A Response to the letter from Ravikumar Govindaraman
Posted on March 12th, 2012
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
12 March 2012
His Excellency Mr. Rodolfo ReyezƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Rodriguez
Permanent Representative of Cuba in Geneva
Chemin de ValeriesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 100
1292 Chambesy,Geneva, Switzerland
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Your Excellency Mr. Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez:
Re: Letter by Ravikumar Govindaraman seeking help to preserve Tamil culture and justice to the people affected by the war in Sri Lanka
You have read the TAMIL TRUTH by Ravikumar Govindaraman in his letter to you dated February 20, 2012 on behalf of Nam Tamilar America Inc. seeking help to preserve the Tamil culture and identity across the world.
Being a Tamil, I understand his love for his culture which is a rich one and goes back many centuries and Headquartered in Tamil Nadu, South India, where 61 million of his Tamils live.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But here are the TAMIL FACTS about his Tamil Culture as it exists and survives handsomely in his Sri Lanka.
- 1.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is absolute freedom to express anything and everything in his Tamil language.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They show Tamil films in theaters in urban cities and village centers across Sri Lanka, and there are Tamil cultural performances, classical dance, Bharatha Natyam, Kathakali and Kavadi Aattam a form of Hindu pilgrim religious dance; songs and plays in Tamil and classical music (Carnatic) with Tamil instruments like the Veena, percussion instruments like Mrindangham and Murasu; flutes like the Pili and Kanvidutumbu on public stages.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is absolute NO suppression of these elements of their culture. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They can perform wherever they want to and whenever they want to. Even basking at street corners. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As for their cultural dress, the women display their pretty saris and pure gold gaudy jewelry along streets and town gatheringsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ together with crimson thumb prints between their eyebrows; and the men have their vettiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s worn between their thighs and stuck into their waist strings. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Those haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ never been problems with those cultural traits of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am stymied by his mischievous complaint.
- 2.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are government and public Tamils schools (Maha Vidyalayams ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” High Schools) all over Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But what he did not tell you is that almost every Sri Lankan ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil parent educates the children in the English medium and the rich Tamils send their children to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ private International English Medium schools.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So Govindaraman has been mischievous in his complaint one more time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am not sure whether Govindaraman is blind to all these TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ cultural non-exposures to their children or whether he is just being mischievous in his complaint.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So what is indeed his problem, I wonder!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But I am sorry to say that all what he said were bunkum!
- 3.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is no Government Language Police to go around cities and towns telling the Tamil business people and shop keepers that they cannot have their business signs at street level in the Tamil language.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Of course, they can and some businesses even have their signs in Tamil letters in large type as the prominent identification followed by English and Sinhalese in smaller type.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And that is a TAMIL FACT, your Excellency.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So what is GovindarmanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s complain?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am at a loss.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I believe he has a mischievous streak in him to talk ill of the Sri Lankan Government and insinuate that they are suppressing the Tamil culture. Your Excellency, you know Sri Lanka better than that, donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you?
- 4.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are Radio and Television programs dedicated to the Tamil language in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And even the daily news papers and popular magazines are read in Tamil. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And that is a TAMIL FACT. So what is this man, Govindaram complaining about?
- 5.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This man gives the impression that Tamil cultural Festivals are being suppressed in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What nonsense!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These are the Hindu (Tamil) Festival public holidays declared by statue by the Government.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In January, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Thamil Thai Pongal DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ; in February, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The Mahasivarathri DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚; in April, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The Sinhala & Tamil New Year DayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚;ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in November, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Deepavali Festival.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And these are TAMIL FACTS contrary to what he was telling you.
So the Tamil Culture in Sri Lanka is very alive and very well andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ very healthy.
- 6.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ravikumar Govindaraman also says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We are writing this letter to bring to your notice about genocide which happened in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Perhaps, without dismissing his complain in toto, you may wish to ask him to define the word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-genocideƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and give more details of this genocide he is complaining about.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Where, when and what really happened?
