அஞ்சலீ நாட்கள்... (2)  

Posted by Peter Abdul Jegadeesh in














































                                                                                                                     நவம்பர் 2010: [November 2010]






இன்னிக்கு நைட் 8 மணிக்கு ஃப்லைட், ப்ரான்ஸ்க்கு. 10 நாள் ஆகும் திரும்ப வர.

அஞ்சலீக்கு இது பிடிக்கல. என்கிட்ட ரெண்டு தடவ கேட்டா கண்டிப்பா போகனுமான்னு.

அஞ்சலி: " Agreement sign பண்ணும்போது போகணும்தான சொன்ன, இப்போ என்ன?..... ஏதாவது சொல்லி ஸ்கிப் பண்ணுடா!"

கௌதம்: "இது அடுத்த ப்ராஜெக்ட் பத்தி discuss panna மா...நல்ல சான்ஸ்...இம்ப்ரெஸ் பண்ணா..ப்ரோமோஷன் கன்ஃபர்ம் டா..ப்லீஸ்"...

அற மனசோட தான் ஒத்துக்கிட்டா. ஆனா எனக்கு இது முக்கியமான விசிட். லைஃப் டைம் ஆப்பர்ச்சுநிட்டி. போயே ஆகணும்.

ட்ரெஸ் பேக் பண்ணும் போது கூட எதுவுமே பேசாம அமைதியா இருந்தா. எனக்கு ரொம்ப கஷ்டமா இருந்தது.

நான் ஆல்‌மோஸ்ட் கிளம்பிட்டேன் ஆனா அஞ்சலீ இன்னும் நைட் ட்ரெஸ்ல தான் இருந்தா.

கௌதம்: "இப்பிடி தான் நீ என்ன சென்ட் ஆஃப் பண்ண வரபோரியா, ரெடீ ஆகல, என் பாஸோட பையனும் என் கூட வர்றான், அதுனால என் பாஸ் ஃபாமிலி எல்லாம் கூட வர்றாங்க"

லேசா என்ன ஒரு மொற மொறச்சா.

அஞ்சலீ: "நான் வந்துருவேண்...ஆனா என்ன... நீ ஃப்லைட் போர்ட் பண்ணத்துக்கு அப்புறம்...உன் பாஸ எனக்கு தெரிஞ்ச நாலு கேட்ட வார்த்தெல திட்டிடுவேன் பரவால்லயா?"

நான் அதுக்கு அப்புறம் அவ கிட்ட எதுவும் பேசல.


ஏர்போர்ட்:

ஏர்போர்ட்குள்ள போனதும் அவளுக்கு கால் பண்ணேன், அவ பிக் பண்ணல.

லக்கேஜ் செக் முடிஞ்சது.

பாஸ்போர்ட் கௌன்டர் வந்துட்டேன், ...என் டிக்கெட்...அப்புறம் என் பாஸ்போர்ட் செக்..

கௌன்டர்ல இருந்த லேடி ஆஃபீசர் என்ன பார்த்து சிரிச்சாங்க.

லேடி ஆஃபீசர்: "I dont think you are going to France today, or any time soon...."

என் கிட்ட டிகெட்ட திரும்ப கொடுத்துட்டு...

லேடி ஆஃபீசர்: "You better get a movie ticket tonite! that would do!!..ha..ha"

எதுக்கு சிரிச்சாங்கனு தெரியல.

என் பாஸ்போர்ட்ட பார்த்தேன்... என் ஃபோடோல பெரிய மீசை....வீரப்பனோட மீச மாதிரி...அப்புறம் ..ஒரு பெரிய மச்சம் ...கறுப்பா ..பெருசா..என் கன்ணத்துல...பேணாவால வரஞ்சிருந்தது!!! என் டிக்கெட்.....அது மேல...எழுதி இருந்தது "Come back dear!"னு...பேருசா அதுவும் ப்ளாக் இங்க்ல!!!

"அஞ்சலீ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "

------

என் பாஸ்கிட்ட emergency nu சொல்லி சமாளிக்கிறதுக்குள்ளே உயிர் போய்டுச்சு.

நேரா வீட்டுக்கு வந்தேன்....பயங்கர கோபமா...கதவ தட்டினேன்...கதவு தெறந்தேதான் இருந்தது..

வேகமா உள்ள போனேன்... அஞ்சலீ ஜன்னாலோராமா நின்நிட்டு இருந்தா. பக்கத்துல போய் அவ தோள பிடிச்சி திருப்பினேன்.

கௌதம்: " என்ன பன்னீருக்"

டக்குனு அவ கையால என் வாய மூடினா..

 "வேணாம் கௌதம் திட்டாத...ப்லீஸ்........."

என்ன கட்டிப்புடிச்சு...தோள்ல சாஞ்சா...!

தல குனிஞ்சிசுக்கிட்டே ....   "Im sorry..da...நான் ஒரு பைத்தியம்..".

கண்ணெல்லாம் தண்ணி...அப்படியே என்ன பார்த்தா..கண்ணுக்கு நேரா கண்ணு..

"எனக்கு உன்னோட வாழனும் கௌதம்......ஒவ்வொரு நிமிஷமும்..." "எனக்கு பயமா இருக்குடா.."


.காதலிக்கிறதுக்கும், ..அப்புறம் வாழ்றதுக்கும்...அஞ்சலிக்கிட்ட டைம் இல்ல...she had a divine commitmentனு சொல்லலாம்!!!

[அது தான் நான் அஞ்சலீ கிட்ட கடைசியா கோபப்பட்டது].

என்ன அப்போ கட்டி புடிச்சது ..இன்னும் விடல...! ரெண்டு பெரும் அப்படியே இருந்தோம். நான் அவ காது பக்கம் போய் மெதுவா...

"ஹேய் ..பொண்டாட்டி...ஐ லவ் யூ டி.."

