Friday 12 March 2021

 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam


12 March 2021

 

UNHRC & HUNGER-STRIKE

 

The more I listen to Mrs Ambikai Selvarkumar who has undertaken to fast unto death for Eelam, the more I appreciate my own family challenges resolved through separation due to lack of Common culture. The question I keep asking myself is ‘If I were current Sri Lankan government what would I do? Those who are promoting the Separate State of Tamil Eelam need to ask their own government. Given that Mrs Ambikai Selvarkumar is following in the footsteps of LTTE one is entitled to confirm that she is referring to Eelam as a separate state and not part of Sri Lanka. The UN has specifically included the LTTE as Perpetrators of the suffering of Tamil civilians  during the 2009 battle. Hence all those who are expecting the Sri Lankan government to be answerable through the UN need to expect all those who claim to be LTTE followers, including through celebration of Maaweerar / Great Heroes Day  also to be answerable on Equal footing as the Sri Lankan government. If the UN fails to insist on this – it is blindsiding itself. If LTTE is proscribed in a country, then it is morally forbidden to vote in such a way that the effect would contradict the proscription. If they do – they are effectively damaging the UN structure.

 

On that basis -  India, USA, UK, EU Nations, Canada & Malaysia have the responsibility to vote against the LTTE which would be to vote in favour of the Sri Lankan Government that is currently representing Sri Lanka on the anti-terrorism mandate. A vote against Sri Lanka would effectively be taken as a vote in favour of LTTE supporters.

 

Now due to Covid - when we go to our medical clinics we are asked the question whether we have a cough or fever ? The parallel of UN participants in the Sri Lankan ethnic issue is whether we are Eelam Tamils or Sri Lankan Tamils? If former then we need to separate them as being ineligible to represent civilian Tamils. If latter the victim must come direct to the UN. No one has the proxy.

The simple test is which came first – the unbearable pain or the opportunity to elevate one’s status with LTTE supporters? To my mind, if Mrs Selvakumar accepts me as an elder – and respects the work I have done thus far – she is not mature enough to lead the Tamil community as a whole. If not we belong to two different irreconcilable cultures – with me being an heir of Gandhi and Mrs Selvakumar being an heir of LTTE. The two cannot and should not meet.


No comments:

Post a Comment