Topic started by William McGowan (@ qc-mon-pel-ap3-03-41.look.ca) on Tue May 14 00:47:27 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

The Sinhalese were actually Tamils by blood who took on a separate contrived racial identity after getting to Eelam and embracing Buddhism. Both ancient names for the island EELAM in Tamil and LANKA in sinhala usage, had Tamil roots, and a wide range of place names assumed to be sinhalese were infact of Tamil origin, proving that at onc time Tamils held sway over the entire island. And it was the Tamils who introduced the science of irrigation, not the Sinhalese, as most of the related terminology has Tamil roots, too.

- Only Man is Vile.- The Tragedy of Srilanka- page 174 - By
William McGowan, ( Farrar Straus Giroux, 19 Union Square west. New York 1003)

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Nisala (@ acadf5b3.ipt.aol.com) on: Sun Jun 16 16:16:41
  
  Hi Dilan,
  
  "Varadaraja Perumal is not a terrorist, he was a moderate politician"
  
  Varadaraja Perumal was the one Tamil leader who had the ball-s to declare an independent Tamil Eelam, before running away to India. Though his EPRLF was not nearly as depraved or murderous as the LTTE, they were still militants who played a crucial role in destabilizing the north.
  
  "had the Premadasa supported him instead of tigers peace would have arrived in Lanka in 1990"
  
  As I recall, Perumal was very pro-India. That is probably why Premadasa did not support him. In any case, the LTTE would've survived even if Premadasa did not give any support at all (the support he did give was not that much anyway), and they would've destroyed Perumal and the EPRLF in any case.
  
  But otherwise, I entirely agree that trusting the LTTE was Premadasa's one big fatal mistake (it got him killed) compared to his success in dealing with the IPKF and the JVP. I think that deep down, Premadasa sympathized with the LTTE, though not the Eelam cause, and he thought the LTTE was the most straightforward (if ruthless) of the bunch. Being a thug himself, Premadasa probably thought that he understood Prabakharan.
  
  
• From: Raveen (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Mon Jun 17 09:35:45
  
  Varadaraja Pewrumal was a lecturer at Jaffna University before he joined EPRLF. Now this is the fact an Indian Tamil born in Jaffna becomes a middle class person by his efforts and no one prevented him from pursuing his educational or political goals. I am not saying there is no discrimination against Indian Tamils in Jaffna but Jaffna Tamils discriminated agaist themselves more than others.
  
  But Perumals case study flies in the face of the Sinhalese racist asertion that Indian Tamils will only be like Dalits in Jaffna. Infact it is the otherway around, Indians (Tamils, Malaylaees, Telugus...) actually join the elites and become 'born again Vellalas' within a generation, mt family is a good example so is the famous poet jeyapalan who confided in me that his ancestors were Telugus (vadugar) from India. We have contless examples like this a fact not known to those who keep their attention to the pages of Mahavamsa alone.
  
  
• From: dilan (@ garibaldi.ti.telenor.net) on: Mon Jun 17 14:35:27
  
  Mr Nissala, u r mistaken about V Perumal, soon after 83 riots allmost every tamil supported arms struggle that includes me, it was born out of vengenence of 83, so Mr V. Perumal is not an exceptional case, but when in 87 when JR offered a substantial devolution some thought itd time to accept it, so did Mr perumal, he is not an indian supporter he was forced to rely on india because of tiger threat, he came to colombo on several occasion to please Premadasa, but Premadasa was blinded by the anti indian factor,
  Mr premadas was an anti indian but not an anti indian tamil.
  
  With out the suport of lankan govet Perumal was forced rely on india so u cant blame him.
  
  I think anti perumal is may be only thing u and Raveen can agree.
  
  
• From: dilan (@ garibaldi.ti.telenor.net) on: Mon Jun 17 14:37:14
  
  Mr Raveen i am not sure whether Perumal is a indian orgin because there is no any such inforamation available in Up country
  
  
• From: Raveen (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Mon Jun 17 15:26:48
  
  Dilan, if you talk to some EPRLF/EROS members you will know that he is of Indian decent not directly from Upcountry but his parents were from India who went to Jaffna. There is a street in Jaffna where such people settled and sometimes Jaffna people will tease a person that ‘you are from that street’ just to make a point. I don’t remember the name of the street anymore.
  
  Anyway, I don’t dislike Varadaraja Perumal,after 1983 from each family elder brother would join TELO, second LTTE, third EPRLF and the last would …. It was not based on ideology but simply admiration of certain people based on age groups and availability of millitant camps.
  
