ROWDYISM AT RAMESWARAM...
Rameswaram (Rameshwar) in the South of Tamil Nadu state in India is revered by Hindus all over the world as a place of tremendous religious significance.the Island town was the scene of an ugly rumpus on the tenth of this month when a well-known Sri Lnkan Tamil businessman visiting for a religious purpose was victimized in a deplorable act of rowdyism. He was apparently targeted because of his relationship to President Mahinda Rajapaksa through marriage.
The incident however has serious implications and cannot be viewed in isolation as a solitary act. The rowdyism at Rameswaram was a vicious symptom of an anti-sri Lankan malady afflicting sections of the peace-loving Tamil Nadu population. There has been a recurring phenomenon of organized hostile activity against Sri Lanka and some Sri Lankans by political activists belonging to minor political parties and organizations in the state.
Great antipathy has been shown in recent times towards President Rajapaksa and his Gover nment by political elements considered to be sympathizers and fellow travellers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization.
These elements have been demonstrating against Sri Lankan politicians who visit Tamil Nadu. Racist rowdyism has been shown against helpless Sinhala tourists and pilgrims in the state. These innocent people had nothing to do with the Rajapaksa regime.the latest attack at Rameswaram has been directed against a Sri Lankan Tamil not due to his ethnicity but because he was perceived as an extended family member of the Rajapaksa clan engaging in religious rites for the benefit of the Rajapaksa regime.57 year old Thirukumar Nadesan is an “Ilangaithamizhan” of Jaffna origin residing at Horton Place in Colombo 7. His father is from Araly and mother from Manipay in Jaffna.known to friends as both “Thiru” and “Kumar” he was bor n and bred in Colombo and studied at St.joseph’s College. He later got a BA (hons)degree in Business studies from Middlesex University in the UK.
Thirukumar Nadesan is a commercial entrepreneur focusing chiefly on Investment, property development and the hospitality industry. He is the Chairman of Hotel Developers Ltd and Managing Director of Asia Project Services Ltd. He is also a director of Lighthouse and Waters Edge Hotels. Apart from these pursuits Nadesan also functions as a freelance business/investment consultant.
NIRUPAMA
Nadesan became a relative of the President when he got married to Nirupama Deepika Rajapaksa the daughter of George and Lalitha Rajapaksa.nirupama as she is generally known is a United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Parliamentarian from Hambantota district and Deputy Minister of Water Supply and Drainage.
Nirupama’s pater nal grandfather DM Rajapaksa was the pioneering member of the family to enter politics during British rule. He became a State Councillor in 1936 representing the Hambantota constituency and was known as the “Lion of Ruhuna”. After the death of DA Rajapaksa in 1945 his younger brother DA Rajapaksa contested the ensuing by-election and became a state councilor. Hambantota was later carved into the electorates of Tissamaharama and Beliatta in 1947.
Don Alwin Rajapaksa contested Beliatta on behalf of the United National Party (UNP) in 1947. He crossed the floor with SWRD Bandaranaike in 1951 and co-founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in 1952. DA Rajapaksa contesting on behalf of the SLFP won the Parliamentary elections of 1952,56 and 1960 July. He lost in 1960 March and in 1965.After DA Rajapaksa’s death in 1967 November his son Mahinda became Beliatta SLFP organizer and then MP in 1970.He was the youngest MP then at 24.
The sons of DM Rajapaksa, Lakshman and George also entered politics. While Lakshman Rajapaksa was somewhat an unsteady, maverick politico his brother George proved to be a stable, successful political leader. He contested the newly demarcated Mulkirigala electorate in March 1960 on the SLFP ticket.
George Rajapaksa was undefeated in Mulkirigala in the elections of 1960,65 and 70. He served as Minister of Health and Fisheries in the Gover nment of Sirima Bandaranaike. After George’s death in 1976 his brother Lakshman contested the Mulkirigala by-election in 1976 and won.
George Rajapaksa’s daughter Nirupama had a fiery baptism in Politics when she contested byelections in 1983 at the age of 20.She lost then but entered Parliament in subsequent elections and was later appointed deputy minister. Although Nirupama Rajapaksa is referred to mainly as a niece of Mahinda Rajapaksa,the President’s siblings like Chamal, Gotabaya and Basil too are her uncles.
THIRUKUMAR
Nirupama therefore is the link through which Thirukumar Nadesan is connected to the President. This relationship has been the cause of harassment at times to the couple on their trips to India particularly Tamil Nadu. They were harassed a few years ago too in the state and had to be given Police protection.
Despite his Colombo upbringing Thirukumar is a devout Hindu who frequently visits India for religious and cultural purposes.he has been to places of religious significance such as Benares,gaya and Haridhwar in North India and several places in South India like Thiruppathy. He worships annually at the Murugan temple in Thiruchenthoor each year during “Kandasashdi”and can recite the “Kandasashdi Kavasam” verses.
