Vanni Arasu, the Deputy General Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) , has stirred controversy by expressing unwavering support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), promoting separatist sentiments, advocating for Tamil territorial autonomy, and adopting an anti-India stance during a recent assembly convened by the VCK on 18 May 2024 to commemorate Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.
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எமது தலைவர் எழுச்சித்தமிழர் @thirumaofficial தலைமையில்
சமரசமின்றி களமாடுவோம்!#வன்னி #விடுதலைச்சிறுத்தைகள் #தமிழ்நாடு https://t.co/lnOTJ1Ju8I— வன்னி அரசு (@VanniKural) May 19, 2024
Speaking at the event, Vanni Arasu commenced by paying homage to the Sri Lankan Tamils who lost their lives in Mullivaikkal, a village situated on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Mullivaikkal was not only the backdrop for the concluding phase of the civil war but also witnessed the tragic Mullivaikkal massacre.
Vanni Arasu recently voiced criticism against the BJP for extending the ban for another 5 years through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). He argued that the extension was based on the assertion of a growing inclination towards instigating conflict by Tamil groups in Tamil Nadu. Arasu concluded that both the Congress and the BJP stand in opposition to the Tamil Eelam cause and its associated movement.
Vanni Arasu pledged unwavering backing from the VCK (part of I.N.D.I. Alliance) for Tamil Eelam and stated, “After the Mullivaikal Genocide, in the heroic speech, our leader (Thirumavalavan) gave a message while addressing the hero salutation public meeting held at Mangollai in Mylapore. Our leader declared, ‘We will continue and advance the liberation war of Tamil Eelam until the last liberation tigers remain’.
He immediately suggested that there is a conspiracy involving deliberate migration from North India to Tamil Nadu, similar to the situation in Sri Lanka, where Sri Lankans migrate to Tamil areas and the Tamils are monitored by the state. Further Vanni Arasu stated, “Even after the armed struggle has been suppressed, today the feeling of Eelam liberation remains the same, the feeling of every Eelam Tamil is the demand for a separate Tamil Nadu for us, and that is also the demand of the Liberation Tigers”.
The speech took an seditious turn as he launched a direct attack on the concept of India, declaring that the primary enemy of Tamil nationalism is Indian nationalism.
Vanni Arasu stated that, “The important point emphasized by our leader (Thirumavalavan) at the Mullivaikal public meeting held in Chidambaram last year was, ‘Unity should be created among nationalities. The enemy of Tamil nationalism is not Telugu nationalism, the enemy of Tamil nationalism, is not Kannada nationalism, the enemy of Tamil nationalism is not Malayalam nationalism, the enemy of Tamil nationalism is Indian nationalism. Anyone who opposes and hates Indian nationalism is a Tamil nationalist, so if there is a movement that works against Indian nationalism and boldly present the idea that Indian nationalism is against Tamil nationalism, it is the Liberation Tigers.”
Finally, he concluded his speech by drawing a parallel between the Rajapaksa government in Sri Lanka and the BJP in India, asserting that they are fundamentally the same. He argued that opposition to both is necessary because they share similar goals: in India, the BJP aims for “one nation, one religion” with Hinduism, while in Sri Lanka, the Rajapaksa government promotes Buddhism. He went on to claim that both governments push for linguistic uniformity, with the BJP advocating for Hindi and the Rajapaksa administration for Sinhala. Consequently, he contended, both governments are working to undermine Tamil nationalism.
Strategically throughout the entire speech, Vanni Arasu, the Deputy General Secretary of the VCK, emphasized statements that supported separatism and the LTTE, a group banned as a terrorist organization by India, and statements challenged the unity and integrity of the nation. However, he meticulously attributed all these statements to his leader, Thirumavalavan.
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