  But politics took a ugly turn and we cant look back now and say that one did right or wrong but now most Tamil politicians ares trying to unite under one umbrella and that is good. There is still hope for Varadaraja Perumal, he can cooperate to build a better future for our people. He is one guy who can unite both the Eelam Tamils and Malayahathamilar as he straddles both the groups.
  
  Further Sinhalese are not the only ethnic group in the world to assimilate others, most people do especially in South Asia. Many non Tamil groups in Tamil Nadu have become Tamils were a period. Just within the last 500 years Saurashtrians, Telugus and Kanndigas have become bonafide Tamils. Many Tamils groups have migrated to Karnataka such as Sanketi Iyers and Tigala Vanniar and have become Kannadigas.
  
  Even within Sri lanka many non Tamil groups have assumed Tamil identity including Sinhalese, Veddhas and even Javanese.
  
  
• From: Nisala (@ ac86102a.ipt.aol.com) on: Mon Jun 17 23:47:34
  
  "But Perumals case study flies in the face of the Sinhalese racist asertion that Indian Tamils will only be like Dalits in Jaffna."
  
  As much as I appreciate the kind encouraging words from my Uncle Raveen, I must stick to my opinion. Uncle has told us himself that Perumal did not come from UC and therefore is not a bonafide Thottakaran. I am only wondering how the Eelam brothers will treat their UC immigrants when the separate state is established. Whereas Uncle sees a vast multitude of potential University professors in the poor, uneducated souls, I have the vision of a steady pool of cheap and exploitable labor to fuel Eelam economy and ensure that the terrorist generation will not have to substitute suicide-bombs for farm tools.
  
  "But politics took a ugly turn and we cant look back now and say that one did right or wrong but now most Tamil politicians ares trying to unite under one umbrella and that is good."
  
  Politics only took an ugly turn after '83?!?!? My Uncle Raveen surely has a tremendous grasp of history!
  
  I too am glad that all Eelam parties are under one umbrella- the LTTE umbrella. LTTE has demonstrated that the best way to build unity is to murder and silence the leaders of all other groups until 20 years later they suddenly throw their support.
  
  Assassination is great. Who would've imagined that Amirthalingam, the grandfather of Eelam terrorism would've gotten killed himself by an Eelam terrorist? I almost get the feeling that Tamils are trying to beat the Sinhala accomplishment of SWRD Bandaranaike the founder of Sinhala socialism getting murdered by a monk.
  
  "There is still hope for Varadaraja Perumal, he can cooperate to build a better future for our people."
  
  Really? I thought everyone hated him, with the exception of CBK. The only way he can be useful is if he becomes a flunky of LTTE like Uncle Raveen and other TNA leaders. I want to be a flunky too but Uncle says I'm not ready yet- I have to work on my racism.
  
  
• From: Nisala (@ ac86102a.ipt.aol.com) on: Mon Jun 17 23:57:57
  
  Dilan,
  
  "Mr Nissala, u r mistaken about V Perumal, soon after 83 riots allmost every tamil supported arms struggle that includes me, it was born out of vengenence of 83"
  
  I accept and acknowledge what you say. You must understand that what you say is very different from what I have heard from both Sinhalas and Tamils. Both Sinhala nationalists and LTTE-types have described Perumal as a dirty opportunist who would please anyone to get some kind of leadership position. Since that is something both agreed on, I had assumed it was the truth.
  
  If you say that the only reason Perumal turned to India was because Premadasa sidelined him, then I believe you. I would count that as yet another mistake that Premadasa had made.
  
  I still insist that even if Premadasa had supported Perumal and not Prabhakaran, the LTTE would have still destroyed the EPRLF.
  
  
• From: Raveen (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Tue Jun 18 10:51:34
  
  Perumal’s father was in worst situation than any so-called "Thotakaran" (a disparaging term for Indian Tamils used by Sinhalese racists) He started his life cleaning you know what!!!! That shows how one can beat all ods and climb the top even within a castist Jaffna society.
  
  
• From: Thamilan (@ ppp-0-55.manc-a-2.access.uk.tiscali.com) on: Wed Jan 28 09:47:00
  
  you all north indians are biggest terrorist in the world. You have killed more tamils than others.
  
  
• From: Paul (@ 01-122.148.popsite.net) on: Sun Feb 1 19:21:48 EST 2004
  
  My true feeling about what all the so-called Tamil leaders(Freedom fighters or non-freedom fighters,all inclusive) have done to the common Tamil people is making their life more miserable.The leaders must have glorified their personality,made their life more comfortable and safe.But,TELL ME,TELL ME PLEASE,what they have done to better the lives of the ordinary Tamil.Are we to go behind them for ever blindly?I wish to hear what my brothers say.Paul.USA.
  
  

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