Thirukumar Nadesan has often been to Rameswaram where the famous Ramanathaswami temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located.rameswaram is basically a town where pilgrims and tourists flock.interestingly both Rameswaram and the Ramanathaswami temple are“connected”to Sri Lanka in belief,legend and history.
Rameswaram is a coastal town situated on Paamban Island in the Ramanathapuram(ramnad) district of Tamil Nadu.paamban Island in the gulf of Mannar is at the Southern tip of India and linked to the Indian mainland by the Paamban bridge built over the waters known as Paamban channel.
Rameswaram is about 50 km away from the Mannar island in Sri Lanka. The Indo-ceylon ferry used to sail between Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka and Dhanushkodi in India. Incidently Dhanushkodi is the birthplace of famous scientist and for mer Indian President AJ Abdul Kalam who is currently visiting Sri Lanka.
RAMESWARAM
The name Rameswaram is derived from Rama the king of Ayodhya and avatar of the deity Lord Vishnu.according to folklore and belief it was from Rameswaram that Rama with the help of his “Vaanara senai”(monkey ar my) built the bridge known as “Ramar Anai or Ram Sethu”(adam’s bridge)to invade Sri Lanka and rescue his abducted wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana the king of “Lankapuri”.
According to folklore and some versions of the “Ramayana” it was at Rameswaram that Rama prayed to Lord Siva to seek pardon and absolve himself of sins committed during the course of the war against Ravana.although the premier deity at the temple is Lord Siva both Saivaites as well as Vaishnavaites worship here in large numbers as it is considered to be one of the holiest places for all Hindus.
For Vaishnavaites worshipping Lord Vishnu Rameswaram is one of the four main “char dam”(four abodes) along with Badrinath,puri and Dwarka dedicated to the avatars or incar nations of Lord Vishnu.badrinath in the north,rameswaram in the South, Dwarka in the west and Puri in the East for m a geographical rectangle.
The chief deity at the Rameswaram temple, Ramanathaswamy is in the for m of a “Shivalingam”. The lingam here is one of the twelve great abodes of Lord Shiva in India known as “Jyothilingams”.these are shrines where Lord Shiva is worshipped as a “pillar of light”.(jyothilingam).
Among these temples dedicated to Lord Shiva the Kashi Vishwanath temple in North India at Varanasi(benares) and Ramanathaswami temple in South India at Rameshwar(rameswaram) are regarded as the most important.both are revered as holy places to conduct last rites for the departed, scatter or dissolve ashes and observe rituals to propitiate ancestors.
RAMANATHASWAMI
There has also been a special relationship between the Rameswaram temple and the Tamils of Sri Lanka. There was a time when cows were reared in Neduntheevu (Delft)island in the north for the Rameswaram temple and milk supplied regularly for “Abhiseghas” there. There are also many properties belonging to the temple in Jaff- na. Several jewellery shops in Kannathiddy, Jaffna are “owned” by “Ramanathaswami”.
Devotees from Jaffna have flocked to Rameswaram for many years. Several have settled down per manently in Rameswaram and there is a tiny “Jaffna” colony in proximity to the Easter n Gopura (Tower) of the temple.
Among the Jaffna Tamils who settled down there was a school teacher called Kanagasuntharam who taught English to for mer Indian President Abdul Kalam. Thavamanidevi from Jaffna who made a mark as an attractive actress in Tamil films also settled down in Rameswaram in later life and was married to a Brahmin priest.
There was also a special pilgrims inn or “Madam”specifically for Jaffna devotees called “Yaarlpaanathaar Thirumadam” on the “Vadakku veethi” or northern street.it was renovated and reconstructed by Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan. The building was later taken over by the Tamil Nadu government and is now used as an office of the temple.
All these details illustrate the continuous relationship between Jaffna Tamils and Rameswaram. It is against this backdrop that the recent rowdyism of an attempted attack against a Hindu devotee of Jaffna Tamil origin has to be viewed.it must be emphasized however that the act cannot be regarded as an isolated instance but has to be seen as part of the anti–sri Lanka, anti-rajapaksa frenzy being whipped up by extremist racist elements in Tamil Nadu.
Like many devotees,thirukumar Nadesan too has been going to Rameswaram for many years in the past to conduct special poojas and Yagnas for propitiation purposes. He was doing so in a personal capacity. Unfortunately his visit to Rameswaram had been grossly misinterpreted by some political elements who mobbed him and accused him of doing pooja on behalf of President Rajapaksa.
BRAHMINS
Although the incident happened on January 10th its reverberations continue still. The federation of Brahmins associations in Rameswaram with a membership of over 500 announced a hunger strike in protest over the attack on Thirukumar Nadesan. Although the Police gave per mission to stage it on Friday January 20th the per mission was later revoked.shankara Vaathiyaar the president of the Brahmins federation has said that at present the hunger strike has only been postponed.
