Desicritics Author: Kalugu

Meeting The Congressman For The Sri Lanka LTTE Crisis

Kalugu — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:21:20 EST

Well finally I have met a US Congressman - I mean a personal meeting with a politician for the first time in my life.

Living in the relatively remote Midwest region of USA with a very small Indian community, the inaction of the Indian government over the human sufferings in Sri Lanka has been a factor of frustration for quite some time now, not just for me but for quite a few family friends here. Watching the human suffering and the brutality of the Sri Lankan forces for several weeks has finally thrust me to swing into action. Consultation with friends lead us to conclude that meeting the district Congressman and presenting the evidences for human rights violations would be the most logical step.

After launching a swift online signature campaign with area residents of Indian origin, we started working with the congressman's office to get an appointment. We were hoping to have a personal meeting at the Congressman's office so that we can show the videos and images that have bothered us much. However the scheduler/Office Manager of the Congressman informed me that the Congressman is busy until a month or so and asked if I would be interested in meeting him at an event in two days. I was aware that the US Senate foreign relations committee is planning to discuss the Sri Lanka crisis in a week and thought the timing would be perfect.

With a decent number of signatures by several area Indians (Not just Tamils, but the entire Indian community signed it displaying a sign of solidarity) and the disturbing videos and images burned to a CD, six of us were all set to meet the Congressman.

We were quite apprehensive about discussing the issue openly since the Tamil rebels are still proscribed in the USA. We all agreed that we will not make any references to the rebels in our discussion but focus on the excesses committed by the Sri Lankan forces.

The meeting was to take place at the Health Care field hearing scheduled at the downtown church. We arrived early and were waiting for the District Director & Staff Agent who was supposed to brief us about the standard procedures of meeting the Congressman and facilitate the meeting.

The Staff Agent arrived and was indeed very helpful and appreciated us for bringing the issue to the Congressman's attention. He also appreciated us for having run the signature campaign. After listening to the information we provided, the Staff Agent collected the file folder with the signed petition and the CD's and informed us that we will be able to meet the Congressman prior or after the event. He also advised us to forward the petition and evidences to other committee members, especially members on the foreign relations committee.

The Congressman arrived and was greeted by few public that were waiting to meet him just like us. The Congressman engaged in a long conversation with a lady who appeared to be in despair due to a loss of a family member. The Congressman was very polite and listened to her long story and hugged her to offer some solace. We knew then that we will have to sit through the meeting and will be able to meet the congressman only at the end of the event. Some of my friends decided to drive home and come back later, while three of us decided to stay.

We found the Health Care field hearing very informative. I was very impressed at the way the hearing was organized.

I started comparing the meeting with that of meetings involving Indians. Be it in India or the USA a meeting involving similar crowd would have been really noisy and full of confusion and chaos. I think we have to accept that confusion and chaos have become part of the Indian culture.

Americans sure have mastered the art of organizing events. Simple process's put in place by the organizers made the event progress in a smooth fashion. The Congressman was very polite and had a fair sense of humor and handled the questions well. A native Indian member who was full of humor asked the Congressman if he needed a job, referring to the acute shortage of doctors and paramedics in his clinic operating in the nearby Indian reservation. The Congressman also did not hesitate to ask for assistance from the folks in the crowd when he was not sure of some statistics.

Finally the meeting got over and we got the opportunity to talk to the Congressman. When I introduced myself and my friends, I mentioned that our roots are in India and we wanted to highlight the crisis in the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka. The congressman immediately said "I have a Tamil Tiger in my office". Looking at our blank reaction, he continued "That was a Joke...". He was making a reference to a Sri Lankan Tamil who works in his office. The Congressman seemed to be very knowledgeable about the happenings in Sri Lanka (obviously).

We informed about the evidences we have compiled and requested the Congressman to take up the issue appropriately and help bring justice to the people. The Congressman said before ending the conversation that he would like to one day visit Sri Lanka and have a vacation there.

That day may be too far away with the approach taken by most involved parties that have a stake in the region.

We all left home with a sense of relief that we have done the right thing. We do not know if the Congressman will be able to stop the terror faced by the people in the war zone, but we are happy based on what is mentioned in Bagavath Geethai - "Do your duty, Do not expect returns".

