| 2013 anti-Sri Lanka protests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofprotests against the Sri Lankan Civil War | |||
 | |||
| Date | 11 March – October 2013[1] | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Retaliation forwar crimes committed against theSri Lankan Tamil people during theSri Lankan Civil War | ||
| Goals |
| ||
| Methods | Hunger strikes,picketings,protest marches,sit-ins,self-immolation | ||
| Resulted in | |||
| Parties | |||
| Casualties and losses | |||
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The2013 anti-Sri Lanka protests were a series ofstudent protests led byTamil protesters and activists inTamil Nadu,India in retaliation forwar crimes committed against theSri Lankan Tamil people by theSri Lankan Army during thefinal stages of theSri Lankan Civil War in 2009.
Protests were initiated by theStudents Federation for Freedom of Tamil Eelam. Protesters demanded that theGovernment of India vote in support of aUnited Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution censuring theGovernment of Sri Lanka forwar crimes.[4] More radical sects of the protests demanded the prosecution ofSri Lankan PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa for his role in the allegedgenocide of Sri Lankan Tamils. Apart from college students, doctors, film personalities and employees of IT companies also participated in the protests.[5]
Protests began on 11 March 2013, when eight students ofLoyola College,Chennai fasted in condemnation of alleged atrocities committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka. All 8 students were promptly arrested by theTamil Nadu Police.[6] The arrests were criticised by student organisations as well as the management of Loyola College and nine colleges across the city went on strike in response.[6]
Following protests saw students from all over Tamil Nadu take to streets in a massive outrage against the predominantly-Sinhalesegovernment of Sri Lanka. A large number of students participated in the protest, including students from other states whom were temporarily studying in Tamil Nadu.
A statewide general strike declared on 12 March by theTamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) evoked a mixed response, with most political parties in the state remaining aloof and alleging inaction on the part of the main participant, theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).[7][8]
On 16 March, a Sri LankanBuddhist monk was attacked at theBrihadeeswara Temple inThanjavur.[9] Another monk was attacked the following day, atChennai Central.[10]
Student organisations called for statewide agitations on 18 March. Large-scale agitations were held outsideRaj Bhavan, Chennai resulting in the arrest of over 500 students.[11][12] TheGovernment of Tamil Nadu declared the indefinite closure of 525 engineering colleges affiliated toAnna University,[13] and several other arts and science colleges in the state were forced to close down for an indefinite period.[14] As colleges remained closed, student groups organised protests usingsocial media.
On 2 April 2013, severalTamil film actors staged a one-day fast in support of the protests.[15]
On 20 June 2013, during the2013 ICC Champions Trophy semi-final match betweenIndia andSri Lanka at theSWALEC Stadium inCardiff,Wales, severalTamil Eelam supporters invaded the pitch withTamil Eelam flags.[16] After the match, at least 400 protesters held up the bus for the Sri Lankan team and shouted anti-Sri Lankan government slogans at the cricketers.[17]
TheTamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed legislation on 27 March 2013 urging theIndian Government to impose economic sanctions onSri Lanka and demand for the formation of a separateTamil state for the Sri Lankan Tamils. The resolution also called on the Indian Government to stop considering Sri Lanka as a "friendly country" and called for an international inquiry in "genocide and war crimes" against Sri Lankan Tamils.[18][19]
The resolution called for the formation of a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka, through the means of a referendum by a resolution at the UN Security Council which should be conducted among Tamils in Sri Lanka and other displaced Tamils across the world.[19]
The resolution which was proposed byTamil Nadu Chief MinisterJ. Jayalalithaa was unanimously passed by the Assembly. The resolution was passed following the debate in the Council regarding the then-ongoing protests.[18][19] Moving the resolution, Jayalalithaa said the ongoing students protest was reflective of her government's initiative on the Sri Lankan issue even as she requested protestors to withdraw the stir and resume classes.[20]
The Assembly passed another resolution in October 2013, demanding that the Indian government boycott the2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which was slated to be hosted by Sri Lanka and also sought the temporary suspension of Sri Lanka from theCommonwealth of Nations until Sri Lanka takes steps to grant what they call similar rights toTamils as those enjoyed bySinhalese.[21][22][23][24]Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh announced his decision not to participate in the event due to pressure from regional Tamil parties regarding Sri Lanka's alleged human rights record. External Affairs MinisterSalman Khurshid represented India at the summit in place of the prime minister.[25]
The protests led to strained relations between theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the main opposition party of Tamil Nadu, and theIndian National Congress (INC) the then-ruling party of India. On 19 March, DMK presidentM. Karunanidhi announced the party's withdrawal from the INC-ledUnited Progressive Alliance, citing the INC's alleged disregard for the suffering ofSri Lankan Tamils as the DMK's reason for pulling out.[26] The DMK's withdrawal was well received by DMK supporters. This left the INC isolated in Tamil Nadu in the2014 general elections, contesting in 40 seats alone and losing in all constituencies. The DMK would eventually rejoin the UPA during the2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, but the alliance would once again lose to the rulingAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).[27]
