உலகப் பெரும்பரப்பில் சர்வதேச ஒழுங்கமைப்பின் ஊடாக ஈழத் தமிழர் விவகாரம் இன்று பயணிக்கிறது. இந்த நோக்குதலை வேண்டியே பல தசாப்தங்களாக தமிழர் முன்னெடுப்புக்கள் இருந்து வந்துள்ளன.
ஆனால் தமிழர் மீதான “67 ஆண்டு கால” சிறிலங்கா அரசினது கொடும் பிடி நிலை தான் இன்னும் தொடர்கின்றது என்ற வாதம் சரியானதல்ல. கால ஓட்டத்தில் பூகோள-சமூக-அரசியல் மாற்றங்களின் நடுவே தலைமுறைகளும் புதியனவற்றை தழுவுகின்றன. இந்தச் சூழலில், கடந்த 30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலாக, பல இலட்ச ஈழத்தமிழர்கள், தாயகத்தில் இருந்து புலம் பெயர்ந்து, மேற்கு நாடுகளில் குடியுரிமை பெற்றவர்களாகி விட்டனர்.
“Dawn of the Month of Thai, Paves for the Birth of Way” the renowned Tamil proverb has been in the centerpiece of Tamil heritage eternally. Tamil month of ‘Thai’, falling on January 15th, 2015 is Pongal day, the Tamil Thanksgiving Day celebrating sun, rain, farm cattle and ushering in pureness and prosperity.
cartoon by “Sirithiran Sunthar”
Even a livelihood as traditional farmer declined over a generation or two ago, the time of the year Thai Pongal falls and the traditions associated with its celebration still makes it an ideal time to take stock of sentiments. Continue reading ‘Pongal Paraphernalia’ »
Poignant lyrics of “Mannulagil Indru Devan Irangi Varukiraar” was penned by Poet laureate Kannadasan and rendered by Golden voiced Vani Jeyaram, with Immortal music composition by M.S. Viswanathan ~ in Tamil movie ‘Punitha Anthoniyar’ (released in 1977).
Nov 26 is the 60th birth anniversary of Veluppillai Prabhakaran.
In these five years passing since May 2009, yet to be duly and wholly recognized – that his soul has left the body, spiritually speaking.
Prabhakaran is a man of spirituality as well or has shown spiritual leanings, it is said. This being established based on his inclinations with Bhagavad Gita among other things.
Poet Laureate Kannadasan’s lyrics – “Maranaththai Enni Kalangkidum Vijaya..”, is set around Lord Krishna instructing a reluctant Arjuna to engage in his duty as a warrior and commencing the discourse of Bhagavad Gita. The song is rendered by Sirgazhi S Govindarajan to the music composition of M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy . This song is a favorite of Prabhakaran.
There also comes the recurring question whether Bhagavad Gita is justifying violence?
Mahatma Gandhi and the Trappist monk Thomas Merton, renowned for their stands of peace and had also read Gita did not think so. Gita is “not a justification of war nor does it propound a war making mystique,” writes Barbara Miller in “The Bhagavad-Gita”, (Random House Publishing, June 2004).
Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathi – his works include a Tamil translation of Bhagavad-Gita and the multifaceted journalist, poet and freedom fighter – also so the esteemed spiritualist. His referral to Bhagavad-Gita too may have stemmed due to those times he was living amidst the Indian freedom struggle.
So there is reason to see Prabhakaran’s leaning to Bhagavad Gita coming from his streak of spirituality and not of its setting in a battlefield. In that’s sense his soul is owed a closure and a reconciliation of spiritual leanings.
song (in Tamil) soundtrack
The following is a translation of Poet Laureate Kannadasan’s lyrics:
Arjuna, who’s distressed about death
Essence of death I shall recite
Human soul will not die
It will be reborn
Kill the body
It too a bravery
Even if you don’t
It will go up in flames someday
You became conscious of me
Lives all I (foster) also you come to realize
Krishna’s got heart of stone
This why the longbow you renounce?
Monarch and the mass I (foster)
Tree, plant and vine are I (foster)
Said so is Krishna
Saying so is Krishna
Stand audaciously
So Dharma will prevail
If the world sees therein merit
Krishna only bears this merit
Let the praise of proponents
And curse of cynics
All too go to Krishna
Krishna directed
Krishna delivered
Krishna destroyed
Let the longbow rise
Fire up your mastered archery
Field herein in its crimson, let live
