by a variety of political parties from Tamil Nadu, February 3, 2024
TN_Joint_Declaration_2024-Tamil
TN_Joint_Declaration_2024-English
Eelam Tamils Independence Referendum Conference – 2024
Joint Declaration by the People of Tamil Nadu
Chennai, Tamil Nadu – February 03, 2024
Whereas from time immemorial, the people of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people of Eelam on the island
presently known as Sri Lanka have been linked together by common origin of ethnic, linguistic, cultural
and religious heritage, and the people of Tamil Nadu have historically provided assistance and protection
to the Eelam Tamils;
Whereas the Eelam Tamils were the original inhabitants of the island, there were separate sovereign
Tamil and Sinhalese kingdoms in their respective homelands on the island until the invasion by
Portuguese, Dutch and the British starting from the 16th century, and only in 1833, the whole island was
united by the British, thereafter, when the British left the island in 1948, the power was unilaterally
transferred to the Sinhalese without the consent of the Tamils, and the Tamils were not given any
opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination; and
Whereas the Sinhalese dominated Sri Lankan governments since 1948, oppressed and ruled the Eelam
Tamils, killed thousands of Tamil people, committed Tamil Genocide, and presently engaged in
aggressive and rapid destruction of Tamils’ homeland with the goal of transforming the island into a
mono-Sinhalese Buddhist country;
Now, therefore, on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, be it declared that:
1. The Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987, which recognizes the Northern and Eastern provinces as Tamils’
areas of historical habitation, grants international recognition to the Eelam Tamils’ homeland, and
the Prime Minister of India gave assurance to the six Eelam Tamils’ armed independence
organizations and to their major political party Tamils United Liberation Front that India will ensure
the permanent merger of North-East provinces, which it ensured for 19 years, until Sri Lanka
unilaterally demerged the North-East province in 2007, hence India must take steps to permanently
merge the contiguous North-East provinces and safeguard the homeland of Eelam Tamils, and
uphold its commitment;
2. Since Sri Lanka is aggressively engaged in the activities of appropriations of Tamil lands, destruction
of Tamil-historical sites and construction of Sinhalese settlements and Buddhist temples, with the
Eelam Tamils Independence Referendum Conference 2024 – Joint Declaration by the People of Tamil Nadu Page 2 of 5
goal of destroying the Eelam Tamils’ homeland, India must urgently take steps to halt these anti-
Tamil activities and protect the homeland of Eelam Tamils;
3. India must not compel or impose the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution, as a political
solution to the Eelam Tamils’ political issue, as it has already been rejected by the Eelam Tamil
people;
4. India must formally recognize the Eelam Tamils’ inalienable right to self-determination and assist
them to freely determine their political status in their traditional homeland in the North-East region
of the island, in accordance with international laws;
5. India must work with international allies and the United Nations to urgently setup a UN Transitional
Administration in the North-East region of the island to safeguard the Tamils and to ensure non-
recurrence of Genocide and other past violations by Sri Lanka against the Tamils, and, in order to
implement the self-determination of the Eelam Tamils and Diaspora, take steps to conduct an
Independence Referendum to freely, legally and peacefully determine the political status of the
independent sovereign state of Tamil Eelam; and
6. India must support and lead activities by the United Nation Human Right Council to serve justice to
the Tamils for the crime of Genocide and other international crimes committed by Sri Lanka, and
take urgent initiatives to move the case to the International Criminal Court and to the International
Court of Justice.
Vaiko
Member of Parliament, Upper House
General Secretary, Marumalarchi Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam
Dr. Thol Thirumaavalavan
Member of Parliament
President, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
Gingee N. Ramachandran
Administrative Secretary – AIADMK – All India
Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Former Union Minister of State for Finance
T. Velmurugan
Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
President, Tamizhaga Vazhurimai Katchi
Sinthannai Selvan
Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
General Secretary
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
Prof. M.H. Jawahirullah
Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
President
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi
Pazha Nedumaran
Founder, World Tamil Confederation
President, Tamils National Movement & Tamil
Eelam Liberation Supporters Coordination
Committee
Senthamilan Seeman
Chief Coordinator, Naam Tamilar Katchi
Premalatha Vijayakanth
General Secretary,
Desiya Mutpokku Dravida Kazhagam
Pudumadam Haleem
State Secretary, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi
Pavalar Mu. Ramachandran
President, Thamilar Thannurumai Iyakkam
Thirumurugan Gandhi
State Coordinator, May 17 Movement
Tha. Vallaiyan
President
Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sanganglin Peravai
A.K. Kareem
State Secretary Tamil Nadu
Social Democratic Party of India
Mu. Kalanchiyam
President, Thamilar Nalam Periyakkam
C. Mahendran
Communist Leader, Tamil Nadu
Ramu Manivannan
Professor, University of Madras
Justice D. Hariparanthaman
RETD High Court Judge, Madras High Court
Kudanthai Arasan
President, Viduthalai Tamil Puligal Katchi
Pala Karuppiah
President
Tamil Nadu Thannurimai Kazhaham
M. Jaganmoorthy
President, Puratchi Barathem Katchi
B. John Pandian
President, Tamilaga Makkal Munetra Kalakam
A.Viyanarasu
President
Thamizth Thesa Thanurimaik Katchi
S. Rajasekaran
Editor, Nam Vazhvu Weekly
Abu Faisal
State Secretary
India Thowheed Jamath
E. Angayarkanni
General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Progressive
Women Lawyers Association
Vetrichelvan
Polur Town Secretary
Puratchigara Ilaignar Munnani
S. Raja
State Organiser
Tamil Nadu Merchant Association
S.M. Samsudeen
President
Islamic Federation of Tamil Nadu
Fatima Babu
Co-ordinator
Anti Sterlite People’s Movement
Bagrudeen.M
President, Helping Hands
N.A.Khoan
All India Secretary General
Samata Party
Henri Tiphagne
National Working Secretary
Human Rights Defenders’ Alert – India
G. Sundarrajan
Poovulagin Nanbargal
PA Eagalaivan
Journalist, Raavanna Youtube Channel
— ### —