Is Tamil Nadu-Kerala conflict cause of indecisive Indian policy on Sri Lanka?

by Rajasingham Jayadevan


(January 23, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The heavy influence of Malayalese of Kerala state in the central government is said to be impacting on the decision making of the central government on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.

When asked about the lack of interest of the Indian government on Sri Lankan Tamil issue, a non-Malayalee official discreetly said: ‘it is all in the hands of the Malayalese now. Haven’t you realised the influence they have in the decision making? When the head of the state is weak, they take upper hand and it is the status quo now’

‘During Indra Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s times, we had decisive leaderships in the centre but unfortunately it is not the case since the death of Rajiv’ he further said.

These comments made me to make some inquiries with some media and influential Tamil contacts. Many acknowledged this fact and it has become a debating issue in the Tamil community media.

Interestingly, I received a despatch from the Paris based TRT radio, where I was debating this issue few weeks ago in a telephone discussion programme. The despatch was published in an undisclosed website in Tamil Nadu, India. The translation of the despatch titled ‘They are not Tamils’ gives a fair insight into the controlling interest in the Indian politics by the Keralites. The subtitle of the write up states: ‘Controlling interest of Malayalese in the central government’.

‘Whichever government comes to power in Delhi, it is Kerala that will carry all the goodies with it! The reason being, they have controlling interest in every field of the government.

‘When Karunanithy (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) search for ministerial positions, he will consider only two issues. Primarily, he will attempt to place his children or grand children to the positions. Secondly, the positions must have financial interest! The interest of Tamil race is nonsense for him. This is what happens after rising to power. There is no point in blaming Karunanithy. It is the voters like you and me to be blamed!

Look at the list of Malayalese in the central power base of Delhi. They are sucking! They are sucking the blood of the (Indian) nation and taking them to their (Kerala) state.

The Malayalese first enemy is Tamils! They are the ones fully backing the murderous mission to wipe out the Eelam Tamils! The way they run their bus service from Tamil Nadu is worse than managing the slaves. But we go to their businesses in Tamil Nadu and buy their products, drink saya and fatten ourselves. Think!

N Fernandes – Secretary to the President

V K Das – Private Secretary of the President

T K A Nayar – First Secretary to the Prime Minister.

N K Narayanan – Special Advisor to the President

Nirubama Mennon Rao – Secretary, External Affairs

Shivashankar Mennon- National Security Advisor

A K Antony- Minister of Army

Vayalar Ravi- External Affairs Ministry

P Shridar- Private Secretary of the Speaker of the Parliament.

K M Chandrasegar – Secretary to the Ministries

Rudhra Gangatharan – Secretary Ministry of Agriculture.

Madhavan Nambiyar- Secretary Air Transport

Chandranarayanan Dhass – Secretary, Engineering Works

G K Pillai – Secretary, Interior Ministry

Chandrasegaran – Secretary, Petroleum

K Mohanadas- Secretary, Shipping

P J Thomas- Head of Central Supervision Commission

Sudha Pillai – Secretary, Planning Commission

V K Sangamma – Secretary, North-East Council

R Gopalan – Co-ordinator, Finance Administration

K P V Nayar- Secretary, Spending Dept

K Jose Siriyak – Secrtary, Income Department

R Thomas- Secretary. Income Tax Dept

V Sridhar- Secretary, Customs

P K Dhass- Director, Dept of Implementation

K V Dass – Co-Minister, Agriculture

Mullapalli Ramachandran- Co-Minister Internal Affairs

I Ahamed- Co-Minister Railways

‘Those who sing and dance at Sonia’s residence too are Malayalese. Sonia’s driver is: Ravindran, Cook: Angamma Anganag Kutty, gardener: Thomas. Those who do shopping, assistants to the cooks, assistants to the gardener etc, are Malayalese.

‘There are about sixty Delhi security men guarding Sonia. Of these fifty are Keralites. As you can see Keralites have invaded important administrations in the country.

‘Of the 30 big states, Kerala is the smallest. But of the 53 secretaries in the central government 33 are said to be Keralites.

‘Majority of them had worked in Kerala and then took on positions in the central government. Some of them worked in other states and joined the central government.

‘Under these circumstances which state is ruling India? This is why favourable things are happening in Kerala. Welfare of the Tamils is disregarded.’

My argument in the TRT discussion programme was that Tamils must reach the Keralites and win their sympathy. They are like one time affluent Tamils in Sri Lanka, contributing positively for the country that has eroded as time passed. Systematic measures by majority Sinhala governments marginalized the Tamils in Sri Lanka and have brought them to the present appalling state.

Keralites must be convinced that a diverse federal political structure empowering the minorities in Sri Lanka will produce able Tamils to serve in the central state like the Keralites.

The animosity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala are understandable. The communist state of Kerala is heavily trade unionised and this is benefiting Tamil Nadu. A lot of investments are by-passing the Kerala state and reaching its neighbours i.e mainly Tamil Nadu.

The Tamils must support the Keralites against any systematic campaign to marginalize them and our experience in Sri Lanka stands affirmatively towards such a stand.

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