என்ன இன்னும் இருக்கமா கட்டி புடிச்சு.. லேசா சிரிச்சா...

கௌதம்: "மூவீ போலாமா?!"....

அஞ்சலீ மெதுவா கண்ண தொடச்சிக்கிட்டே....பாவமா...."என்ன மூவீ?"...னு கேட்டா...


எனக்கு சிரிக்கிறதா.. அழுகிறதானு தெரியல......



ஆனா ஒண்ணு மட்டும் உன்மைங்க....

அஞ்சலீ இஸ் crazy ! ! !



-----------[நாட்கள் தொடரும்]------------------------------------------------------------------

அஞ்சலீ நாட்கள் ...  

Posted by Peter Abdul Jegadeesh in









இடம்: Emergency Ward - ICU


ஆப்பரேஷன் தியேட்டரிலிருந்து சீனியர் பெண் டாக்டர் வெளியே வந்தார்.


"மிஸ்‌டர் கௌதம்..."


கௌதம்: "Ya...its me..".


டாக்டர்: "பொண்ணோட பேரண்ட்ஸ் யாரும் வரலியா.?"


கௌதம்: "இல்ல..நான் மட்டும் தான்... anything serious!!"


----------


ஆப்பரேஷன் தியேட்டருக்குள்ள அப்போதான் ஃபர்ஸ்ட் டைம் பொறேன்..
அஞ்சலீ ஆழமான தூக்கத்துல இருந்தா. அவ முகம் முலுசும் ஆக்ஜிஜன் முஹமூடி மறச்சிருந்தது, சின்னதா ரெண்டு கண்ணு மட்டும் தெரிஞ்சது,கொஞ்சம் கூட அசையாம. அந்த ரூம்‌ல பீப் பீப் சத்தத்த தவற வேற எதுவும் இல்லை. எனக்கு அந்த சத்தம் சுத்தமா பிடிக்கல. கொஞ்ச நேரம் அவளோட வேரல பிடிச்சிக்கிட்டே கண்ண மூடி சேர்ல உட்கார்ந்தேன்.


பீப் பீப்....பீப்...பீப்...பீப்...பீப்...
சத்தம் அதிகமாச்சு...!!


"டாக்டர்..டாக்டர்"


என் ஹார்ட் பீட் அதிகமாச்சு...பேச்சு சரியா வரல..


"அஞ்சலீ.........அஞ்சலீ"
-----




"எதுவுமே.... சின்னதா இருந்தாதான்.. க்யூட்ஆ... அழகா இருக்கும்...நாய் குட்டி, பூனை குட்டி, ஐஸ்க்ரீம், சாக்லேட், கௌதம்னு உன்னோட பேரு...நம்ம வெட்டிங் ரிங்க், உன் மூக்கு கிட்ட இருக்கிற ஒரு மச்சம், எல்லாமே!",
இது அஞ்சலியோட philosophy..


அஞ்சலிக்கும் எனக்குமான நாட்களும் அப்படிதான்! Little, but cute and beautiful !


காதலிக்கிறதுக்கும், ..அப்புறம் வாழ்றதுக்கும்...அஞ்சலிக்கிட்ட டைம் இல்ல...she had a divine commitementனு சொல்லலாம், medical terms ல சொல்லணும்னா "------".


அப்பப்போ அஞ்சலீ சொல்லுவா,
"schedule ரொம்ப டைட்டா இருக்கு கௌதம், ப்லீஸ்.. டைம் வேஸ்ட் பண்ணாத...வா லவ் பண்ணலாம்".


-----


எனக்கு மனசு ரொம்ப ஹெவியா இருக்கு...வலிக்குது...! யார் கிட்டயாது பேசணும் போல இருக்கு....அஞ்சலீ கிட்ட ...ஆமாம்..இப்போ அஞ்சலீ கிட்ட பேச முடியாது.....ஆனா.. அஞ்சலி பத்தி பேசலாம் இல்ல. அது போதும்.


உங்களுக்கு... அஞ்சலீ பத்தீ தெரியுமா...?




-----[நாட்கள் தொடரும்]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------








   
 

The Island of Fortune - Sri Lanka Part 3  

Posted by Peter Abdul Jegadeesh in


India: The Brother who Betrayed ?

India, the closest nation to Sri Lanka, having its people there being killed in last civil war, did not interfere much intending to save them. For being unmoved and not showing interest in saving its own people, India is criticized as the “Betrayer of its Brother” by its own people in India, particularly by the people of the state Tamil Nadu. How far is it true? Had India not shown interest ever to save its people? If they had it shown before why not during the last war? Will they do something in future, least after the civil war? To answer these there has to be a pretty clean explanation of India’s role in the past, present, and future, in maintaining peace in Sri Lanka, intending to save its people. Well I couldn’t promise you that what I had collected is what has happened on whole, but I do can assure you that I had tried my best to collect the following details from various sources with neutral view. Hoping this might bring a picture of India’s stand. To make sure that I don’t present any nationalistic views, being an Indian, I did have the incidents revised in different point of views. Let’s dive in to the “Indian Episodes”!

The IPKF – Indian Peace keeping Force:


In the 1970s-1980s, private entities and elements in the state government of Tamil Nadu were believed to be encouraging the funding and training for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist insurgent force. In 1987, faced with growing anger amongst its own Tamils, and a flood of refugees, India intervened directly in the conflict for the first time after the Sri Lankan government attempted to regain control of the northern Jaffna region by means of an economic blockade and military assaults. India supplied food and medicine by air and sea. After subsequent negotiations, India and Sri Lanka entered into an agreement. The peace accord assigned a certain degree of regional autonomy in the Tamil areas with Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) controlling the regional council and called for the Tamil militant groups to lay down their arms. Further India was to send a peacekeeping force, named the IPKF to Sri Lanka to enforce the disarmament and to watch over the regional council. Even though the accord was signed between the governments of Sri Lanka and India, with the Tamil Tigers and other Tamil militant groups not having a role in the signing of the accord, most Tamil militant groups accepted this agreement, the LTTE rejected the accord because they opposed the candidate, who belonged to another militant group named Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), for chief administrative officer of the merged Northern and Eastern provinces. Instead the LTTE named three other candidates for the position. The candidates proposed by the LTTE were rejected by India. The LTTE subsequently refused to hand over their weapons to the IPKF.