Sri Lanka-LTTE War: The Shifting Semantics of a Political Solution

Kalugu — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 08:15:49 EST

On Sunday, 31st January, the Red Cross said in a statement that the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital in Vanni region received two direct hits from Sri Lankan Army shelling. "We're shocked that the hospital was hit, and this for the second time in recent weeks," said Paul Castella, head of the Colombo delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Wounded and sick people, medical personnel and medical facilities are all protected by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstance may they be directly attacked." The hospital, which has some 500 inpatients, is one of the few still operating in the region.

A "handful" of United Nations staff are working around the clock to save a growing number of children caught in the crossfire, a U.N. spokesman said Saturday. Children as young as 4 months old were being treated in local hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other "wounds of war," spokesman James Elder told CNN.

The 48 hour respite announced by the government has ended as an act of eye-wash while 80 innocent Tamil civilians have been killed and 230 have been injured in the said 48 hours and that too within the government declared ‘safety zone’ in Vanni. During this 48 hour safe passage assured for the civilians which ended on Sunday, about 70 civilians crossed over to the government held areas. The LTTE announced that it will neither encourage or stop the civilians from moving to any area they feel as safe but will protect the civilians that stay in their territory. Most of the 250,000 civilians appear to be staunch supporters of the rebel movement that they have decided to stay in the rebel held areas.

Meanwhile Sri Lankan Government officials accused aid organizations and foreign media of sensationalizing civilian casualties. In an interview to local media as reported by The Guardian, the defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, highlighted the role of ambassadors of Switzerland and Germany, and television networks CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera in his criticism of foreigners, accusing them of being biased towards the LTTE rebels. "They will be chased away" he said. In the newspaper article, he singled out the BBC correspondent reporting from Colombo, Chris Morris, saying that "if he does not act responsibly and attempts to create panic, I will have to chase him out of the country"

The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in a show of solidarity held large scale protests last week in Toronto, Canada and London, UK that gained live coverage in the local media. The protests were reported as something that these cities have never witnessed.

About 80,000 individuals took part in the Human Chain protest in Toronto, Canada and shouted slogans supporting the independence of Tamil Eelam and immediate ceasefire.

In London, UK about 130,000 individuals, mostly Tamils took to the streets also calling for Independence for Tamil Eelam. Few British parliamentarians who were present during the protests, spoke to the crowd. British Parliamentarian Mr Keith Vaz said "Over there across the road is the Indian Embassy. We urge the Indian government in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi to call for peace, to call for democracy".

It is ironic to see a Britisher asking India to honor Mahatma Gandhi.

In Chennai, India, more than 10,000 activists of political parties and social outfits, including a large number of students and youth, on Saturday bade an emotional farewell to Muthukumar, who had set himself ablaze for the Sri Lankan Tamil cause. They chanted slogans seeking recognition for an independent Tamil Eelam, hailing LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran and condemned India for its alleged support to Sri Lanka in the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, the newly-formed Sri Lankan Tamils' Protection Movement, comprising several political parties, announced a state-wide general strike on February 4 and black flag processions on February 7 demanding a ceasefire in the island nation. The strike will coincide with Sri Lanka's Independence Day.

Apprehending student unrest across Tamil Nadu over the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, the state government on Saturday night closed all government and private colleges and hostels for an indefinite period. Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, protesters torched a state-owned bus near Vellore, while 225 people were arrested in Thanjavur when they tried to lay siege on the Air Force station. They were protesting against the alleged use of the Air Force station for sending arms to Lanka.

As the international pressure from governments and Tamil diaspora mount on the Sri Lankan government, more analysts are making note that an Independent Tamil Eelam is now a political solution where as a united Sri Lanka has become a military one. The shift in the semantics does indicate that a military victory over LTTE as speculated by the Sri Lankan government may probably not end the crisis.

LTTE & Sri Lanka: The Paradigm Shift in Public Opinion

Kalugu — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:48:01 EST

Fourteen students from a Law College in the Chennai suburbs are on a indefinite hunger strike calling on the Indian government to influence a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. They entered 5th day of their hunger strike today. Visiting Tamil movie actor Sathyaraj attempted to persuade them to give up their strike in view of their deteriorating health conditions. Several other local political leaders also made requests for the students to give up their protest. However the students have chosen to pursue their struggle.

Gandhi’s principles of non violence (Ahimsa) seem to be inspiring even the current generation. But, in this day and age of PR stunts and violence, would a hunger protest along the lines of Mahatma Gandhi by 14 students in a corner of India attract the attention of a government, leave alone that of media?

While all the recent protests in Tamil Nadu have a common agenda: "Stop the war in Sri Lanka", it may or may not be viewed as a public support for LTTE or an endorsement for independent Tamil Eelam.

