‘Reject LLRC based solutions, work with nations without states’: Tamil Nadu activist
[TamilNet, Monday, 29 October 2012, 04:07 GMT] Arguing that LLRC based political solutions were a trap of International Community of Establishments (ICE) to let Sri Lankan state escape prosecution for the charges of genocide and war crimes, environmental activist from Tamil Nadu, Srinivasa Rao, accused the ICE and India for abetting the genocide of the Eezham Tamils for geopolitical interests in an interview on Palak’ani. Conversing with the presenter V. Kohulan, he further appealed to activists in the Eezham Tamil diaspora to work beyond the structures of establishments to build solidarity with nations without states facing similar oppression. “Without struggle we cannot achieve our goals,” he said, urging the Eezham Tamils to join hands in struggle with other nation without states.
Mr. Srinivasan, along with fellow activist Gnanasekaran, has been on a world tour to inform people on the genocide of the Eezham Tamils’ and their demands for self-determination.
Answering a question on the role of Tamil Nadu in the past and present and whether there was an adequate response to the suffering of the Eezham Tamils, he opined that the knowledge of the genocide of Eezham Tamils had spread even to villages in TN. He also claimed that it was grassroots pressure that led the DMK to take the positions it took in the TESO conference, a shift from its earlier position of silence.
Mr. Srinivasan was of the opinion that that it was impossible for any of the two main Dravidian parties to establish government on absolute majority and hence, the pro-Tamil Eelam parties that would support them should do so on the basis of a common minimum programme keeping the interests of the genocide-affected Eezham Tamils in mind.
He also noted how New Delhi was creating “diverting tactics” in Tamil Nadu by bringing up other issues whenever demands for justice for Eezham Tamils intensified among the TN public.
The Tamil Nadu activist opined that TN parties should take it to other parties and peoples across the Indian country. He also discussed about the about the work they did in New Delhi to inform non-Tamil politicians of the genocide and also the solidarity work they were involved with in Malaysia and other countries.
Srinivasan appealed to diaspora to firmly stand by the position of genocide and be on guard against defeatist mentalities, encouraging them to build solidarity among other nations without state.
He strongly criticized those diaspora organizations and TN parties who were toeing the Western governments’ initiated step by step approach that gave legitimacy to a LLRC based political solution, also questioning the politics of failed peace-broker Mr. Erik Solheim.
Commending civil society organizations in the homeland who were taking a principled political position despite living under structural genocide, Srinivasan appealed to activists in the diaspora, who were living in democracies with no fear of white vans and other repressive measures, to remain committed to the same.