Many around the world say Prabhakaran is Alive

Shiv in Colombo sent me this picture of him watching me on Headlines Today.

Death

I know you've come to kill me. Shoot, coward, you're only going to kill a man. - Ernesto Che Guevara (just before he was shot and murdered)

J Jayalalitha Offers Hope

AIADMK chief J Jayalaitha has emerged as the champion of the Sri Lankan Tamil cause in Tamil Nadu this election season.

Her criticism of the UPA government at the Center for its failure to prevent the deepening humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka and the continued killing of Tamil civilians there, turned the issue into the central campaign theme in the state.

There is considerable anger in Tamil Nadu at the Indian government's inability to stop the killing of Tamil Civilians in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka. The UN estimates that over 6500 Tamil civilians have been killed in Sri Lanka in just the last few months.

Many in the state feel,thousands of lives could have been saved and many injuries prevented if the Indian government had done more to pressure Sri Lanka to announce a humanitarian ceasefire.

They feel by providing arms, training and logistical support to the Sri Lankan security forces, India encouraged the Sri Lankan government to continue with what is now being described by the UN as a "bloodbath."of civilians. Dozens of civilians continue to die every day even now.

Jayalalitha's promise to send the Indian army to Sri Lanka to "create Tamil Eelam" too was seen by many as a ploy to cash in on the popular sentiment against the continued military action in Sri Lanka.

Her opponents call her an opportunist. They say she has embraced the cause only for quick electoral gains and that she will forget about it the minute the polls are over.

But Jayalaitha is seen as a politician who keeps her word, and that is the reason why her campaign has been so successful.

Talking to journalists after casting her vote on the 13th of May she reiterated her stand on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.

It is expected that her alliance will win a majority of the seats in the parliamentary polls in the state. Experts say she will play a big role in the formation of the next government at the center.

For the suffering people of Vanni and for crores of Indians concerned about their plight Jayalalitha offers hope.

Comrade Prachanda's resignation Letter

Sri Lankan Army Continues its Air and Heavy Gun Attacks in the NFZ

The sin of silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.

Abraham Lincoln

No IPR RESTRICTIONS. RAJESH SUNDARAM IS NOT THE COPYRIGHTS HOLDER FOR THESE VIDEOS

It Does Not Take A Majority to Prevail

It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.
Samuel Adams

The Great Indian Diplomatic Farce

On a day when the UN confirmed that over 6,500 Tamil civilians have died in just the last three months, in the conflict zone of North Sri Lanka, the Indian foreign Office had this gem to offer about the Indian foreign Secretary and NSA's visit to Colombo.

=======================================================

Statement by NSA upon return from Sri Lanka

24/04/2009


Foreign Secretary and I visited Colombo today on the instructions of the Prime Minister. We were received by H.E. the President of Sri Lanka. We conveyed the concerns of the Government of India on the evolving situation in Northern Sri Lanka, especially at the casualties caused among Tamil civilians as a result of ongoing operations. We also expressed the Government of India’s concerns about the humanitarian situation as a result of nearly hundred thousand Tamil civilians coming out of the conflict zone since early this week. The President of Sri Lanka was receptive to our concerns. We are hopeful of a positive outcome.

New DelhiApril 24, 2009

Another self-immolation in Tamil Nadu

I begin todays post with some tragic news. A 35 year old Tamil man who set himself ablaze in Tirupur earlyThursday evening, to protest against the killing of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and calling for an immediate ceasefire on the Island nation.

Subramani was rushed to a hospital in Tirupur with over 70 percent burns. He succumbed to his injuries in a matter of hours.

In a very political suicide note Subramani, a self confessed AIADMK supporter reportedly said that he was not happy with the DMK's handling of the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.

He is the 15th person to commit self-immolation in the state over the last few months.

INDIA'S SHAMELESS SILENCE

It has been months of the military offensive in Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers have lost almost all the territory they held...down we are told to the last handful of fighters.

The Military operation has seen thousands of soldiers die, thousands of rebel fighters are reported dead too.

However, the most distressing aspect of the ongoing military action is the killing and wounding of thousands of Tamil civilians who are stranded in the rebel held areas.

