Special Focus: 31 March 2005 United States & the Struggle for Tamil Eelam to include 31 March 2005 Conflict Resolution: Tamil Eelam - Sri Lanka to include Federalism, Tamils and the Referendum Trap - J. S. Tissainayagam, Northeastern Monthly "There are reports that the UPFA government is preparing to hold a non-binding referendum to obtain consent of the people to take forward the process of changing the constitution. The question/s to be put before the people will decide: (a) their willingness to be governed by a presidency in the future and (b) whether they would accept federalism...How will the referendum affect the Tamils of the northeast? The history of independent Sri Lanka has demonstrated that institutions of the central government – in whatever form – have failed to uphold the rights and liberties of the Tamil people. If there indeed were to be a majority in the Tamil areas for ‘federalism’ at the referendum, the government would use it as a popular mandate not to implement devolution power, but as a verdict against separation. That is the trap in the referendum..."more
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29 March 2005 Caste & the Tamil Nation to include S.M.Lingam on Tamil Nationalism & the Caste System - Swami Vivekananda and Saint Kabir " Tamil nation is a political community, a grand solidarity. To maintain its solidarity, the Tamil nation has to remove all sorts of divisions that causes dissension and discord among its members. The Caste System is such a pernicious division that has plagued our society for thousands of years... The Hindu Brahmins have created theoretical explanations, Puranic stories and religious myths to support and justify their conduct... Since all of these arguments are purported to be based on Hinduism, it is proper that we examine the ideals of real Hinduism and its basic tenets...To interpret and explain those subtle and deep matters let us get the help of an appropriate authority like Swami Vivekananda.." more
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28 March 2005 Tamil Nation Library to include Sri Lanka: Witness to History - A Journalist's Memoirs, 1930-2004 - Book Review by Ana Pararajasingham "..Trying to consign "Sri Lanka: A Witness to History" to a particular genre is not easy. It is a historical account, a memoir and an autobiography rolled into one. Whereas Balasingam's "War and Peace" is an insider's account of the Tamil national struggle, Sivanayagam's book is what one may call a ringside account of the same struggle. Told in his inimitable style where the most intense situations are described dramatically but at the same time punctuated with an impish humor, the book is an easy read..." more
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27 March 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire to include Jon E Wilson - Revisionist TV history of Britain's empire is an attempt to justify the new imperial order "(the) defence of the new imperialism is based on a view that the west is always best. Those who insist that the US should take on a yet more assertive global role don't believe that Asians, Africans or Arabs can create prosperity and order on their own behalf. Without western imperial order, so this argument goes, the world would be a nasty, brutish place... Far from being backward and uncivilised, Mughal India exported high quality manufactured goods to Britain's fashionable society. Aristocrats had Indian chintz on their walls and Indian cloth on their tables. British manufacturers often labelled poorer quality British imitations as "Indian" to dupe customers into buying their own shoddy goods. After all, why were the British interested in trading with Asia at all? It was to make money out of a wealthy society - not to invest and civilise..." more
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26 March 2005 Tamil National Forum to include 1. Brian Senewiratne from Australia - A Prayer for Adrian Wijemanne
2. Sanmugam Sabesan from Australia on “ப(அ)ஞ்சாப் புலி பகத்சிங்” – 74வது நினைவு தினம் "ஒரு தேசத்தின் உண்மையான சரித்திரத்தை மறைப்பதற்கு எவருக்குமே உரிமையில்லை. ஆனால் நடந்த உண்மையான சரித்திரத்தைவிட மறைக்கப்பட்டு, திரிக்கப்பட்டு, உரைக்கப்பட்ட சரித்திரம்தான் இன்று எம்மிடையே அதிகமாக உள்ளது. .... “கத்தியின்றி, இரத்தமின்றிக் கிடைக்கப்பெற்ற சுதந்திரம்” என்று இந்தியா பெற்ற சுதந்திரம் குறித்து இப்போதும் பலர் கூறி வந்தாலும், ‘அது திரிக்கப்பட்ட வரலாறு என்பதனை எதிர்காலம் கூறுமோ’ என்ற எண்ணமும் இப்போது வலுப்பட்டு வருகின்றது..."3. Sachi Sri Kantha from Japan on Gossip-mining Gods of Mass Media |
23 March 2005 Reflections to include | "...What does experience up to now teach us? The revolutionary guerrilla force is clandestine. It is born and develops secretly... to protect the safety of the guerrilla force itself: 'Constant vigilance, constant mistrust, constant mobility are the three golden rules. All three are concerned with security. Various considerations of common sense necessitate wariness towards the civilian population and the maintenance of a certain aloofness. By their very situation civilians are exposed to the constant presence and pressure of the enemy, who will attempt to buy them, corrupt them, or to extort from them by violence what cannot be bought..." Revolution in the Revolution? - Regis Debray more |
