✧. Introduction
Tamil nationalism is not merely a cultural identity but a nationhood claim rooted in language, history, and territory. The struggle for Tamil Eelam is one of the world’s longest-running national liberation struggles. Yet, this struggle has not only faced military suppression but also systematic political sabotage by both India and Sri Lanka, aided by international power politics.
At the center of this sabotage are agents of division:
Indian and Sri Lankan intelligence operatives,
Tamil individuals posing as “intellectuals, journalists, writers”,
And international actors whose interests lie in keeping Tamils weak and divided.
✦. Political Strategies of Division
(a) Tamil vs. Tamil
A false separation is constantly reinforced: “Eelam Tamils should only focus on their own issues, and not interfere in Tamil Nadu’s politics.”
This narrative is intended to prevent pan-Tamil national unity and to block the rise of a larger Tamil nationalist movement in Tamil Nadu.
(b) Internal Divisions among Eelam Tamils
The North vs East division was deliberately created and sustained.
Religious fault lines (Hindus vs. Christians) were exploited.
Ideological splits between leftist, centrist, and nationalist currents were encouraged, preventing Tamils from rallying under a single liberation agenda.
(c) Fragmenting Tamil Political Movements
Successive Indian and Sri Lankan governments nurtured multiple small Tamil political parties.
By offering financial incentives, parliamentary seats, or ministerial posts, they weakened collective bargaining power.
This divide-and-rule strategy ensured no unified Tamil front could challenge the state effectively.
✦. Military–Political Interventions
(a) India’s Role
The 1987 Indo–Sri Lanka Accord redefined the Tamil liberation struggle as a “threat to India’s national security.”
The deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) (1987–1990) turned into a brutal counterinsurgency against the Tamils, killing thousands.
After 1990, India indirectly supported the Sri Lankan state with weapons, intelligence, and diplomatic cover, culminating in the genocide of Mullivaikkal in 2009.
(b) Sri Lanka’s Strategy
Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism institutionalized: “Sri Lanka is a Sinhala-Buddhist state.”
Provincial Councils were introduced not to empower Tamils, but to neutralize calls for self-determination.
Military occupation, land grabs, and demographic engineering in the North-East continue to this day.
✦. Economic Subjugation
India uses economic leverage over Sri Lanka to ensure Colombo stays within its sphere of influence.
Under the guise of “development” and “regional security,” Tamil areas are absorbed into Indian and Sri Lankan state projects – weakening the potential for Tamil nationalist resurgence.
International financial institutions (IMF, World Bank) also reinforce Sri Lanka’s unitary state, sidelining Tamil national demands.
✦. False Narratives and Fabricated Histories
Agents of division spread poisonous myths among Tamils:
“Tamils were never a unified nation.”
“Cultural identity is enough; no need for political nationhood.”
“Eelam Tamils must stay out of Tamil Nadu’s political aspirations.”
These narratives deliberately erode Tamil nationalist consciousness and replace it with fragmented, submissive politics.
✦. Global Comparisons
(a) Palestinians
Since 1948, Palestinians have been turned into refugees on their own land.
Israel and the US exploit divisions between Fatah and Hamas, preventing a unified Palestinian liberation front.
Similarly, Tamils were divided into political parties vs. armed movements, North vs. East, weakening their struggle.
(b) Kurds
Kurds are spread across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
Despite being one nation, geopolitical interests and internal divisions prevent their unity.
Competing Kurdish factions often clash, echoing how Tamil factions, too, were split through external manipulation.
(c) Eritreans
Eritrea fought a 30-year liberation war against Ethiopia (1961–1991).
Despite superpower opposition, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) maintained unity and discipline.
Result: Eritrea achieved independence in 1991.
Lesson for Tamils: Unity sustains liberation, division ensures defeat.
✦. Future Challenges
India will never deliver a political solution to Eelam Tamils – its only interest is protecting its regional security and preventing Tamil Nadu’s rise.
Sri Lanka will continue embedding Sinhala-Buddhist supremacy through militarization and demographic change.
International powers will view the Tamil issue through the lens of geopolitics, not justice.
Internal threats – intellectuals, journalists, and political opportunists acting as agents – will keep sowing division and distrust.
✦. Historical Destiny of the Tamil Nation
Palestine remains unfree due to internal divisions.
Kurds remain stateless because of disunity.
Eritrea won independence because it maintained unity.
Tamils must learn: Unity makes liberation possible; division ensures genocide and subjugation.
✦. Conclusion:
The attempt to destroy Tamil unity is not accidental. It is a calculated project run by the Indian and Sri Lankan states, aided by global powers and internal collaborators.
But history offers a clear choice:
Accept division and remain oppressed,
Or reclaim unity and reassert Tamil nationhood.
Every wound on an Eelam Tamil is a wound on the entire Tamil nation.
If Tamils speak with one voice, the world will have no choice but to listen.
Written by Eelaththu Nilavan
Tamil National Historian,
Global Political, Economic & Military Analyst
01/09/2025
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