The UN estimates that 4500 civilians have dies in just the last three months, over 12,000 have been injured...the numbers are growing at an alarming rate every day. Yet the international community and more so India are silent.

The Indian foreign minister called for an extended ceasefire and said civilian casualties in the "so called no-fire zone" are "unacceptable."

But even as the Sri Lankan army ignores this appeal and goes in for a final assault into a 7 sq kilometer area filled with at least 50,000 civilians...the Indian government is shamelessly silent. A silence that has emboldened the Sri Lankan government and given legitimacy to its actions.

Governments of the UK, USA, Australia and Canada seem to be doing more...a shame again considering that India is home to over 6.6 crore Tamils.

A shame considering that Tamils hold key positions in the current Congress led government in the center.

Even the prospect of a crushing defeat in the upcoming polls does not seem to sway them into action.

Human Rights groups have called the reckless military action a war crime. When the facts of these dark days come to light India will regret its inaction.

This is the time for India to rise above petty considerations of diplomacy and strategic interest. This is the time for India to stand up and be heard.
Time for it to force a stop to the mindless killing of thousands of Tamil men, women and children

Time for India to tell President Rajapakse that the first priority for any responsible government should be towards its citizens.

A delay in its military offensive against the LTTE by a few weeks will cost much less than the killing of hundreds of its own Tamil civilians.

Any military offensive should start only after all Tamil civilians in the area are evacuated to safety.

The Sri Lankan government says it wants to push ahead with its final assault on the Tamil tigers despite the apparent human cost. It says it will ensure that there are no civilian casualty.

But can the world trust the Sri Lankan army ? 4500 civilians have died already in just the last three months, despite assurances that civilian casualties will be kept at a minimum.

The army blames the LTTE for civilian death, they say the rebels are firing at and killing fleeing civilians. They allege the rebels are using suicide bombers to scare civilians into staying on in territory held by them...for use as human shields.

The rebels deny any hand in the death of civilians...but can a state absolve itself of the responsibility it has towards the safety of its civilians in a conflict zone.

India's silence is a direct signal to the Sri Lankan government to push ahead with the carnage. History will never forgive India for its silence at this crucial hour, too many precious lives have been lost already.

The UN and India must act NOW, to save Tamil Civilians in the Vanni

WAKE UP UNITED NATIONS, INDIA AND TAMIL NADU

These are some distressing videos from the so called " No Fire Zone" in the rebel held areas of the Mullaithivu district of north east Sri Lanka.

Women, children and men battling for their lives in an open air, make shift, fly infested medical facility.

Medicines...even bandages, food and water are in desperate short supply.

The UN says over 4,500 Tamil civilians have dies so far this year ( Over 900 of these are children), and over 9000 have been injured. The numbers of dead and injured are creeping up by the dozen every day.

Weeping mothers, traumatised children and men with an expression of helplessness on their faces.

Should the UN and India just keep quite when it is told that the Sri Lankan government can't consider an extended ceasefire at this time ?

Is the fear of the decimated LTTE regrouping so overwhelming that the lives of Tamil civilians should be put to risk ?

Is it really fair to allow the Sri Lankan army and the rebels to gamble away the lives of over 1,00,000 Tamil civilians ?

Is this not genocide, regardless of who is to blame ?

Should the International media not be doing more to pressure the Sri Lankan government to ease curbs on international journalists visiting the so called "No Fire Zone" ?

Should the UN not take immediate charge of the so called " No Fire Zone" ?

Should the politicians in Tamil Nadu not stand united for this cause and pressure the Union government to snap diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka if it does not end hostilities ?

Should the Indian mainstream media not do more to bring this issue to focus ?

Eelam Politics in Tamil Nadu

The Sad story of Sivanandan

Even as I write this post 48 year old Sivanandan from Karur is battling for his life at the burns ward of the Kilpauk Hospital in Chennai. He has suffered 70 percent burns and doctors say chances of his survival are not very bright.

He was reportedly upset at the the worsening condition of the thousands of Tamil civilians in the conflict ridden North eastern coastal district of Mullaithivu in Sri Lanka.

