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| Sunday, 15 August 2004 |
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Kumar Ponnambalam honoured as Mamanithar On that vociferous volcanic voice of the Tamils of our time is no more with us. Yes it is now four years, snatched away from us in the dawn of 2000, the first martyr at the dawn of the millennium. If he is alive he will count his sixty sixth birthday on this August 12. That is my great late leader Kumar Ponnambalam, the son of G.G. Ponnambalam, acknowledged leader of Tamils of the by gone era. Kumar was born in to wealth and circumstances. Born and bred and first among the equal elites of Cinnamon Gardens. But inheritance was that he was proud to say that he is a Tamil. He had been proud and delighted in flaunting it. Secondly he being the son of the great Tamil leader G.G. Ponnambalam who had been the father of the Tamil Nationalism and an eminent lawyer, Kumar considered this too a symbol of pride. Millennia of pride and independence the Tamils cherished were manifest in Kumar. His courage was indomitable. Situation too demanded his role. The wisdom from his learning, his successful and profession were readily available at the services of his community. I am really proud of my past twenty-five years with Tamil Congress as a student of politics working very closely with my leader Kumar Ponnambalam. In the changing political scenario in the North East, the need of the hour is the solidarity of Tamils and Tamil parties. Kumar realized this very strongly and initiated this only a couple of days before his assassination and I was with him at these talks. Hence beyond individual party politics north east people realized that need of a common alliance to grant a people's mandate and it had been 95% successful and a sole representation is identified with people's mandate. In this backdrop of nationally and internationally acknowledged and accepted role of LTTE as sole representatives of the Tamils of north east traditional homeland. I'm sure if Kumar is living he would have had an influential role. The reality is that his dreams and his far-sighted political aspirations are taking its shape into reality only now. Kumar dedicated his life to the Tamil cause but differed from others who did politics on Tamil Cause in exposing the hypocrisy and intransigence of Sinhala leadership. He expected a transparent political scenario and did not believe in behind the scene affairs. He never believed in political gimmicks and mincing words for self-centered politics because he never needed political power for his bread and butter. He had two primary issues in Tamil cause. Firstly he believed that a respectable solution can be worked on the basis on Thimpu Principles and believed that as prerequisite for Sinhala nation to recognize first, to pave way further. There is a strong reason behind this . Kumar's convictions was that the insistence of the recognition of Thimpu first will expose the Sinhala nation if they genuinely recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil Nation in principle before going further. If the basic principle is accepted by the Sinhala nation sincerely which will facilitate the subsequent stages of peace process. Secondly he realized that all other Tamil parties then were only interested in narrow political gain and convinced that the LTTE to be the only organization that was genuinely dedicated towards fighting for the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil Nation and recognized it to be the sole representative of the Tamil Nation. Kumar supported openly the political ideology of LTTE. Yes, those pragmatic vision of later Kumar are the drawings we see on the wall now. It is because of this political belief and also because of the role he played as a human rights activist in openly challenging the Sri Lankan government's policies of human and political rights of Tamils, did he meet with his death. As an activist, he addressed the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in 1997 and 1999, and the European Parliament in Brussels in 1998. His involvement in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy rape and murder case and the presence of mass graves in Chemmani to mention a few, brought to light the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan Sinhala Army in the Tamil homelands. He appeared for innocent youths and Tamil girls who suffered in the hands of Sri Lankan forces. I can remember my leader Kumar went even in mid night to stop police bulldozing a Tamil house in Wellawatta. If called to safeguard a Tamils right even in mid night Kumar had the blessed extra courage of Lord Krishna. Inherited late G.G.'s inborn Tamil pride and indomitable fighting spirit Kumar carried it to it's zenith. My leader Kumar never being a member of parliament or even a local council, yet he was a mighty single man challenged the then government of the day. I have heard that pen is mightier than a sword in reality we have seen only our late leader Kumar's pen had that calibre. The power of his pen and the volleys of truth it fired were as devastating, that they gunned down our dearest leader. The Tamil nation honoured him posthumously with the title of Mamanithar Great man. A sincere soul never sleeps in slumber is the almighty's creation. Dr. N. Kumaraguruparan |
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