Nedumaran phobia?

“I have been looking through binoculars but I cannot see any boats”. It was the latter part of 1983 after the notorious July riots that killed many Tamils. An executive, with at least half a dozen degrees to adorn his name in his business card, called me from his 6th floor office of a century old colonial company, bearing an English name, and opposite to the Central Bank of Ceylon. As I did not know how to answer, I controlled my laughter and wondered to myself how such a frog in the well could obtain so much excellence in his educational career. “He came to Dhanuskodi coast with his followers but he was arrested by the Tamilnadu police and the game is over” was my reply.

Seeing the hype created presently by the Sri Lankan politicians, government and the media, I may say Nedumaran has, after 24 years once again emerged as a ‘hero’ in Sri Lanka. Comments made by many alarmists about his venture, clearly exposed their ignorance of Indian politics – particularly Tamilnadu politics. One carried an opposition parliamentarian’s comments as; He also said that Nedumaran had the backing of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi. “The Central Government of India backs Nedumaran as the support of his party is needed for it to survive. Therefore the Sri Lankan government should act with circumspection.”

I did not know what to say except controlling my laughter and wondering to myself about their lack of knowledge of the immediate neighbourhood. To me this parliamentarian does not seem to be anything better than the binocular man of 1983. Karunanithi and Jayalalitha are at logger heads with Nedumaran and imprisoned him a few times during their tenure. I wish to ask the member in what way Central Government of India backs Nedumaran whose face the cabinet [except Tamils] might have not seen at all even in news papers?

In every political party there would be one or two dedicated to follow events of a particular country, and only that particular person would comment on the happenings there. In Lanka it looks such things don’t exist. Don’t worry even the present President of the most powerful country, six months prior to his election did not know where India was, what the Prime Minister’s name was. If you are a regular TV news viewer you would agree that nowadays, it is proved politics does not need intelligence only guns, sorry guts – to do any thing. Nedumaran started his political career with the DMK and later moved over to Congress with a group that collided with Karunanithi. In 1978 when Mrs.Indira Gandhi visited Madurai he was her escort. At one point when a DMK man threw a deadly weapon at Mrs.Gandhi, Nedumaran saved her. This incident gave him prominence in all India political circles, but strengthened the enmity with Karunanithi and the DMK. Even now on the 12th and before, he shouted anti Karunanithi slogans and accused him as, just because of his lack of concern for the Tamils of Eelam only, the people in Eelam suffer - starve to this extent.

Surprisingly Congress and the DMK formed an alliance for the 1980 state legislature election to fight MGR. Nedumaran who was against DMK left the party to form his own as Tamilnadu Kamaraj Congress Party and went along with MGR, winning three seats. In the meantime his friendship with Tamil militants especially the LTTE grew and his legislature hostel room in Madras [like Sirawasthi] became a safe house to LTTErs like Baby, Kittu and another one person who wanted to keep his presence secret. The Pondy Bazaar shooting incident made police arrest Uma Magheswaran who was injured and also the one who injured him, whose head carried Rs.300,000 rewards for killing Jaffna’s Mayor Alfred Duraiappa. As Baby sought help, Nedumaran visited the prison and was shocked to be introduced to a person hitherto was said to be in Jaffna. “Sorry” was the first word Pirabhakaran uttered to Nedumaran who took it easy with a smile. The court ordered Pirabhakaran to be in Madurai and this cemented the relationship between the two. The fugitive finally wanted to leave India on January 4, 1987. “Have you made all arrangements?” “Yes I am informing you only. Nobody else knows about my plans. If we remain here we will not be able to take independent decisions for our people’s welfare” he added. “There is a plan to have me killed in Madras or New Delhi. The danger will remain as long as I remain here. Our struggle will intensify if I return to Eelam”. Pirabhakaran left for Jaffna. As said Nedumaran was the one only Indian who knew about his exit.

Who is Nedumaran? He is a good orator, a lover of Tamil language and its culture, a simple living man who does not yearn for a Mercedes Benz, but a public commuter. Above all, he is a sympathizer of the LTTE leader and his struggle. That made him to give up national politics and become an admirer cum advisor to the Tigers. He helped the movement a lot at crucial times and took care of the Tiger boss too when he stayed in Madurai under court order. Well, no doubt Nedumaran commands the respect as the most trusted person of the LTTE boss. But what is his position today? Is he politically a mass leader or a spent force? Is he in a position to collect 50,000 people on a Monday morning to march towards the SL Deputy High Commissioner’s office in Chennai like the DMK did in March against the alleged shooting of TN fishermen by SL Navy? No he is not. Even last week only 300 volunteers gathered with him at Nagapattinan jetty even though over half a dozen least known associations expressed participation.

What prompted him to go on fast to death? September 27th is the 20th death anniversary of Dhileepan, 25, who went on fast to death. Younger readers may not know about Dhileepan who was the head of political wing of the LTTE in Jaffna. LTTE blamed India that many things that were promised in the Indo – Lanka Pact were not given to them. Talks in this regard with Indian High Commissioner J.N. Dixit were quite turbulent. Therefore to confront India in Gandhian way Dhileepan went on a hunger strike near a Hindu temple in Jaffna and died after few days. Actually Nedumaran was secretly in Jaffna with Pirabhakaran when Dhileepan died.

Now who blocked the food and medicine consignment? Whether it was Tamilnadu government, Delhi, Colombo or all three together I may consider it politically unwise. Delhi would just parrot what TN says. I wonder what instigated M.K. to go against it, may be not to give prominence to Nedumaran and his efforts? “We wanted to send them through Red Cross, which agreed to it. But the world organisation wrote to the Centre seeking permission. It was not given. Only then, we decided to take medicine and food directly to Sri Lanka through boats from Nagapattinam,” was his argument. Now Nedumaran broke his fast on Saturday with an assurance from the Chief Minister that he would take meaningful steps to fulfill his demand.

Lanka need not have any reservation to receive it through any official channel. We accepted Tsunami fund and goods from school children too while India and Thailand said no to foreign aid. Mind you if we are still shy, to save our face and honour, we should pay back to TN government what they spend on the Sri Lankan boat refugees. Minister Douglas Devananda who expressed his willingness to accept it through ICRC on BBC’s Tamil service, should inform Chennai and Delhi his readiness and save Tamilnadu CM’s embarrassment of approaching Delhi. Acceptance of this consignment will create some good will in both sides of the Palk-Strait. At times one will have to give in, to win.

An Indian senior journalist said last week in Colombo that, support to the LTTE in TN is zero. No it is not. That is the wish of his establishment. Brahmins do not like the prominence of low castes. When politicians like Vaiko, Thirumavalavan, and Dr.Ramdoss are openly supporting the Tigers, one can not opine against the reality. But it can be defined to a single digit. On the contrary people of TN are fully sympathetic to the plight of Northeast civilians.

Nedumaran is a politician of yesteryear, not a piper to arouse people to walk over water with him to Lanka or bring an Armada. Any such move will be stopped by law enforcing authorities immediately. Therefore here no one needs to use binoculars. The Opposition member now will understand neither Karunanithi nor Central government backs Nedumaran. Such acts of him will take place in future too, but don’t raise Tsunami signals. On the whole it looks Lanka or Tamilnadu, or both together made a mountain out of a molehill making him a hero.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/09/22/opinion/1.asp)