MUMBAI
Anu Prabhakar talks to the group of Loyola College students who sparked off last week's protests against Sri Lanka.
It all started with an email. A few weeks ago, William Charles, a second year BA student at Loyola College in Chennai, received an email from a friend with a draft of the US-backed UN resolution on Sri Lanka’s war crimes against Tamilians in 2009.
Given that the UN itself has estimated more than 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed during the final stages of the war on Tamil Eelam during 2008-2009, Charles was disturbed by the mild language censuring Sri Lanka in the draft.
So he and three college friends started planning a protest. On March 8, they decided to organise a hunger strike the next day on their campus, which is close to the Sri Lankan embassy. Duties were split: BSC Mathematics final year student Joe Britto was in charge of the hunger strike, while classmate Sahaya Stephen J, along with Charles, was to organise the protest. “Eight people were to go on a hunger strike on Sunday, but no one else knew about it. We were worried that on Monday everyone would go back to their schools, colleges and offices and forget this issue,” says Charles.
But at around 2am, the group of eight who were observing the fast were arrested and were taken to a government hospital. “Our doctor said we were fine,” says Britto. “Yet the police took us to the Royapettah hospital, where we continued our hunger strike. We withdrew our strike only after political parties tried to get involved.”
The arrests snowballed into what analysts and newspaper reports describe as one of the largest student protests in TN, second only to the anti-Hindi campaign of 1965, which was also led by students. Scores of students across the state joined the protests, forcing many colleges to shut down indefinitely.
Charles says that the group took a week to prepare for the protest. They poured over history books and read about the Sri Lankan-Tamilians issue in greater detail.
On a normal day, economics student Sarah Jacob* enters Loyola College through a ‘side gate’. But when she found the gate closed a few days after the arrests, she knew something was wrong. “On campus, students were protesting with placards. I also saw policemen and a police van outside the campus,” she says. “But Loyola College is not politcally active. So I was very surprised.”
Charles and Britto insist that their protests are not politically motivated, and are against human rights violations – a claim backed by Chennai-based political commentator Gnani Sankaran. He believes that the students’ fast was important as it “started the wave”. “No DMK, AIADMK, PMK ... hands are secretly guiding the protest,” says Sankaran.
A journalist working for a business newspaper explains that the protests spread like a “forest fire” with students from places like Trichy, Salem and Coimbatore joining the protest after the arrests. “Huge banners of Prabhakaran’s son were put up in the road leading to the Secretariat. I never thought I would see all this during Jayalalitha’s regime.”
On March 21, a ‘watered down’ version of the US-sponsored resolution on the crimes in Sri Lanka was eventually passed in the UN, with India voting for it. This news left students angry, but not disappointed. “We expected it,” says Joe Britto. “We are going to continue our protest till the UN declares that Sri Lanka committed genocide of Tamilians,” he says.
*Name changed to protect identity
THIS Gautam Adani company's shares are in spotlight as it raises Rs 4200 crore in...
Delhi-NCR's air quality turns 'poor', AQI reaches...
India-Canada row: ‘No action on request to arrest Lawrence Bishnoi gang members’, says MEA
Cyclone Alert: Odisha coast likely to face cyclone next week, IMD issues alert
Noida school horror: Victim's mother reveals 'my daughter was told...'
‘India and Pakistan should bury the past’: Nawaz Sharif after S Jaishankar's visit
'Dil to bachcha hai ji': Rahul Gandhi's heartfelt interaction with kids, WATCH viral video
JEE Main 2025: NTA releases important notice on JEE Main exam pattern
Blow to Mukesh Ambani as Reliance Jio loses 10.9 million subscribers due to...
Joe Biden reacts to Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar's killing, says 'that obstacle no longer exists but...'
Viral video: Desi girl's sizzling dance to 'Aaj Ki Raat' impresses internet, watch
Watch: Heartwarming video of girl treating slippers like a baby goes viral
Earn Rs 250000000 through THIS NASA challenge: Here’s how you can participate
DNA TV Show: Bahraich murder accused shot in police encounter near Nepal border; 5 held
Good news for Narayana Murthy, Infosys net profit rises to Rs 6,506 crore
Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED in Guwahati in money laundering case, details inside
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel PM Netanyahu confirms
UGC NET June 2024 Result DECLARED: NTA announces UGC NET 2024 June exam result online, check here
Did IDF eliminate Yahya Sinwar, or has Martyr been born in Gaza?
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar among 3 killed by Israel? Israel Defense Forces updates
Kangana Ranaut's Emergency finally cleared by CBFC, new release date...
Here's the film after which Shah Rukh Khan started drinking, his co-stars were Aishwarya Rai and...
Akash Ambani, Shloka Mehta live on 27th floor of Rs 15000 crore Antilia, here's why
Young entrepreneur’s Rahul Sachdeva journey to make foreign education accessible
Is Rajinikanth's Poes Garden home flooded amid Chennai rains? Here's the truth behind viral video
'My family is broken but..': Zeeshan Siddiqui's first reaction to father Baba Siddiqui's death
DNA Auto Award 2024 Has Spoken: Jawa 42 FJ, bringing Neo-classic revolution in Motor Industry
Apple iPad 10th gen vs iPad 9th gen: Should you buy or wait for iPad 11?
Nita Ambani's hairstylist explains why haircuts can't fix damage and offers solutions
Bigg Boss Kannada's Kiccha Sudeepa retires from hosting duties, says 'let's make this season...'
Air India flight from Mumbai transmits emergency signal over London, claims Flight tracker
Elon Musk applauds India's decision: Spectrum allocation favors open access and innovation
BIG UPDATE on IPL auction, Saudi Arabia to host event, will take place on...
Two Bahraich violence accused shot by police in encounter while fleeing to Nepal; 5 held
'I won’t be returning': South African legend bids farewell to Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2025
Indian stargazers spot rare, ancient comet after 80,000 years, see breathtaking pics
'46 all-out new 36 all-out?': Cricket Australia trolls India after batting collapse vs New Zealand
Karwa Chauth 2024: Know the date, timings, history and significance
Mukesh Ambani's Jio superhit 5G plan, offers 90 days validity with unlimited data
IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli equals THIS unwanted record with 9-ball duck against New Zealand in 1st Test
Proba-3: ISRO to launch ESA Solar Eclipse Mission with precision satellites
'Law not blind': Supreme court makes 2 BIG CHANGES, unveils new justice lady and replaced…
J-K: Several CRPF Jawans injured in road accident in Budgam, probe underway
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna named CJI Chandrachud's successor, could become next Chief Justice?
Mukesh Ambani's BIG move: Reliance investors to get this DIWALI bonanza, know details here
'Ravan ko kisne maara?' This kid's hilarious answer will leave your in splits, WATCH viral video
Nayab Singh Saini takes oath as Haryana CM in presence of PM Modi, BJP brass
IND vs NZ: India all out for 46 runs, lowest test score at home
Hunter's Moon 2024: NASA drops first glimpse of brightest Supermoon, shares its significance
Meet man, IIT graduate who worked for Indian Railways, then went on to join Elon Musk's...
IND vs NZ: Devon Conway takes one hand blunder, gets Sarfaraz Khan on duck, watch video here