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Weltanschauung
- My World View
- Nature is my friend. Life is my teacher of philosophy.
History
is my guide.
- Not the existence of man, but the action of man sets the wheel
of history of the struggle in motion.
- History is not a divine force outside man. It is not the
meaning of an aphorism that determines the fate of man. History is
an expression of the dynamism of man. Man creates history. Man also
determines his own fate.
- Simplicity is born as the highest fruit of wisdom; simplicity
appears devoid of selfishness and pride. This simplicity makes one a
handsome man; a cultured man.
- Fear is the image of weakness, the comrade of timidity,
the enemy of steadfastness/determination. Fear of death is the cause
of every human fear. Who conquers this fear of death, conquers over
himself. This person also reaches liberation from the prison of his
mind.
- Even an ordinary human being can create history if he is
determined to die for truth.
- I always give low value to talk; only after growing through
action we should start talking.
- Before words must always be deeds. By deeds alone we have got
our influence. Deeds alone give a political form to our activities.
- Complete political clarity and awakened feeling are necessary
for a warrior.
- There cannot be a time limit or pre-plan for a liberation
struggle.
- Alertness (vigilance) is the first step to liberation.
- I cannot pinpoint anything at any moment as having caused
frustration in my life. I became very sad when some friends whom I
believed and trusted as idealists became selfish opportunists.
- A singular maturity of mind is necessary to study a problem and
to give a judgement. An honest outlook transcending selfishness,
likes and dislikes of the one and feelings, bonds and passions is
necessary.
- Simplicity comes into being as the topmost quality of wisdom.
Simplicity emerges as good quality, devoid of selfishness and pride.
This simplicity makes one a handsome man.
- Whether we like it or not, (our) struggle indeed has become our
life and (our) life indeed has become our struggle.
- We have not cheated or betrayed anybody. But if anybody cheats
or betrays us we do not hesitate in hitting back.
- Peace I wish from the depths of my soul. My spiritual aim is
that my people should have calmness, peace and honour in their
lives.
On Independence & Self
Determination
- I know that a life has high value, but our rights, our
independence, our honour have a higher value than life.
- Independence gives meaning to human life; gives fullness.
- Without independence, human life is meaningless.
- As long as injustice and slavery prevails in this world and as
long as there are humans who live with the loss of independence
there will be struggles of liberation. This is an unavoidable historical law.
- Independence is not a trading of goods through bargain; it is a
holy right that is won through the spill of blood.
- Through the intensive aspiration of the human soul arises in man
the desire for independence.
- Through the push of the rising for independence the wheel
of human history rolls.
- Independence struggles alone are dynamism for the history of
humanity.
- The sentiment for liberation functions as substance and life
breath of the spirit of humanity. It is also the great force that
moves the history of humanity.
- We the Tamil people have a national formation. Historically we
have lived as a nation. We live as a nation and shall live as a
nation.
- Tamils will never have security till the establishment of an
independent country of TamilIlam, with the help of a strong
national army that can protect their lives and property.
- ‘Separatism’ is a wrong concept. This cannot be applied to our
struggle. We are fighting for national liberation on the basis of
the
right of self-determination of our ethnic community.
- We have unassailable trust and clarity that an independent state
of TamilIlam is the ultimate and firm solution for the national
ethnic problem of the Tamil people. Not only our enemy but the
entire world knows our stand.
Our Aim
- What do we demand? Why are we fighting? We want to live with
peace and honour and independence from others
in our land,
historically our habitat, and our homeland where we were born and
where we grew up. We are also humans; a human society with
fundamental human rights. We are a
separate ethnic community with a
separate cultural life and history. We demand that we should be
accepted as a human society with distinctive characteristics. We
have the right to decide our political life by ourselves. On the
basis of this right, we like to establish a system of government
where we rule ourselves.
- The struggle of the Tamil people is a struggle for winning the
right to self rule, it is a struggle to decide their own political
destiny and for attaining their
political independence.
- On the moral level we stand on a decisive fundament. Our aim of the struggle
is just. It is in accordance with international ethics of humanity. Our people
have the right of self determination. They are eligible to found a state of
their own. According to international law this right cannot be rejected by
anybody.
- Morally, we are on a firm foundation. The aim of our struggle is just.
It fits in the international human dharma. Our people have a right to
self-determination. They have a right to establish an independent Government.
Nobody can reject this right on the basis of international law.
- We are no racists and no violent war-mongers; we do not regard
the Sinhala people as our enemy or as our opponents. We are no enemies of
democratic principles. We fight only for the fundamental democratic
political rights of our people.
- National liberation is a general aim – a national aim –
indicating the liberation and awakening of all. Only when all
participate in this aim, the independence movement of the Tamils
will emerge as a strong movement.
- Our aim is to develop a new society in TamilIlam where
flourishes equality, justice and humanity. We cannot allow
dishonest and undisciplined persons enter the administrative sphere
in a social set up organized with the new aim and destroy the
society.
- The aim of our struggle is to build an egalitarian society,
based on equality.
- A new young generation should form itself into future sculptors
of our nation. A new revolutionary generation should arise as the
gifted ones, intellectuals, patriots, experts in warfare, and those
who excel in honesty and dignity. This generation should emerge as
constructors, administrators and rulers of our country.
- We should create our nation as a militarily strong
revolutionary society.
Our Homeland
- It is our aim to live with peace, with independence, with honour
and with security in our mother land, our own land which has become
ours historically. This is our national aspiration.
- We designate as motherland of the Tamils, the region encompassing
the Northern and Eastern Provinces which have geographical
contiguity and demarcated boundaries. This region is the historical
habitat of the Tamil-speaking people. This cannot be divided and
made into pieces.
- Today’s historical need is recovering our land from enemy
aggression. We cannot ignore this historical necessity.
On Sinhala Racist Mythology
- Sinhala people will understand the revolutionary nature of the
independence struggle of the Tamils, only after getting the sense of
awakening freed from
majority racist ideology.