One has to note that since the ban on the LTTE was placed by the Indian government 17 years ago, the organization gradually lost the broad support it enjoyed in the 80’s. There were still a section of the Tamil Indian society that viewed the Indo Sri Lanka accord as that of deceit. However Rajiv Gandhi’s death at the hands of some Sri Lankan elements, made the general population in India (including Tamil Nadu) move away from LTTE and its objectives. Tamil Nadu government and the general population stood behind India’s attempts to pack LTTE’s support base in its soil.

The peace initiative by Norway was closely watched by India and its population that had concerns for the Sri Lankan Tamils. LTTE prevailed the peace negotiations and projected a new face – Mr Tamil Selvan as the peace negotiator and political head. The derailment of the peace process and the subsequent killing of Mr Tamil Selvan by Sri Lankan forces brought disappointment to several Indians, but yet LTTE did not gain the sympathy as it enjoyed in the 80’s.

However the support for LTTE in India (Tamil Nadu particularly) has grown by leaps and bounds in recent months. Several weekly magazines such as Kumudam Reporter, Nakkeeran both with high readership in the state published Prabhakaran and Tamil Eelam maps in their cover. Posters sprung up in several cities and towns in south India proclaiming Prabhakaran as a revolutionist. Tamil celebrities raised slogans equating Prabhakaran with Subash Chandra Bose and LTTE cadres to Bagath Singh. Communist volunteers proclaimed Prabakaran as south Asia’s Che Guevara - an Argentine Marxist revolutionary. What caused this paradigm shift in the common mans opinion needs to be investigated.

If you are closely monitoring the recent developments in Southern India, you will agree that the way the war has progressed, has impacted the opinions of Indians to a large extent. The influx of war imagery and videos have caused even a mute spectator panic and cry for the Sri Lankan Tamils. Videos that show bombing of civilians by Kfir aircraft and the charred dead bodies of children in school uniform being pulled by parents has shaken the conscience of Tamil Indians. Images from videos that showed the mutilation and stripping of dead bodies of fallen female rebels by Sri Lankan soldiers were published in some magazines and has caused even those who held strong anti LTTE sentiments to cross the bridge and view the Sri Lankan army as barbarians.

Videos like these are just a tip of the iceburg.

Tamil Indians have seen counter insurgencies initiatives at home - in Punjab, Kashmir and the north east. However the images from Sri Lanka were not anything similar. The volume of casualties and atrocities by the Sri Lankan army were emotionally incomprehensible for most Tamil Indians.

Most will agree that, It is not the actions of LTTE or their goals and objectives, but the flouting of human values by the Sri Lankan armed forces that has caused the paradigm shift in the sentiments of south Indians.

Apart from national parties such as CPI(M) and BJP joining the Anti War bandwagon, We are hearing anti war sentiments from Colombo after the murder of Lasantha Wikrematunga by government agents. Asserting that Mahinda Rajapakse regime is “the darkest, the most brutal and the most ruthless,” that has ruled Sri Lanka, Mangala Samaraweera, the convenor SLFP (M) and ex foreign minister of Sri Lanka - a Sinhalese by ethnicity, in an interview published in this weekend Sunday Leader, said

The SLAF has used more bombs than in Vietnam just in a few months. Even if Pirapaharan is captured and killed as some people like to speculate, we will only be committing another generation to the war perhaps to fight a far more ruthless LTTE than today.

Apologizing to the Sri Lankan people for “bringing this dark and evil regime into power", he further said

The evolving situation is such that key journalists are fleeing the country. More than a dozen have already left and others are on the verge of leaving.

If Sri Lanka truly wants to win the war, it has to come up with a solution that is acceptable to the Tamils and that may prove more powerful than all the bombs and weapons they have been using against the LTTE. Only then will they find durable peace in the region.

Pressure Mounting in Southern India to Stop LTTE-Sri Lanka War

Kalugu — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:01:41 EST

Cadres of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a Dalit political front in Southern India led by its president Thol. Thirumavalavan on Thursday, Jan. 15th began a hunger strike agitation in Chennai in Tamil Nadu protesting the "lethargic attitude" of the Indian government for failing to protect the interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka. They also charged the government with failing to prevent the violence unleashed on the Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army.

After four days of hunger strike, on Sunday Jan. 18 at 5 pm, heeding to the request of the state Chief Minister of the Tamil Nadu state M Karunanidhi, Thol Thirumavalavan gave up the hunger strike.

