Vanni 2002 – 2006; What I Owe The People Of The VanniIt was February 2002 when I returned to Sri Lanka from the US, scarcely a month after the announcement of the Ceasefire Agreement that ended hostilities, following the 20 year old civil war. Now, for the first time the marvel of peace among our people was a real possibility. Like many other Tamils of my generation who were nurtured on the premise of achieving our rights via peaceful and non-violent means, I was able to leave the country at the onset of the civil war when it became evident that violent means had hijacked all peaceful methods of non-violent agitation and activism for our rights. In effect,Black July 1983 or thereabouts till February 2002 was a form of exile that ended for me as well as many other Tamils of my generation who took the first opportunity to return when the fighting stopped during that period of ceasefire. The moment I landed in Colombo, I could sense an immense feeling of relief among almost all cross sections of the people, most tangibly due to the removal of the various barricades and security checkpoints that dotted the highways and by ways of Colombo.
A few days into savoring every moment of the once familiar sights, smells, and sounds of my former haunts in Colombo, I would read the newspapers that published articles and items of news that embodied sentiments such as regret at missed opportunities, acceptance of responsibility for past wrongs, and the need for atonement for the terrible atrocities of the past. These were sentiments that I had never seen expressed openly, let alone published in private and government controlled newspapers in all my life. All I experienced was an eerie silence that greeted the aftermath of the many riots and pogroms. Hear nothing, say nothing, do nothing was the order of those days of my growing up. Not only in these newspaper articles, but also in the camaraderie of old friends, Singhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and Burghers, I experienced this new found sense of hope for peace and the spark of an enlightened future for our country. Read More
Chidambaram Annamalai University students stage protest against arrival of Rajapaksa |
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| [ Thursday, 07 February 2013, 02:04.23 PM GMT +05:30 ] | |
  Students of the Chidambaram Annamalai University boycotted academic activities this morning and stage protest against arrival of Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, killed thousands of Tamil’s in their motherland. |
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| Students commenced protest in front of Rajendran statue in Annamalai University at 10.00 am and marched up to the Gandhi statue at Chidambaram bus stop. Police officials stopped the protesters near the bus stop. Due to this tense situation broken put between protesters and security personals. Due to the protest heavy traffic jam reported in the area for several hours. Speaking on this protest organizer of Tamil Nadu Student Front V.Subramaniya Siva said “By inviting war criminal Rajapaksa Indian central government has ill-treated entire Tamil community. By providing military and financial supports Indian government has supported the Lankan government. It’s necessary to produce them before the international criminal court, he alleged.     |
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Posted by Thavam