The result was that the LTTE now found itself engaged in military conflict with the Indian Army, and launched their first attack on an Indian army rations truck on October 8, killing five Indian para-commandos who were on board by strapping burning tires around their necks. The government of India then decided that the IPKF should disarm the LTTE by force, and the Indian Army launched number of assaults on the LTTE, including a month-long campaign dubbed Operation Pawan to win control of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE. When the IPKF engaged the LTTE, the then president of Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe Premadasa, began supporting LTTE and funded LTTE with arms. During the warfare with the LTTE, IPKF was also alleged to have made human rights violation against the civilians. Notably, IPKF was alleged to have perpetrated Jaffna teaching hospital massacre which was the killing of over 70 civilians including patients, doctors and nurses. The ruthlessness of this campaign, and the Indian army's subsequent anti-LTTE operations made it extremely unpopular amongst many Tamils in Sri Lanka. The conflict between the LTTE and the Indian Army left over 1,000 Indian soldiers dead. The rebel LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka have maintained that it was an unprovoked massacre of civilians. The Government of Sri Lanka in 2008 termed it a Crime against humanity. A number of independent observers such as University Teachers for Human Rights, a premier Human Rights organization from Sri Lanka, and western observers such Mr. John Richardson and others maintain that it was a massacre of civilians.


The Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, which had been unpopular amongst Sri Lankans for giving India a major influence, now became a source of nationalist anger and resentment as the IPKF was drawn fully into the conflict. Sri Lankans protested the presence of the IPKF, and the newly-elected Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa demanded its withdrawal, which was completed by March 1990. On May 21, 1992, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated and the LTTE was alleged to be the perpetrator. As a result India declared the LTTE to be a terrorist outfit in 1992. Bilateral relations improved in the 1990s and India supported the peace process but has resisted calls to get involved again. India has also been wary of and criticized the extensive military involvement of Pakistan in the conflict, accusing the latter of supplying lethal weaponry and encouraging Sri Lanka to pursue military action rather than peaceful negotiations to end the civil war. 


The Jaffna Hospital Massacre:

The hospital massacre is a well known one, which earned a bad remark on the Indian government for their management of the IPKF in Sri Lanka. Before detailing the massacre it is indeed required to know what lead the IPKF, who were supposed to bring peace, fight against the LTTE.

Version one: From J.N.Dixit(Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka




J N Dixit was India's high commissioner to Sri Lanka from 1985 to 1989. He played a major role in drafting the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord in 1987, and the subsequent induction of the Indian Peace Keeping Force to implement it.

Days after Indian troops arrived on the island, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam started what it was best at: guerrilla attacks in the jungles and shanty towns of north-east Lanka. It killed over 1,200 soldiers, maimed thousands, and forced the IPKF to abandon its task and retreat.
As then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi government's key man in Sri Lanka, Dixit was in the hot seat and privy to all the greenroom drama. Giving a clean chit to Gandhi, he blames the heavy casualties India suffered in the initial fighting for Jaffna on Major General Harkirat Singh, the IPKF's first commander.

The following are few extracted from his interview,

“I think the Indian forces went to ensure the implementation of the agreement of July 1987, not to fight the Tamils or the Sinhalese. It was the LTTE that primarily created a situation that resulted in the Indian army having to fight them. And also, the Sri Lankan government ministers like Lalith Athulathamuthali and Premadasa, who sabotaged the agreement.”

“Despite these limitations, the Indian army did a very effective job of restoring stability, organising a democratic government in the north-eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. In my judgment, we withdrew in haste. Had we stayed on perhaps for eight months or a year, we could have established the situation and generated sufficient persuasion on [LTTE chief Velupillai] Prabhakaran to come back to the political path.”

“The army did not brief its own people why they were going in. But that is the armed force's responsibility. I had specifically asked [then army chief Krishnaswamy) Sunderji in the presence of Rajiv Gandhi, suppose you face a situation where you have to fight the LTTE, what will you do? He said, no, it will take a fortnight to take care of them. And the chief of intelligence said, These are our boys, once they have agreed they will not betray. Anand Verma said this to Rajiv Gandhi.”

“When you take a decision, you are in the middle of a situation. Nobody sitting in a chair 10 years later, five years later, is competent to judge whether it was necessary or not. Whether it was necessary or not was decided upon by the then government, then prime minister, on the basis of information and analysis that were available."

"The army went in in 87. Between 77 and 85, [Indian prime minister] Mrs Gandhi would have been given information about all sorts of security equations, intelligence equations, that Jayewardane was developing with Pakistan, with Israel, with the Americans. Mind you, the Cold War had not ended. Plus, the compulsion of Mrs Gandhi was not only external, you have 60 million Tamils in your country. It is one of the most important states in our republic, and which has a history of secessionism. In 67 they threatened to separate on the question of language.
So she had take care of the sentiments of 60 million people who send out messages to her. In fact they went to the extent of saying that, Achcha, when the Bengalis were in trouble you gave support. When the Tamils are in trouble, because we are from the South, you are not giving us support. It is all easy to sit on moral judgment and say, No, no, we should not have done it, we should not have interfered, non-alignment, Mahatma Gandhi's country etc. The political pressures of that particular point of time must have made the then government consider it necessary. It is a different matter that it did not come through as we desired. It did not come through as we desired because we did not have the grit to follow through a policy decision which we took. You have to look at it in two contexts: Either you are a totally committed moral country. In that case, you should have said that it is a problem of another country, it is an internal problem, do sort it out [yourself]. And to the extent possible, we will receive the refugees. Then you are safe and nice. Or, because of consideration of our politics, and our internal political pressures, external consequences, we have taken an initiative that is strictly not moral. In that case, we should finish the task that has been undertaken. If you leave it half way, then you have the perceived lack of judgment, lack of performance. This is what has happened.