- Sinhala majority racist ideology has been trying for a long time
to take away the fundamental right to education and destroy the
field of education of TamilIlam.
- We don’t believe that the
Sinhala Buddhist majority racist
ideology that has been growing monstrously in all levels of social
structure of south Ilankai will embrace Tamil people with
compassion. If the Sinhalese country do not come out of racist
ideology and continue oppression of the Tamils, we have no
alternative but to separate and establish a separate TamilIlam.
- The tragedies endured by our people age after age, the sufferings they
encountered as death and destruction, the tears of blood they have shed due to
the heavy burden of sorrow - these don’t seem to have touched the
compassion of
a Buddhist country.
- I have never believed that there will be a change in the
Sinhala
majority racist ideology; until that change occurs, Tamils will have no justice.
- I never believed that there will be a change of
Sinhala
majority racist ideology. The
hardliner stance of Sinhala majority
racist ideology has opened only one path of an independent country
for TamilIlam people. We have no other way except to go along that
path.
- In truth, racist, fanatic leaders of the Sinhalese ruling class
should take responsibility for enormous loss of life among our
people and their loss of property.
- It is not possible to find a solution to the problems of the
Tamil speaking people by oppression of the ethnic community and
military suppression.
- As long as Sinhala nation is immersed in the
political mud of racial
hatred, we cannot expect from Sinhalese ruling class any just and
reasonable solution, which can satisfy the national aspirations of
the Tamils.
- The enemy is without grace, bent on war, his aim is the
destruction of our motherland and the elimination of our ethnic
community. We cannot expect that the doors of his heart shall open
and we shall get our justice.
Why do we struggle?
- We took up arms to establish the independence and honour of our
people. I want to state very clearly that that struggle will
continue until that independence and honour are established.
- We carry arms for the sake of dharma, for self-respect and for
independence. People understand our journey for aim and our lofty abandonment (from life) for that aim. That is why they embrace us.
- From the very beginning till today, the Tamil struggle follows the
path of dharma. The struggle initiated by the Tamils – whether in
the form of
non-violent struggle or as
an armed struggle – has been
directed according to the tenets of dharma. This
moral foundation
serves as the spiritual strength of our struggle.
- If our people can obtain justice through peaceful methods, we
will welcome it.
- The Constitution that is current in Sri Lanka has always
continued to impose the domination of the majority upon the
minority.
- We jumped into war for self-determination and political
independence only because of planned oppression of the Sinhala
state.
- Very cruel military dictatorial rule has been imposed on us. The
plan of the enemy is to enslave the national spirit of the Tamil
ethnic community through armed violence.
- We did not choose our aim of liberation simple minded. It is
history that forced us to take it in our hand. History has not left
us any other option except asking for independence.
- If our people are to be protected from genocide and our national
independence (struggle) has to be taken forward, the enemy forces of aggression in our motherland should be driven out.
This achievement is dependent on sustaining planned armed struggle
and unanimous participation of our people.
- The Tamil man who lived [formerly]
as a slave bowing his head to
blow after
blow and living with shame
can now raise his head with dignity. This is to the credit of the
greatness of the conduct of our liberation movement.
- Our people should live with independence, honour and security.
We have to fight indeed if this aim were to be realized. We have
indeed to shed blood.
- Our motherland should get liberation. Chains of slavery which
bind us should be broken. Our people should live with independence, honour and security. If this aim were to succeed, we should fight
indeed; should shed blood indeed.
- The terrific dance of unceasing storms of oppression has pushed
us to the path of liberation. As a result of unbearable pressures of
genocide, we have made a commitment. We have decided that we should
determine our fate. We have decided to live as humans who have got
liberation.
- If we do not achieve independence, we must live as slaves, loose
self-respect and live with bowed head, live in permanent fear and
tension, and gradually die out. Therefore there is no other way for
us than fight for independence.
- We are fighting
for a lofty aim. Working and living for that aim
gives us full spiritual satisfaction.
- Suppression was imposed on our people. Until the liberation from
this and the security and independence of our people are not
assured, we shall not give up to make war with risen arms.
- Wounds, which have been inflicted to our national soul by
Sinhala terrorism, will never heal.
- We do not wish to leave to the
next generation the burden of the liberation war. They shall enjoy the fruit of our hard labour. It
could be that our aim is not fulfilled in our lifetime. In that case
we have a clear visionary plan to hand over the war to the next
generation.
On Firmness and Determination
- No force can destroy the determination of a national society
which is bent on liberation.
- Suppressors are more intensively interested in breaking down the
mental determination of the civil population than in destroying the
warriors.
- A people that arise united around the aim cannot be
oppressed by any force.
- A people who are united and determined about their aim create
history.
- For the people that ask for heroic independence firmness is the
powerful weapon.
- If we become devoted to the true aim, determined and united as
one mass of people, no power whatever can shake or destroy us.
- Let us fight with determination. Truth stands as our witness.
History stands as our guide.
- I will say with certainty that the fundamental reason for our
struggle to successfully face so many challenges and continue
victorious procession in our journey of liberation is determination
in aim.
- We should stand firm in our struggle aim, as justice is on our
side, on the basis of law, on the basis of human dharma and on the
basis of truth. Only people who stand firm in their aim and fight
till the last will win independence.
- We have entrusted ourselves to our
aim. This is symbolised by cyanide. As long as this cyanide hangs
around the neck, we will not be scared of any force in this world.
- The victory of a war is not
determined by the size of an army or the quality of armaments.
Factors like unshakable determination, heroism, and desire for
liberation determine victory.
- As long as we have the trust in our principle, the
determination established on this fundament of trust, and the
glowing strive for liberation within us due to this determination,
it is certain that our road to the aim will be successful.
- The Sinhala army cannot destroy firmness of mind and
determination of the Liberation Tigers. We possess immense dharmic
strength, feeling for abandonment (from life) and attachment to
lofty aim.
- The Tiger movement has never given way to the domination and
pressure of the (Sinhala) army; we never bend down on our proclaimed
stand.
- The strength of our struggle is born out of the strong will of
our warriors.
