People’s Power Resurrected In Jaffna

by I. Victor

(October 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) On 22nd October, the people of Jaffna decided to show the world they were free at last. They rose up as one, on behalf of the Tamil civilian population of Sri Lanka, to show the LTTE that they had taken enough. Blowing up ships carrying food for them and the thousands of their displaced brothers and sisters the previous day called for proper protest. So they staged a hartal, a non-violent, peaceful demonstration of their deep displeasure against the cruelty of fascist ways. They did this by shutting down Jaffna for the day. There was a state of suspension. Nothing or nobody worked, except where it was necessary to support life. The people of Jaffna mourned for what was being done to all Tamils by the LTTE.

The hartal was a ringing, resounding, straight-out success. This must be understood. The Tamil civilian population did this free and unfettered. They were acting together of their own free will. No guns were pointed to pressure them. Nobody killed anybody in the process. It was the best show of solidarity by a bruised and battered people in years.

When people are pressed under a heavy heel for a time that seems to have no end, they make their own time and their own space to stage a drama for democracy. That is what took place. That is what the LTTE did not calculate.

No, this was not about Douglas Devananda or Mahinda Rajapaksa or Tamil Nadu or Manmohan Singh. This was about the Tamil civilian population telling the LTTE many things.

The LTTE should stop using helpless civilians as a human shield and liberate them to leave the Wanni to seek the places they choose to live in. The LTTE should do the honourable thing by laying down arms and joining the democratic political mainstream. They should free child soldiers and conscripts. They must help food and essentials to be given to the people in the Wanni.

The Tamil civilian population is aware that Tamil Nadu cares deeply for their plight and asks that its leaders pressure the LTTE into acting according to all these democratic compulsions.

The people of Jaffna have come alive. The Tamil civilian population must be liberated. The power of the Tamil people cannot any more be deprived or denied.

Now is the time. Let freedom sing. - Sri Lanka Guardian