If you look at the newspapers of the first two-and-a-half months, from July to October, the Indian papers were full of praise. Even the Americans came and told the Government of India that you assume responsibilities which are yours, we are glad. The moment you do not do it fully, everybody will say that you are no good!”

When questioned about the reason to fight the L.T.T.E and the heavy loss of IPKF soldiers during the Jaffna Mission, he said,

“It is the foolishness of [IPKF's first commander, Major General] Harkirat Singh. You don't do a helicopter attack in full moonlight after giving advance notice to the enemy."

“Once in August, perhaps in September with General Sunderji. No, not Sunderji, Mr K C Pant. He never came otherwise. In fact, he was so wooden that when those fellows where arrested and brought to the Palami airbase, I told them to take them into protective custody and not let the Sri Lankan authorities get to the LTTE cadre.

"The fellow said, No, no you are not in my chain of command. Please don't tell me. You first send it to the ministry of external affairs, they should send it to the ministry of defence, they should send it to army headquarters, they should send it to Southern Command. Then Southern Command should tell Madras. Then they should tell me, then only I will act. I said, By then the game will be over. I am telling you I am fully responsible. No, I will not do it, he said. The result was that the 17 fellows were killed. That is the origin of where we had to fight the LTTE. The LTTE got an excuse. [Thanks to] this man's foolishness.”

When questioned about if India should further interfere in Sri Lankan issue, he said
“Each human being is subject to his own experiences, consciousness, inadequacies. Having gone through that, I would never again want to interfere in anybody's matters. Not because such interference becomes necessary, but I don't think as a State we have either the necessary political will or the inner grit. If you don't have it, why get into all that?”


Version 2 – From Maj Gen. Harkirat Singh(IPKF):




MAJOR General Harkirat Singh (Retd.) is an upright gentleman and a fine soldier; altogether a man of integrity. He was Divisional Commander of 54 Infantry Division when, on July 29-30, 1987, he was sent to Sri Lanka as General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF).

In his memoirs Maj Gen. Harkirat Singh has reproduced contemporary documents that reveal a lot that was not known about the IPKF in Sri Lanka.

The “cheerful and enthusiastic” soldier had the misfortune of having to work with two egotistic and flamboyant figures, the Army Chief Gen. K. Sundarji and the High Commissioner J.N. Dixit. On retirement as Foreign Secretary in 1994, Dixit lost no time in setting a unique and disgraceful record as the first officer to denounce his successor publicly in a press interview
The author writes: “I am unsure of what prompted the Army Chief, Sundarji, to shift me out of Sri Lanka, but one of the factors must have been the letter that India’s High Commissioner J.N. Dixit reportedly wrote to Sundarji in September 1987 since I did not accept his order to shoot/arrest the LTTE supremo. Moreover, someone in the governments of India and Sri Lanka took exception to my remarks to the media in December 1987, that the IPKF took its orders from the Indian government and no one else, and that Indian troops would not leave the island ‘until the Tamils are satisfied and their aspirations are met’. It was probably the turning point which eventually led to my transfer out of Sri Lanka.”

This brings us to three important disclosures. First, RAW began rearming other Tamil groups even while the LTTE was being disarmed in August 1987. The author gave Dixit the damning videotapes which the LTTE had given him. Secondly, on September 11, 1987, he met Dixit.
He says “According to Dixit, the ultimate objective of the IPKF was to discredit the LTTE in the eyes of the local Tamil population. In short, the IPKF was expected to play a double game. I realized that these tactics would not work since the Tamils had already understood that their aspirations for Eelam could be met only by the LTTE. Dixit then turned towards me and said, ‘General, please ensure that the actions of the IPKF are in line with my discussions with the Prime Minister at Delhi. You should adopt a posture of gradual change from negotiations to coercion. The junior commanders during their contact should ascertain the view of the Tamils on the above approach.’”

The last one he says is shocking,

 “On the night of 14/15 September 1987, I received a telephone call from Dixit, directing me to arrest or shoot Pirabakaran when he came for the meeting. Telling Dixit that I would get back to him I placed a call to the OFC. Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh directed me to tell Dixit that we, as an orthodox Army, did not shoot people in the back when they were coming for a meeting under the white flag. I then spoke to Dixit in Colombo and conveyed the message, emphasizing that I would not obey his directive. I pointed out that the LTTE supremo had been invited by the IPKF in order to find a solution to the problems in the implementation of the Accord. Dixit replied, ‘He [Rajiv Gandhi] has given those instructions to me and the Army should not drag its feet, and you as the GOC, IPKF will be responsible for it.’ The next morning I received a call from Lt. Gen. B.C. Joshi, the then Director General Military Operations, who supported my stand on Dixit’s directive. However, the COAS, Gen. Sundarji, expressed his annoyance.” In fairness to Rajiv Gandhi, Dixit’s claim that he spoke on his behalf must be rejected. Dixit was prone to bragging and braggadocio.

"A meeting was fixed at which Depinder Singh, Dixit and Prabakaran were present. “The talks took place and were very successful and most of us concluded that the IPKF would be out of Sri Lanka by December 1987. All those who attended the meeting felt that the deadlock had at last been broken and that peace was in sight.” 

That was not to be. The boat tragedy in October and the suicides by the captured LTTE men led to the break. Dixit and Sundarji thought that Harkirat Singh was soft on the LTTE. The texts of his assessments on September 17 and 20 and on December 5, 1987, show him to be far more perceptive and realistic than Dixit. The Army lost 1,155 men when the IPKF withdrew.

