for others. Even though he fought for the noble cause of dignity and autonomy for an oppressed minority, he did not tolerate descent. He is known to have ruthlessly eliminated all rival schools of thought.

I have always believed in the power of ideas over the power of the gun. There was no way Prabhakaran could have matched the massive military infrastructure of a well-funded Sri Lankan national army, with his own band of rag-tag militants. The only way Sri Lankan Tamils will ever live with dignity is if they somehow convince their fellow Sinhalese Sri Lankans to accept such an arrangement.

I will write as more thoughts come to my mind.

 

[amritkharb]

1. In last 3 and 1/2 years, i have met many Tamilians (Indian tamil ofcourse) and believe me they don't have much idea about the JATs.. who or what 'we JATs' are!! My interaction is with the educated ones (guys with masters and phds) and IF all that they know about JAT is that it is a 'caste' in north india demanding reservation.. i had to spent some time in explaining the JAT as caste and as a race!!
i highly doubt that the ppl in remote villages of tamilnadu condemning/ hating JATs.

Only thing i found a bit 'odd' (not wrong or bad) is that they are very very passionate about their mother tongue.

2. Kindly provide some references!!
BTW how do you manage to read Bangali literature ??

3. Bang on this time and your statement has a 'universal' applicability. you being the one of those who belong to that universe!!

4. U r kidding, right??

bandhu mere, mein tamilians ko bachpan se janne laga tha tu to saade teen saal se he jaanta hae. aur muzhe bhi master aur rocket scientist see hae waasta pada hae.
mother tongue ke unke daasatan bahut purane hae tuzhe to 3.5 saal see hae pehta hae yeh baat.
bandhu mere bengali writer angrezi mein bhi likte haen.
teesra point aap par bang on lagta hae.

bhai tu aisa karr. yeh computer, TV aur mobile sell karr dee. bahut Shaanti milege aapko aur hum ko bhi.
Yeh salaah mein sumit dahiya ko bhi deta hoon.
tum loogon ko yeh saare baatein pata kar ke chinta jayaada hee ho jaate hae aur uske baad lambi lambi post mein apna rona jatland par roote ho.
na tumare pas computer, TV aur mobile hoga na tumara rona sun kar baki log khamkha tumare post par reply karke aapna jina haram kareegeen.

 

[kapdal]

Really nice summary of the situation sir. But you have omitted the training given to LTTE during Indira Gandhi's and Rajiv Gandhi's time. From Indian perspective, that is a key issue. Also, there was a lack of strategic vision when India sent IPKF to Lanka. Some leaders of armed forces have suggested that it was not clear to them who the real enemy was: LTTE or Lankan army. And whether there goal was to occupy Lanka or to help it against LTTE.

Dear All,

It would be better to first take a look at Sri Lankan history and the background of Sinhala – Tamil Conflict. For those who do not have time for that, here is a quick recap:

• Earliest occupants were ‘Veddas’ (aboriginal people).
• ‘Veddas’ were captured by Sinhalese (originally from N India) in 6th Century BC. The Ramayana probably reflects this conquest.
• Sinhalese settled in the north of the Island and developed an elaborate irrigation system. Capital founded at Anuradhapura, after the introduction of Buddhism from India in the 3d cent. B.C. This became one of the chief world centers of Buddhism. A cutting of the pipal tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya was also planted here.
• The proximity of Sri Lanka to S India resulted in many Tamil invasions.
• The Cholas of South India conquered Anuradhapura in the early 11th century.
• Sinhalese soon regained power, but in the 12th century a Tamil kingdom arose in the north. The Sinhalese were driven to the southwest.
• Arab traders, drawn by the island's spices arrived in the 12th & 13th Century. Their descendents are called the Moors.
• Portuguese conquered the coastal areas in the early 16th century and introduced the Roman Catholic religion.
• By the mid-17th century the Dutch had taken over the Portuguese possessions and the rich spice trade.
• In 1795 the Dutch possessions were occupied by the British, who made the island, then known as Ceylon, a crown colony in 1798.
• In 1815 the island was brought under one rule for the first time when the central area, previously under the rule of Kandy, was conquered. Under the British, tea, coffee, and rubber plantations were developed, and schools, including a university, were opened.
• Full independence was finally granted to Ceylon by the British on Feb 4, 1948.
• Sinhalese declared official language and Tamils were alienated. This is the beginning of the present conflict.
• Protests by Tamils and other minorities. Soon and anti-Tamil attacks followed.
• Riots in 1958 between Sinhalese and the Tamil minority over demands by the Tamils for official recognition of their language and the establishment of a separate Tamil state under a federal system (which had been negotiated but then abandoned by the government) resulted in severe loss of life, predominantly among the Tamil community.
• In Sept., 1959, Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was assassinated, and in 1960 his widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became prime minister.
• The Federal Party of Tamils was outlawed by the government.
• Economic problems in the country up to 1962 due to inflation and burgeoning population.
• Marxist People's Liberation Front, attempted to overthrow the government in an armed rebellion in 1971. With Soviet, British, and Indian aid, the rebellion was quelled after heavy fighting.
• In 1972 the country adopted a new constitution, declared itself a republic while retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, and changed its name to Sri Lanka.
• Economic problems continued: food supplies and foreign exchange reserves dwindled in the face of rising inflation, high unemployment and trade deficit.
• Tamilians continue their agitation against repression of their language. This fuels demand for an independent Tamil state.
• Election of a new UNP government under J. R. Jayawardene in 1977 and the implementation of economic reforms geared toward growth did little to restrain an upsurge of terrorist violence or of bloody anti-Tamil riots (1977, 1981 and 1983).
• In the 1980s the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam initiated a full-scale guerrilla war against the army in the North and East.
• Radical Sinhalese students assassinated government officials whom they believed were too soft on the Tamils.
• In 1987, in response to a request from Jayawardene's government, India sent 42,000 troops to NE Sri Lanka.
• The Indian troops fought an inconclusive war with the Tigers and were asked to withdraw by Ramasinghe Premadasa, who replaced Jayawerdene in 1988.
• Indian Army withdraws in late 1989.
• In 1993, Premadasa was assassinated by LTTE.
• Rajiv Gandhi assassinated in May 1991.

To be contd...

 

[ravichaudhary]

Really nice summary of the situation sir. But you have omitted the training given to LTTE during Indira Gandhi's and Rajiv Gandhi's time. From Indian perspective, that is a key issue. Also, there was a lack of strategic vision when India sent IPKF to Lanka. Some leaders of armed forces have suggested that it was not clear to them who the real enemy was: LTTE or Lankan army. And whether there goal was to occupy Lanka or to help it against LTTE.

A good comment by Kapil.

One should also keep in mind, that in the early years after 1947, there was a tremendous respect for India and its leaders.

India could do no wrong.

Tamils complained about discrimination, as the Singhalese took a greater portion of the available jobs.

India interfered in a ham-fisted way.

The events thereafter have been quite tragic,and unnecessary.



Ravi Chaudhary.