Today, Sri Lanka is poorer and is facing serious economic crisis; and despair situation caused by greedy majority dominated rulers, with discriminatory policies on ruled minorities denied of their rights.
Thanthai Chelva failed to secure Tamils’ rights from successive rulers with policies regarded by minorities as discriminatory, resulted in him shifting away from federalism to separatism.
Sensing that life was going to get even worse for Tamils, Thanthai Chelva; still commanding respect urged Tamil youth, to renounce violence and continue with their education.
Yet when Thanthai Chelva died on 26 April 1977 aged 79; the youth opted to pursue the path of violence; as they had no other choice. After three decades, whole world knows where country was when the violent path ended in 2009.
As the direct consequence of this long unwanted cruel bloody civil-war, all Sri Lankans underwent miseries associated with war; made worse by the present corona pandamic. If only Thanthai Chelva had lived today, perhaps would have said: “Only God can today help Sri Lankans.”
Northern Breeze 