Conclusion?

From the above, can we conclude whose error it was? There is no way we can. We have two versions, with the two responsible persons blaming one another for the fault, the same as what the Sri Lankan government and the rebels of Tamil do. The IPKF that went to Sri Lanka to keep peace, returned back with all sorts of humiliations failing to complete the mission, and adding to it was the Jaffna hospital massacre. It was collectively the failure of a Government. The Indian government indeed tried its best (could have been better any ways) to show its intention of saving its people in Sri Lanka, but sadly it ended in vain. It was the confusion and chaos that baffled the IPKF, resulting in an undesired event.

The Massacre: A well balanced Error



The Jaffna hospital massacre happened on October 21 and 22, 1987 during the Sri Lankan Civil War, when soldiers of the Indian Army entered the premises of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital in Jaffna, and killed about 68–70 patients, nurses, doctors and other staff members. When talked about the Jaffna hospital Massacre, it is said in short that the IPKF soldiers went mad shooting the civilians and the workers in the hospital. For sure it was an act of non-violence to the extreme. But is that all what happened? Why haven’t we ever thought about the IPKF soldiers, were they insane to shoot at civilians, where they not humans, they were sent by India to keep force and why in the world should they do so. Was that just an act of revenge for the IPKF men killed by the L.T.T.E by wearing rubber tires on their head and burning them? Why should they go to a hospital in the first hand? If there where just civilians in the hospital, who killed the IPKF soldiers, the snipers that hit them, the mines on the Jaffna football ground, the bullets that pierced the choppers, and almost the complete Sikh regiment being killed? Why has it always been an one side narration. The one side narration was very much in advantage for the Sri Lankan government as well, that which made the IPKF to leave Sri Lanka with the mission being incomplete. No one cared about the 1200 Indian soldiers who died in this battle filled with confusion fighting with the LTTE soldiers among the civilians, where it was difficult to identify the rebels among the civilians; The IPKF soldiers who where hit by the L.T,T,E were also deceived by the tricks of Sri Lankan government. As a result, intending to help they lost their lives by the hands of their brothers. A tale of misery! This is a vivid example, a scar, which always reminds us the effect on Non-Violence. May it be the IPKF or the L.T.T.E or the Sri Lankan army, whoever started it, the end was a tragedy for all the three, and unfortunately, taking the lives of the civilians as well, may it be Sri Lankans or the Tamil, in between this mad chaos of war! The one side stories are never going to help any one. When it is non-violence it doesn’t matter with the numbers, it is just “non-violence” and it should be condemned.

                                         

To know more about the Jaffna hospital massacre in detail I suggest we read all the three links below, to picture the incident as it happened. The pain, confusions and sacrifice of the IPKF during the heli-drop at Jaffna and the mistakes of the IPKF as well. To be precise it was a well balanced Error from both the sides! The IPKF for their miscalculation and the rebels for fighting from the hospital mixing with the civilians, creating a great confusion, both resulted in a blood clouded Diwali! That wasn’t an one man show!




After all these bitter experiences it is indeed quite natural for a country to stand apart rather than involving in the senseless chaos and non-violence committed by both the Sri Lankans and the rebels of Tamil. And on the other hand it is not possible for a nation to lend an open support to an organization which was announced internationally as a terrorist organization after the assassination of the Indian Prime minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi by them. Though, India tried from its side by negotiating with the Sri Lankan government, it ended up in vain. One has to understand that there is a limit for a country to interfere in these kinds of issues, like the Indians don’t like other nations to involve in their issues of Kashmir with Pakistan.


The Present Projects:

While not interfering in the last civil war, what support is being lent by the Indian government in other means?

Below are a few of those,

Funds: India has provided Sri Lanka with US$ 100 million for capital goods, consumer durables, consultancy services and food items, US$ 31 million for supply of 300,000 MT of wheat and US$ 150 million for purchase of petroleum products. All of these lines of credit have been fully utilized. Another line of credit of US$ 100 million is now being made available for rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara railway.
A number of development projects are implemented under ‘Aid to Sri Lanka’ funds. In 2006-07, the budget for ‘Aid to Sri Lanka’ was Rs 28.2 Crs.

Infrastructure: The Indian government has awarded the Erode in Tamil Nadu-based RPP Infra Projects 50-crore (USD 11.3 million) pilot project to build houses for the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sri Lanka. Under the project, the infrastructure company would build 1,000 houses for IDPs in two packages in Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mannar districts in the northern and eastern provinces within an execution period of six months, India`s Business Standard reported.


Health:  India has supplied medical equipments to hospitals at Hambantota and Point Pedro, supplied 4 state of the art ambulances to the Central Province, implemented a cataract eye surgery programme for 1500 people in the Central Province and implemented a project of renovation of OT at Dickoya hospital and supplying equipments to it.
       Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Ashok. K. Kantha and Sri Lankan health department officials had laid the foundation stone for the construction of a 150-bed hospital at Dickoya near Hatton in the Central province on Monday. The hospital will offer specialized services in the hill areas of Sri Lanka. The Tamil people who work in the plantations and tea estates in the Hill districts had come from India. India had launched a series of measures, in cooperation with the Sri Lankan government, for their welfare. Preliminary work on the site had commenced in April. The project will be completed in early 2013. The hospital will cost about Rs. 50crores.  

Transport: With an Indian de-mining team clearing the 107-km stretch of a railway alignment from Medawachchiya to Talaimannar in record time, the Indian Railway Construction Corporation (Ircon) has shifted gears on the construction of a railway line. Ircon is aiming to complete the sections allocated to it in a year-and-a-half. 
    During the armed conflict between the government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that lasted more than 20 years, infrastructure development in the LTTE-controlled areas remained stalled and existing infrastructures were damaged. After the conflict came to an end in May 2009, the government started major reconstruction program in the North and the East. India is funding some of the projects.

