“We are grateful that India has expressed its displeasure regarding the events taking place in Sri Lanka. The brutal killing and torture of Tamils in Sri Lanka have deeply disturbed us. Please take appropriate action to protect the Tamils from these barbaric attacks. If possible, kindly raise this issue at the United Nations General Assembly. We would be extremely grateful…”
This was the cable message sent by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) to then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on July 26, 1983. It was after this message that Indira Gandhi decided to take a direct interest in Sri Lanka’s Tamil issue and extend support to Tamil militant groups in Sri Lanka.
MGR was born in Sri Lanka’s plantation region. Later, he moved to India, grew up there, and became one of Tamil Nadu’s most popular actors. His Sri Lankan roots formed the basis of his strong concern for the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka.
During that period, several militant youth groups from Sri Lanka’s North and East traveled to Tamil Nadu seeking support for the suffering of Tamil civilians. Among them, it was Velupillai Prabhakaran who won MGR’s trust.
Prabhakaran did not gain MGR’s confidence by chance. Mohandas, the Deputy Director of Tamil Nadu Police in charge of intelligence, informed MGR that among the Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups, Prabhakaran’s organization was the strongest and that he himself was the most capable leader among them. Mohandas provided this assessment with the knowledge of India’s central government.
At that time, Indira Gandhi’s Congress government in New Delhi had tense relations with Sri Lanka. The reason was President J.R. Jayewardene’s pro-American foreign policy. Indira Gandhi was aligned with the Soviet bloc, which was powerful at the time. To teach J.R.’s government a lesson, she used Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MGR to provide shelter and support to Tamil militants in the North. It was MGR who nurtured Prabhakaran, the future LTTE leader. Because of this, Indian media often referred to MGR as Prabhakaran’s “godfather.”
J.R. came to power in Sri Lanka in 1977. MGR changed not only J.R.’s political fate and that of the UNP, but also the destiny of Sri Lanka itself.
Now, nearly 40 years later, another hugely popular actor has risen to become Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu — Vijay.
Like MGR, Vijay also has a connection to Sri Lanka. Vijay’s wife was born in northern Sri Lanka, went to school there, and grew up there. She later left Sri Lanka with her parents for London because of the war in the North. Vijay met her in London.
Her Sri Lankan roots became a strong reason for Vijay to pay attention to Sri Lanka’s Tamil issue. Before the final assault at Mullivaikkal, Vijay launched a one-day fast and appealed to the Manmohan Singh government to intervene immediately and secure a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE in order to save civilians.
“May freedom dawn for the Eelam Tamil people. This appeal is not limited only to my fans. It is a sincere appeal to anyone who carries the essence of Tamil identity within them. We are tiger cubs…”
This was his appeal.
Vijay’s political entry was first clearly marked by this fast in support of Sri Lankan Tamils in 2008 and by these statements. His decision to come to Sri Lanka for film shoots was also not accidental. He clearly understood the political influence Sri Lankan Tamils and the global Tamil diaspora could have within Tamil Nadu politics.
Before him, MGR and Karunanidhi — another major political figure and famous Tamil screenwriter — had already understood this. After both of them passed away, Sri Lanka’s Tamil issue was no longer a decisive slogan in Tamil Nadu politics. Prabhakaran’s death and the destruction of the LTTE also contributed to that decline.
When Vijay formally entered politics, he reignited the fading flame of Tamil Eelam politics. At several political meetings he attended, he revived memories associated with Prabhakaran.
“At the same time, the Eelam Tamil people — whom we consider our blood relatives — whether they live in Sri Lanka or anywhere else in the world, are suffering after losing a leader who gave them a mother’s love. Don’t you think it is our duty to raise our voice for them and stand by their side? The lives and dreams of Eelam Tamils are just as important as the lives of our fishermen. Writing a long statement about our fishermen’s suffering and then remaining silent afterward — that is not our way, but the behavior of this fake DMK government…”
This was one of Vijay’s well-known political statements in Tamil Nadu. In it, he compared Prabhakaran to a mother who gave love and care to Sri Lankan Tamils.
After Anura Kumara (AKD) became President, Vijay demanded that India’s Modi government reclaim Katchatheevu Island, creating serious concern within Anura’s government.
Following that statement, Anura personally visited Katchatheevu and publicly declared that it belongs to Sri Lanka. He became the first Sri Lankan head of state to visit the island. Even former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who secured Katchatheevu for Sri Lanka, had never visited it.
The view of India’s central government regarding Anura’s visit was that Sri Lanka’s government should not have reacted so strongly to a statement made by a political newcomer like Vijay.
But today, that “newcomer” is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Although the relationship between Anura and Modi is stronger than that between Vijay and Modi, no one yet knows whether Vijay could become a political force capable of disrupting that powerful relationship.
When Karunanidhi, as Chief Minister, urged India’s central government to intervene and stop the war in Sri Lanka by securing a ceasefire, Mahinda loyalists in Sri Lanka mocked him. Yet he eventually pressured New Delhi enough to make India support the UN Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka, placing Mahinda’s government in a difficult position.
When Vijay demanded Katchatheevu, Anura supporters mocked him as merely an actor and made jokes about his appearance. Now Vijay is the Chief Minister.
“Will Vijay stand up for Sri Lankan Tamils the way MGR once did…?”
It is still too early to say.
