India & Tamil Nadu’s reaction to an article speaks volumes
Cartoons about world leaders and politicians are many. Articles against world leaders and politicians are many. Have world leaders and politicians ever reacted like India and Tamil Nadu politicians are currently doing? Most certainly not. It should be an embarrassment to the entirety of India to have behaved in such a manner and it is not the Sri Lankan Government that should be apologizing it is India.
Firstly, how many of those blowing hot and cold have actually read the article?
Having read the article, all that can be left to say is that it is a damn good article.
It is raising questions and demanding answers and giving information that has thus far been kept from public domain.
It is possibly because the article gives the slant towards showing that Tamil Nadu is denting the image of the Indian Prime Minister and his popularity that Tamil Nadu’s immediate response was to hide this truth in the usual manner it handles situations when cornered. Take to the streets and behave in an unruly manner. Can India or Indians deny that the Tamil Nadu state has embarrassed India by its behavior?
It does not take Einstein to realize that Tamil Nadu without the graphic would have been cornered by the article.
The Indian Prime Ministers attention would have been diverted to the environmental aspect that the author had highlighted given that Mr. Modi is very concerned about the environment.
I am not going to waste anyone’s time by evaluating the graphic or the article but it is an article worth reading by everyone who is denigrating the author without reason. She has been unnecessarily targeted for no reason for writing an excellent account of the fishermen and Katchchetivu debate. People should acknowledge her and appreciate her. She does not deserve the type of treatment she is getting given that she is not only an independent writer but she is a writer that does not take money for what she writes. Do we have such people today?
As for India, for allowing a State to keep an entire county at ransom what is the image India is projecting? Does India want to show the world that anyone writing a line against India will receive the type of reaction Tamil Nadu is showing? Would this encourage good relations with India’s neighbors especially given India’s new policy trend?
If India is going to use the Tamil Nadu state to show the wrong message that Sri Lanka cannot afford to use freedom of expression then India is not showing any signs of maturity. Just imagine what Tamil Nadu would do if an American, Israeli or British writer were to write something against the Chief Minister…. will India allow its citizens to react as they have and stone offices, burn effigies, the national flag and disturb everyone’s lives?
India should really think about its behavior. Sri Lanka was gracious enough to apologize. What more does India want. What more can Sri Lanka give? It is not that Indians have not been writing ugly pieces against Sri Lanka or its leaders. Tamil Nadu complaining about decorum and diplomatic niceties are placing massive hoardings with President Rajapakse kneeling and begging forgiveness from “AMMA” Jayalalitha… are we to presume these tactics are well received by the Indian Government because nothing has been done to bring these hoardings down?
Everyone has a right to express their opinion. If people do not like it or what was said is wrong they have the freedom to write and respond placing their views. People will judge for themselves.
It is time that India stops future Tamil Nadu theatrics. It is time for India to now apologize to Sri Lanka and the author in question.
THUSHARA AMARAWEERA
SRI LANKA
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