Future Projects:


Small Development Projects: A MoU on Cooperation in Small Development Projects has been signed. Projects for providing fishing equipments to the fishermen in the East of Sri Lanka and solar energy aided computer education in 25 rural schools in Eastern Sri Lanka are under consideration.

Education Projects: Upgradation of the educational infrastructure of the schools in the Central province including teachers’ training, setting up of 10 computer labs, setting up of 20 e-libraries (Nenasalas), Mahatma Gandhi scholarship scheme for +2 students and setting up of a vocational training centre in Puttalam. India also contributes to the Ceylon Workers Education Trust that gives scholarships to the children of estate workers.

Infrastructure: India has undertaken to build 50,000 houses for the Internally Displaced People(IDP) through the project.  A to Z Maintenance and Engineering Services Ltd. of Gurgaon would also be executing a part of the IDP projects under RPP Infra Projects in Sri Lanka, the statement said. The Indian housing project, which is targeted to meet the bulk of the housing needs of IDPs in the foreseeable future, is being carried out in close consultation with and cooperation of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Health: The hospital with 150 beds will be built by 2013.

Transport: The Indian government has agreed to provide financial assistance to develop Kankasanthurai (KKS) Harbor in two phases.KKS harbor is one of the 10 sea and air entry points to the country.


Trust the Brother!


Presenting all the above information and my opinion on those doesn’t mean that India has done its best to help its people in Sri Lanka or that India’s efforts were not understood by the Indians and others. But I do intend to say that lets stop blaming India, presenting negative opinions about its efforts so far. Instead its time we understand reality, the limits and the true facts and try supporting India to bring more positive plans to normalize the life of Tamils. I’m not here intending to “justify” anyone or any incident, rather to bring the story from two-sides which is predominantly being narrated as one-sided, that creates more hatred. When injustice is accepted by both sides, possibility for a halt of more injustice is brighter.It is clearly seen that there is something that the Indian government is trying out, intending to help the Tamils. Now, one would for sure have a big question that “does the support being lent by India reaches the Tamils”, or even could say that, “these aren't to help Tamils but for commercial purpose”. Here again the blaming begins and critics begin. That wouldn't help either. The truth is that I have hardly come across any person or organization, who are so emotional towards the civil war and the death of the Tamils, giving a suggestion or a positive idea of how the problem can be solved. I have seen through my eyes and heard through my ears all these days, the blaming, emotional retaliations, support to the rebel group for their non-violence, justifying it as the one and best way for a separate nation. Emotional retaliations are temporary solutions, but its time all unite together to create positive concepts to stop any further war, and provide practical suggestions to the Indian Government and support them to do their best for the Tamils and make sure the suggestions do include how about making the help reach the Tamils with no hindrance, as India is the only hope! It was the “brother who betrayed” once, and its time for the bitter title to be replaced.




----------------------------------------------------------------End of Part 3--------------------------------------------------------------------










The Island of Fortune - Sri Lanka PART 2  

Posted by Peter Abdul Jegadeesh in





Part 2: The Endless Game of Ethnic Emotions


In my previous post [Part1: The Birth of Civil War] I had written about the Civil war in a nutshell. This episode would deal with the non stop loop of ethnic emotions and its painful outcomes.


I would like to state here the reason for not detailing the history of Sri Lanka, as that would indeed again arise a conflict of  "who where the first natives"?...Any answer to it would still add fuel! We ain't in a situation to find who was the first, rather we are in a situation to make both the Tamils and the Lankans dream together for a peaceful and ONE Sri Lanka.

What do the Tamils really need?. All they need is freedom and Equal rights. To have those, they need a separate country.

What do the Sri Lankans say? They cannot afford to separate Sri Lanka.

Both of them seem right on their standings. Then want created the commotion?

The SriLankan Government, who felt that their majority is suffering, came out with Laws that were inappropriate. The plan they had implemented failed to impress the Tamils, it instead created ethnic diversity among the people.

The Tamils who were minority, almost 18 percent, needed a separate country from a nation which has 70 percent of it as Sihalese. It is obvious that any nation would never dream to do so.

Both the Srilnakan Government and the Tamils were to be blamed. Now the question here is "who initiated violence?"., it inturn means "Who should be blamed for the Civil War?".

Lets assume its the Sri Lankan government who initiated. Lets take, the government initiated by killing 10 Tamils. In return the Tamils killed 20. The government in return kills 100. Again The Tamils kill 200. The government kills 500. The Tamils killed 1000! And so, it would go on till the Tamils stop their revolution and withdraw their request for a separate nation.

Now lets assume its the Tamils who initiated the violence.  Lets take, the Tamils initiated by killing 10 Sri Lankans. In return the Government killed 20. The Tamils in return killed 100. Again the government killed 200. The Tamils killed 500. The government killed 1000! And so, it would go on till the government accepts that they are guilty and gives the Tamils a separate nation.

Either of the above had happened. But it doesn't matter who started as whomever it may be, the bloodshed was unstoppable. The questions like, Who is the First native?, Who started?, Who had the maximum loss of lives?..would never stop this game of death, instead would further create another loop!

What can be done to stop this?

1. The Tamils who are minority [just 18% approx], should understand that they are asking to divide a nation which has 70% Srilankans. Which would hurt the Lankans so bad. Instead requesting for a separate country they should try to negotiate with the government to bring amendments in the law that would make both Tamils and Lankans happy and make them live together in harmony in one nation.

2. The Srilankan government being a majority, instead using it as an advantage and bringing on laws that affect the Tamils, they should negotiate with the Tamils, forming a team along with them and shaping new laws that would benefit both Tamils and Lankans and make them live together in harmony in one nation.

