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tamil nadu
& Tamil Eelam strugglE for freedom
Bharathiraja moved by LTTE's sacrifices
TamilNet, 4 December, 2004; PTI - 5 December 2004
[see also Maha
Veerar Naal 2004]
 "Tamils
of Eelam must achieve success by continuing to pursue their policies
courageously as they have been doing for the past 30 years...The
Eelam Tamils must stand firm and attain their final goal," said
Bharathiraja
(63), the veteran Tamil Director from Tamil Nadu in South India,
in an interview to a popular Tamil daily in Jaffna Friday. Mr.
Bharathirajah's visit to Jaffna was arranged by Mr.S.Thiyagarajah
Managing Director of Richo Holidays.
Bharathiraja is often
characterised as the director who brought filming from artificial
surrounding and constumes to remote Tamil villages in Tamil Nadu.
"When I was in Jaffna in its natural surroundings and what I saw and
heard there made me feel very homely. I am fascinated by the people
of Jaffna. However I was badly shaken by the scars of war I saw. I
became heavy hearted by the thought that this much of wound has been
inflicted on this soil which thrives with valour, heroism, militancy
and martyrdom," the film director told the paper.
"It is
really the pride of this soil that its people have withstood all the
trials and hardships forced on them. The Tamils of Tamilnadu too
have performed great things and made great achievements. But they
are all dwarfed by the greatness of the achievements of Eelam
Tamils. Which ever part of the world you may go to and look for
Tamil Intellectuals it is the Eelam Tamils that you see."
"My
association with the people there revealed that each of them had a
sad story to tell. The impact of the war has been devastatingly
broad and far-reaching. But the people remain undaunted.
"I
witnessed the Hero's Day events which really melted my heart. The
lighting of the Torch in memory of the Heroes was a magnificent
sight. I was chilled to the spine when I saw the rows of tombs in
Maaveer Cemetry of fallen heroes who laid their lives for the future
freedom of their people," the director said.
He also said the
Jaffna
Public Library used to be one which has attained world standard
until it was destroyed as part of cultural genocide of Northeast
Tamils.
Bharathiraja has been awarded the Padma Shri award
for his contribution to Cinema in 2004.
Bharathiraja's film
"16 Vayathinile," for which he wrote the story and the script, is
regarded as a film that brought a paradigm shift in Tamil film
making.
His films deal in social themes in a rural
background. Vetham Pudhithu (1986) dealt with caste prejudice. His
film Karuthamma (1994) which dealt with female infanticide won him
the award for being the best film with the a social message. His
film "Muthal Mariyathai" won the best regional film award. Kizhake
Pogum Rayil (1978), Kallukul Eeram (1980), Manvasani (1983), Pudumai
Penn (1984) and Oru Kaithyin Diary (1985) are other popular Tamil
films directed by Bharathiraja.
Colombo, Dec. 5 (PTI):
Tamil Film Director Bharathiraja, has said he was deeply moved
by the sacrifices made by Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka.
Bharathiraja attended the
Heroes' Day
ceremony in Jaffna last month to honour 17,800 men and women the
LTTE has lost in fighting so far.
"When I was in Jaffna in
its natural surroundings, what I saw and heard there made me feel
very homely. I am fascinated by the people of Jaffna," he was quoted
as saying by pro-rebel Tamilnet website. "I witnessed the Heroes'
Day events which really melted my heart. The lighting of the torch
in memory of the Heroes was a magnificent sight," he said.
"However, I was badly shaken by the scars of war I saw. I became
heavy hearted by the thought that this much of wound has been
inflicted on this soil which thrives with valour, heroism, militancy
and martyrdom", he said.
The director also said the people
of Tamil Nadu had made "great achievements" but they were "dwarfed"
by those of the
LTTE.
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