> “A community becomes secure only when others fear to humiliate it.”
This is the unspoken rule that governs Indian cinema today.
And the sad truth? Tamils no longer command that fear.
Because of that, mockery and distortion of Tamil identity, history, and struggle have become routine—not only in Bollywood and Mollywood but now also in Telugu cinema. Our pain has been turned into spectacle. Our sacrifices have become jokes.
The latest example is the Telugu film “Kingdom,” which takes shameful liberties in its portrayal of Eelam Tamils—a community that endured genocide, exile, and abandonment. Instead of respecting that history, the film tramples on it, ridiculing the very idea of our resistance.
This is not mere entertainment.
It is a direct attack on our people’s dignity.
✦. Why No One Dares Humiliate the Sikhs
In 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards. What followed was a horrific anti-Sikh pogrom that claimed the lives of over 3,000 Sikhs.
And yet—no filmmaker dares portray Sikhs as villains, terrorists, or clowns. No scriptwriter trivializes their struggle or insults their legacy. Even the state, which once persecuted them, now handles their image with caution.
Why?
Because if you insult one Sikh, ten more will rise in his defense.
If you defame their identity, the entire community unites in righteous resistance.
That is the power of collective self-respect.
That is the power of fearless cultural pride.
✦.But the Tamil People? An Easy Target
When it comes to Tamils—especially Eelam Tamils—there are no such consequences.
Anyone can insult us.
Anyone can misrepresent us.
And no one fears what will happen afterward.
Even worse—if one Tamil rises to resist, there will always be four others rushing to say:
> “Let’s not be violent… We should be civilized… This is just a film…”
This defeatist attitude is why:
Malayalam films have mocked our liberation struggle.
North Indian films have twisted our martyrs into villains.
Now, Telugu films like “Kingdom” boldly depict Eelam Tamils with utter disrespect.
This is not “creative freedom.”
It’s opportunistic cowardice, aimed at those least likely to fight back.
✦. Only Seeman and Naam Tamilar Raise Their Voice
So far, the only political leader to condemn this film publicly is Seeman, head of the Naam Tamilar Katchi. While others remain silent, he has taken a clear and firm stand:
> “We will not allow this film to be released in Tamil Nadu.
If it is, we will launch massive protests.”
This is not simply a political soundbite.
It is a declaration of protective instinct—a rare act of standing guard over a wounded people’s pride.
Whether one agrees with his politics or not, his voice gives life to the silenced soul of Eelam Tamils—a voice that rekindles memory, identity, and rage.
✦. Language and Legacy – Seeds of Resurrection
Persian writer Sadegh Hedayat once said:
> “If you want to destroy a nation’s identity, start by making a joke of its language.”
And that is precisely what’s being done to us.
Our language, our story, our dignity—have been turned into material for ridicule.
But history has shown us time and again:
It only takes one poem, one speech, or one voice to reawaken a dying people.
After betrayal in Vikramapuram, it was a child’s tears that inspired a warrior’s oath.
The grief of a single mother in Mullivaikkal held more truth than any newspaper or politician.
Every time our mother tongue is spoken with pride,
it becomes a shelter for our suffering, and a spark for our resistance.
✦.The Real Enemy Is Our Silence
Let’s stop pretending.
It is our silence that allows this to happen.
It is our passivity that invites mockery.
It is our obsession with being “non-violent” and “reasonable” that becomes the weapon used against us.
We’ve wrapped our cowardice in words like “tolerance” and “artistic freedom,”
but the truth is clear:
If we don’t rise in anger, we will fall in shame.
✦.Resist or Be Reduced
The only way to stop this cycle is to create consequences.
Not empty online outrage.
Not intellectual debates.
But unified resistance, visible backlash, and a loud declaration that Tamils will no longer tolerate humiliation, on screen or off.
We must become a people whose dignity cannot be trifled with.
✦. Final Word
Understand this:
> The longer we remain silent, the more we will be erased.
The more we are erased, the easier it becomes to mock our pain.
The more they mock us, the more we disappear from our own history.
We must rise. Or we will be rewritten.
Written by: Eelaththu Nilavan | 05/08/2025