Even as Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) general secretary Thol Thirumavalavan called off his indefinite fast, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr. S Ramadoss called an indefinite hartal in Tamil Nadu.

The Times of India reported yesterday:

Tamil Nadu will come to a standstill. Except basic services like milk and health, nothing should move in the state. Until the Centre intervenes to effect a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, the state will be paralysed,'' Ramadoss said after Thirumavalavan gave up his fast in Maraimalainagar in the city suburbs.

Jay Shankar and Paul Tighe who had a telephonic interview with the Indian leaders, report in Bloomberg:

Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam party has “impressed” on the federal government that it should step in and stop the war, spokesman T.K.S. Illangovan said in a telephone interview from Chennai. The party wants Pranab Mukherjee, India’s foreign minister, to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government to “stop the genocide,” he said. “Civilian Tamils are affected in large numbers,” Illangovan said. “This has to be stopped.”

Public outcry and protests started since October last year. They included the Communist Party of India's protest meeting in mid-October, Movie Directors protest, All Party Human Chain protest, Movie Actors protest, All Tamil Nadu Traders Union protest bandh, Dalit Panthers Rail Roko protest, MDMK's protest meetings, TV Actors protest, FEFSI film workers protest, Actor Vijays fast protest, IT Engineers human chain protest with actor Surya and Karthi, Artists Exhibition to express solidarity, Lawyers protest, Doctors protest.

Almost everybody from every walk of life has shown their solidarity towards stopping the war in Sri Lanka.

As a culmination of the protests, a team of Tamil Nadu MP's lead by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi subsequently met the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh in December and urged immediate action. The Prime Minister gave his personal assurance that the Indian government will appropriately exert pressure on Sri Lanka to stop the war. However, many view that India is playing a double game by supporting Sri Lanka in its war to defeat the Tamil resistance.

Mr. V S Subramaniam a citizen journalist reports in Merinews:

Delhi's deceptive tactics to cover betrayal

The foreign minister Pranab Mukerjee was shadow acting to extricate Manmohan Singh from his promise to Tamil Nadu leaders on December 4, 2008. The assurance was to send Pranab Mukherjee to Colombo to pressurise Sri Lanka into a ceasefire. The foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon's role was to sell Pranab's fake wares to 'gullible' Tamil UPA partners. There is deception aplenty in Pranab's role and India's belief in the sanctity of SL's 'sovereignty', 'non-involvement', 'hands-off' and commitment to a 'political over a military solution' to the SL conflict.

Delhi's agenda to 'kill' Tamil cause

However, M Veerappa Moily, the Congress media chief expressed an uncontrolled euphoria when Kilinochchi fell. He asked the Lanka government to hand over the resistance leadership, wanted by the Indian authorities in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as quid pro quo for its military support for the Lanka genocide. "We are giving full support to the Sri Lanka government, for which it has to hand over the fugitive to India".

Delhi's agenda is to destroy Tamil cause for good by neutralising or eliminating the Lankan Tamil resistance leadership. Moily's forthright statement exposes the hypocrisy of Pranab's fake wares. The Congress-Delhi's double-talk (Pranab vs. Moily) underpins the "greatest betrayal" of Tamilians on the Lanka Tamil issue.

The Tamil Nadu state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the principal opposition party in India, organized a one-day hunger protest on Monday, Jan. 12th in Chennai to call on the Indian UPA lead government to stop the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The State President L Ganesan said Tamils should get their equal rights looking after their own affairs and urged for an immediate cease fire to stop the war. A senior member of the state unit Mr. Vaithiyalingam asked the Indian government to lift the ban on the LTTE at the BJP's state general meeting.

A popular regional magazine, Kumudam, conducted a televised interview last week with K Thangabalu - The State Secretary of Congress Party. The event broadcast over the internet through the magazine's Web TV site allowed callers to ask questions of Mr Thangabalu. The event saw Mr Thangabalu being blasted by every caller regarding the moral principles of the Congress party with respect to the Sri Lankan issue.

A caller questioned Mr Thangabalu on who the Congress party represents - Indians or the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka. Few Sri Lankan Tamils who called from Canada and the USA questioned Mr Thangabalu on the respect the party has shown to the views and aspirations of not only the Tamils of Sri Lankan but that of Tamil Nadu. Mr Thangabalu was seen repeatedly attempting to defend the party's Sri Lankan policy and mentioned that Congress has every right to hold their opinion just like other parties.

