Thursday
India, PoliticsMartyr Muthukumar
Written by Meena Kandasamy
Meena Kandasamy (1984) would like to describe herself as a woman writer who is obsessed with revolutionary Dr.Ambedkar’s message of caste annihilation.
I went to Muthukumar’s funeral saturday, and though I paid my homage, I never had the courage to look at his face. It was not because I am against curiousity of any kind, it is just that, I couldn’t get the nerve. Since Thursday, I must have read his last letter at least ten times, until I could no longer bear to reread it. Or perhaps, I knew its contents by heart, by then. And every time I read, I cried. It is sad to think that someone wrote so much, so powerfully and then went on to print it, and then go to Shastri bhavan and set himself on fire.
And he was woefully young and talented. And sharp and critical and brutally frank. There’s no reason why he should have tried to escape from life. I was all the while reminded only of Kasi Anandan ayya’s short poem Poraali (Fighter) You cry/ For the dying. He dies/ For the crying.
That sort of sums up Muthukumar. But I think his mission was successful. He conveyed a message that thousands of public meetings, posters, pamphlets couldn’t convey. I was so disoriented after this letter, I can’t put it down into words. Not here, of all places. It is solely because of Muthukumar that I saw the Tiger flag in Tamil Nadu. It is because of him that I saw placards of the Tamil National Leader Pirapakaran in a massive procession. It is because of him that I witnessed a students’ upsurge on such a scale. It is because of Muthukumar that I heard slogans I would have never had the courage or the context to imagine.
I salute his sacrifice.
Last week alone, hundreds of Tamil civilians, particularly young children have been killed by the genocidal Sinhalese military. And all of us know, and are afraid to say, that this is India’s war. The escapism that I saw around me, the refusal to acknowledge the reality, the ever-ready helpless shrug, everything’s disappeared. The media and the state government are trying hard to cover up, and to curtail, but no one can singe a blinding sun. There’s only one word on the lips of those I know, and those I love: Tamil Eelam.
You can’t hear me talking about anything else too.
Post Tags: Congress, DMK, elections, genocide, History, human chain, indefinite closure of colleges, India, Muthukumar, police power, Politics, Protest, repression, stop genocide, struggle, Student movement, student politics, Students, Tamil Eelam, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu government, Vanni |
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Feb 5, 2009
Reply
Mr Muthukumar’s sacrifice is in a way punishment to the society for the flouting of democracy by the largest democracy of the world. While the developed world is conducting opinion polls and the leaders there keenly taking note of the outcome of those polls, we are unfortunately living in a democracy where the democratic calls of the people has been ignored for more than 4 months. Not one day has passeD in Tamil Nadu, India without a call to stop the war and genocide since October 2008.
I see some people who are finding fault with Muthukumars suicide and the aftermath. I see people who relate this to the general culture of Tamil society. I urge them to realize that there will be several more Muthukumars in a failed democracy such as ours (Read as India).
The only way to stop this is to call for honoring of Democracy. Any other calls can only be seen as a dubious act to protect one’s self interest – be it a political view point or otherwise.
When people DEMAND and the ruler OBEY’s acts such as that of Muthukumar will stop. And in a way Muthukumar is asking only for that : Respect for Democracy and Respect for the aspirations of the people.
Feb 5, 2009
Reply
The episode is being commented in multiple ways by multiple people. Some say he could have lived and fought for the cause. Some say it is cowardice. Some say it is misguided by politicians.
How can he have lived and fought for the cause? He can protest as much as he wants. The state or central government is not going to listen. He cant choose violence as he will be termed a terrorist. He cant negotiate between SL army and tigers as he does not have necessary title. He can vote. But then he will have to wait for it till the elections. He can talk to those he voted in the last next elections. The politicians are busy accusing each other that this is a way to malign their credibility(?!).. What can an helpless young man do? He does not seem motivated by a leader. He only acted on the turmoil most tamils are going through all over the world. The only difference was he cared more and was willing to lose. Why do we care? we can’t help it. Even crows shout louder when one of their own is hurt..
Those who promised to represent him have mortgaged their hearts and are representing their political bosses. Most political leaders are scurrying to cover their jobs and asking us to leave them alone.
It is indeed a wake up call to all of us. This is not the time to study the causes or antecedents. It is time to stop the killings and devise a solution.
The statements from leaders such as MK, JJ, Chidambaram and Vijayakanth have been like the unmasking scene in a badly made horror movie. Have you noticed that the north Indian politicians have acted with much grace than tn politicians..
Feb 6, 2009
Reply
It’s very unfortunate that Muthukumar was martyred. He felt let down by the clowns that we elected as they are only interested in power and nothing else. Shame on them!
India is a democracy only in name. In practice, it’s still an authoritarian pseudo-democracy like it was in the days of the British Raj. The only difference is that the Brits left in 1947.
Feb 12, 2009
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You stupid Madrasis, can you stop being so ridiculous. Its SL, its not our war and not our country. How would you feel if Pakistan tells us not to kill Lashkar-e-taiba militants??
Get a grip on yourself, stop meddling in someone else’s affairs, eat your dosa..watch rajnikanth movies and go to bed.
Good job Sri Lanka, everyone has to clean their house, Kill em all and set your house in order.