By Chamindra Wickremasinghe in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu State of India, where the largest number of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees are housed, turned tense, as the death of the LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran reached its borders. High-level security was placed immediately across the State as a preventive measure for resurgence. However, when the fall of the leader made headlines in the media, the streets were taken by activists and violence erupted in many parts.
The beginning Red alert
Tamil Nadu was put on red alert since Sunday, May 18, with Sri Lanka announcing the end of its war with the LTTE, and rumours about Prabhakaran committing suicide began to spread. “Being a state with a large number of pro-LTTE outfits, security was increased in the city and in coastal areas,” The Hindu newspaper reported. Stray incidents of violence took place in some parts of the capital Chennai on Sunday evening itself: Five masked men broke the automatic glass doors of the front and rear entrance of the City Centre mall; there were unidentified people trying to force some shops to put down shutters in other areas.
Tight security
A strong body of Police personnel was deployed in Chennai. A three-tier security check was maintained on all roads to the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission. Security was also tightened at the Bank of Ceylon, Maha Bodhi Society and offices of the Sri Lankan Airlines. Major shopping malls, all Central Government offices, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, sub-stations and major bridges were kept on vigil. The city Police provided tight security at the offices of political parties, media organisations and even statues of political leaders. Vehicle checks and night patrolling were also strengthened.
Coastal hamlets
There was more focus on the districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruchi, Madurai and Pudukottai where pro-LTTE activities have been noticed in the recent years. The State Government alerted the Police to keep a vigil in the coastal hamlets in and around the coastal towns, as there was a fear that Tamil refugees or remaining LTTE cadres from the war zone in Sri Lanka would sneak into the State.
‘Prabhakaran’ peak
Online searches for the terms “LTTE” and “Prabhakaran” recorded an exponential increase since noon on Monday, 18th, the newspaper Times of India reported. 40 per cent of searches originated from Chennai, “where the Sri Lankan Tamil issue has figured prominently in political and public discourse,” it said.
He is not dead
Despite the reports on news channels and websites on the LTTE chief’s death, many refugees did not believe it.
Security was tightened in and around the Mandapam refugee camp, and intelligence officials monitored the area for suspicious activities. Yet, many of the refugees thought that the Sri Lankan Army, “cannot touch Prabhakaran,” The Hindu stated.
“It is a ploy of the Sri Lankan government to divert the international community attention away from the carnage. It claimed several times in the past, that he was killed. But he came out and waged a fight for the Tamils cause. The current claim is like that,” a youth from Jaffna, who has been in the camp since 2007 told The Hindu.
Refugees revealed that they had their own system of communication about the happenings in their homeland on a day-to-day basis. Tamils in foreign countries who were their relatives and friends, generally communicate the development to them, they said. And, no information about the death of Prabhakaran had reached them.
At Vellore prison
The Vellore central prison in Chennai that houses hardcore cadre of the LTTE, including a few condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination grabbed attention. Soon after the visuals confirming the death of Prabhakaran were aired on television channels, over 375 convicts refused to have lunch as a mark of protest.
Self-immolation
A case of attempted self-immolation was reported on Monday night. As news of Prabhakaran’s death was on satellite channels, Prakasam (58) of Cuddalore district, a supporter of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), poured kerosene and set himself on fire. Eyewitness reports said that he had come out of his house with flames on his body shouting, “Long live Prabhakaran.” His view was that as the top leaders of the LTTE and thousands of ethnic Tamils were massacred in Sri Lanka, he had lost his purpose to live.
Violence
A few State-owned buses were damaged in stone throwing incidents; two such incidents were reported from Chennai. An attempt was made to burn buses. The Hindu stated that the Police arrested eight persons, including five Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in connection with the incident.
Various fringe groups including the Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties – Tamil Nadu, led by its State convener Hari Babu, and Tamil Eelam Viduthalai Munnani staged a road blockade in the Salem district, condemning the killings of civilians in the war against LTTE in Sri Lanka.
There were reports of miscreants throwing petrol bombs on State-owned buses, telephone exchanges and law courts in different districts. Some government buses ran with Police escort.
Seven students of the Central Law College of Salem district, were arrested for attempting to stage a rail blockade at the Salem Town Railway Station on Monday, as a protest against the reported death of Prabhakaran. The students raised slogans against the Indian Army, stating that it provided military support to Sri Lanka, which caused the fall of LTTE. They also went on a sit-in strike in their class rooms to condemn the death of LTTE chief and others.
By May 22 The Hindu reported that in Chennai, nearly 100 persons were arrested and remanded to judicial custody, for staging protests or indulging in violence in connection with the developments in Sri Lanka.
Mourning and prayer
In various places in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, black flags were hoisted atop the houses and flag posts to mourn the death of the LTTE chief. Black flags were hoisted in some Sri Lankan refugee camps as well.
Sri Lankan refugees, who did not believe in the death of LTTE leader Prabhakaran, conducted a mass prayer at the refugee camp at Adiyanuthu on Wednesday, and paid homage to LTTE commanders who were killed in the fourth phase of Eelam war in Sri Lanka.
Culmination Resurgence rallies
Soon, in many districts of Tamil Nadu the streets were taken by hundreds in protest against the killing of Prabhakaran. On Tuesday, a large number of persons including women and children, went on a procession in Gudalur district. Those taking part, held photographs of Prabhakaran and raised slogans condemning the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. They set ablaze an effigy of him and cried that Prabhakaran would lead the fight for a separate Eelam.
They demanded the international community to declare Sri Lanka a “Terror State,” and urged the Government of India to stop all aid to the island nation. They also demanded that the Sri Lankan President and his lieutenants be tried for war crimes in an international court.
On Thursday, in Chennai, leaders of various political parties, who came under the banner of the Sri Lankan Tamils’ Protection Movement, called for the intervention of the United Nations to protect thousands of homeless Tamils in Sri Lanka. They said Prabhakaran’s death was “false propaganda,” and claimed that the LTTE chief was alive.
The Sri Lankan Tamils’ Protection Movement convener, P. Nedumaran said that there was no truth in the reports that Prabhakaran was shot dead by the Sri Lankan Army. He held the opinion that Prabhakaran was alive and healthy and was with Tamils on the island.
Vaiko
Addressing a meeting followed by a rally, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary Vaiko, accused the Sri Lankan Armed forces of killing thousands of Tamils. Condemning the Centre for extending military support, he said shelling was continuing, targeting civilians.
“Ships carrying supplies to the LTTE-controlled areas were sunk by the Sri Lankan Navy. For months, the aged and injured lived without medicines or food. All supply routes were sealed and humanitarian organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross had no access to the victims. Mr. Rajapaksa insulted the Tamils by ignoring the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking to stop the war in Sri Lanka.” “Let us dedicate ourselves to achieve Tamil Eelam. There is no end for Prabhakaran…,” The Hindu quoted Mr. Vaiko.
The founder of the regional political party, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) S. Ramadoss opined that awareness on the Eelam issue should be created among school and college students.
Media
The LTTE supporters condemned the media for publishing news in favour of the Sri Lankan Government. Since Monday, both print and broadcast media gave widespread coverage on the developments in Sri Lanka and their aftermath in India. It was also apparent that certain broadcast media highlighted the celebrations on the end of war in Sri Lanka as ‘ Sinhalese celebrations’ while Tamils were suffering in the war affected areas.
Chamindra Wickremasinghe- a journalist based in Sri Lanka- works for a newspaper namedThe Nation, a very popular newspaper in Sri Lanka. She is a contributor of Marginal Talk.
http://www.nation.lk/2009/05/31/newsfe6.htm
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