Dilrook Kannangara

LTTE commemorations once again highlighted the undeniable fact that all its organizers and essentially all Tamil Eelmists are Sri Lankan born. While Cyclone Fengal disrupted the planned large LTTE commemoration since 2009 the organizers have said they will hold it on another day. Indian born Tamils around the world are not keen in LTTE commemorations or Tamil Eelam. Similarly, Diaspora Tamils born outside Sri Lanka are also not excited by LTTE commemoration and Tamil Eelam though a few of the underaged ones are compelled by their Sri Lankan-born parents to participate in these events.

Why?

The main reason is Tamil Eelam is a Sri Lanka-born (home-grown) concept dating back to 1922 (inaugurated by a Sri Lankan national hero) and almost all major Tamil political parties in the island since then have supported it. The other reason is all LTTE leaders were Sri Lankans and born in Sri Lanka. Only a few cadres were sourced from South India for a limited period of time. Most of them didn’t even knew what they were fighting for. The third reason is caste related. Tamil Nadu Tamils consider themselves to be of higher caste than Sri Lanka’s Tamils. This is rooted in Dutch and British colonial times when Tamils transported to the island were from lower rungs of the Tamil Nadu and Kerala societies.

November 2024 parliamentary election did turn tables on Tamil political parties in two districts – Jaffna and Vanni. Batticaloa and other districts that produced Tamil Eelamist politicians continued as before. No change. Only moderate Tamils elected from national parties suffered in other districts. Not Tamil Eelamists. The reasons for the change in Jaffna and Vanni districts are temporary. One swallow doesn’t make a summer!

By the next parliamentary election, if not earlier, Tamil sectarian political parties will reclaim what they lost in the two districts. It will happen regardless of what the NPP government does or doesn’t do. TNA lost its leaders in quick succession which weakened the coalition. Its remaining leader was seen too keen to extend his support to SJB and NPP which diluted Tamil support to him. The economic crisis also temporarily suppressed nationalist politics in the Tamil community.

Thinking or hoping that these are permanent shifts is naïve. Such thinking and hoping can be equated to the hope that sprung in people’s hearts following various peace processes in the past. Yes; they did achieve limited peace and cooperation for some time but none lasted. A trend that has been established since 1924 when elections were first introduced in the island (only for the English proficient) and later in 1931 when everyone over 21 could vote, has not changed. What has happened is a temporary respite due to a few transient and trivial issues. The established trend will takeover within a few months or years.

Fueled by naïve hope and inexperience, actions have been taken to compromise national security. These will come to haunt the regime and future regimes.

However, this does not mean the old habits and suspicions must continue. No; on the contrary, people must change and government response to the change should be positive. The catch is the nature of the shift – is it genuine and foundational or is it just temporary and opportunistic. Unless the NPP can keep delivering what it promised before the election (can’t imagine how they can) and keeps promising more deliverables in the future (can’t imagine how people can be glued to false hope for long), hope will fade away exposing the hard facts underneath which rarely change. And it is not the fault of anyone or a political party. It is the ingrained fate of the island nation. Take it from history, one swallow doesn’t make a summer!