In memory of my Tamil brothers and sisters who were brutally killed in a genocide in the 2009 Lankan-Eezham war.
There were wars and battles in history, that marked the success or conquests of various dynasties or States. While there were some wars, that were fought for the right to exist and to lead a life. These wars for survival are usually not recorded as wars by historians and no history book will carry a chapter about them. In fact, these wars will have more deaths than the default ones. That too these deaths will be of civilians but not soldiers and is termed as 'genocide'. Instead of text books, the memories of these wars just stay in forms of unforgettable pain for the affected, success for the committers, guilt for the neighbours (who were dumb throughout) and as news item for media houses.
Rightly eight years back on this day, 1.5 lakh souls from the North and North-Eastern parts of the Lankan Island (non-politically and alliteratively identified as Tamil Eezham) were victimised in a genocide that eventuated out of an international political agenda. With over 60 countries having contribution in the brutality, the genocide was ultimately eventuated to end the internal war of Sri Lanka held between the Lankan troops backed by these 60 countries in one side and the Tamil revolutionists and martyrs headed by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eezham (LTTE) on the other side. Yes, this war indeed still exists just as I mentioned above - a pain, a success, a guilt and a news item.
Before speaking about the war, it is more important to know the background and the political vendetta of it. For Tamils, it was a struggle for them to claim their right to survive. But, for the rest of the world, it was one of the important agendas to create an efficient space for a large market.
It is the Indian Ocean and its affiliated water bodies, that has a lot of countries in the verge of development than any other water body in the planet. It has the mighty China, the large India, the developed Singapore along with Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives and many more. The one factor that connects all these land spaces is the diversity of people and a thick population. With this huge market comprising of more than two billion homo sapiens, it was going to be a haven for the West to gross an unimaginable wealth.
For this, the first world countries wanted a hub (probably an island) to connect the South East countries altogether. While Singapore was the economical hub for all legal businesses. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka was their choice for connecting the black market to monetize the trade of narcotics, child and women trafficking, prostitution and weapons.
The USA was the first country from the West to step into the island in the middle of 20th century right after the independence of Sri Lanka was declared. The US had set up its armed troops in a camp in Trincomalee (in the Northern part of the Lankan island).
Following this, there was a pressure over the Lankan government from the neighbours, especially India to not to allow the US troops camping there. In the mean time, the Tamils from the place were evacuated from the region by the Sri Lankan government for setting up the US troops. At that time, the Sri Lankan government claimed that the US troops were deployed there in the view of training the Lankan defence personnel as the country was new.
Meanwhile, the Tamils who were evacuated started to demand for their right to live. And from there the entire revolution started and led to a five decade long war. Despite the existence of a number of theories behind the war, this speculation is considered to be the logical one, which was evident in the final stages of the war.
The final stage of the war had witnessed a genocide in which around 1.5 lakh of Tamils were killed by the Lankan troop. The procedure followed by the committers of this genocide is considered by human rights activists to be the greatest conspiracy of all time. Because, they were promised to be given a place to survive but were brutally murdered in masses by the 60 country ally.
The Tamil community people from all parts of Eezham were brought to Mullivaaikal, a small coastal village adjacent to Vanni town in Mullai Theevu district in the Northern province of Sri Lanka. The Lankan government had asked all Tamils to arrive in at Mullivaaikal so that it would be easy for the officials to distribute food for them. Despite having lakhs of Tamils sheltered in Mullivaaikal, the Sri Lankan government had supplied food only for 70,000 people saying that only that much are housed there.
There are several proofs for this false propaganda of the Sri Lankan government. Earlier in 2008, the Sri Lankan government had officially announced that the Tamil population in major districts like Kilinochchi and Vavuniya was around 4 lakh. This entire population was cornered to Mullivaaikal on May 2009.
So, the insufficiency of food supplied for the lakhs of Tamil population had already killed a many. In deep words, they were literally let die of starving.
While, for the rest of Tamil population, they had a different conspiracy. In the second week of May, the Sri Lankan government officially announced that the leader of LTTE, Prabhakaran is hiding out in Mullivaaikal. Apparently, the Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared war and started to attack Mullivaaikal from all three sides, the land, water and air. For this, the Lankan government was assisted with weapons and technology by world countries including the USA, India and China. With this huge tie up, the Tamils sheltered in Mullivaaikal were killed by bombing. Their cries, screams and screeches were inaudible to the rest of the world which was closing its ear drums tightly to not let in the survival cries.
Apart from the whole of Indian government which was led by the then UPA headed by Congress, it was the DMK, which was one of the largest contributor of MPs that was dumb struck throughout the war time betraying the entire Tamil community. The DMK which tags itself till today as a saviour of Tamil community, eyeing at its political benefits did not even react to the genocide eventuated in its house next door. Similarly, the strong opposition led by the BJP and the so called leftist ideal Communist Parties too were maintaining silence on and off the Parliament.
Even after that, the Indian Parliament or the other Parliaments in the world were still dumb, when Sri Lankan government faked the statistics of war by saying only 40,000 individuals were killed in it. The UN which is the mouth piece of the USA reflected the fake statistics delivered by the Lankan government.
The world was supporting the war cry of the Lankan side and had shut down the survival cry of the Tamils. No one was there for them to give a hand. No one was for them to speak out on their behalf. Their struggle was so painful. They were not expecting food but death. Yes, death could approach them anytime as the entire world was against them. They can not run, hide or at least live. They were choice-less and voice less. An entire race was erased from its landscape in no time just for a bunch of money minded corporate favoring States.
At the end of the day, the cry of sorrow and survival of 1.5 lakh innocent Tamils went unheard at last leaving the dumb world behind, dumb forever.
Emotionally,
Santhosh Mathevan,
Chennai, May 17, 2016.
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