Welcome Address,
Professor J.Balachandra, Conference Chairman

VANAKKAM (GREETINGS) ladies and gentlemen. I am a Thamilan from island of ILANKAI (Ceylon). My name is Chandrakumar J.Balachan and I am a professor of Electrical Engineering at California St University Sacramento. As chairman of The International Tamil Ee Research Conference 1991 it gives me great pleasure and pride extend a warm welcome to all of you gathered here today.

Welcome to Sacramento the capital of California the most populous and progressive state in the union.

Welcome to the United States of America, the land of the free and the brave.

I must especially extend a welcome to our international delegates from Norway, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and Canada.

This conference is an academic exercise attempting to probe the realities behind the present impasse in the conflict, and investigating the possible future of the Tamils of the island. What are the reasons for convening an international conference here and why now?

In the first instance the conference cannot be held in the island because the principle of FREEDOM OF SPEECH is not sacred nor is it freely exercised over there.

I spent all my formative years as a youth amongst the Sinhalese have many pleasant memories of my association with them and have a deep respect for their language and culture. Unfortunately for political reasons the ethnic differences between the Tamil and Sinhalese people have been shamelessly exploited to the eventual detriment of all the inhabitants of the island.

The ensuing destruction of the Tamil identity has culminated in a civil war that has polarised the two communities and resulted in the death of thousands of innocent civilians, and the destruction of billions of dollars worth of property. The toll on human suffering is devastating.

Out of a total population of 17 million, 3.5 million are Tamil Three hundred and eighty thousand Tamils are refugees abroad and more than a million are refugees within; constantly being subjected to aerial bombardment, helicopter strafing and massacres both in and out of refugee camps by the military and par military forces.

The human rights of individuals, especially innocent civilians have been grossly violated by all parties concerned in the conflict. More than 35,000 persons have been killed in the past 15 years. Approximately 80% of these casualties are innocent civilians caught in the cross-fire.

THIS MUST STOP FORTH-WITH.
'QUO VADIS?' (WHERE ARE YOU GOING?)

was the question asked of the apostle St.Peter as he was fleeing the Roman persecution of the Christian church 2000 years ago. The same question echoes down the ages to the Tamils of the island in this the dawn of the 21st century. What does the future have in store for us?

Turmoil or Tranquility?

'IL EST TEMPS' said the Latin sage. Yes, it is time; time to let reason and sanity prevail and justice triumph.

When the breath of freedom is sweeping across Europe, evidenced by the tearing down of the Iron Curtain and the clamor of the Baltic and Balkan states crying out for self-determination is heard throughout the land, the voice of the Tamil crying out for DHARMUM (JUSTICE) must not be muted, but must be heard loud and clear. So join with us as we walk through history from prehistoric Mohenjodaro and Harappa, in Dravidian India to the present atomic age and beyond to probe the past, the present and the future of our people the Tamils of Eelam.