He reportedly shouted slogans protesting the worsening humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka and the killing of thousands of innocent civilians there before setting himself ablaze.

He is the 14th person in the state to attempt self immolation in the last few months.

The helpless angst in Tamil Nadu

It is reported that over 3500 Tamil civilians have dies and nearly three times the number injured in just the last four months in conflict hit areas of North Sri Lanka. Dozens continue to die and suffer injuries every day.

Food, drinking water and medicines are reportedly in short supply and so are trained doctors and support staff.

It is reported that Children are dying of undernourishment , dead bodies pile up on the road side after each air raid and round of mortar/ artillery shelling.

Independent journalists are not allowed free access to the conflict zone by either side.

The Sri Lankan government blames the Tamil Tiger Rebels for the plight of the civilians, accusing them of holding the civilians as "human shields" and firing at civilians fleeing areas under their control. They promising to "liberate" the civilians and wipe out the last remaining rebel fighters.

The rebels blame the army fire for the civilian deaths. They say the civilians are staying put in areas held by them out of choice...because of fear that they will be beaten and tortured if they fall in Sri Lankan army hands.

And as the two sides dig in for the "final battle" more and more civilians are dying each day.

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, made an official trip to the fallen rebel capital of Killinochi this week. He seemed in no mood to stop his war against the rebels...regardless of the high costs.

Election season in India

All this comes bang in the middle of election season in India.

Tamil Nadu's 6.6 crore Tamils have a deep cultural and historic relationship with the much smaller Tamil community in Sri Lanka. The number of Tamil civilians trapped in the conflict zone is variously estimated between 80,000 and 3,50000.

It is no wonder then that this has become an emotive pre-poll issue. Hundreds have turned up for rallies across the state calling for an end to the war in Sri Lanka and relief for the trapped civilians.

Every political party wants to milk the sentiment.

The ruling DMK led Democratic Progressive Alliance has been accused by the opposition AIADMK led alliance of not doing much to force the central government to end the war in Sri Lanka.

The DMK is a key ally of the Federal government. It's support is crucial for survival of the UPA government at the center.

The opposition says the DMK could have done more to influence and change India's Sri Lankan policy and end the war and suffering of Tamil civilians on the island nation.

The Dynamics of Change

In a surprise move the AIADMK, at one time a bitter critic of the LTTE, has in its manifesto said that Eelam, or a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka was inevitable if their genuine aspirations of the Tamil people were not met and if they were not treated with dignity and honour.

This is seen as a radical shift in its stand. Some experts say the party has calibrated its policy in keeping with popular sentiment in the state ahead of the elections. They say allies like MDMK's Vaiko and PMK's Dr Ramadoss have played a big role in bringing about this change.

Vaiko is perhaps the only Tamil politician to have been consistently committed to the Eelam cause over the last two decades. He has even been jailed on many occasions for his support to the Tamil Tiger rebels, a banned organisation in India.

The AIADMK hopes to play a big role in the formation of the next government in New Delhi. The change in its stance at this point is very significant.

The writing on the wall for the DMK is clear.

It has failed to get any significant tangible benefits or relief for the suffering Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and has failed to convince the central government to cajole the Sri Lankan government to halt the war.

The only option with the DMK government now is to shift the blame on to the Union government.

The wily DMK chief M Karunanidhi has sent the Indian prime minister a late night telegram, asking him to snap diplomatic ties with Sri Lankan if it does not immediately agree to a permanent ceasefire.

Ahead of the elections, the Congress finds itself between a rock and a hard place.

Too Little, Too Late

Karunanidhi's desperate telegram comes just hours after Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukharjee took time out of his hectic election campaign to issue India's toughest statement yet on the issue.

Observers say the timing of the statement is significant. The language used in the statement unlike the ones issued in the past is not guarded and nuanced.

It has clear political undertones and is largely seen as a statement issued to minimise damage for the congress and its allies in the upcoming general elections.

