Angered Tamil Nadu women stormed Sri Lankan embassy in New Delhi: “I am your mother, come and rape me”

Voice for Eelam Tamils group says “13th February 2009 at New Delhi will be a red letter day in the annals of history of Eelam struggle”. The umbrella organization of writers, artists, poets, filmmakers, students, women’s groups, fishermen and human rights organisations from Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry, who have launched a campaign in the capital to prevail upon the Indian Central Government and the Sinhala Government to stop the genocidal war in Sri Lanka, from Thursday.

Stormed before the Sri Lankan Embassy on Friday (13th Feb) around 3pm and held the local security and police personnel at bay by their vociferous gate crash protest demonstration demanding immediate stopping of war.

The Protestors burnt the effigy of Rajapakshe, demanding his arrest for waging the genocidal war in Sri Lanka and he be tried for his war crimes. As reports from Vanni state that females were taken for sexual abuse by Sri Lankan Army, women Protestors sported banners reading “I am your mother, come and rape me”, “I am your sister, come and rape me”, which startled the press and the public alike. The protestors were arrested and removed from the high security zone and were detained in jail and were only left free late in the night.

While a section of the “Voice of Eelam Tamils” stormed the Sri Lankan Embassy, the other section continued with their hunger strike at Janthar Manthar. In a surcharged milieu of slogan shouting, songs, and speeches, four students (Samuel, Ramesh, Vinod Kumar and Delhi Raj) and Lakshmi Saravanakumar, a poet, came forward to tonsure their head, a custom done by those who light the pyre fire, on the demise of his relative. The students lamented death of their “kith and kin” and paid last respects to those who lost their precious life in Sri Lanka. This not only denotes the death of justice, death of dignity, death of freedom and death of Press Freedom and the conscience of humanity. The students and the poet who tonsured their head deserve all appreciation.

The venue of hunger strike was visited by many leaders and eminent personalities and expressed their solidarity with the suffering Tamils in Sri Lanka and urged the Sri Lankan and Central Govt to stop the war and save the Tamils.

D.RAJA, the General Secretary of CPI and a member of Lok Sabha addressed the satyagrahis and explained in detail how this humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka was precipitated by the indifference, callousness and chauvinist attitude of the successive Sri Lankan governments and the half hearted approach for lasting political solutions with in a democratic frame work. He warned the Central Government that if it does not do enough the stop the war immediately, India will see not only the uprising of the Tamils of India but also the freedom loving people from the rest of India, will dislodge the present anti-people government.

Shivaji Lingam, a sitting MP of Sri Lanka also addressed the protestors and explained the history of the struggle of Eelam Tamils and how it unfolded itself over six decades now. He emphasized that the students and youth of Eelam Tamils were constrained to resort to militant struggle only because their entire peaceful and democratic struggle for dignity and justice were put down heavily by the brutal Sri Lankan forces. He said the so called political devolution now trumpeted with the 13th Constitution amendment, is only a farce and the Tamils are unable to exercise their rights even for their basic needs and self rule. He spent good lot of time with the protestors clarifying various questions raised on the issue. His visit the venue was mutually inspiring.

Mr. Kuldip Nayar, leading Columnist, Human Rights Activist, Ex Rajya Sabha Member and Retired British Ambassador of India, despite his advanced age, gave an inspiring talk and challenged that no one can muffle our democratic voice to support the just and democratic struggles all people, including Sri Lankan Tamils.

Justice Rajinder Sachar, who always expresses his pride to call himself as an Ex President of PUCL, joined the “Voice of Eelam Tamils” and reassured unqualified support to the cause of just struggles by the Sri Lankan Tamils and their supporters in India. He reiterated it is the duty of all freedom and peace loving people in India to urge the central government to stop the war in Sri Lanka.

Visit of several members of Parliament including Dr.Ramadoss, AK Murthy, Dr. Danraj, E.Ponnusamy, Krishnan, Sipi Parai Ravichandran during the day helped the Protesters to keep up their morale.

The finale of the second day campaign was the rousing welcome given to the courageous activists who were arrested for protesting before the Sri Lankan embassy and paying rich tributes to Murugathasan, who laid his life by self-immolation in front of UN Head Quarters at Geneva demanding the intervention of the international community to save the suffering Tamils of Sri Lanka.