Civil society groups and Tamil political parties are organising a conference titled “Unfettered Genocide in Tamil Ezham and the Responsibility of Tamil Society”. The event scheduled for early March in Chennai is expected to discuss the different dimensions of the continuing Genocide of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan state has been denying basic fundamental rights to the Tamils who form the majority population in the North and East of the island. The Tamils lived as an independent nation till 1833, after which the British colonists united them with the Sinhalese for easy administration. In 1948 when the British granted independence they left the island as a unitary state under the Sinhalese administration. Since then the Tamils have been continuously persecuted. The Tamils used non-violent methods to fight the injustice meted out to them till 1983. The frustrated Tamil youth took up weapons to protect the Tamils from the Sinhalese savagery leading to a civil war which was crushed by the Sinhalese state by carrying out the worst Genocide of the 21st Century in which 146,679 civilians are still unaccounted. According to the UN estimates more than 40,000 civilians were killed during the last days of the war.
The UN, the International Community and human rights groups have sought Independent investigations into war crimes and genocide which have been completely rejected by the Sri Lankan state dominated by a single family rule of its President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse. The genocide against the Tamils continues in different forms. Sinhalisation, militarisation and economic marginalisation of the Tamils continue. All methods of coercion to start a meaningful dialogue with the Tamils by the International community have failed and are bound to fail under the present regime. The only way the Sri Lankan government can be to forced to truly start reconciliation and negotiations with the Tamils in the island is through the UN and International Intervention. During the UNHRC 19 session at Geneva in March 2012, India along with 23 other countries successfully brought about a resolution on Sri Lanka to implement the LLRC report and devolve power to the Tamil. On ground nothing positive has happened and the Tamils continue to suffer, the most recent instance is that of the attack and arbitrary detention of the Jaffna University Students.
There is every likelihood that another resolution against Sri Lanka may be passed for non-compliance of the March 2012 resoultion. In such a case India needs to vote against Sri Lanka as a responsible neighbour respecting the human rights of the Tamils. The Indian government will do this only when there is considerable pressure from Tamil Nadu like in March 2012.
