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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