Pingu Thamil Thamasha

(July 09, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Desperate LTTE activists are engaged in a frantic campaign to force Tamils to attend the pro-LTTE Poguthamil Thamasha in Roehampton in South London on 12th July 2008. Tamil shops have been ordered to close on that day and firm instructions have been given to the shop owners to play LTTE songs in the shops until the event. Shops particularly in East Ham are playing LTTE songs without any interference from the authorities. One observer who visited the shops in East Ham confirmed Seelan Shop and Sakthi Cash and Carry were playing the LTTE songs and when he inquired from the staff of Seelan, he was told that orders had come from the LTTE activists.

The LTTE activists are even demanding young children to be brought to the event to swell the numbers. According to information reaching from a LTTE source one activist’s son asked the father what is meant by Pongu Thamil. The father found it very difficult to explain the real meaning of Pongu (Rising) to the son. The confused son had apparently asked whether it is something to do Pingu cartoon show in the TV. The father could not understand what the son was relating to and had angrily shouted at him saying ‘you must come for the Pongu Thamil, otherwise I will smash you’. The little boy of 8 years of age had to run to the mother to save himself from the father.

Unfortunately for the little boy Pingu was more important than Pongu of the father.
- Sri Lanka Guardian