"Crimes against humanity/Part:02"
When we think about Crimes against humanity or genocide,in our past or ancient history ,Both Mayan civilization and Indus valley civilization comes into our minds.The Mayan Civilisation thrived during 3000 BC & It reached improbable heights between 300 AD to 700 AD.The Spanish conquered Yucatan (1526-46) of Mayans with their guns. If you want to destroy a racial group ,destroy their language.Similarly If you want to destroy the their language,destroy their books It is a indirect form of Genocide!! This is what Spanish done to mayans.This cruelty was done by Spanish Bishop "Diego de Landa" ,whose initial assignment was to convert the Mayas to Catholicism after the Spanish conquest. We too encountered such situation in the name of Jaffna public library on the night of May 31,1981.Over 95,000 unique and irreplaceable Tamil palm leaves (ola), manuscripts, parchments, books, magazines and newspapers, housed within an impressive building inspired by ancient Dravidian architecture,went up in flames like Mayan literature! & were destroyed during the burning that continued unchecked for two nights. The library was one of the largest in Asia.This event was one of the worst book burning events in the 20th century!!
Again in 1983,the state-sponsored mobs of the Sinhalese majority,in a frenzy, obviously under the influence of alcohol ,killed about 3000 people and property damages or loots worth over $300 million U.S.Tamils throughout the world, remember the victims of Black July ’83- Thirty four years ago, the state-sponsored pogrom against Tamils in Sri Lanka.The days between July 24 and July 30, 1983,were tragic,and unforgettable,for the Tamils.However,The May 2009 war, which killed nearly 40,000 Tamil civilians, was record high, beating the July ‘83 holocaust. For the Sri Lankan government, it is victory, but for Tamils, it is the month to reflect and remember. Now May is, to Tamils, like February is to Black people around the world.
When you speak about Genocide,We immediately remember the names of Adolf Hitler & Benito Mussolini.Because they were directly killed over hundred thousands people. However history has many evidences who were more cruel than them.One of them was Spanish Bishop "Diego de Landa".
On July 12, 1562, at the main square of the town of Maní, just outside the Franciscan church,Spanish Bishop "Diego de Landa" burnt several thousand objects /about 5000 'idols ' worshiped by the Maya and 27 precious folding books in Maya writing to destroy the Mayan language and culture.This one act deprived future generations of a huge body of Mayan literature in various subjects such as:their history, beliefs, astronomy, science, mathematics , cultivation .Also Many of the so-called idols were Maya sacred books. Only three survived the fires. Scholars consider the destruction of these sacred Maya texts among the most tragic losses of accumulated human knowledge in world history.
Similarly,Sometime around 1700 BC, ancient urban civilizations of the Indus Valley,its people were attacked and destroyed by invading barbaric tribes-Aryans who were a tribe of Indo-European-speaking, horse-riding nomads.The Rig-Veda, which contains over 1,000 hymns directed to the gods includes praises, blessings, sacrifices, and Curse Against their Enemies [Tamils/Indus Valley people],also talk about their conquest of great cities and Such theories of a violent end of the Indus valley people have been partly proved now by the discovery in Mohenjo-Daro of human remains that indicated a violent cause of death.One such example from Rig veda is given below:
"Destroy the fiend shaped like an owl or owlet, destroy him in the form of dog or cuckoo.
Destroy him shaped as eagle or as vulture as with a stone, O Indra, crush the demon." [The Rig Veda/Mandala 7/Hymn 104]
The one must note that these Mayans & Indus valley people are now assumed/proved as forefathers of,or linked with Tamils by experts & intellectuals from various parts of the world.However,We,the Tamils are still living now after passed/come across these two major genocide/atrocities by so called Indo european race.One branch of this Indo-European language family is Indo-Iranian languages which contain most of the north Indian languages as well as Sinhala.
Let us consider Mahabharata or Vishnu purana as one more last example.Here We find Parasurama also known as the "axe-wielding Rama who is considered as the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu & The son of the forest-dwelling sage Jamadagni.The word Parasu means 'axe' in Sanskrit and therefore the name Parasuram means 'Ram with Axe'.
One day when sage Jamadagni had away from home,King Kartaveeryarjuna came to the hermitage with his soldiers & and forcefully carried the special cow which served all the needs of the sage for his rituals. Soon Parasurama arrived, hearing what happened from his mother Renuka ,He rushed to Kartaviryarjuna and challenged him for a battle. Parasurama killed him & brought back the special cow home. Kartaveeryarjuna's sons got angry & came to the hermitage .As Parasurama was away,They took revenge for the killing of their father with the life of sage Jamadagni by chopping his head. Parasurama was deeply saddened to know about the killing of his father. He thought that the entire Kshatriya (royal or ruling class) community had become arrogant beyond limit. He took an oath that he would teach them a lesson. It is said that he went around and killed all the kings whom he could find. This he did to twenty one generations of kings. It is said that five rivers of blood started as a result from that place.He alone killed very much more people than combined total people killed by mongolian king genghis khan,Adolf Hitler,Joseph Stalin,Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini & Mao Zedong
However,even after killing of twenty one generations of kings,Kshatriya community again started to grow with one king called mulakan of surya dynasty [Suryavam(n)sham or Solar Dynasty],who escaped from Parasurama as women hide him by surrounding him.He is 8th generation prior to Lord Rama of same Solar Dynasty.
As such We can see that A racial group whose have intelligent,valour & power can not be completely destroyed at all .It will always come up again .However It is definitely a set back in the progress of the said racial group Because of this only ,every one want know:
*What did really happen?
*Why did this happen?.
*Who were responsible?
*Who were supported/behind this atrocities /genocide
*Whom to blame/corporate accountability for this human rights violations/International crime?
Because of these,Even Valluar who born 2000 years before said in his famous Thirukkural 548:
"A ruler inaccessible, un probing and unjust
Will sink and be ruined"
The king or the ruler who gives not facile audience (to those who approach him), and who does not examine and pass judgment (on their complaints), will perish in disgrace.
What they ask is very simple.
*"Bring the truth to all"
*"Punish all culprit who involved directly or indirectly"
*"Make this as an example for all"
So that it would not continue/repeat further any more ,any more generations such as Indus valley people,Mayans......etc?It could also stop a serial killer like Parasurama from killing -generations by generations .Also we do not want to wait for another twenty one generations to welcome another Mulakan ,the Saviour !
"I am not able to sleep Somebody Please help me
When I close my eyes Only many corpses come
And unable to answer the questions arised by the corpses that come
I am not able to sleep Those who have the answers Please help
To bury the innocent corpses within my eyes Is an impossible task for me.
I leave this to you, itself. One by one all the twenty-thousand Corpses…
Look closely the tongue of one has been sliced away
For having told the truth
For another the breast has been sliced off
For refused to make love with notorious Army
The corpses that come
Every one of them Scream with questions
In the line of these corpses ,I found five thousands kids
The voices of those Who became corpses by fighting against 'Genocide'--
Are destroying My sleep…
‘Bring the truth..expose the truth.Take action... Now… Now…’
From now I cannot sleep Those with answers Come and Help me.... "
[Kandiah Thillaivinayagalingam]