Tamil Nadu activists speak out: Students Struggle for Tamil Eelam

by admin
Oct 2, 2013
As part of our series - 'Tamil Nadu activists speak out' - on the growing activism in Tamil Nadu on the Eelam Tamil issue, Tamil Guardian caught up with leading activists across the state.

This week, we publish our interview with the 'Students Struggle for Tamil Eelam'.

The students of Tamil Nadu demand that India boycott the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due to be held in Colombo, stated the coordinator of the 'Students Struggle for Tamil Eelam'.

From the organisation's office in Chennai, one of 26 branches across Tamil Nadu, Ilayaraja added that Sri Lanka should be suspended from the Commonwealth, noting that Indian support for Colombo has been instrumental in deflecting pressure to do so.

Speaking in Tamil, Ilayaraja said,

'The Commonwealth meeting will be taking place in Sri Lanka and we demand boycott... the meeting should not be taking place in Sri Lanka because if this takes place, the war criminal Rajapakse will also be the leader of Commonwealth for the next two years and this would help them cover up the atrocities against Tamils in the country.'

'In the past South Africa has been boycotted by the Commonwealth because of apartheid, Pakistan has been suspended  from the Commonwealth, and so should Sri Lanka.'

'We are all aware that there's an Indian influence in why Sri Lanka is not being suspended. India is continuing continues to back Sri Lanka, for example, by giving a red carpet welcome to Rajapakse, providing military training to the Sri Lankan Army in Tamil Nadu, etc.'

Elaborating on India's role on the island, Ilayaraja noted that,

'the Indian government aided the genocide of Tamils. We condemn the Indian government.'
'The 13th amendment is India paving it's path to have the power to impose it's agenda in Sri Lanka. Hence they're providing training for the SLA, importantly ignoring the Tamil Nadu fishermen issues - which is surprising as how they act powerless to control such a country's armed force from attacking it's civilians.'

'We can't look at it as anything but their hatred towards the Tamil race as a whole. Therefore, India should not attend the commonwealth meeting, it must boycott is our demand as Tamil Nadu Students, as one.'

See the full interview in Tamil below.

 

See our previous interview in the series:

Tamil Nadu activists speak out: interview with Save Tamils Movement (05 September 2013)

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