- We have firmness of mind, trust and determination to fight
ourselves and win our independence.
- I can surely say that the fundamental reason why our struggle
is marching on the road of victory in the journey of liberation, triumphant after confronting so many challenges is the
firmness of our aim.
- The fighting capacity of a nation weakens when frustration,
tiredness, confusion and hopelessness emerge among the people.
- Let us continue to fight with determination. Let us continue to
fight, till we recover our motherland from enemies and establish
independent TamilIlam.
- The determination of people, international support and besides,
environments pave the way for the victory of a liberation struggle.
- The hunger for rice cannot touch (our) people’s determined
hunger for independence.
- Even when many obstacles appeared, even when much pain appeared,
as long as we have trust to our principle, to the determination
founded on the trust, and as long as we have a glowing strive for
liberation based on this trust, it is sure that our journey to the
aim will be successful.
- We shall continue fighting with determination. We shall continue
fighting till we have retrieved our motherland from the enemy and
have established an independent TamilIlam.
- It is not possible to set a time limit for a liberation
struggle. Till we have reached our ultimate aim, the struggle will
go on.
Abandonment of Life
- At no time and nowhere in world history, except in our motherland, has
occurred such wonderful abandonment (from life) and astonishing dedication (of
life).
- In unarmed war as well as in armed war our liberation war has
created world records. It has reached the peak of human gift (of
oneself).
- Death, destruction, suffering and grief are unavoidable in a
liberation struggle. We should win our liberation only through great
abandonment (from life) and dedication (of life).
- No national society in this world has attained independence
without spilling blood, issuing sweat, making immeasurable
abandonment (from life) and confronting catastrophes.
- At no time and nowhere in world history, except in our motherland, has
occurred wonderful abandonment (from life) and astonishing dedication (of life).
- The abandonment (from life) of
Tilepan has dissolved the
illusion of India (helping the Tamils) and awakened the national
feeling for TamilIlam. The non-violent struggle of
Annaai Poopati
became the massive form of this national uprising.
- The abandonment (from life) by Tilepan provided a glorious
manifestation of the ethical code of Gandhi.
- In this world is not a single country that has reached
independence without spilling blood and abandoning (life).
- The astonishing aim-oriented life of the great heroes, their
abandonment (from life), their experiencing pain, their longings,
their dreams – all these overshadow the totality through which our
history of war progresses.
- Tilepan did such a wonderful dedication (of life) that only one
who loved the people and one who loved the country, only such a
person could do such a great and lofty abandonment (from life).
- Annai Poopati has not died as an individual human being. Her
abandonment (from life) climaxed as a symbol of rising of the
mothers’ group of Tamililam.
- Great Heroes! By your abandonment (from life) our nationalism
achieves a form; by memorialising you our determination becomes
strong.
- The wonderful abandonment (from life) of our warriors and of the
civil population in this war has been inscribed in world history as
an unequalled epic of heroism.
- We should change our motherland, formed from wonderful
abandonment (from life) of many thousands of warriors, into a lofty
and advanced society.
On Politics
- We are not politicians. We are revolutionaries.
- I entered politics as an armed revolutionary.
- I am a liberation warrior who fights for my people.
- Politics is not a matter of ruling
over the people or of exercising power. Politics is performance of
service to people, contributing to the welfare of the people.
- Political work implies participating in the grief and mourning
of people, sharing the burdens with them and acting with plans to
get rid of their difficulties.
- Only when we share the suffering of our people, the people will
unite with us.
- Our political aim is to build up a noble society where social
justice and democratic independency flourish.
- We should not approach people like early politicians; we should
approach them differently; we should explain the real situation. We should not
give false and impractical promises. We should explain to people the reason we
fight, the basis of the policy for our fight, and the problems faced by us.
People will trust us only when we explain the real situation.
Our People
- The Liberation Tigers are not separate from the people. The
Liberation Tigers are a people’s movement. The Tigers, indeed, are
the people. The people, indeed, are the Tigers.
- The liberation struggle is a struggle of the people. Only if all
persons living dispersed resist as a united nation and participate
in the struggle, victory will be assured for us.
- We are ready to face any new challenge as long as powers of
people stand behind us like a mountain.
- Liberation implies a national duty. Everybody has to
participate in it. The grief arising from a situation of crisis
should be shared by the whole ethnic community. It should be
described as our treachery to our nation if we allow the poor people
at the bottom of our society alone to bear the national burden.
- I am proud of my people, I am proud of my nation and I am proud
of my movement.
- We should unite as one people and organize as one national force
to face the challenge of our enemy.
- I congratulate the attachment to the aim of our people who are
bent on their desire of an independent and honourable life beyond
death and destruction, beyond hunger and famine and beyond the
pleasures of selfish life.
- I congratulate our people who bear like rock all the
suppressive pressures of the enemy who teases like a storm.
- In all liberation struggles it is
the common people who bathe in the fire of oppression.
- In any freedom struggle, the enemy, because of frustration, never
hesitates to
takes fierce revenge on masses.
- It is oppressed people who should fight against oppression. It
is people who suffer injustice who should come forward to end
injustice.
- Our people deserve to be praised, deserve to be honoured. The
engagement of our people in the national struggle is not ordinary. I
will say that their engagement is immeasurable. Our innumerable
supporters and sympathisers, staying like unripe fruit hidden behind foliage and bearing over
their shoulders the (burden of) liberation struggle, should be
called Great Humans endowed with determination.
- In the struggle for liberation the people shall not be only
spectators, but shall change into direct participants.
- We will not obtain independence if we stand out, thinking that
the youth are there and that they will fight and obtain TamilIlam.
Our national independence war cannot succeed if common people like
you do not participate directly.
- We should be prepared for war. It is better to live fighting
than to die as slaves. With this feeling of the aim, we must be
prepared to take up arms.
- There is no history that any liberation movement won
liberation, standing alone and isolated from the people. That is
not a practical matter.
- Liberation becomes possible only when people march united behind
a liberation movement, love the aim of that movement and take part
in the struggle.
