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<title>Desicritics Comments on Indian First, Tamilians Second</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/</link>
<description>Superior South Asian bloggers on Culture, Media, Politics, Sport, Business, and Technology.</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2006 by the authors</copyright>
<lastBuildDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2007 12:54:59 EDT</lastBuildDate>
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<title>Comment by Thamilan</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-164959</link>
<description>End of Sinhalese Nationlism or the Sinhalese Race?

The book of Mahavamsa is a work of an idiot. The Sinhalese failure to look beyond that book will bring the total destruction of the whole race. Even the book says that the so called Sinhalese Kings continuously married bride from the Pandiyan Empire in order keep alliance. This makes the so called Sinhalese King more part of the Dravidian blood line. Tamils had the first naval empire of the Indian subcontinent and its laughable that the Sinhalese claim to be on the island before the Tamils. LTTE is just asking for the rights of the Tamil and if they wanted to just to be a terrorist group they would have killed the Sinhalese in Millions by now. LTTE would have never existed if they did not have a reason and would have never been able to fight an outnumbered Army that is well financed for almost 3 decades (also taking on the Indian Army in the middle). When Indians took up arms against the British they were called trouble makers (now it is defined as terrorists). When Blacks demanded their rights from the White South African Government they were also called terrorists. Tamil Nationalism is a very minimum goal of LTTE and the rights of the Tamils of Elam is their main goal. If LTTE fails, the Sinhalese Government will definitely wipe out the Tamils of Elam and that would make Tamil Nationalism to reemerge. Tamil Nadu will for sure wipe the Island of Lanka clean of the Sinhalese if that ever happens. Tamil Nadu buried the Tamil Nationalism for the union of India, if the Central Government of India fails to bring a solution that would be acceptable by Elam Tamils then for sure the break up of Tamil Nadu from the Indian Union is a fact (by force or by referendum). LTTE made a huge mistake by not claiming the whole Island and not labeling Sinhalese as foreigners. The Tamils existence is so rooted into the Island that it cannot be even traced back, while the Sinhalese existence beings with an idiot and his followers being banished from the Bengal. The burning of the Jaffna library which housed scripts and 10,000 years of Tamil history is for sure one of the greatest lost to the Tamils. For sure the two light Air Planes are nothing compared to the Sri Lankan Air Force, but for sure it was enough to make the Sri Lankan Government tremble. The same was said when the Tigers Naval unit emerged and now they proved to be a successful fighting force. If the LTTE gains their goal it is win, win and win situation (for the Tamils, Sinhalese and Indians). If LTTE fails it will be a disaster for the Indian Union and the entire Sinhalese race. Two and a half million Tamils against the sixteen million Sinhalese has only caused the total destruction of the Sinhalese State (bad image on the world stage, ruined economy that is running on donations from the western powers). Seventy million Tamils against the sixteen million Sinhalese will only lead to the extinction of the Sinhalese Race. Tamil Nationalism is far more extreme then the Sinhalese Nationalism.
</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">164959@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2007 12:54:59 EDT</pubDate>
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<title>Comment by AnArch</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-158391</link>
<description>The question here is not the word &#039;report&#039; but the core thesis of your article that the media and reports refer to them as &#039;Tamil&#039; and not &#039;Indian&#039; fishermen - the links provide seem to indicate otherwise.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">158391@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2007 08:07:53 EDT</pubDate>
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<title>Comment by Ranjit Goswami</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-158376</link>
<description>Hi Ajay,

One thing, though a bit irritating for any writer, which I appreciate in your arguments very much is grilling every words and sentences  that we, as readers&#039; demand. We shouldn&#039;t accept writers for anything because we, as readers also, do know. And my sincere thanks here for your persistence. Because when I am in your shoes, I show that same demanding persistence that you now expect from me.

I already stated that the primary idea of the article came while viewing news over TV over that night (which TV channel? I switch amongst three prime domestic private English channels). Well, then one can argue my usage of the word &#039;report&#039; was wrong - I would concede &#039;defeat&#039; here if one so desires (without seeing that as a &#039;defeat&#039; as I see it as a learning and also as a society moving to what we desire).

Moreover in most sites (web 2.0), any submitted article goes through editorial value additions. The same posting, when I submitted in my blog didn&#039;t have the link (with &#039;report&#039; word) because it was that &#039;generic TV news&#039; feeling which I wanted to refer at. Editorial value additions always help us; however there can also be communication gaps, more so over web.

I thank you again for your interest and time.
</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">158376@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2007 08:04:26 EDT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Comment by Ajay</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-158094</link>
<description>Ranjit, thanks for the links. I agree with what you say broadly in the article about being Indians first. I might be reading too much into your lines so forgive me if I sound too analytical.
I dont understand your statement saying &quot;I found that many of them (newspapers) state that those who lost their lives were &#039;Tamil fishermen&#039;&quot;. 

In the first link you posted above it clearly quotes T.R Baalu saying &quot;they are continuing their unprovoked shooting-spree on the Indian fishermen.&quot; thats as nationalistic as they can get. You also say that &quot;We Indians must see them as Indians first, Tamil or other identities next&quot;, its clear from the articles you sent (except for the indian catholic one) that we definetly DO see them as Indians first.
So is this just a case of stating the obvious? If you had cited reports which treated the situation frivolously because it was &#039;tamil fishermen&#039; and were dismissive about it then I can see your point.
</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">158094@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2007 04:14:23 EDT</pubDate>
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<title>Comment by Ranjit Goswami</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-158084</link>
<description>Tamil Nadu MPs seek PM&#039;s intervention in fishermen killings http://www.dailyindia.com/show/124267.php/Tamil-Nadu-MPs-seek-PMs-intervention-in-fishermen-killings

Tamil fishermen targeted by Sri Lanka Navy: MPs http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=6609

There was more of TV news and discussions  (if i am not mistaken, on 31st March night when the new incident of four more killings were reported) which I was primarily refering at by various reports. Most reports looked at it nationally, and few tried to give it a political color.
</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">158084@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2007 03:53:21 EDT</pubDate>
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<title>Comment by Ajay</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-158046</link>
<description>Can you cite these reports that say &#039;tamil fishermen&#039; were killed? In the article you have provided, it clearly says &#039;Tamilnadu fishermen&#039; were attacked. I dont see why you should have a problem with that statement, also the same article says &#039;naval vessels surrounded and fired upon Indian fishermen&#039;. </description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">158046@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2007 03:27:51 EDT</pubDate>
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<title>Comment by Sanjay</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-155160</link>
<description>Barber? He&#039;s fleecing the people.</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">155160@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 3 Apr 2007 00:52:08 EDT</pubDate>
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<title>Comment by kela</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-155065</link>
<description>Karuanidhi the great poet cum barber</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">155065@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 2 Apr 2007 23:16:44 EDT</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Comment by Sanjay</title>
<link>http://desicritics.org/2007/04/01/002804.php#comment-155051</link>
<description>Hey, how about Karunanidhi standing with the nation in demanding that the mastermind behind the bomb assassination of an Indian Prime minister be apprehended and put on trial?</description>
<guid isPermaLink="false">155051@desicritics.org</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 2 Apr 2007 23:08:01 EDT</pubDate>
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