Tamil Nadu Activists Speaks Out Interview With Tamil Youth & Students Federation

7/27/2019 Tamil Nadu Activists Speaks Out Interview With Tamil Youth & Students Federation

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Tamil Nadu activists speaks out: Interviewwith Tamil Youth & Students Federation

30 October 2013

As part of our series - 'Tamil Nadu activists speak out' - on the growingactivism in Tamil Nadu on the Eelam Tamil issue, Tamil Guardian caught upwith leading activists across the state.

This week, we publish our interview with the Tamil Youth & StudentsFederation based in Chennai.

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, the Tamil Youth & Students Federationhave stated that the students of Tamil Nadu reject the 13th Amendmentand are unequivocally protesting for a free Tamil Eelam.

In a wide ranging interview, V Prabhakaran and A M Varman of theorganisation, told Tamil Guardian that,"Before 2009 May, what happened in Sri Lanka was a genocide. Now whatis happeneing in Sri Lanka is purely a cultural genocide. The Sri Lankangovernment is totally eradicating Tamil culture. This is a great danger for usas Tamils."

Speaking on India's involvement in the ethnic conflict, the students went on
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to add,"We are not believing the Indian government on Sri Lankan issues... It wasa genocide done by India and we will not support any of these acts ofIndia. We are born as Indians, we have been brought up as Indians, butnow we feel so bad for that."

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Contemplating on the role that the various Indian political parties haveplayed and their stances, Varman noted,"The alternative for this Congress government is the BJP government. Ifyou see the BJP government's stance, when there was a UN resolution, italso supported Sri Lanka. It said 'You should not say anything againstRajapaksa'"

"Even the Communist party, the third alliance, also supports this. They say'We do not want a separate Eelam'. So we can't believe in these parties andwe can say we don't believe in the central system of India, we are againstIndia now!.. The Comunist party says 'We accept it is a genocide but wewill not support a separate Eelam'. The Congress government says 'No, it isnot a genocide it is just army activity' and the BJP also says that, so we

cannot believe any of these Indian nationalist or government parties to helpTamil people in Tamil Eelam or Tamil Nadu."

"They cannot even save us from the Sri Lankan Navy. More than 750-800fishermen have been attacked by them... Until now the Indian governmenthas not raised it's voice up against this."


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Speaking in Tamil, they also stated,"What we think of Indian government is,India did play a key role in the genocideof Tamil people. The Congress, whoholds power, has supported genocide ofTamil people."

"The Indian Congress party isdetermined to take part in CHOGMdespite the controversy. It is very clearthere is political influence in theirdecision."

"Moreover, India is supporting Sri Lanka by providing military aid, althoughtheir public statements claim otherwise. But we witnessed, on the 10th daysince such a statement, there was training provided to Sri Lankan army atthe 'Wellington' base; which proves to us their statements are notreflections of their actions."

"Nor the shadow party welcomes the self determination to the Tamilpeople, and helps Sri Lankan governmentt. it had opposed the resolutionpassed against Sri Lanka in UN."

"We do not have hope in any of these political parties or the Indiangovernment. We were born and brought up as Indians. but having seen allthese atrocities which India has supported, we feel disgraced."


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Prabhakaran went on to say,"We students of Tamil Nadu areprotesting for a free Tamil Eelam. Wedon't want the 13th Amendment or 13thAmendment plus. No compromise onanything other than a separate Eelam. "

The students, who have alsocampaigned for the abolishment of thecaste system and other issues acrossthe state, also reflected on the student protests across Tamil Nadu earlierthis year. They stated,"Another success of the students uprising was they have educated thepeople, who were against the struggle, linking the struggle to Rajiv Ghandi

assassination, this uprising has made them understand the struggle more.It proved there will always be support for Eelam Tamils, to others whommay have given up and thought otherwise. I see this event as somethingthat should be recorded in the history."

"Since the protests and demonstration has come to a temporary end,students continue to carry the bruises caused by the genocide of Tamils.This reminds us of something the Tamil Leader Pirabhakaran would say,that he wanted generations to take up the struggle after him, until there'sthe solution. That is what we are also aiming, we want students to take this

up. We got together emotionally as the protests happened before, and fromhere this should transform into a diplomatic way of protest. We are holdingseminars to discuss ideas and educate others on what Tamils in Eelam arefacing and what an endangering situation they are, in their own homeland."


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Also see our previous interviews in the series:

Tamil Nadu activists speak out: Interview with Students Struggle for TamilEelam (03 October 2013)

Tamil Nadu activists speak out: Interview with Save Tamils Movement(05September 2013)
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Tamil Nadu Activists Speaks Out Interview With Tamil Youth & Students Federation