23 March 2005 Tsunami Disaster & Tamil Eelam to include 'Mr.Kadirgamar is not impressed' - Interview on BBC Hard Talk - Video & Audio "BBC: What is the government's response to the accusation that aid is being withheld from Tamil Tiger areas? Kadirgamar: Totally and horribly false - this is being put about by mischief makers and propagandists...." more
20 March 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire to include Condoleezza Rice brings reality check on India-U.S. ties 20 March 2005 Caste & the Tamil Nation: Brahmins, Non Brahmins & Dalits | "..We should not attempt historical revisionism, but boldly admit past mistakes and injustices done to a sizable section of Tamil society in the name of religion and move forward. The Tamil Eelam national liberation struggle and the consequent social revolution it has triggered has helped to blunt the practice of centuries old caste system...." - V.Thangavelu more |
20 March 2005 Women, Nation & Struggle... | "The issue of gender is often over looked in traditional nationalism debates, despite the significant contribution women have made to nationalist projects, and the intertwining of the feminist struggle and the nationalist one..... to view nationalism without factoring in the gendered view is to ignore a significant factor that contributes to nationalistic sentiment. The role of women in nationalism, whether it is as nurturers, citizens or combatants, remains, as through the history of feminist struggle, a vital one. "more |
18 March 2005 Tamil National Forum to include Sanmugam Sabesan - ஆத்திரக்காரனுக்கு...! | "சமாதானத் தீர்வுக்காக அரசியல் யாப்பு மாற்றப்பட வேண்டும்” என்று ஆரம்பித்து, ஜனாதிபதிப் பதவியை ஒழித்து, அதன் சகல அதிகாரங்களையும் பிரதம மந்திரியான தானே பெற்றுக் கொள்ளும் வரை அம்மையார் ஓய மாட்டார்." more |
18 March 2005 Tamil Nation Library - Literature to include Seasons of the Palm by Murugan Perumal, Translated by V.Geeta - Shortlisted for the Kiriyama Prize. 17 March 2005 Reflections " Imperialism is an institution under which one nation asserts the right to seize the land or at least to control the government or resources of another people."- John T. Flynn "Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too." - Marcus Aurelius
16 March 2005 Dravidian Temple Architecture - Thanjavur - Chola Period (9th - 13th century) extensively revised. 15 March 2005 Conflict Resolution: Tamil Eelam - Sri Lanka to include  Excerpt from Nadesan Satyendra interviewed by Peter Mares, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 3 November 1990 (14 Years Ago)
15 March 2005 Tamils & the Digital Renaissance to include Breaking New Ground in Tamil Software or Continued Dominance of English? 14 March 2005 The Tamil Heritage - Veerapandiya Kattabomman to include | K.Rajayyan in History of Madurai (1736 - 1801) at p.355 - "Kattabomman faced the last moments of his life in a way becoming of a rebel leader. Major John Bannerman writes to the Madras Government, 17 October, 1789, thus: 'it may not be amiss here to observe that the manner and behaviour of the Poligar during the whole time of his being before those who were assembled yesterday at the examination, which took place were undaunted and supercilious..." more |
14 March 2005 Tamil National Forum to include | Sanmugam Sabesan from Australia on சர்வதேச மகளிர் தினம், 2005: கற்பும் பெண்விடுதலையும்... "....‘கற்பு’ என்ற சொல்லை வைத்து, பெண்ணை இன்னமும் அடிமையாக்குகின்றது எமது இனம்.... ஆண்-பெண் இருபாலாரும் சரிசமமாக சுதந்திரத்துடன் வாழவேண்டும் என்ற நிலைமை ஏற்பட வேண்டும் என்றால், கற்பு என்பதன் அடிப்படை இலட்சியமும், கொள்கையும் மாற்றப்பட்டு, ஆண்-பெண் இருவருக்கும் ஒருப்போன்ற நீதி ஏற்பட வேண்டும் என்ற பெரியாரின் கருத்து பெண்ணியத்திற்கு ஏற்றதொன்றாகவே காணப்படுகின்றது..." more |
11 March 2005 Tamil Nation Library - Eelam Section - Sri Lanka: Witness to History - A Journalist's Memoirs, 1930-2004 by S.Sivanayagam to include Audio of Speech by Nadesan Satyendra at the Book Launch in London
10 March 2005 Human Rights, Humanitarian Law & the Tamil Nation to include 9 March 2005 Culture & the Tamil Contribution to World Civilisation - Tamil Drama & Film - நாடகத் தமிழ் to include | The Ritualistic Origins of Tamil Drama - K. Sivathamby "The richness of the cultural tradition of the Tamils is expressed in the concept of Muttamil, which classifies Tamil into three sections - Iyal (Literature), Isai (Music) and Natakam (Drama)... Heroic age is only a transient age. It marks the transition from tribalism to feudalism and the transition is always fast. Heroic age leads to well defined territorial settlements, with proprietary rights and security of those rights. Militaristic exploits do not have a place in that economy. War at this stage means destruction of the means of subsistence. And it was quite natural that the bardic tradition, the finest artistic flower of that age too suffered with the change. The character and function of art changed..." more |
8 March 2005 About Us & Visitor Comments to include Notice of an interview with Prof. George Hart by Kumar Kumarappan, Fremont, CA on 'Tamil as a classical language' broadcast by Silicon Solai Tamil Radio, San Francisco.