- It is assured that our aim for liberation will be victorious if
all Tamil people participate in the struggle with nationalistic
feeling that they are one ethnic community.
Our Great Heroes -
My Comrades
- My heart breaks when the comrades
whom I cherished with my life,
the commanders who were fighting side by side with me and
the
warriors whom I have fostered and raised for years all fell on the
battle-field. But I did not give way in grief. The losses
strengthened further my resolve for my aim.
- Colonel Kittu is an individual history; he is the
impression (indentation) of an era in our long and unceasing storm
of liberation struggle.
- The individual honesty and character of our warriors – their
exemplar living in discipline - these are the reasons for the
respect of our people to us.
- A liberation fighter is not one ordinary human being who lives
an ordinary human life. He is an idealist. He lives for a great aim.
He lives not for himself, but for others. He lives for the
well-being and liberation of others. The selfless and detached life
of a liberation fighter is lofty and has meaning. He determines to
dedicate even his life for the lofty aim of independence. So,
liberation fighters are rare human beings; extra-ordinary beings.
- Only one who liberates himself from his psychological desires
and fears indeed in truth qualify as liberation hero.
- On a holy pilgrimage they went. They continued that
journey of abandonment (from life) on the unwavering confidence
that a new life would be born to our people who have been shedding
tears. Whenever I reflect on these holy ones in my mind I get the
feeling of goose-flesh.
- Heroic tradition which died among the Tamils long ago has taken
rebirth again; a storm arose dispelling the silence of slavery.
Tamils who were crushed like fallen leaves rose and stood erect like
a rock; the Tamil nation which had been bound in chains and which had
fallen asleep for a very long time has awakened. Our Great Heroes
are the breath of this national awakening.
- A hidden heroic tradition in the long glorious history of the
Tamil ethnic community has been revived again.
- Thousands and thousands of camati stones also, planted in this
earth symbolize liberation. The sacred pictures of Great Heroes
which we meet in streets, junctions and walls also, appear to us as
martyrs for liberation.
- The death of a liberation hero is no incident of normal death.
That death is a historical event. It is a wonderful event that
evokes a noble aim into life. In reality liberation fighter does not
die. The fire of his aim which functions as his life never blows
out. This fire of the aim gets hold of the others as a historic
force. It taps and awakens the national soul of an ethnic community.
- Great Heroes die for a true aim. Their death is not an
occurrence of ordinary death; it is as a spiritual call of national
liberation that the deaths of Great Heroes occur.
- Great Heroes are great idealists; they loved the aim which they
had embraced much more than their life; they who have defined
liberation of the people as the aim in their mind and as the
single-minded devotion of their life; they perished for this aim
indeed.
- I praise also the parents who generated Great Heroes who were
the sons of the soil. Your children loved the independence of their
motherland much more than their own life. You, (parents), should be
definitely proud for having generated these lofty beings for a
sacred aim. Your children are not dead; they have become history.
- Our war heroes fought with iron-like will for the aim, with a
heart which could endure anything and heroism not afraid of death.
They embraced heroic death in the battle-field.
- Great Heroes fall, with energetic idealistic fervour, in the
battle-field with (ideals like) ‘we want a country’, ‘our people
want liberation’ and ‘our ethnic community wants to live with
independence’. So, the death of each of our Great Heroes happens as
a drum beat of the heroic independence proclamation of liberation of
our country.
- For the liberation of the motherland, many thousands of tiger
heroes have battled and fell. We have buried those heroes by opening
the breast of our heroic earth. They have not disappeared as
lifeless corpses inside land. We have buried them as seeds of
liberation in the lap of our mother. Mother history has embraced
them. Many thousands of individual lives have entered the womb of
history. Those lives have become the foetus, and have assumed a
shape in course of time. They assume the form of independence of the
nation. As the child of history, that independent nation called
TamilIlam will be born soon.
- We need a country– our people need independence – our ethnic
community should live liberated – with this fierce longing for the
aim fall our Great Heroes in the Battlefield. Therefore every death
of our Great Heroes is a loud announcement of the liberty of our
country and occurs as heroic proclamation of our independence.
- The Great Heroes who as abandoners (from life) have dedicated
their own lives for the independence, honour and security of the
Tamil people should be honoured for ages in the temple of our
hearts.
- Our warriors have given up their kin, education and pleasures
of the youth and plunged into the battlefield for the aim of
independence, considering even their life as of little value. It was
nothing but Sinhala State terrorism that has pushed these (people)
to armed struggle.
- Liberation is an entry into fire; a long journey swimming away
in rivers of fire; a jumping into the fire of abandonment (from
life). Great Heroes are those who have given their lives to this
sacrifice for liberation.
- To encounter all the stormy great dangers like a mountain I
needed an iron will. In these historical periods full of testing
crises, the Great Heroes stood on my side as supporters like great
mountains with determination that I can never forget. The unshakable
determination of these aim oriented Tigers stand like pillars of our
movement of independence.
- Our warriors will compete to embrace death, if their
abandonment (from life) can bring liberation to this land and if
that death can push forward this liberation struggle.
- We have sown a seed for the aim. For that (we) irrigate with the
blood of our Great Heroes and raise (it). This seed having grown to
a tree will make the dream of our Great Heroes true.
- Great Heroes who lived for a sacred aim, who fought for that aim
and who abandoned their life fighting to attain that aim are
magnificent.
- Great Heroes are long-lived who do not die in time; sculptors
of independence. Heroic Maravar who have departed have sown the seed
for the uprising of lofty liberation of our land.
- The selfless and detached life of a liberation hero is lofty and
has meaning. He determines to dedicate even his life for the lofty
aim of independence.
- Our heroic history of independence is written with the blood,
(much) sweats, and tears of our
Great Heroes.
- We prefer to die with honour rather than being caught alive in
the hands of enemy.
- Our country has given invaluable great price for liberation;
a river of blood has flowed in our land for liberation; this land has
turned into a battlefield for liberation; our heroes are still dying
today for liberation.
