A Weakened Jaya & The Need For Re-Assessment By The World Tamils & TNA
Eelaventhan Manickavasakar
Jaya’s fall from grace after her conviction for corruption is reverberating inTamil Nadu and elsewhere particularly among the Eelam Tamils Who are distressed and feeling the loss of a strong supporter. However the past history shows that the Delhi governments have always taken steps to cut down the size of Tamil Nadu leaders. Many past chief ministers have been victims of their moves.
Annadurai has to abandon the seperate Dravida nadu slogan due to legislation by Nehru.
MGR was stopped by and forced to support the Indo-Ceylon accord whenRajiv Gandhi pulled him out of his bed and raised his hand in the mass meeting at Madras.
Karunanidhi considered as the custodian of the world Tamils often fall into silence to save his position and preserve the interests of his family members as happened during the 2009 slaughter of Tamils. Since then his credibility was always dubious.
Jayalalithaa once the fierce critic ofLTTE until its demise ,switched her sympathy towards the Eelam Tamils, seeing the vaccum in leadership after the 2009 genocide of the Tamils, when Karunanidhi faltered and kept deadly silence, when the massacres were going in the north and east – the historic homeland of the Tamils.
Whatever the motives Jaya is standing out as a stubborn defiant and bold leader who has the charisma to muster Tamil Nadu to rebel and stand up against the centre in favour of Eelam Tamils.
Since her massive success in the Tamil Nadu state elections, she has become a veritable source of irritation for Modi and to the centre, when she passed the historical resolution in the state assembly in support of Eelam Tamils. Modi’s efforts to impose Hindi in schools and in the public forums were outrightly rejected it by Jaya, Modi feared the she could become a nightmare propelling Tamil nationalism in Tamil Nadu and Eelam where by setting up the destabilization of the nation. Beside she has mass support due to her Populist measures in Tamil Nadu.
Modi found the opportunity in the conviction of Jaya to cut down her size and use it cleverly and stealthily by a favourable and helpful judiciary which passed unreasonable and unprecedented sentences and fine of 100 crores.
Though Jaya has to bear the liabilities for the offences she is undeservely punished due to politically sinister objectives.
Her sudden fall is a blow to the Eelam Tamils at this crucial period. There is a big question whether the Tamil Nadu leaders without Jaya would carry on the campaign in unity to save the Eelam Tamils or succumb to the political ambitions and concentrate only on seizing the power in Tamil Nadu.
To sumup the best course of action for Eelam Tamils and TNA is to prevail on the Tamil Nadu leaders to the setup a unified front to fight for the lost rights of the Eelam Tamils.
TNA has to reass the situation take a bold stand and launch mass agitations in Eelam without leaving their baggages in New Delhi and hoping for deliverance from Modi. As the Tamil proverb says “Do not trust but behave only trustingly”
Better late than never.
*M.K. Eelaventhan - Former Member of Parliament – Sri Lanka and Member of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam Representing Canada
