Dr. Raju Selva

I was a very disappointed Tamil moderate who have been voicing my opinion against LTTE Diaspora who were actively supporting LTTE . In a similar manner I raised my voice against Tamil Diaspora asking them not to mislead the ordinary Tamils mainly in the North and East at the Presidential election. I was flabbergasted to observe that LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Eelam is still alive when one analyses the voting pattern in the North & East. Sarath Fonseka , who claimed that he alone crushed LTTE got majority Tamil votes in the North & East and in Nuwera-Eliya. Not before long, my Tamil brethrens have forgotten under what circumstances they were living under the LTTE control. The parents lived in fear of their young children being abducted and conscripted to LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s child brigade. Many Tamil adults irrespective of their age had to unwillingly joined LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s fighting cadre making them cannon fodder for the SL Army. People under LTTE control were not living even hand to mouth existence.. The Tamils fleeing from LTTE tyranny looked walking skeletons and this was how they were suffering under LTTE control. Even in the IDP camps they had at least three meals a day may be limited to few items but they never had a square meal under LTTE..ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Parents did not send their children to school for the fear of being abducted.

But with defeat of LTTE under the leadership of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President Rajapaksa brought freedom to the Tamils in the East first and then in the North. Now the parents need not worry of sending their children to school. Two third of the IDPs have been resettled in their own villages. Tremendous improvement in infra structure, road developments, electricity are seen in the North and the East. Many development projects are in the process and some are in the pipeline to be implemented. Basic needs of shelter, clothing, water, electricity, health facilities have been provided and the Tamils in the North & East are enjoying these facilities which they did not have for 30 years. Avenues have been created to improve their main livelihood like farming, agriculture and fisheries. With the development projects, there is employment for the youth who has never done a job for 30 years other than handling AK 47 by force very often unwillingly. Well, after doing all these to uplift the standard of living of the poor Tamils in the North & East, it is more than sad and incomprehensible to see that majority Tamils have voted against ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President Rajapaksa. This I would believe at the instigation of the LTTE proxy TNA who still carries the Eelam baggage and the Tamil Diaspora who still believes that LTTE Eelam can be resurrected. But whatever the reason is, I am ashamed to admit that we Tamils are an ungrateful lot for not being grateful to President Rajapaksa for the good he has done to the Tamil community at large.

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Well, the Presidential election is over and President Rajapaksa had won a resounding victory with majority of 1.8 million against his opponent. Now comes the General election and Tamils have the last chance to show their gratitude to President Rajapaksa and his alliance. If the Tamils keep on listening to LTTE proxy TNA and the Tamil Diaspora,. the future of the ordinary Tamils is very bleak. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I therefore earnestly request the Tamils in the North and East to show their goodwill and gratitude to President for what he has done and his future plans to uplift the people in the North & East at least at the General Election without falling prey to TNA & Tamil Diaspora trap.

Future of the Tamils in the North and East lies withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  cordially working withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  any government that will be in power. Currently itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s with President Rajapaksa government. I would like to conclude my appeal with a wise advice given to the Tamil community by Anandasangaree recently. He said Quote”There is an urgent need for minorities to get unified under one banner, not to confront the Government but to elect some honest and devoted people who have the capacity to convince the Sinhalese masses and to negotiate a settlement with the Government to win all the reasonable demands by adopting a give and take policy.

“Those who had been surviving up-to-date as Members of Parliament, which offices they won by false promises, should honorably quit politics and give way for a team that will work for a solution with devotion and care for all communities to live as equals, enjoying all rights and privileges,” he said.Unquote

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr. Raju Selva