Flood challenges ‘development’ theories applied to Eezham Tamils

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2011, 08:42 GMT]
The helpless situation caused by floods in the country of Eezham Tamils challenges the ‘development’ theories of the West and India in approaching the post-war national question in the island of Sri Lanka with ‘development sans political solution.’ Neither the ‘corporate philanthropy’ nor the international infrastructure pouring money for ‘stability’ of Colombo could help the repeatedly affected people to face even natural disasters and manage their rehabilitation. When the genocidal State and its occupying military are busy in scheming subjugation and demographic changes, the flood exposes the bankruptcy of the ‘development imperialists’ who neither recognize national political organisation of Eezham Tamils nor arrange independent space for diaspora help, nor intervene directly, but leaves everything in the hands of genocidal Colombo, commented an academic of the Eastern University.

By ordering the international NGOs to leave the Tamil country, occupying Sri Lanka systematically cut down direct aid reaching war-affected Tamils. This now reflects in adequate aid coming for the flood victims and in the equal distribution of the aid among the affected people, said TNA parliamentarian for Batticaloa, Mr. P. Selvarajah.

Around 300, 000 people were displaced in the East and in Vanni in the recent floods. Another 100,000 were displaced in a fresh flooding in the last few days.

The affliction was severe in all the districts of the East and in Vanni and Mannaar in the North, especially because the large reservoirs in the Sinhala districts were opened to save the dams and floods there.

The two universities in the East are deluged by floods and are closed.

301 schools in the East are seriously affected in the floods while displaced people occupy another 242 schools.

During Tsunami and War, there were at least some international agencies distributing aid in The East. But now no one operates in any organized way and the affected are starving without even one meal a day, Mr. Selvaraja said.

The UN without demanding a direct reach-out to the affected, talks of aid to Colombo.

The IMF releases instalment after instalment of money to the ‘stability’ Colombo, without caring what regeneration and stability of the actually affected people has been achieved.

Everyone knows where the fundamental flaw lies, but the international system managers are not prepared to accept it, or to act on it. This makes the development imperialists and the donor partners of Colombo the worst culprits, commented the academic from the East, adding that this negation attitude of the development imperialists will make their reconciliation with Eezham Tamils difficult in future.