- It is we who laid the foundation for armed revolutionary
movement in the soil of TamilIlam. Our movement that arose as the
symbol of the heroic tradition of the Tamils expanded and developed
into a revolutionary liberation force which creates history.
- The death of the great heroes has been the driving force of our
history, a life breath of our struggle and guiding force serving as
incentive for the determination of our warriors.
- A liberation warrior should transcend the borders of his ego and
dedicate (his life) totally to the struggle.
- Heroism that is not frightened even of death, the gift (of
oneself) and devotion to the aim – our great heroes have no equal, I
can say full of pride.
- Great Heroes Day is not our national day of mourning. It is not
a day of grief when we are afflicted and shed tears. Today is a day
of national uprising; it is a revolutionary day when our nation
becomes determined in seeking independence.
Black Tigers
- I have created the Black Tigers as a strong weapon for our weak
people.
- This is the age of the Black Tigers; the time when the Tigers
like thunder and flash lightening have put on the fighting gear; in
this new age the war will spread on new dimensions; the Maravar who
bound death in chains will write a new history. They will lit the
light for the dawn of our generation.
- ‘Black Tiger Era’ started with Captain Miller. A regiment
abandoning (life) never before seen or contemplated in the world
rose in TamilIlam.
- Even though many Black Tiger heroes sleep anonymously in unnamed
vaults today, their wonderful feats will live as historical epics
with unending fame.
- The Black Tigers are the protective armours of our ethnic
community. They are the eliminators of obstacles of our war path.
They are burning humans that destroy the armed power of the enemy
through their inner will power.
- To be courageous to annihilate oneself for the happy living of
others is godly asceticism. The godly births (being) are the Black
Tigers indeed.
- In the designation Black Tiger, we mean blackness to denote
will-power and determination. In another dimension, it can de-note
darkness. It will imply unseen, puzzling and secret nature and
action. So, the expression Black Tiger is a deep metaphor which
implies many meanings.
- Liberation war continues even today only because those who have
fallen have become seeds.
On the Liberation of Women
- Women’s liberation occupies a prominent place in our concept of
social liberation.
- Our liberation movement has created an
innovative and
revolutionary woman.
- The liberation of women implies the achievement of liberation
from governmental suppression and societal oppression and economic
exploitation as well.
- Only when women awaken and rise to fight for their own
liberation and for a national liberation of the land, that struggle
will attain completion as national struggle.
-
The struggle for the aim of the
liberation of women is the child of fire born on the lap of our
liberation movement.
- Whatever reforms are carried out in the economy, without deep
going changes in men’s mentality – in their opinion about femininity
– women’s equality may not be possible.
- Human personality transcends gender differences.
Humanity exists beyond
masculinity and femininity. This is common to human beings.
- The struggle against the oppression of male chauvinism is not a
struggle against males; it is a war of opinion against the ignorance
of the male chauvinism.
- If the women who represent the majority of our population
continue to live in suppression it is difficult to take forward our
liberation struggle as a national struggle.
- It is my wish that a revolutionary society arises in TamilIlam,
where women receive the same rights, are liberated from all kinds of
oppression, and live with equal rights with men and in dignity.
- We have accomplished a great revolution in the society of women
in TamilIlam. A revolution that has not taken place before in
Tamil history took place in TamilIlam.
- Only women who awaken and rise can emerge as a fighting force.
- No country and no society can be said to have obtained full
social liberation, if it has not broken and thrown away the chains
of female slavery.
- It is women’s liberation that completes social liberation; a
society of people which can enable women to live with independence, honour and equality; that society can attain a lofty state of high
culture.
- If man and woman mutually respect the independence, equality and honour of each as well as sharing the responsibilities of family
life, engage them for the development of society and live with
mutual understanding, divergences of views caused by the difference
of sex will disappear.
- Oppression of women is a complicated social problem; social
cruelty that has deep entrenched roots in our cultural life from
antiquity. Our movement is determined to throw out this social
injustice root and branch.
- It is women who should raise the flag of war and fight against
women slavery.
- Our women warriors have demonstrated through their heroic
achievements that they were not inferior to men in any aspect in
heroism, abandonment (from life), and in the sentiment of
liberation.
- Women who since long have been held in bondage in mental
darkness should awaken. Awakening is the first step to their
liberation.
- Women must awaken who have been held down for ages in darkness
of the mental world with beliefs in fate, effect of karma, with what
has been prescribed to them by the Laws of Manu and antiquity.
- Only by connecting with our liberation movement the women’s
group is enabled to win liberation on their road to the aim.
- I can say with pride that one of the wonderful achievements of
our movement is the appearance, growth and emergence of the
women’s
wing of our army.
- In the history of Tamils one thousand years ago, mothers from
home – women – bid farewell to men who went for war, ‘Son, go
forward! Come back with victory!’ In today’s history of the Tamils
one thousand years later, I, on behalf of all mothers, bid farewell
to you, women, who go for war, ‘Daughter, go for-ward! Come back
with victory!’
- Mother Poopati has a unique place among our abandoners (from
life), who have become historical epic (heroes) in our sacred
liberation struggle.
Nature of Struggle
- The forms of struggle may change, but our struggle’s aim will
not change.
- Only because we realized that non-violence could not conquer
violence, we have embraced the violent struggle.
- A liberation struggle encounters many storms, faces in
hostility many crises and confronts many volatile situations.
- Liberation struggle is a battle-field where blood is shed.
- Justice and truth are on our side; this is our strength.
Injustice and untruth are on the side of the enemy; that is his weakness. At the end the victors will be us, because the never
destructible justice is on our side.
- The liberation war is a blood shedding revolutionary method of
politics.
- It is not possible to describe in writing the difficulties, the
obstacles and the sufferings faced by our liberation fighters in the
long, difficult and dangerous TamilIlam war.
- The guerrilla war is a form of the mass struggle.
- We continue to take this form of the war forward according to a
strategy by making it solid gradually as a guerrilla war step by
step among the people, by extending it by the participation of the
people by evolving it into a mass struggle.
