The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union (EU), for having contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe, by a unanimous decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Even though the union is facing daunting challenges now, the idea that underpins it – of nations living and working together in a more peaceful way – is nevertheless an inspiring one.
In fact, this time around the Nobel Committee received 231 valid nominations, 43 of the nominations were organisations, while the remaining 188 were individuals,either alone or together with others. In real sense the EU doesn’t deserve a peace prize. The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize should have gone to an individual and that supreme personality is none other than the great and ever popular, most charismatic and the true Tamil’s leader, Prabhakaran.
“ I would prefer to do social services rather than become a politician,” he said. “If there is a permanent peace, I will become involved in social rehabilitation, such as helping handicapped children. Always wars ignore these people so I will help them. War and violence were imposed on us, but at heart we want peace. It is because we love the people that there is a readiness to die.”
( As reported by Chris Nuttall in Jaffna; Ref. The Guardian, Tuesday April 3 !990.)Chris Nuttall gave this report under the significant and memorable caption, “ Tamil Tigers are purring like pussy-cats of peace.” Chris Nuttal’s statement concluded saying, Prabhakaran spoke of peace on Sunday, but emphasized that, the Tigers could roar, “If justice is denied to our people and if oppression is unleashed we will not hesitate to resume the armed struggle to uphold their freedom.”.
Now let us frankly and sincerely see the part EU played in the genocidal war against Eelam Tamils. EU knows well that the LTTE should be respected as they are the voice of minority and that the LTTE had established parity of esteem between the two waring parties.
In fact it was also clear from the outset of the peace process how the US,UK and particularly Indian governments were alarmed by the parity of esteem that was accorded to the LTTE. While the US government unilaterally decided to hold a key meeting of the peace process in Washington in 2003 excluding the LTTE, the US/UK governments, instigated by India, exerted pressure on the EU to ban the LTTE in 2006 and dismantled the parity of esteem giving the upper hand to the Sri Lankan government who then unilaterally withdrew from the CFA in 2008 to launch the final phase of war against the Tamil de facto state, Eelam where nearly half a million people have decided to make their permanent and peaceful home.
Former Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) head, retired Brigadier General UlfHenricsson, said that the European Union ban on LTTE meant the Sri Lankan government thought it had “carte blanche” to take on the LTTE. He added, “I would say it’s a mistake, it was a wrong decision”.
In Sri Lankan political terminology he is known as a “terrorist”. We know of terrorists planting bombs in secret but where in the world do you get over 1000 odd “terrorists” in full view attacking a well fortified army camp, overrunning it, wiping out the entire garrison and taking away heavy weaponry? Thus it is obvious that the Sri Lankan terminology is flawed. Hence the thinking gets erractic and the entire behavioural pattern gets muddled.and that is the cold reality.
Velupillai Prabhakaran was born in the northern coastal town of Velvettithurai on November 26, 1954. His attitude and political thinking was shaped by contemporary events and environment. The gruesome tales he heard as a four year old child about the Anti-Tamil Pogrom of 1958 impacted greatly. Some of his favourite historical figures were Napoleon and Alexander.
The Indian freedom struggle fascinated him. .His ideal and idol was Netaji or Subash Chandra Bose. Netaji had ideological differences with the Mahatma about the mode of struggle for independence. At one stage he disapproved of Gandhi’s “nonviolence” and went on to form the Indian National Army (INA) to launch an armed struggle against the British.
Prabhakaran believes that, as long as the oppressed do not have political goals and a programme of action to achieve these, their voices will not challenge the oppressive regimes. He believes that they would be pressed to depend upon their oppressors to find solutions for them. Hence it is pivotal for the Tamils to realise that they not only had clearly defined political aspirations, but also that they had concretely achieved these through the de facto state built without the support of any international powers. In the process he became a powerful, vibrant symbol of the Tamil armed struggle.
He was convinced that refusal to share power at least within a federal constitution was itself an act of subjugation. Tamils as a subjugated people have earned the right to choose, we have choosen Tamil Eelam.
The ethics of international relations concerning the island of Lanka have been constructed on the basis of the need to protect the unitary character of the state against the Tamil national movement and its de facto state. The key players have shown again and again that they are either unwilling or incapable of conceiving an understanding of the conflict. A key point Prabhakaran was insisting repeatedly in his Martyrs speeches.
Years ago a veteran Sinhalese editor voted him ‘The Man of the Decade’ and some military analysts describe him as being in the category of “a military genius” . To the thousands of Tamil youths, men and women, who go smiling to their deaths, he is a demi-god!
Photo Courtesy : wikimedia.com
