Symbols of Tamil Eelam

Last updated
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam Flag.svg
Puli Kodi ("Tiger flag")
Use National flag and ensign
Proportion5:9
AdoptedNovember 21, 1990
DesignThe emblem was designed by an Indian artist from Tamil Nadu. [1] The flag depicting a tiger jumping through a circle of 33 bullets, with crossed black bayonets on a red background.

The flag of Tamil Eelam was designated as the national flag of the proposed state in 1990. The tiger symbol of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was created in 1977, differentiating it from the LTTE's emblem by leaving out the letters inscribing the movement's name. [2] [3] In 2005, the LTTE released a guide providing instructions and explaining the correct usage of the Tamil Eelam Flag. The guide written in Tamil specifies the regulations for flying alone or with national flags of other countries, and for general handling of the flag. [4] [5] [6] The flag has four colours: yellow, red, black, and white. It is banned in Sri Lanka and is often seen at protests and functions concerning Tamil Eelam nationalism around the world. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Contents

Symbolic meaning

Tiger symbol

Tamil Eelam supporters in Sydney flying the flag. V8 Supercar, Sydney Telstra 500 Launch @ Martin Place 16.05.09.jpg
Tamil Eelam supporters in Sydney flying the flag.

The jumping tiger was adopted from the emblem of the Chola Empire, it should reflect the martial history (Veera varalaru) and the national upheaval of the Tamils. [12] The national flag is the symbol of the independent state of Tamil Eelam to be created, rooted in the martial traditions (Veera marapuhal) of the Tamils," LTTE organ Viduthalai Puligal said in its February 1991 issue.

Also, Neil De Votta explains that the 'sword-carrying lion on the Sri Lanka's national flag' is disowned by Tamils, as it represents Prince Vijaya and Sinhalese hegemony over minorities (ibid.: 6). This is also used to explain the use of the tiger by the LTTE to counter the lion during the civil war [13]

Crossed bayonets and circle

Vellupillai Prabhakaran himself mentioned in a Tamil interview the circle and crossed bayonets represent the armed resistance and were based on the historical shield with crossed swords flag of Pandara Vanniyan. [14] The circle sometimes considered to be a "Uthaya Suriyan" (rising sun) which is a symbol of Sri Lankan Tamils and earlier political movements. The LTTE leader was often compared to Pandara Vanniyan of Vannimai, because both had a similar fate. Pandara Vanniyan was a freedom fighter during the British colonial era in Sri Lanka. [15]

33 bullets

The bullets symbolise the historical 33 years between 1948 - 1981 (oppression the Tamil population by the Sri Lankan government before the outbreak of Sri Lankan Civil War). [16]

Colours

Flag of the Tamil Democrats with the traditional colors of Tamil Eelam Bicolor flag of Tamil Eelam.svg
Flag of the Tamil Democrats with the traditional colors of Tamil Eelam

Four aspects of ideals and mission of Tamil Eelam represented by the four colours are detailed in the published guide book.

The yellow signifies that Tamils' aspiration to freely govern themselves in their own homeland is a fundamental political and human right. The colour expresses the righteousness of Tamil struggle and reinforces Tamil Nation's will to uphold moral highground during its path towards freedom.

The red represents the realisation that freedom is not complete by establishment of a separate state of Tamil Eelam. Distinctions of caste and class should be abolished. Egalitarianism should become their spiritual principle. Gender equality should permeate Tamil society. The revolutionary changes necessary to spread social justice represented by these principles are reflected by this colour.

The black reminds that march towards freedom is wrought with dangers, death and destruction, that is filled with pain and misery. It signifies determination and resoluteness vital to withstand the adversities and build the new nation of Tamil Eelam, to provide security and to defend the borders.

The white demands purity, honesty and selflessness from the leaders and citizens of Tamil Eelam.

National anthem

Anthem:Eruthu Paar Kodi

Eruthu Paar Kodi (Look the Flag is Rising) is a Tamil song, written by Puthuvai Rathinathurai, [17] sung at the hoisting of the Flag of Tamil Eelam. [18] As the most widely used song of the Tamils, it was used in the place of a national anthem by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [19] [20] The song was written during the Sri Lankan Civil War. [21]

