Musicians in Chennai stage day long fast

Reuters: Musicians and singers in India’s southern Chennai city stage a day long fast on Thursday (March 28) to protest against war crimes committed against Tamils by the Sri Lankan government during the civil war, which came to an end in 2009.

Nearly 100 singers observed the fast at Valluvarkottam, a popular monument in Chennai, and shouted slogans against the federal government and the Sri Lankan government.

Protesters demanded that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse should be prosecuted before UN Human Rights Council.

Tamil play back singer, PV Ramana, told reporters that the fast was observed to condemn the barbaric acts committed by Sri Lankan government on the fellow Tamilians.

“Today, we are observing a one day token fast for the Tamil Eelams in support of whatever is going on in small little place of Sri Lanka and we are condemning this barbaric act of these people who are there. And, we as fellow Tamils bow down our heads in shame for this lousy act which the people of Sri Lanka are bestowing on our fellow Tamilians,” said Ramana.

Meanwhile, the students continue to hold protests objecting to the alleged war crimes committed on Tamils by the Sri Lankan government and its army during the country’s civil war waged by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in the island nation.

Students took out a procession outside the Chennai High Court demanding stringent action from the provincial and the federal governments.

A protester, Ganesan appealed to the college students of the city to keep their protest alive, so that the voices of the Tamils do not die.

“I on the behalf of the students’ union, I appeal to all the college students of the city to continue with the protest against Sri Lanka and prove that our voice will never die. We have taken out a procession from the Chennai High Court till the office of central southern railway where we will continue our protest demanding justice for the Tamils,” said Ganesan.

Recently, the Provincial Assembly of Tamil Nadu passed anti-Sri Lanka resolution, which was moved by Tamil Nadu state chief Jayalalithaa.

Along with the resolution, she also called for a referendum on a separate Eelam among Tamils in Sri Lanka and Lankan Tamils abroad.

Jayalalithaa also wrote letters to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the government to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo in November this year.

She also stated that Sri Lankan players should not be allowed to play in the upcoming Indian premiere league (IPL) matches held in Chennai city.

The Governing Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai and will advise the nine franchises accordingly.

The war crimes committed on Tamils by the Sri Lankan army during the country’s civil war waged by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in the island nation has shaken the country resulting in several protests in various states.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is under fire from the UN Human Rights Council, which last year adopted a United States-sponsored resolution demanding that Sri Lanka ensure government troops who committed war crimes during the final stages of its war against Tamil rebels are brought to justice.

The 30-year-long civil war between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels of LTTE who at one time controlled large swathes of the north of the island state is estimated to have left tens of thousands of people dead or injured.