- The war of liberation that blows as whirl of history uproots and
makes the big trees of conservatism existing for years in our
country fall with their roots. Ghosts of superstition residing in
caves of our mentality are being expelled; in our societal world of
opinion flowers a new outlook - a new alertness arises. In the
societal relations a revolutionary change is taking place.
- According to the geographic situation the protection of TamilIlam is tied to the sea. Therefore we should strengthen
ourselves at the expanse of the sea and disempower the dominance of
the enemy over the sea. Only when we have reached the power over our
sea, can we sustain the defence of the liberated area and drive
away the inimical troops in the area of TamilIlam.
- In no history has there been a liberation movement that has fought
alone and won liberation. Only when the concentrated power of the
people rises in a revolution behind the liberation movement that it
attains fullness and maturity as a people’s struggle, as a national
struggle. Only in such a way is liberation possible.
- Only in return for death, destruction and grief as gifts can we see the paradise of independence.
- By spilling blood, perspiring profusely, spilling tears and by
experiencing of unbearable suffering you get independence in-deed as
reward.
- Losses and destructions are common events in a liberation
struggle. We have encountered many losses and destructions and we
encounter them further. But if these losses and destructions had
constituted the manure for our will power, no force on earth can
suppress us.
- If you are afraid of losses in war you cannot conduct (a war).
Losses should be evaluated as support for progress.
- Only when national feeling has a deep hold on people, a country
attains its due individual sovereignty. Only a people as ethnic
community which has national sovereignty becomes qualified to
establish a government.
- Everyone of the Ilattamil people should turn into a liberation
tiger and heroic tiger. The downtrodden Tamil ethnic community
should turn into a heroic tiger ethnic community.
- We, as a national army, are carrying forward our war for the
liberation of Tamil people.
- The Tiger movement, as a revolutionary liberation movement bent
on national liberation, has introduced new tactics to suit the needs
of different circumstances in different times. In addition, it has
made wonderful dedication (of life) which serve as pioneers and
examples for that method of struggle. These individual traits are
the reasons how our liberation struggle serves as an example and
guide to the oppressed world.
- Guerrilla mode of warfare is the best military strategy for
weakening a strong enemy by stages, break away his will and destroy
his armed violence.
- We make our enemy fully conscious that this soil will never bear
the footsteps of the aggressors.
- Our liberation movement continues a very long, difficult and
crisis ridden historical journey. We faced in the course of
history, challenges, tests and unexpected turning points, not faced
by any other liberation movement in the world.
- We are carrying forward our war as a people’s army of the nation
for the liberation of the Tamil people.
- We should win our liberation by fighting and shedding our blood.
We have no alternative. Either we should perish as slaves or fight
and live with independence. This indeed is our political fate.
- People’s aspiration for liberation cannot be destroyed by
suppression. This is a truth from world history.
- Our people have been (like gold) purified in the smithy of
Sinhala communal suppression; they have faced the extreme heat of
state terrorism; they are used always to carry the cross of
suffering; they live, lying down and sleeping under the shadow of
death.
- If (our) enemy knocks on the door of some rare day, we are ready
to extend our hand of friendship.
On Informers & Traitors
- It is easy to recognize our enemy and his intention, but
traitors wearing masks go around and function as marionettes of the
enemy. They do not even hesitate to betray their own ethnic
community due to their egoism. Our people should take care
especially from these dangerous and reactionary forces.
- Traitors are more dangerous than enemies.
On War & Tactics
- To resist and to lead the army in a big, long and hard battle,
strenuous physical and mental exercises are indispensable. At the
same time, knowing the strength and the weakness of the enemy,
suitable tactics needed to defeat him should be formulated. It is
not enough to have exercises and tactics; courage to implement it is
needed.
- This is the true motto of war: Go, Defeat and Win.
- Our victory indeed is dependent on the destruction of the enemy.
We will go on losing our lives till our enemy soldier who goes on
shooting at us is felled. So go fast into enemy fortifications; kill enemies as quickly as possible; get victory through
that.
-
In any might, there will be
debility. Our victory depends on undertaking bold actions in a
suitable manner after searching and finding that (debility). In this
manner only a lad got the victory over the demonic and staunch
Goliath.
- Victory is certain if all the three – exercise – tactics –
courage – are found together in a regiment.
- Arms alone are not important. Tactics and skilful means are
important.
- Every minute of the warrior engaged in spying work is full of
danger; there is no guarantee for life. We have lost so many
wonderful warriors during this assignment. We are able to win great
victories in battlefields only as fruits of this dedication (of
life).
- Attack plans are formulated on the basis of information
supplied by warriors who engage in very difficult, very clever and
full of danger spying; possible to conduct attacks successfully. We
were able to wage a great battle and win at
Poonakari only through
the courageous achievements of spy soldiers.
- The problem of (dis-)armament will solve itself if realist external factors
for the origin and development of armed struggle were investigated and
meaningful steps are taken to remove those factors.
On India
- The day when the Indian army set its feet on the soil of our
motherland I will consider as the darkest day of our war. The
intervention of the Indian army in our war can be defined as the
dark chapter in our war history.
- When I made the decision to confront the Indian Army I have not
bothered about the chances of victory or defeat: I have only reflected
whether we have the determination and bravery to take up this war.
An ethnic community never gives up its aim and rights for the fear
of possible defeat.
- The Indo-Lankan Accord between India and Sri Lanka is a military
agreement. The aim of this military accord is to annihilate the
Tamil independence movement and its armed frontline leader, the
Liberation Tigers.
- The Indo-Lanka Accord cannot be described as a peace pact; it is
a war pact.
- India’s military intervention, expansionist policy and threats
cause trouble to peace and stability of small and weak countries of
South Asia.
- Standing alone we opposed the Indian intervention; standing
alone we resisted a very big army in the world; standing alone we
fought so that our fire of national independence not goes out. At
the end we were victorious. The reason for our victory was our
untiring determination in our mind, our heroism that did not fear
death and our trust in truth and justice.
