Friday, December 01, 2006

Freedom Movement Vs Terrorism

Freedom Movement Vs Terrorism
How does one define what is freedom movement and what is terrorism..? Where is the line. What is militancy / terrorism for India is freedom movement for Pakistan (Kashmir issue). What Tamils consider as the legitimate freedom movement by LTTE in Jaffna is terrorism in the eyes of Sri Lanka and the world community.

It is interesting to see the entire Tamil press and most of Tamil politicians unanimously support LTTE as an organization that is fighting for the legitimate aspirations of the Tamils in Sri Lanka for an independent state. They seem to easily forget the fact that LTTE brooks no opposition and brutally silences its enemies. LTTE has long history of ruthlessly eliminating its opponents from Mr. Jayawardane to Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. Even today, they tried to assassinate a brother of Sri Lankan Prime Minister. The list can be long and depressing. The bottom line is LTTE as an organization is wedded to violence and that seems to be irrelevant for Tamil press and politicians.

But for the same Tamils and most of India, what is happening in Kashmir is a different story. Its pure terrorism, instigated and orchestrated by Pakistan.

I guess this kind of politicking is part and parcel of International Politics where terrorism for one side is freedom movement for the other side. Regardless of the definition and the spin, I fail to see how and why the entire Tamil Press and majority of the Tamil politicians are bending over backwards to support LTTE.


  1. mmhmm...interesting thoughts. I think that regardless of the cause, if innocent people are killed and/or public property is damaged, those perpetrators are terrorists.

  2. Dude,
    You have plucked out Jayawardene's name out of thin air!!!

    Throwing a bomb is wrong but dropping bombs over innocent civilians nowhere involved in conflict, temples, churches is not wrong??

    The LTTE became a force only after Black July 1983, their numbers multiplied from 250 to 1000 in a month - what about the thousands of democratic tamils killed by government-armed sinhala thugs from 1956 to 1983?

    Peaceful means were tried for 3 decades and it had no impact.

    In short, LTTE is a Frankenstein monster created by the Sinhala-only policies(Disenfranchisement, reservations in jobs and education) which pushed the educated tamils out of the mainstream.

  3. Terrorists or not, the truth is that while the so called peace-loving(!) world community watch, their is an ethnic genocide going on in SL. The LTTE is the only reason Tamils in SL are not wiped out by Sinhalese politicians.


  4. It doesn't matter IMHO.

    For me...They killed my Prime Minister..cold blooded in my soil! That is enough to call them Terrorists.

  5. What is freedom? This seems a simple question, yet there are different political factions espousing different agendas under the noble banner of “Freedom” – factions that don’t like each other very much. Libertarians define freedom primarily as freedom from the might of the State. Socialists often define freedom in terms of freedom from want: freedom from hunger, freedom from sickness, freedom from the elements. Modern day hippies might talk about freedom from big corporations.


    Dalhousie Square in Kolkotta was renamed after Binai, Badal and Dinesh, BBD Bagh some time in the 1960s. These three patriots were arrested by Britishers during independence movement as terrorists and hanged to death. These so called alleged terrorists are now honored as patriots.

    Some times one has to die to get freedom; not necessarily bodily, but emotionally and sentimentally.

  6. LTTE is an organization of scum-bags.
    The one's like Vaiko are to be treated like maggots. They contribute nothing to society or humanity.
    They need to put in a place they ought to be.
    Please don't mention about Freedom movement in the same line. They have no clue about what freedom is. If it is not my way, you don't deserve to live that is what LTTE morons way of defining Freedom is.

    Bunch of low lives need to be fed to the hyenas.

  7. Ram,

    I fully agree with you. LTTE is a terrorist organisation. And the calls by our so called politicians is just a gimmick. how can you beleive the call of someone who will shift politican alliance by his whims every 5 years. It is all politics. And unfortunately the common man suffers. Unfortunate...But that is the truth.

  8. You are absolutely right that branding a group as terrorist or freedom movement is very subjective as to which side of the line you are viewing it.

    Nevertheless i feel there is a subtile difference between the LTTEs and the ones in Kashmir. The Tigers are fighting against the one handedness of the SL govt in imposing Singhala only rule. All the basic freedom which a citizen of a nation is expected from his country is curbed in the case of SL.

    On the other hand back in India, Kashmir enjoys a special treatment from the govt of India including the special case of non-kashmiris from buying property in Kashmir.

    Though i dont sympathise with the Tigers, if we were to apply the concept of "Enemy's enemy is friend" (as in the case of Bangladesh), we should go ahead and support the Tamils as it is quite evident that the SL govt has proved its affiliation with Pak and China in the past. Pak or China or for that matter any other Nuclear state having a military base in SL futile for India's security.

    I may sound a bit selfish but i feel nothing else comes first for me when it's a question of India's security.

    Just my 2 cents...

  9. Thanks for all the input..

    My fundamental question still remains.. Where is the line? Raman drove home the point about how British considered Bhagat Singh and how India celebrates him now..

    The reference to LTTE and Kashmir is simply drive home this point.. Several other examples can be cited like this one..