The Jaffna University Students' Union warned that dissatisfaction is brewing among Tamil youth as they slammed the current political class for failing to push forward Tamil nationalism, and leaving the Tamil people feeling abandoned by their leaders.
In a press conference last week, the students said there was a political vacuum in Tamil Eelam which has persisted since the end of the armed conflict, and is today exacerbated by corrupt governance. This leadership gap, coupled with the lack of youth participation in Tamil politics, has contributed to a growing sense of dissatisfaction among the Tamil population they said.
The students warned that a significant change is coming amongst the youth of the North-East and that their sentiments cannot be ignored by Tamil political parties and politicians. The real transformation, according to the students, lies in removing those who have falsely represented Tamil nationalism while promoting agendas that are detrimental to Tamil political self-determination.
The students went on to caution against viewing mainstream Sri Lankan political parties as an alternative to Tamil politics, even if they market themselves as anti-corrupt or as proponents of change. Doing so, they argued, would be tantamount to political suicide for the Tamil cause. This, they argued, distracts from the ongoing military occupations and land grabs in the North-East, undermining the Tamil people’s long-standing struggle for liberation. The students said that voting for southern parties or independent candidates without concrete political programs would only derail the Tamil people's journey toward genuine political freedom.
They cautioned Tamils from falling prey to rhetoric and urged youths to remain vigilant and committed to the principles of Tamil political sovereignty. They reiterated that the path forward lies not in aligning with mainstream Sri Lankan political interests but in building a new, Tamil national political culture that honestly represents the aspirations of the Tamil people.