'The Government of Sri Lanka must extend this pause in hostilities to prevent further casualties and enable trapped civilians to leave the area to secure locations. Continuation of precipitate military actions leading to further civilian casualties at this time would be totally unacceptable. While it is incumbent on the LTTE to release all civilians and IDPs under their control, the Government of Sri Lanka cannot be oblivious to the evolving human tragedy and the fate of the Tamil civilian population caught up in the so-called No Fire Zone. There is no reason not to continue with the pause in military actions in the NFZ."

The Sri Lankan government has not responded to the statement so far and is unlikely to end hostilities. Ahead of the polls this leaves the DMK led government in Tamil Nadu particularly vulnerable.

The Indian government can do little to walk its talk on the issue. It is unlikely to heed Karunanidhi's advise to snap diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka.

And as for the civilians in the Vanni, India's latest statement may have come a little too late in the day...and it is also perhaps too little to bring any tangible relief.

Purple Cats in my Whiskey

Rajesh Sundaram

Purple cats race up to the stratosphere...

and come back like spherical raindrops with green beaks.

I discard the beaks and pour them into my whiskey...heaven

Then Proceed to experiment with my sobriety

lay my brain out on a cold steel tray in my dark laboratory

Grey matter, pickled in a deep green squish of sugar, thought and grime

The Sri Lankan Conflict

Restrictions on Media

"Why don't you write about the Sri Lankan conflict again in your blog ?"

I have been asked this question many times since my return from Sri Lanka about a week ago. The answer is pretty clear...the restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan army and the government have made impartial reporting impossible.

Reports that have been filed featuring interviews with members of the reportedly pro-Tamil Tigers' parliamentary grouping the Tamil National Alliance or using footage from rebel held territories are seen as "anti-military." This despite the fact that they also featured interviews with government ministers and army officials.

I have been told I will not be issued a fresh visa unless I explain my previous reports to the Sri Lankan ministry of defense by submitting details of my reports to them through the foreign ministry.

In my 15 year career as a journalist, I have reported from over a dozen countries world wide. I have never faced such a situation.

I have been reporting the conflict in Sri Lanka since 1999... government controls and restrictions on the media applicable now are the toughest I have even seen.

The Sri Lankan establishment is happiest when foreign journalists limit their reports to briefings given by divisional commanders or the military spokesman during guided tours. They are expected to tow the government line..I am amazed by how many do so without asking any questions.

Sri Lankan journalists have to contend with more than just the displeasure or snub of foreign, defense ministry, and military officials. Killings and beating of local journalists have now become routine. The wide coverage given to these incidents in the Sri Lankan and international media seems to have done little to check the faceless attackers who continue to attack with impunity.

The various police commissions set up by the president's office have not been able to gather much leads into these attacks...probably they are looking at the wrong place. Some say they are not looking at all.

I will, over the next few weeks, seek to write a series of articles here on the current situation in Sri Lanka. I start with the two pictures that describe best the current situation on the island.

( Photo 1: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse with troops in Vakarai;
A civilians being carried to a medical facility after being injured in Shell fire in a rebel held enclave in Mullaithivu district)

Gangaram Temple, Colombo

Passing Through Aminabad, Lucknow

On the way to Sealdah, Kolkatta

Haji Ali Shrine, Mumbai

The fall of Kilinochchi

Is there a military solution in Sri Lanka


As a journalist, visiting Kilinochchi was always a very interesting experience. Kilinochchi, the headquarters of the Tamil Tigers' defacto state "Tamil Eelam".

It had all the trapping of a state...shown with much pride to visiting foreign scribes.





1.The author gets help strapping on a visor before filming at a minefield in rebel held north Sri Lanka 2006








2. A Sri Lankan Soldier near the CFL 2006




3.The author at the LTTE's media center in Kilinochchi in 2006


A police force with NYPD style patrol cars, crime investigation, traffic and law and order wings. The "Tamil Eelam" police Headquarters had an impressive building housed in a walled compound overlooking the main road. A "Tamil Eelam" flag was ceremoniously hoisted in the morning and lowered in the evening at the parade ground within the compound.