What about the ones who violated human rights, be it either the lankan army or the rebel groups? They should be brought in front of law and should be served the appropriate justice. That will happen for sure. Countries from the west have already indulged in that process along with the U.N. Soon justice will be served.

Now the one big question is who should initiate negotiation first. Either the country that follows Buddha should forgive the bitter past and initiate or the Tamils from the nation of  Mahathma should let go the bitter past and emotions and initiate to negotiate. The one who has more thirst for peace, shall begin and be quenched!

There might well be an opinion, that non-violence doesn't work quick, indeed it was tried by both the sides before and it never did work. Let it be! Violence cannot be a reason for the delay. A delayed freedom is far better than one achieved by violence and there is a nation as an example near by.

Let the pain, vengeance, violence, ethnic emotions, get buried deep under never to return again. Let the play of blood sheds close its curtains forever. Let my brothers breath the fresh air of peace and freedom, my beloved Sri lankans and Tamils.

I am seeing a new Srilanka, the nation of Buddha!  [To be continued...]

--------------------------------------------------End of Part 2----------------------------------------------------





The Island of Fortune - SriLanka  

Posted by Peter Abdul Jegadeesh in





                                                              Part 1:   The Birth of Civil War




80,000-100,000 Deaths -  The deaths include 27,639 Tamil fighters, more than 21,066 Sri Lankan soldiers, 1000 SriLankan police, 1500 Indian soldiers, and tens of thousands of civilians. May it be Singhalese or Tamil, they are Humans!


The above is a result of the civil war in Sri Lanka, fought for the past 25 years. Finally it has come to an end with a real SAD note!. For those who are unaware about the civil war and its origin, and for those who had so far heard the different ethnic versions (supporting one of the groups). I would like to brief it in a nutshell rather than detailing the whole story, with a neutral view.(supporting Humanity). 


Sri Lanka is a country bearing three ethnic groups that are found in majority, The Sinhalese( Who speak Sinhala), The Sri Lankan Tamil (Who speak Tamil but belong to Srilanka), and the Indian Tamil (Who came from India for various reasons and speak Tamil). The Sinhalese are the majority constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population while 12.6 percent are Sri Lankan Tamils and 5.5 percent are Indian Tamils.


Sri Lanka was under the British rule till 1948. After the political independence granted by the British after peaceful negotiations, disagreements between the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic communities flared up when drawing up the country's first post-independence constitution. It was the seed for the Civil war.


The problem was that, the Tamils who where the minority, occupied most of the government jobs. Percentage of educated Tamils where more, specifically with the knowledge in English, as during the British rule most of the Sinhalese where from rural areas and had no access to the urban areas like the Tamils had. Tamils outnumbered the majority Sinhalese drastically in all areas, education, economy, employment and more. This created a worry among the Sinhalese, and the government was under an immense pressure to handle this issue. Instead of designing a long term plan, the then government had messed up due to the pressure. The Government announced Sihala as the national language. Their true intention was to increase the percentage of Sinhalese in government job and in universities, having in mind that, by the time the Tamils learn Sinhala, the opportunities for both the group would be made even. Their intention was indeed rite but the solution they implemented could have been better. This created hatred among the ethnic groups. The Tamils believed that that decision was to suppress their ethnic group and get them out of Sri Lanka. This was further fueled by the then politicians who where always in a desire to get a separate country for Tamils, which would make them enjoy free powers. The people where unaware about all these and so a strong conflict between the ethnic groups began. The Tamils started fighting for a separate nation.This in-turn gave birth to revolutionary groups who started to fight for the Tamils. One of the major rebel group formed was the LTTE.


Then came another decision by the government, to fix high marks for the Tamils, compared to the Sinhalese to qualify for the universities to further their education. This again was with the intention to increase the percentage of the Sinhalese in universities who where drastically overtaken by the minority Tamils and moreover many Sinhalese who where in the rural areas had a better chance of getting seats in university. What else is required more than this! The Tamils rose to the peak of their emotions, well kindled and inflamed by the greedy politicians. The Rebel groups grew stronger and the revolution took more pace and intensity, seeking a separate nation for Tamils. The Civil War took its violent form.


Instead of peaceful negotiations, both the government and the Rebel groups opted for Non-violence. The civil war began with exchange of bullets and gifting of corpses. When questioned who began that, Each would blame the other! Like the question of, which came into existence first egg or the Hen?. It would never have an answer. May it be any one, who had begun that, one belonged to a nation that follows Buddha and the other follows Gandhiji. Had either one of them had really followed it, such thing would never have begun or would have been stopped in no time. But both failed.


Neither of them can be supported for their act, may it be the Government or the rebel groups that fought on behalf of the Tamils. Those who were killed where humans, may them be of any ethnic race!. The government should have opted for different plans or the Tamils should have understood the real scenario, rather than acting with ethnic emotions kindled by the greedy and insensible politicians.


The civil war that had began then, prevailed for almost 25 years resulting in a heavy loss of human life. Both, the Government and the rebel groups were reported to have violated human rights during the civil war all these years.


To make it simple, lets assume there are 80 pigeons and 20 sparrows but the number of grains available is just 20. What would happen if 10 grains are occupied by 10 sparrows and the rest 10 is to be shared by 80 pigeons. Hope you get the logic! What else is required to create a cloud of commotion and conflict! Being birds it can end up in any way. But Being a human, with six senses, there should have been a mutual understanding and equal sharing, which would have ended in harmony. But Nah!! The tale was so bad, with its pages filled with blood and scriptures of human right violations allover.