The mounting pressure from southern India over the Sri Lankan issue is nearing its boiling point. Whether the Congress government will respect the democratic calls of India's own citizens or continue its clandestine partnership with the Rajapakse government of Sri Lanka is yet to be seen and could very well determine the fate of the already declining popularity of the Congress party in South India.

Sri Lanka: Lasantha Wickrematunge, Journalist, Predicted Own Murder

Kalugu — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:40:45 EST

Journalism, by far is not a dangerous profession. But in Sri Lanka it is a career choice that should be pursued only by the bravest of the brave.

Lasantha Wickramatunga - an outspoken critic of the government's war on ethnic Tamil rebels, knew he was marked for death — and thought he knew why.

The Associated Press reported that three days after he was gunned down execution-style, Wickrematunge's newspaper published a haunting, self-written obituary Sunday in which he says he was targeted for his writings and adds: "When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me."

In a 2,500 word editorial, Wickrematunge foresees his own death, hints at the identity of the killers from within the ranks of Sri Lanka's government, and lays out a gripping and detailed account of what he sees as his country's descent into persecution of citizens and flouting of democracy.

Addressing Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapakse - he says: "In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry. But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too. For truth be told, we both know who will be behind my death."

Wickramatunga editor of Sunday Leader newspaper had the reputation of being one of the country's most fearless journalist. Wickramatunga was shot at close range by unidentified gunmen as he drove to work during the morning hours on January 8th in Dehiwela, just outside Colombo.

Just two days prior to the murder on Jan 6th, a private Sri Lankan TV channel was attacked with hand grenades and set on fire allegedly due to its "unpatriotic" coverage of the war against Tamil rebels.

Around 20 armed men in a white van with covered number plates attacked the studio and control room of the Maharaja TV network, just outside Colombo, early Tuesday morning. The attackers threw hand grenades, sprayed gunfire and set alight the building causing heavy damage, Director of MTV/MBC, the TV and radio unit of the channel, Asoka Dias said.

Ameen Izzadeen of Sunday Times writes:

"It was left to us, the journalists and the people who believe that media freedom is essential for a vibrant democracy, to close our eyes and visualize the face of terror that took Lasantha's life. Sadly, among those faces of terror was the government, however much we try to erase that image."

International rights groups, diplomats and local activists expressed outrage at the attacks, while opposition politicians accused the government of at best condoning the violence and possibly ordering the strikes itself.

How far would you believe the news coming out of a country that Human rights groups call as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to operate.

Kilinochi - Images of the Victory Celebration

Kalugu — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 06:49:57 EST

There is jubilation in Sri Lanka over the capture of Kilinochi - the symbolic capital of Tamil Eelam territory. The town which was under the control of Tamil rebels for nearly a decade finally came under government control.

"This was an unparalleled victory," the president, Mahinda Rajapakse, said in a televised speech from his office. "Kilinochchi was the capital of a state dreamed by a terrorist organization. It will no longer be available to them. We should pay the gratitude of the whole nation to those heroic soldiers who achieved that victory."

"Kilinochchi's recapture is a big psychological boost for government forces," Jehan Perera, of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, said. The stock market gained few points on the first day to only fall again subsequently.

M.S.M Ayub - a columnist for the Daily Mirror - The largest selling independent English daily in Sri Lanka writes:

"As the Sinhala media represent the Sinhalese psyche with respect to the ethnic problem and the war, the Tamil media indicate the mindset of the Tamils. Even after the fall of LTTE strongholds in Wanni to the security forces like a pack of cards culminating in the capture of Kilinochchi by the troops with the dawn of the New Year, the Thinakkural, a Tamil daily published in Colombo in its "defence column" last week expressed hopes of the rebels bouncing back. The Indian news agency ANI too reported on Monday that "many Sri Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu expressed disappointment on the fall of Tamil Tigers' de facto capital Kilinochchi but confident that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would bounce back."

The Rajapakse government is making elaborate plans to emulate the integration process implemented in the east. However reports indicate that there are no civilians in the kilinochi town which pose a serious challenge to the government plans.

After the capture journalists were taken on a tour around Kilinochi town by the military. The reporters inform that the town appears literally empty with the exception of stray animals. The total population of about 250,000 have been reported to have moved out weeks ahead. The army did not capture any military hardware either. The town infrastructure such as power stations & water tanks were all seen destroyed - either by prior air strikes or deliberately destroyed by the rebels before they fled the town.

