Introduction – What Was Destroyed Was Not Just a Movement, But an Emerging State
The year 2009 is not just a date in modern history.
For the Tamil people, it marks a carefully orchestrated chapter of darkness.
In that year, global political alliances came together not merely to destroy an armed movement, but to dismantle something far more dangerous to them – an emerging self-governing Tamil state, built through knowledge, structure, and vision.
Yet, even in destruction, certain truths cannot be erased.
One such truth is the Eelam Weather Monitoring Station (தமிழீழ காலநிலை அவதானிப்பு நிலையம்) – a powerful and irrefutable reminder that Tamil Eelam was not a fantasy or a militant dream, but a functioning de facto state in the process of full institutional development.
This station was not simply a scientific project.
It was the heartbeat of a future nation.
The Pillar of Self-Reliance – Self-Strength and Independent Thought
At the core of Leader V. Prabhakaran’s political philosophy was one uncompromising truth:
“A people must never borrow their freedom from outsiders.”
The Eelam Weather Monitoring Station was the physical expression of that belief.
For any state to function, one of its most essential foundations is meteorological knowledge – the ability to observe, analyse, and predict climatic conditions.
This is critical for:
• Agriculture and food security
• Maritime safety and coastal defence
• Aviation and aerial movements
• Infrastructure planning
• Disaster preparedness
• Environmental stability
Recognising this, the Tamil Eelam administration sought to control and develop this knowledge independently, without reliance on foreign governments or international agencies.
This was not a minor technical initiative.
It was the architectural planning of a sovereign state built through knowledge.
Not the Import of Knowledge, But the Creation of It
One of the most distinctive features of the Tamil national liberation movement was that it did not focus solely on weaponry or warfare.
It invested in intellectual capacity.
Under specialised guidance provided by Tamil scholars invited from outside, more than twenty cadres were selected and sent for advanced training in critical scientific fields, including:
• Meteorology
• Atmospheric Science
• Astronomy
• Satellite Technology
• Data interpretation and climatic prediction systems
This was no ordinary educational effort.
It was a state-building program.
A structure seeking survival does not invest in long-term scientific education.
A structure envisioning permanent nationhood does.
That is precisely what was happening in Tamil Eelam.
Vision Beyond the Present – Knowledge as a Shield and a Strategy
Leader Prabhakaran did not view institutions as isolated bodies. Each structure was envisioned as a future node in an integrated national system.
The Weather Monitoring Station was designed not merely for observation, but as an expandable centre that could contribute to:
• Maritime strategy and naval route planning
• Aerial movement monitoring and navigation support
• Climatological intelligence gathering
• Environmental data storage systems
• Early warning and predictive models
It represented the early blueprint of a knowledge-based national security architecture.
This is what deeply unsettled global powers.
Because a movement that can plan battles is one thing.
But a people who begin to build scientific institutions for the future are no longer just rebels – they are a nation in the making.
And that is dangerous to every empire and centralised power structure.
Why Did the World Turn Against This?
The world had seen armed movements before. They are often tolerated, negotiated with, and eventually absorbed or neutralised.
But what the Tamil struggle represented was something different:
An oppressed people, under embargo, siege, and systematic isolation, was constructing a parallel state apparatus — scientific, educational, administrative, and strategic – without international approval or assistance.
This terrified global power structures.
If the Tamils of Eelam could do this:
• Without recognition
• Without international funding
• Without formal alliances
• Under constant military threat
Then any oppressed nation in the world could do the same.
That precedent had to be erased.
Thus, one by one, political pressure, economic restrictions, military assistance, and propaganda were mobilised to dismantle this self-driven state project.
The message the world wanted to send was:
“Self-rule for nations like you is impossible.”
Yet, even in defeat, the very existence of institutions like the Weather Monitoring Station disproves that narrative.
Surpassing Even the Models of Established Nations
The formation of Israel depended on global Jewish networks, international funding, military support, and diplomatic recognition by powerful states.
Tamil Eelam had none of these.
What it had was:
• A visionary leader
• A disciplined people
• A powerful historical consciousness
• An unbreakable national will
Yet even in these circumstances, a scientific weather monitoring station was established deep within a war zone.
This demonstrates that Tamil Eelam was not merely aspiring to statehood – it was actively practising it.
This is not just political history.
This is a record of civilisational determination.
Conclusion – A Witness That Cannot Be Silenced
What was destroyed in 2009 was not simply:
• A militant organisation
• A physical territory
• Or even human lives alone
What was destroyed was:
An emerging knowledge-state
A blueprint for national independence
A future built on science and self-reliance
The Eelam Weather Monitoring Station stands today, morally and historically, as undeniable proof:
Tamil Eelam was not an illusion.
It was a nation coming into existence.
Land can be invaded.
Buildings can be bombed.
People can be killed.
But a historical truth — once created — can never be erased.
And the truth is this:
What was destroyed in 2009 was a State.
Author: Eelathu Nilavan
Tamil National Historian | Analyst of Global Politics, Economics, Intelligence, and Military Affairs
