Vijay, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, has recently paid tribute to Velupillai Prabhakaran
through his social media account on May 18. This event has caused an uproar in India.
An Unpleasant Past
In order to understand why this topic is so sensitive, it is necessary to recall the last stages of the
Sri Lankan Civil War. After almost 26 years of fighting, the civil war ended in May 2009. On
May 18, the Sri Lankan Army killed Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE, in the
coastal town of Mullivaikkal, located in the Sri Lankan district of Mullaitivu.
May 18 is commemorated every year as Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day or Tamil Genocide
Remembrance Day. It is dedicated to thousands of innocent Tamil civilians who lost their lives
during the final stages of the war. There are several reports that indicate that during the final
weeks of the civil war, tens of thousands of civilians died.
While the remembrance is emotionally and humanistically important for the Tamils, it is
politically sensitive in India because Prabhakaran and the LTTE are considered terrorists in the
country.
Reasons for the Controversy Associated with Vijay’s Tribute
The LTTE was outlawed by India after the 1991 assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi, who had been killed by an LTTE terrorist.
This explains why any tribute associated with Prabhakaran usually results in controversy. While
some people say that commemorating Mullivaikkal is about recognizing the plight of the Tamils,
others feel that remembering Prabhakaran amounts to praising a proscribed militant group in 1991. This remains an open wound for the country.
On X, Vijay tweeted: “We will carry the memories of Mullivaikkal in our hearts! We will always
stand in solidarity for the rights of our Tamil kin living across the sea.”
The retaliation came swiftly, with BJP responding strongly. In response to Vijay’s statement,
Amit Malviya, who leads the IT Cell of the party, launched a scathing attack on Congress,
reminding Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi of his father’s murder. Amit tweeted: “Tamil
Nadu’s new Chief Minister has paid homage to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, whose
outfit assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi”
Why His Followers Support Him
Vijay stands on his ground. The TVK has made it clear that his statement pertained to the
massacre of the innocent Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, apart from the death of Prabhakaran.
The magnitude of the civilian carnage is stressed by the followers of Vijay. He is seen as
stressing on the plight of the ethnic Tamils of Sri Lanka who remain second-rate citizens in their
own country. For his followers, Mullivaikkal Day commemorates the thousands of mothers and
children who were massacred in the “No Fire Zones” in Sri Lanka and not the death of a guerrilla
fighter. Vijay had made similar statements before where he referred to them as “Our umbilicalcord kin, the Eelam Tamils…”
By putting faith in the emotional bond between the Tamils and Tamil diaspora, Vijay believes
that the law and the politics will take a back seat. The current minority government, in particular,
has been forced to toe the ideological line of the VCK, known for its LTTE sympathies.
odishabhaskar.in
A Political Tug-of-War
The controversy throws light on an interesting dichotomy prevailing in the political circles of
India. One camp stands for the nationalistic perspective, as represented by the BJP party, which
favors good ties with Sri Lanka and backs the LTTE ban. On the other hand, the other camp is
for the regional and ethnic solidarity perspective.
Congress finds itself in a difficult situation. On the one hand, it is against LTTE. On the other
hand, it needs the support of DMK and TVK in order to stay in power in Tamil Nadu. ZEE News
At present, no Congress leaders have dared to comment on Vijay’s appointment, preferring not to
upset their allies. With prominent personalities such as former CM MK Stalin speaking about
caution, the controversy is far from being settled. Whether Vijay’s appointment was motivated by
compassion for Tamils or glorification of terrorists is a matter of personal interpretation.