- The heroism and determination of our warriors and more than that
the support of our people gave us the courage to stand against a big
power.
- India’s statement that the
Indian army fought with one hand tied
to its back is ridiculous. If the Indian army with one hand tied to
its back committed these cruelties on our people, (my) heart
trembles to imagine how much horrors they could have committed with
both their hands.
- Finding an end to Indian Big Power intervention is a
magnificent win for our liberation struggle.
- India might have learnt through this war (India-Tigers) the
lesson that however strong the military power might be, it could not
forcefully impose anything against the wish of a people’s ethnic
community.
- The intervention of the Indian army and the following mass
destruction has been a real lesson for the people in TamilIlam.
- This lesson is that we cannot rely on foreign forces, but that we
have to fight for our rights ourselves and win them.
The International Dimension
- The world does not revolve around the wheel of human justice.
Every country promotes its national egoism; not the moral principles
like human rights and civil rights, but the economic and commercial
values decide the norms of the world today.
- Power alone determines
the present order of the world.
- We are not unaware of the Himalayan obstacles in attaining our
aim of the separate state of TamilIlam. Besides, not that we don’t
know which and which forces will act how and how against this aim.
We do not stay without expecting how the
domination aspirations of
the regional big power and the strategic aims of world big powers
will cause interventions. Whenever these challenges arose, we never
failed to confront them with courage. Even when we were pushed to
the fringe of destruction, we never gave up on our declared policy.
We have not been shaken even by violent storms of powerful forces.
- This world which raises its voice for human rights, human
justice and peace, should raise its voice on behalf of our people,
who ask for rights, who ask for justice and
who adopted a peaceful
mode in demanding a solution. This is the moral duty of the world
today.
- When our people are
mass murdered by Sinhala racist rakshasas,
the whole world may regret; may express condemnation; may shed
tears. But we should realize that protecting our people and winning
their independence is our great responsibility as liberation
warriors.
- The victory of our struggle does not depend in the hands of the
world; our victory depends in our hands, in our strength and in our
determination. We should have strength; should have the ability to
fight and should have unwavering determination.
- The truth is that the victory of our war is not dependent on the
hand of the world, our victory is in our hands, is dependent on our
strength and on our determination. Right and justice alone on our
side is not enough. We need strength. We must have excellence for
fighting. We must have determination without hesitation.
- Our struggle has given hope and new expectation to many
suppressed and oppressed ethnic communities and serves as a guide.
- The struggle for independent TamilIlam has attained today
international fame as the main liberation war in Asia.
- Our revolutionary armed struggle serves as an example and guide
to the oppressed ethnic communities and suppressed people in the
third world.
- As we are entrenched on our own strength can we stand with
raised head without bending to the pressure of others.
- The enemy has the power of arms, numerical superiority and
support of other countries. We conduct a war isolated; we have no
help from any other country. But the only power we have is the power
of the soul.
- Sinhala nation and the international community cannot just
ignore the rising voice of our ethnic community which is like the
murmur of the angry earthquake.
On the Mass Media
- Mass media can serve properly by communicating to the people the
true situation of the struggle – observable facts – and through promoting national awakening and the feeling for liberation,
build up ideology among the people.
- The contribution of the mass media to conduct the war of
liberation into a progressive direction is very important.
On Art, Scholars & Culture
- In our long history, our language,
arts and culture have their
roots deeply entrenched in our soil. They stand as the foundation
of our national life.
- Artists and scholars cannot alienate themselves from a
historical movement that extends in all dimensions in our national
life.
- It is my opinion that the carrying forward of a social
revolution should include cultural renaissance.
- Only when culture reaches a high point an ethnic community
becomes great; human life becomes worthy; humanitarian-ism gets
developed.
- Arts, fine arts and culture which flourish by shedding the old
and by incorporating the new bring honour to our ethnic community;
it will produce a revolutionary awakening in the mentality of our people.
- Our culture is the life of our nation; the soul of our ethnic
community.
- The love and attachment we have for
our language, for
our arts,
for our culture and for
our land evolve into patriotic feeling.
- There should be no authoritarianism in the field of arts; if
there is, arts will not develop.
- Only artistic and literary creations which inspire feeling of
awakening, feeling of resistance and feeling for liberation in our
people will strengthen our war for aim. Only these artistic and
literary creations will strengthen national resistance.
- Renaissance of culture and cultural revolution are necessary for
culture to become lofty.
- Artists and literary authors should create novel and
revolutionary creations to suit the needs of modern age and
historical evolution. These creations should serve to strengthen our
sacred liberation struggle; they should sow the seeds of social
revolution.
- The alienation of artists and scientists from the struggle of
liberation ends as alienation from the people and the truth of
living.
- Artistic and literary works shall present the facts of our
fighting life. The creative artists should portray the horror of the
deep – going suppression in all dimensions of the dynamics of the
ethnic community in our society.
- In the moment when language, art and culture prosper, reach
progress and become lofty, (then) the national ethnic community
reaches a solidity, reaches strength, (and) human life and societal
relation attain value, the national civilisation attains its
pinnacle.
- Language, arts, sciences, and culture appear as pillars of the
edifice of a national ethnic community. They glimmer as soul of the
nation. They are the foundation of a national civilisation.
- I value arts and literature. I respect artists and creators of
literature. My opinion is that arts should be created not for arts’
sake but for the sake of people.
- Works of art and
literature should promote humans to reflection.
A revolutionary perspective should be evoked and a changing societal
awakening formulated in the human mind mired in tradition, myth and
many kinds of falsehoods. They demand a form of changing social
awakening.
- The pillars that bear the superstructure of our ethnic
community are education, language, culture and land. The enemy is
trying to demolish these pillars. His aim is to destroy the
individuality of the ethnic community.
- Life – from the land where an artist was born, from which was
his environment and from time when he lived – becomes the subject of
his creation. An excellent artist is one who creates an art object,
having as source objective realities of life.
- Arts, fine arts and culture which flourish by shedding the old
and by incorporating the new bring honour to our ethnic community;
it will produce a revolutionary awakening in the mentality of our people.