Many days have passed since the rowdy incident occurred.the incident as a flashpoint of tension sheds much light on the nexus prevailing among low level(metaphorical and literal)sections of the local Police,media and political activists of the region.moreover the incident has been distorted and misreported by sections of the media in India and Global Diaspora. For these reasons this column wishes to focus specifically on the rowdyism at Rameswaram on Jan 10th 2012.
Thirukumar Nadesan arrived in India on Saturday January 7th. After an unpleasant past experience it had been the practice to request security from India during such visits. It had always been granted.
The fact that his spouse Nirupama was a niece of President Rajapaksa and was also a Govt deputy minister necessitated such security. But on this occasion Nadesan did not make such a request to the Indian High Commission in Colomo as Nirupama was not accopanying him and also because it was a personal pilgrimage undertaken for religious purposes.
Nadesan checked in at the Chitra Park Hotel in Thiruchenthoor and commenced his religious observances. Thiruchenthoor is one of the “Arupadaiveedugal” or six revered abodes of Lord Muruga or Skanda.it is believed to be the venue of the battle in which Lord Muruga led the Devas and defeated the Asuras.lord Muruga is worshipped as Senthilaandavan and the temple known as Thiruchenthoor Senthilaandavan Kovil.
“Q”BRANCH
While at Thiruchenthoor Nadesan came under the radar of the lo- cal Police “Q’branch. The special branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Tamil Nadu is known as the “Q” branch. The “Q”branch set up in 1971 specializes in intelligence gathering and monitoring suspected extremist activity. The “Q’branch was aware that Nadesan’s next destination was Rameswaram.
Nadesan reached Rameswaram about 3 pm on Monday January 9th and checked in at Hotel Royal Park. The local”q”branch Police were awaiting him at the Hotel when he arrived. In the evening Nadesan went to the Ramanathaswami temple to worship.he was accompanied by two “Q’branch officers in civils. While exiting the temple a person presumed to be from the press photographed him suddenly. However a uniformed Police Inspector politely sent the photographer away. Nadesan had dinner at 8.30 pm at the Royal Park hotel where he had six “Q’branch officers as guests.
Nadesan left the Hotel very early in the morning. When he went out there were two “Q”branch officers in the Hotel lobby.the Sri Lankan Tamil devotee then proceeded to the residence of a Brahmin priest RC Anandha Dikshithar on Nadutheru in the Melavasal area.
A “Shraaddha”ceremony began at the house at 6.00 am. It was conducted by Brahmin priests on behalf of Thirukumar Nadesan. This involved a “Pinda -dhan” where offerings are made to ancestors in the for m of “Pindas”made by Brahmins.the pindas are balls made of cooked rice or flour mixed with ghee, honey and black sesame seeds. The Pindas are offered to the souls of departed ancestors and then dissolved in water.
In Nadesan’s case the “Pinda –dhan” was for three generations of pater nal and mater nal ancestors. After the ritual at the Nadutheru residence the Sri Lankan Tamil businessman had walked to the beach on the easter n side of the Ramanathaswami temple known as “Agni theertham”(holy water body of fire) and dissolved the Pinda or rice balls in the sea.
There are 64 “theerthams”or holy water bodies in Rameswaram. Bathing or perfor ming religious rites here ear n great merit. “Agni theertham” is regarded as the most sacred among them. Nadesan then retur ned to Anandha Dikshithar’s residence to continue with the rest of the religious rituals. He was bare –bodied and wearing a verti according to custom.
QUESTIONS
When Nadesan retur ned he found six persons at the gate. They had come on three motor cycles and possessed cameras, camcorders and tape recorders.introducing themselves as being from the press they began bombarding Nadesan with questions.
The “jour nos” asked questions about the Political situation in Sri Lanka and about the Rajapaksa family.nadesan politely declined to answer saying he was not a politician and that he was in Rameswaram for a religious and not a political purpose.suddenly a mob of about 40 to 50 persons emerged from a phar macy named “Moon Medicals” across the road. Many in the group were wearing black tee shirts with the portrait of slain LTTE supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran or with a picture of a leaping tiger. This rabble virtually surrounded Nadesan and began shouting slogans in Tamil.
They began chanting that there was no place in Rameswaram for Rajapaksa family members when the Sinhala navy was killing Tamil fisher men from Rameswaram. They also screamed that Sinhala govt people who had massacred Tamils in Sri Lanka won’t be allowed to enter Tamil Nadu.black flags and placards were waved vigorously. Nadesan tried to explain but his voice was drowned in the shouting.
Upon hearing the commotion the Brahmin priests came outside. Concerned for Thirukumar’s safety the priests pulled him out of the melee and took him inside the house. Seeing their target escaping some of the rowdy mob tried to hit Nadesan with the flag poles. A few threw their slippers and chappals at him. But Nadesan entered the house safely.