Me who belongs to the Tamil ethnic group might now be called as "Traitor" for not supporting my own ethnic group. May it be, as the ones who name me so, are my brothers too!. The one race I belong to, is Humanity, and would thrive for its peace and harmony at any cause. The SriLankans who were killed in Anuradhapura Massacre were my brothers and the Tamil's who where assaulted in Kumudini Boat Massacre in return, where my sisters. They where all the same. They all had the same pain while killed. The soil that bears their blood still smells the same. [ Continues] 


------------------------------------------------------------------------End of Part 1---------------------------------------------------------




Mr.Anders Behring Breivik and his "Mission Massacre" in Norway  

Posted by Peter Abdul Jegadeesh in


Hi All,


With a Hearty thanks for your visit and a humble request for a continued support, I hereby start inking my thoughts and opinions. 





Mr.Anders Behring Breivik and his "Mission Massacre" in Norway 


To begin with, let me give you all a clear picture of "Mr.Anders Behring Breivik and his mission". Below are a few from Mr.Anders Behring Breivik’s 1,500-page manifesto, posted online just hours before a rampage that killed at least 93 people at Norway:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“As we all know, the root of Europe’s problems is the lack of cultural self-confidence (nationalism). Most people are still terrified of nationalistic political doctrines thinking that if we ever embrace these principles again, new “Hitlers” will suddenly pop up and initiate global Armageddon . . . This irrational fear of nationalistic doctrines is preventing us from stopping our own national/cultural suicide as the Islamic colonisation is increasing annually.”

“I don’t hate Muslims at all. I acknowledge that there are magnificent Muslim individuals in Europe. In fact, I have had several Muslim friends over the years, some of which I still respect. This does not mean however that I will accept an Islamic presence in Europe. Muslim individuals who do not assimilate 100% within 2020 will be deported as soon as we manage to seize power.”

“Although I do admit that I am disgusted by the current development, I would rather say I’m driven by my love for Europe, European culture and all Europeans. This does not mean that I oppose diversity. But appreciating diversity does not mean that you support genocide of your own culture and people.”

“A Justiciar Knight is not only a valorous resistance fighter, a one man army; he is a one man marketing agency as well. We are selling the promise of a better future for our people and our children. Resistance fighters are in many ways sales representatives.”

“When we blow up a building full of category A and B traitors it is not only for the purpose of killing. An important part of the operation is to force awareness of our movement and our ideology. The ideology we represent is the product we want to sell to the European peoples.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading the above we could clearly get that Mr.Anders Behring Breivik has a immense love towards his country and it's sovereignty. He wanted his culture not to be polluted. To have that achieved he has done the same, what is done all over the world, named as " Domestic Terrorism". He believed that killing a mass would send a strong message and he did so. A country would never like a term "Domestic Terrorist", and so he has been named a "Mad man".

He needed his country to be clean from immigrants, from other culture. So, that means he had a strong feeling that he is an European. He loved to be so and he was proud to be so. When something he loved is subject to change and is feared to dissolve in years, he had a strong emotion towards it. He wanted it to last forever. His emotional state has been inflamed and when looking for a solution, he was misguided. Finally he had acted with all his emotion with an inappropriate guidance. That lead to "Terrorism".   

Now, lets keep "his act of killing" aside. I mean his action. We all know it is not appreciated any where in the world and it is against humanity. Lets take his intention. His intention behind the act of terrorism. The feeling that ---I am " THIS"---, the "THIS" can be anything, I am a Christian, I am a Muslim, I am a Jew, I am a Hindu,I am an American, I am an English, I am French, I am an Indian, I am a White, I am a Black, I am a " This" ...I am "THAT"....Whatever. Every one of us have one of those. When we have that as an identity it isn't a trouble, but when it turns to Love, when it turns to Passion, when it turns to Emotion, when it turns to Ego, things change drastically. Comparison begins, competition arises, Ego builds, Separation blooms, and ends in a SAD note!. Are we clean enough to blame Mr.Anders Behring Breivik's thoughts[not his actions]. Ain't there something filled in our " I am "this". Don't we have emotions towards it. Most of us, though not acting like Mr.Anders Behring Breivik, for sure we have an emotion when the "THIS" is hurt, it might be our religion, ethnicity, caste, nationality. language, whatever. Rather than acting like Mr.Anders Behring Breivik, we talk, we think, we discuss, we gather, we write and do all, because there isn't any rule that could punish those. Think well, why not Mr.Anders Behring Breivik, once was one among us, who did the same as we. The difference was that he was one among those who where extreme, who wanted solutions that are tangible. We are the ones who have it as a part of our life, whereas it is the life and breath for those who are extreme, like Mr.Anders Behring Breivik had. Many of us had grown interest and accumulated people like those by sharing our thoughts and opinions. We might haven't been aware of such accumulation. When return to our daily life, they don't. They stick to it. They live in it. We never bother about them later, as we have thousand and one things to do. The ones who stick to it with extreme emotions first had been one among us, but the result they required never seemed to be in vision and so they sought a better guidance, a guidance that would be effective, one that would bring result and thus received " A PERFECT MISGUIDANCE", which ended in those acting extreme, giving birth to "Terrorism", may it be domestic or international.

Now, it is true that we where a part of the ACT by adding a small spec to the intention behind it,as no act can be without intention, but in a size and effort of an ant. Yes it is and it was. An effort of an ant is small, it is true, and as well it is true that a collective act of millions of ants is EFFECTIVE! 

Soon Mr.Anders Behring Breivik will be hanged or shot or electricuted to death, well that is indeed justice! But what for us? The ones who where hidden participants behind the intention of such an ACT. There isn't any court or law that could provide justice other than the one thing, the "Humanity" in us.  

The "Human" in us, the thought that Mr.Anders Behring Breivik is a "human" and I am "Human" and we all are. The only "THiS" that can bring harmony. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The "human" Law in me had sentenced, to burn my "THIS" and replace it with "Human" forever, as a punishment that I serve along with Mr.Anders Behring Breivik.

I bow to it. And how about you my beloved HUMANS!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Love,
PAJ


Images:


Mr.Anders Behring Breivik