- We should identify and get rid of reactionary qualities,
customs and ideologies which have penetrated our social life in the
guise of culture.
- Dynamism of life moves as breath of Time. Arts and literature which portray
critically that time and human sufferings and achievements evolving as that life
are lofty.
- As Tamils, it is our tradition – our great cultural trait -
to
praise the cultured and honour the learned.
- Professor Thurairajah is a rare human being. He had
purity and honesty in his heart; never selfish; lived with common
good as his goal. Simplicity is his beautiful greatness. Among our
intellectuals, given by the earth, he is a wonder. He loved deeply
this land and people; love of humanity has bound him tightly to
people; standing together with people, he also bore the cross of
suffering of the people.
On Education
- As the struggle of liberation is the armour for education,
education should also stand as the fortress of our struggle.
- We have never tried to create a contradiction between the choice
of dedication (of life) for liberation of homeland and the right to
have education. Both are essential for the dynamic life of our
society.
- A life that connects war with education is today our historical
need.
- Student society should understand the high visions and aims of TamilIlam national liberation struggle. Teacher society should
develop this understanding and try to rouse national awakening among
students.
- Only from youth can a man be raised fully. When I say fully what I
imply is full human development including knowledge, capability and moral
values.
- Only if we were independent humans, having got the right to
decide our fate by ourselves, and have got sovereignty, we can push
to a higher stage of development of all social organizations
including education.
On the Working Class
- If there is going to be class unity among Tamil and Sinhala
workers, Sinhala working class should recognize
the right of
self-determination of the Tamils.
- We extend our hand of friendship to the Sinhalese working class.
We consider Sinhala workers, oppressed, crushed and exploited by the
Sinhalese ruling class, as our friendly force.
- The working class can only in alliance with a liberation
movement contribute to the national struggle in a reasonable way.
This way will lead to dawn and liberation for the working people.
- The working class in Tamililam confronts on one side the
exploitation of the employer and on the other side the racist
oppression.
- I congratulate the Tamil working class who endure with
unswerving determination the burden of war on one shoulder and the
financial burden on the other shoulder.
- Hands which work are hands which enable human life to exist.
- It is the worker who creates the material world; he fulfils the
basic needs of human life.
- Work power of working people is indeed the living power of a
nation.
On Economic Development
- Our struggle for the right of self-determination has as its aim
the establishment of an independent state of TamilIlam. To establish
this independent state, it is essential to have a self-sufficient
economic structure.
- Our national economy should find self-sufficiency, depending on
the resources of our nation.
- An ethnic community that rebels for independence must stand on
its own feet in economic life. It is a truism that only such an
ethnic community can enjoy independence.
- Our society should arise as a self-sufficient one, economically
dependent of itself , this is my wish. I wish a democratic way of
government in which the people have the right to self-determination.
In this new society should prevail an economic equality among the
working people.
- An economy that is self-sufficient is essential for our
national life; it is the fundament for administration of a separate
state.
- Economic liberation is tied to our aim of political liberation.
The country which we are going to establish should be so founded as not to be dependent but could stand on its legs and
develop; we should build up the foundation for that.
- Our people were forced to bear unbearable burdens due to
economic blockade. Yet, because of this great burden, a new
awakening did not fail to appear among our people. The effect
produced by bans, the shortfall that arose from that, and the needs
which arose from that shortfall altogether made our people realize
the necessity and importance of self-dependent economy.
- Agriculture and industry are the foundations of our economic
superstructure; basics for self-sufficient economic life.
- My desire is that my country should emerge as a society
whose
economy is self-sufficient and who can manage on its own.
- The foreign colonial penetration has damaged our indigenous
economic structure.
- TamilIlam is a fertile land; country full of many resources. It
has water resources, land resources and human labour creative
resources that can lead to the path of development. We should
identify these resources which have been given to us as gift of
nature and bring them to maximum use. We should increase production on the basis of expert planning, to fulfil the needs of
the people.
On Social Liberation
- For the development of yet to be established TamilIlam, I do not
have trust in arms alone; I am very keen that there should be
development in all fields.
- If we want to build national unity and cohesion of the ethnic
group on a strong foundation, we should get rid of hierarchies among
us; social conflicts should be removed.
- Only if social justice were properly observed, society can
attain a lofty state.
- Administration of justice is the main root of a strong country
and disciplined social organization.
- Our struggle does not have just national liberation as our aim; we are
fighting with the aim of social liberation in addition to national liberation
- In the administration of society the judiciary is essential.
Those who have qualities like honesty, character, honour and
discipline should administer justice.
- As a national liberation movement, we carry on the struggle
devising progressive policies, thinking of the good of the country
and the good life of our people. Only when people love those
policies, having been determined on implementing them and
participate in the struggle, struggle can go along the path of
victory.
- The necessary first step for social change is social awakening.
- Only by making fundamental changes in social relations, we can
get rid of oppressive forms prevalent in society and establish
firmly equality and social justice.
- Only social reforms which have popular support and which are for
the uplift of the people, will stand permanent.
- It is sure that one day Tamililam will arise. It is sure that
you also, our people, will obtain release. It is sure that our
country as an egalitarian society will flourish. With this hope and
determination of spirit we shall without hesitating march
heroically on our way for liberation.
- A nation gets its peculiar and particular personality when
patriotic feeling grips people deeply.
On Tamils - a Trans State Nation
- The Tamil ethnic community in the world should organize itself
into a strong international force and raise their voice for (Tamil)
rights for the dawn of our people.
- Even if the Tamil ethnic community
lives outspread over the whole world, their national soul has awoken
in TamilIlam indeed. The national identity is born in TamilIlam
indeed. The historical environment for the formation of a separate
state has appeared in TamilIlam only.
"Do not live your lives feeling 'I am big' or 'You are
big' but lead your lives feeling that our nation is bigger than
all of us, that we are all smaller than that nation, and that
far more than our impermanent lives, it is the life of the
nation that is bigger." (translation by tamilnation.org)
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