by Rajkumar Sivapatham; TamilCanadian, January 30, 2004
Lessons to be learnt from LTTE by Tamils
For years, the Tamils (no matter whether they are from India, Sri Lanka or any other part of the world) have been longing for a leadership that make them proud. There has not been any such organisation which made an impact on Tamils until the LTTE emerged as such an outfit. Everyone is aware that LTTE has a problem in persuading all the Tamils in the world to accept its policies. But that is not the objective of the LTTE. The LTTE is created to win back the rights of oppressed Tamils in Sri Lanka. It has no ambition of providing leadership to the Tamils of the world.
In annoyance to Sinhalese rulers, USA and Indian intelligence experts, the LTTE, by its actions, flatly refuses to get involved in matters that do not affect the people it represents. The appeals it makes to the Tamils of the world are largely related to help for the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Even those appeals are mostly directed to the Sri Lankan Tamils who live outside Sri Lanka. Therefore, it does not have the ambition of “Greater Tamil Eelam” as the USA and Sri Lankans used to claim. So what is there for the Tamils to learn from the LTTE?
Most of the lessons that Tamils can learn are to get them to succeed in their personal life. The LTTE was born in a period when the Sri Lankan Tamil leadership was not strong enough to face the wrath of Sinhalese chauvinism. Their leadership was not be able to focus on the job in their hand, self determination of Tamils. The LTTE (and other organisations at the time, of course) was firm in its commitment. The first lesson is to be firm on your commitment and be focused on your task. Any management guru would give this advice. This is the utmost lesson for anyone. The LTTE has never swayed from its goal. From the days of life in Tamil Nadu in the early ’80s, the LTTE leadership has maintained its simplicity and the inner-strength not to be distracted by the luxuries that were enjoyed by other leaders of Tamil movements. That is one of the major qualities that makes the LTTE different from the others. Its ability to assess the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses and striking while everyone is expecting and not expecting are the other qualities. These are fine.
The very important lessons that have to be learnt are current ones when the LTTE deals with the international community (mainly the west, countries like Mozambique and Somalia are not going to tell Sri Lanka what to do).
The LTTE has shown the world a couple of things recently. One, it has shown that it cannot be bullied by the likes of the USA and India into forgeting its goals. It stands firm with its commitment to the Sri Lankan Tamils. It did it during the IPKF days also and a lot of people could not understand it. Two, it has shown that it cannot by bought by dangling the cheque book in front of it. It has shown the world that it is only answerable to Tamil people it represents, not to the pay-masters. At the end of the day, this has earned the LTTE a greater respect.
The LTTE has announced that it will negotiate with anyone who has the mandate from the people of Sri Lanka (mainly, the Sinhalese people). By doing that it has given due respect to the Sinhalese people which they never get from their own leaders (except during the election time). In the eyes of the world, LTTE has elevated its image. However, the so called “international community” may refuse to understand that.
As far as the development funds are concerned, obviously, the LTTE and GOSL need help from rich countries. The current “crisis” in the south, which is a petty power struggle from the outset but a carefully planned drama, has effectively put a stop to any funds and help. The LTTE is ready to accept the donor countries controlling the funds for the development of the NorthEast. It will certainly be better than the GOSL controlling the funds. Only problem that the LTTE wants to be careful about is some foreign and local cowboy outfits exploiting this. Even without the help from these funds, the LTTE is carrying out a lot of development, mostly with the help of the Tamils from outside Sri Lanka. This has shown the “international community” that it is busy and capable of managing funds and development while the southern politicians are keen on blocking any funds to NorthEast. It also shows that southern politicians are not worried about looking after their own people either. Getting on with the task in hand amid all the setbacks is another lesson that Tamils have to learn from the LTTE.
While this is going on in the NorthEast, the south is in a muddle. The SLFP-JVP marriage has all the hallmarks of a disaster to the Sri Lankan nation as a whole. The UNF and PA will be arguing and debating it for months to come. The Sinhala nationalists and Buddhist extremists (seemingly a contradiction in terms for those who don’t know Sri Lanka) will be jockeying for power. Obviously the peace process will be pushed back, but LTTE is strong and intelligent enough to get on with the development of the NorthEast.
India and the USA may want to dangle the defence agreements and military help to Sri Lanka in front of the LTTE. This is where the LTTE needs the help of the Tamils outside and inside of Sri Lanka. There is no doubt that the LTTE would do the right thing with a firm and resolute mind.
It is our Tamils, inside and outside of Sri Lanka, who have to learn the lessons from the LTTE. Let us be firm in our stand both in our personal and public lives. Let us not to be bullied by stronger people. Let us be focussed in our objectives and carry them out with single minded devotion. Let our minds not to be swayed by monetary and material benefit. This may sound like a religious sermon but it is the best way to success that the LTTE could teach us. Most of the LTTE activists in the Wanni and NorthEast have lost something in the war. Some have lost part of their body and some have lost relatives, home and most of all, the vital chance to learn what we have done in the west. At least we could learn the courage and strength which is vital for the Tamils from the LTTE. The LTTE will not ask for the “Thumb from Right hand”, if we learn from it.
Harrow – United Kingdom