7 March 2005 Tamil Language & Literature - Project Madurai to include  Press Notice from the Hindu - "In the mid-1990s, K. Kalyanasundaram, who is a chemist engaged in teaching and research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne, Switzerland, got interested in Tamil computing. One of his first efforts was to release a free Tamil font called Mylai. Soon he was keying in the complete Thirukkural, which he released free on the Net. Shortly, a group of similar-minded people came together and Project Madurai (PM) was born.." more |
7 March 2005 New Delhi & the Struggle for Tamil Eelam - Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
- The Verdict to include Speech by D. R. Karthikeyan, former CBI Director of India about his book 'Triumph of Truth' at Bay Area Tamil Mandram Meeting on 9 May 2004 together with Welcome Address by Mani. Manivannan, President, Bay Area Tamil Mandram.
6 March 2005 Tamil National Forum - to include | Sanmugam Sabesan from Australia on திராவிடக் கட்சிகளின் தமிழ்த் தேசியம் “திராவிடன் என்ற மரபு இனத்தை தி.மு.க முன் வைத்தது, தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கோட்பாட்டிற்குப் புறம்பான நிலைப்பாடு. தமிழன் என்ற தேசிய இனத்தை மட்டும் முன் வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும். அது மட்டுமல்ல பிற்காலத்தில் இக்கழகம் நாட்டால் இந்தியன், இனத்தால் திராவிடன், மொழியால் தமிழன் என்று கூறிக் கொள்ளத் தொடங்கியது. இது தேசிய இனவரையறைக்குப் புறம்பான உளறல் மட்டுமல்ல, தமிழ்த் தேசியத்தை ஊனப்படுத்தும் போக்கும் ஆகும்.” more - [note by tamilnation.org - Sanmugam Sabesan raises important questions concerning the underlying ideology of the Dravidian Movement - questions which are of direct relevance to the continued growth of the Tamil Nation.] |
5 March 2005 Reflections | 1."Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate ext of history; therefore we must be saby fai can do, however virtu can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love..." Reinhold Niebuhr 2. புத்தி உள்ள மனிதனெல்லாம்... Lyric - Kannadasan, Song - J.B.Chandrababu 3. There comes a time when an individual becomes irresistible and his action becomes all pervasive in it’s effect. This comes when he reduces himself to zero. - Mahatma Gandhi |
5 March 2005 Tamil Nation Library - Eelam Section - Sri Lanka: Witness to History - A Journalist's Memoirs, 1930-2004 by S.Sivanayagam to include Review by Dr. Brian Senewiratne, from Australia 4 March 2005 Tamil Diaspora - A Trans State Nation - France to include| The Charm of Little Jaffna in Paris "..In only 10 years, "Little Jaffna" ..has sprung to life and begun to truly flourish. Few, however, know how or why. From an uninformed perspective, it could appear as if thousands of Sri-Lankan Tamils effortlessly transported themselves to Paris, carving out a veritable village in no time flat. The reality, of course, is far more complex and painful. The vast majority of Parisian Tamils fled Sri-Lanka as refugees in the 1980's, escaping a violent civil conflict with the island's ethnic majority, the Cinghalese..." more |
4 March 2005 Culture & the Tamil Contribution to World Civilisation - Tamil Drama & Film - நாடகத் தமிழ் to include 1. A Short Film: குறும்படம் at யாழ் இணையம் & அப்பால் தமிழ் - The Slipper: செருப்பு - A girl in Tamil Eelam saves to buy slippers but with unforeseen consequences...2.The Alps Koothadigal " 'Alps Koothadigal' is a research on documentaries about Sri Lankan Tamil theatre activities in Switzerland. ...the Sri Lankans stage dramas to express their views about the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka and they have taken the drama medium as plays have wide reach in the international arena. The refugees have good cooperation from the Swiss... Tamils were working in hotels, petrol pumps and many other places. They perform plays after they complete their work, so they do not have enough rest time. To stage a drama, they take a lot of pains..." |
2 March 2005 Tamil National Forum to include Whats New Archive - February 2005 |