However the Sri Lankan soldiers did find interesting memorabilia to celebrate - Dead bodies of fallen female rebels stripped and captured in video. Vidoes of the bodies being stripped and mutilated were shot by soldiers using mobile phone and were sent to friends. One such video shows burning and mutilation of the private parts of the bodies of few female rebels by Sri Lankan soldiers.

Copies of the video are circulating in the web and also known to have been forwarded to the UN office in New York by some Tamil activists. One may recall the photo that earned the coveted Pulitzer prize to photographer Huynh Cong Ut, known by his colleagues as Nick. The photo was that of nine-year old Kim Phuc running naked and severely burned on her back by a napalm atack. The photo epitomising the savagery and tragedy of the conflict became one of the most published photos of the Vietnam war.

We will be seeing more images of the war and celeberation from Sri Lanka in the coming days. But whether they will inspire joy or sorrow depends on your perspective of the war in general and the conflict in particular.

LTTE-China or LTTE-Pakistan Partnership Possible?

Kalugu — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 06:42:11 EST

"Your enemy's enemy is your friend," is a popular saying. The recent setback the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka have been facing is largely credited to the clandestine support extended to the Sri Lankan government by India, mostly against popular public opinion of India's citizens from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is home to 80 million ethnic Tamils who have integrated very well with India and have a thriving economy.

Results of recent surveys conducted in Tamil Nadu - India by two different press groups Indian Express and Kumudam have revealed very interesting opinions.

"Majority Tamil Nadu is pro-LTTE" : 81 percent said that LTTE is good for India's security. Over 55 percent favoured a separate Tamil homeland for Sri Lankan Tamils as the only solution for the conflict in the island.

A student group belonging to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, demanded the unconditional declaration of ceasefire from the Sri Lanka government and a stop to the genocide of Tamils. Based on Marxist-Leninist principles of self-determination, it called for supporting Eezham Tamil independence.

The Tamil Tigers were banned in India 17 years ago and despite several protests from various political and nonpolitical groups, the Congress government of Indian headed by Mr. Manmohan Singh has refused to lift the ban on the Tamil Rebels. Several politicians from the Tamil Nadu state are questioning the validity of this ban and are questioning the removal of the ban on RSS - a Hindu group that assassinated Mahatma Gandhi and was subsequently banned for only two years after the assassination.

In recent times, the Sri Lankan military has made very impressive progress, including the capture of Kilinochchi - the symbolic capital of the Tamil Eelam territory. However, Sri Lanka scored several negative points with respect to human rights.

A 400+page model indictment charging Sri Lanka officials for genocide against Tamils has been prepared by a US-based Tamil group. This group is represented by Mr. Bruce Fein, a lawyer in the United States who specializes in constitutional and international law. Under President Ronald Reagan, Fein served as an associate deputy attorney general and as general counsel to the Federal Communications Commission. The indictment will be ready to be submitted to the U.S. Justice Department this first week of January. With the new President-elect Barack Obama assuming office in January the case is being closely monitored by Sri Lankans worldwide.

The genocidal acts Bruce Fein has chronicled in the draft indictment surpasses by far the genocidal evidence in the charges against former Bosnian leader Radovan Karadzic.

Further, this week New York-based Genocide Prevention Project has included Sri Lanka as one of the eight "red alert" countries where genocide and other mass atrocities are underway or risk breaking out.

While the Tamil Rebels have made several attempts to establish a friendly relationship with India, the calls have been rejected or rather neglected by India. While the Tigers were solely relying on India alone for strategic partnership, Sri Lanka went ahead and established relationships with China, Pakistan and Iran.

China and Pakistan have a strategic interest in Sri Lanka as a presence here allows them unprecedented geographic advantage over reaching strategic and economic centers of India. Both LTTE and Sri Lanka can be valuable partners to China and Pakistan. More than Sri Lanka, which has much less influence over India, LTTE can be a more attractive and valuable partner due to its strong ethnic and religious ties with India. A strong relation with the Tamil Tigers will give these countries unprecedented inroads into southern India. However, the Tamil Tigers do not seem to have taken benefit of this unique advantage they possess.

Several analysts do not understand the reason behind LTTE's un-staunched alignment and dependence on India and the reason behind ignoring China or Pakistan as strategic partners. LTTE for some reason has ignored the safety of its very own people it represents over a friendly relation with India.

Will the Tamil Tigers realign and save themselves from further humiliation by the Sri Lankan army?