For the Sri Lankan Government to liberate 300,000 of his Tamil people by 19 May 2009, who were herded like cattle by the Tamil Tiger terrorists for 30 months from the west coast to the east coast as a human shield, and place them in welfare camps feeding them three hearty meals a day ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” breakfast, lunch and dinner, until the terrain was demined,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their homes were renovated and sent back with seed money to start their lives within 30 months is a miracle.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And that is a TAMIL FACT.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
For the Government to conduct a mass wedding ceremony to marry the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ former Tamil terrorist men and women who were couples in the battle field, does not tell me that is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-genocideƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in my vocabulary.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I hate to tell you this, Your Excellency; this man, Govindaraman, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is spinning propaganda yarns to hurt Sri Lanka in Geneva.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And he is trying to drag Cuba into it so that you will vote for the cockeyed resolution presented by the US, in which the ruthless Tamil Tigers have not been mentioned at all, who wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ serial killers and assassins of two heads of State, Rajiv Gandhi of India and President Premadasa of Sri Lanka.
Speaking of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Govindaraman says: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-This CommissionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Report has been heavily criticized by International Human Rights Groups.
Your Excellency, such criticism were predictable asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ you would know thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the sunƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ would shine on VaraderoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s white sugary sands each morning.
One such Human Rights Group that had the gall to criticize the LLRC report was Amnesty International (AI), whose voice was bought by a pro-Tamil Tiger group in Toronto, the Canadian Tamil Congress, when they handed AI $50,000 last September after a walk-a-Thon collection.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So such criticism should be taken with a pinch of salt as they are not kosher.
He talks of a UN panel of experts who he says criticized the LLRC Report.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It would be interesting to ask Govindaraman to name these experts.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We all would be curious to know as this person is disingenuous,
With my presenting TAMIL FACTS contrary to what Ravikumar Govindaraman had presented you as TAMIL TRUTH, I leave it to you to be judge and jury of his insidious complains about Sri Lanka.
If his intention was to spin pro-Tamil Tiger terrorist yarns so that Cuba will vote for the US resolution tabled at the UNHRC gatherings that are in deliberation now, what better country is there other than Cuba who knows the US shenanigans better, who thinks that they are the World Police on Human Rights,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and had the right to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ invade Iraq on a lie killing 1.2 million innocent civilians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And right now their drones are killing innocent civilians in Pakistan while trying to getƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the Taliban terrorists.
Your, Excdlledncy, I know, Cuba ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ being a friend of Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ since the 1950s, I am sure you will do the right thingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and not vote for the US resolution,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and give Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Peace a Chance.
I do apologize to have taken your time, but I had little choice but to challenge this man, Ravikumar Govindaraman who says he represents Naam Tamilar America, which is supposed to be a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”public Benefit corporation based in California.
Sincerely
Asoka Weerasinghe (Mr.)
(author of the TAMIL TRUTH)
March 12th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Fortunately or unfortunately no genocide of Tamils happened!
If such a thing happened there won’t be any TNA to disrupt peace.
No need for resettlement.
No need for reconciliation.
No need for political solutions.
No need for devolution.
No need to have a tri lingual initiative.
No need for the president to speak in Tamil.
No way a Tamil can represent SL at UNHRC.
No way Tamils can be “abducted”, “incarcerated” and BS AFTER the so called genocide.
No Rayappu Joseph.
No Tamils to give evidence at the LLRC.
No Tamils in the LLRC (there are 2 of them).
No Tamils in the Cabinet.
No Tamils in parliament.
No Tamils in Tamil only enclaves in Colombo.
No Sakti TV, No Verakesari, No Uthayan, No Thinamurusu, No Thinakkural, No Sakti FM, No Sooriyan FM, No Tamil schools, No Tamil only universities, etc.
March 12th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Naam Illankai Thamilar!
March 13th, 2012 at 4:04 am
Naam Thamilar means
We are only leaders of Tamil community
We never respect our neighbours even they speak Tamil language. Because we want to know
where are they from Sri Lanka or South India or others
Which part of Sri Lanka North,East or Hill Country
If they are from North we want to know are they from Island(Thievu) Vadamarachi,coastal Area or Jaffna town
We ask are they relatives of Prominent High cast Politcians
If we can´t find anything
We ask about particular areas in Jaffna
We ask about work of the parents
Until we find out whether they are high cast or Low cast we can´t sleep
If we find out 100% sure they are High cast we recruit them to lead in our Naam Thamilar Movements
like Tamilschools,Hidu Temples, and other Tamil organisations.
We have problem in western countries to decide the person s Status by Jobs
we are sad that we do the work of low cast in Sri Lanka´in western countrie. also low cast are doing the works which are normally reserved for us by our Tamil politicians like TNA in Sri Lanka
Because of the above disadvantages in Western countries we want our TamilEelam in Sri Lanka
Until we reach our Goal we say ourself as Naam Thamilar.