" Our policemen and women do not wear the Khaki uniform you see in the rest of the Indian subcontinent. It is something our leader ( Velupillai Prabhakaran) ordered. The Khaki uniform is seen as part of the repressive regime that the Tamil people here have grown to hate. So when we set up our police force for our people, we decided to go with blue and white the colour of peace.
The policemen here would think twice before asking for bribes or tormenting the people they are hired to serve. The punishment for that is just too severe." the then Tamil Eelam police chief B Nadesan had told me during one of my visits.

There was also a well oiled system to collect taxes from traders and visitors. I saw every shop and eatery maintain meticulous records of every sale. Accounts where maintained by hand with a column for the amount that was to be shares with the Tigers. No one dared think about ducking taxes.

The "Tamil Eelam Bank" did everything short of printing its own currency. It gave loans, fixed interest rates and was the place people thronged to pawn gold. The branches had computers, although they where there mostly for show. Most of the work was done on hand written ledgers.
Many people did maintain small savings accounts with the bank...this was required to avail loans and other services.

I was told that there was an executive council led by V Prabhakaran that made laws. Laws that where published as bare acts... text books for the Kilinochchi's law school run by the Tigers.

This was never a democratically elected council and most of the members came from the military side of the organisation. Most where appointed by Prabhakaran.

Most of the laws in "Tamil Eelam" where based on British and Indian laws, especially the civil and criminal procedure codes.

Law graduates practiced in the lower courts and the "Supreme Court of Tamil Eelam". Many from their ranks gave exams and became judges.

All courts where housed next to each other in Kilinochchi.

Sri Lankan officials and other experts often dismissed these courts as "Kangaroo courts" but each of these would hear dozens of civil and criminal cases every day.

And then there where the rebel run television and FM radio station. These mostly played patriotic songs and videos. The television station " National Television of Tamil Eelam ( NTT) was at one point broadcast from an earth station inside rebel held territory to most of Asia and Europe through a network of "Ecostar" satellites.

The channel had regular news bulletins that had the look and feel of a state run station.

The radio station too was used mostly for propaganda. It's content too was very "state radio" type.

But the pride and joy of the Tigers was their fighting machinery. One of the very few non-state entities in the world to have land, sea and air wings. This was something most within the organisation thought gave them the legitimacy of "state".

The Peace secretariat served as the "foreign office". Hosting foreign diplomats and ministers who came calling during the ceasefire years. The perfect setting for meetings and photo opportunities. A place where even V Prabhakaran showed up often in the early days of the last ceasefire with the poise of a "Head of state"

But with the fall of Kilinochchi, the edifice of state that the tigers had created in their territory is in shambles.

Weeks of air strikes and shelling had left the buildings that housed each of these "institutions" in ruin.

But does the fall of Kilinochchi mean an end to the 25 year old civil war in Sri Lanka that has left over 80,000 people dead ?

Is there a military solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka ?

The fall of Kilinochchi is a big psychological blow to the Tigers and it is clear that the rebels who controlled vast tracts of territory in the east and north of Sri Lanka are now left with just a fraction.

However, the core issues in the conflict still remain unresolved. Many experts in India say a military solution, of the kind sought by the current government in Sri Lanka is not a permanent solution.

Any bid now to prop an alternate civilian administration in the North without the participation of the tigers could be counter productive in the long term.

Many experts say what is needed is a negotiated settlement... a political solution that will bring about a more permanent resolution of the 25 year old conflict.

Many experts argue there are merits in involving the Tigers in future negotiations.

But for now both sides are far from finding common ground on unconditionally restarting stalled talks.

The suicide attack outside the Sri Lanka Air Force HQ at Colombo amidst celebrations to mark the fall of Kilinochchi is an ominous sign.

( Photo credit : 1 and 3 Nilanjan Chowdhury, 3 Rajesh Sundaram)

Among Crabs in a Shallow vessel

Rajesh Sundaram

In unfamiliar terrain
flanked by a different species

Senses impaired, disoriented
Sending out signals that everyone interprets different

Provoking reverence, fear and insecurity in cycles
indifferent to each cycle

Unchanged by the response to the varied signals
Among Crabs in a shallow vessel

Chilly Day at the Cycle Market, Jhandewalan, Delhi