Lyrics

The song praises the flag and describes the pride of Tamil Eelam army

ஏறுதுபார் கொடி (Tamil)ēṟutupār koṭi ISO 15919

ஏறுதுபார் கொடி ஏறுது பார்
ஏறுதுபார் கொடி ஏறுது பார் – இங்கு
ஏறுதுபார் கொடி ஏறுது பார் – தமிழ்
ஈழத்தின் வேதனை தீர்த்தகொடி – எட்டுத்
திக்கிலும் மானத்தைச் சேர்த்தகொடி
காலத்தை வென்றுமே நின்றகொடி – புலி
காட்டிய பாதையில் சென்ற கொடி (ஏறுதுபார்)

செக்க நிறத்திலே வேங்கை நடுவிலே
சீறிடும் கொடியிது – தமிழ்
மக்களைக் காத்த நம்மான மாவீரரை
வாழ்த்திடும் கொடியிது – புலி
வீரத்தின் கொடியிது
மாவீரனின் கொடியிது (ஏறுதுபார்)

எத்தனை எத்தனை வேங்கைகள் ரத்தத்தில்
ஏறிய கொடியிது – பெரும்
சத்திய வேள்வியில் செத்தவர் மீதினில்
சாற்றிய கொடியிது – தமிழ்
ஈழத்தின் கொடியிது – புலி
ஏந்திய கொடியிது (ஏறுதுபார்)

சாதிகள் சண்டைகள் சாய்த்து விழுத்திய
சாதனைக் கொடியிது – சங்கு
ஊதி முழங்கிட ஊர்மனை யாவிலும்
உலவிய கொடியிது – சம
தர்மத்தின் கொடியிது – எங்கள்
தாயவள் கொடியிது (ஏறுதுபார்)

ஆயிரமாயிரம் பேரென வேங்கைகள்
ஆக்கிய கொடியிது – பிர
பாகரன் என்றிடும் காவிய நாயகன்
போற்றிடும் கொடியிது – தமிழ்த்
தேசத்தின் கொடியிது – எங்கள்
தேசியக் கொடியிது (ஏறுதுபார்)

ēṟutupār koṭi ēṟutu pār
ēṟutupār koṭi ēṟutu pār – iṅku
ēṟutupār koṭi ēṟutu pār – tamiḻ
īḻattiṉ vētaṉai tīrttakoṭi – eṭṭut
tikkilum māṉattaic cērttakoṭi
kālattai veṉṟumē niṉṟakoṭi – puli
kāṭṭiyapātaiyil ceṉṟa koṭi (ēṟutupār)

cekka niṟattilē vēṅkai naṭuvilē
cīṟiṭum koṭiyitu – tamiḻ
makkaḷaik kātta nammāṉamā vīrarai
vāḻttiṭum koṭiyitu – puli
vīrattiṉ koṭiyitu –
māvīraṉiṉ koṭiyitu (ēṟutupār)

ettaṉai ettaṉai vēṅkaikaḷ rattattil
ēṟiya koṭiyitu – perum
cattiya vēḷviyil ceththavar mītiṉil
cāṟṟiya koṭiyitu – tamiḻ
īḻattiṉ koṭiyitu – puli
ēntiya koṭiyitu (ēṟutupār)

cātikaḷ caṇṭaikaḷ cāyttu viḻuttiya
cātaṉaik koṭiyitu – caṅku
ūti muḻaṅkiṭa ūrmaṉai yāvilum
ulaviya koṭiyitu – cama
tarmattiṉ koṭiyitu – eṅkaḷ
tāyavaḷ koṭiyitu (ēṟutupār)

āyiramāyiram pēreṉa vēṅkaikaḷ
ākkiya koṭiyitu – pira
pākaraṉ eṉṟiṭum kāviya nāyakaṉ
pōṟṟiṭum koṭiyitu – tamiḻt
tēcattiṉ koṭiyitu – eṅkaḷ
tēciyak koṭiyitu (ēṟutupār)


Symbols of Tamil Eelam

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TamilNet</span> Online newspaper covering Sri Lanka

TamilNet is an online newspaper that provides news and feature articles on current affairs in Sri Lanka, specifically related to the erstwhile Sri Lankan Civil War. The website was formed by members of the Sri Lankan Tamil community residing in the United States and publishes articles in English, German and French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taraki Sivaram</span> Tamil journalist of Sri Lanka

Taraki Sivaram or Dharmeratnam Sivaram was a popular Tamil journalist of Sri Lanka. He was kidnapped by four men in a white van on 28 April 2005, in front of the Bambalapitya police station. His body was found the next day in the district of Himbulala, near the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He had been beaten and shot in the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamil Eelam</span> Proposed independent state in Sri Lanka

Tamil Eelam is a proposed independent state that many Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Eelam Tamil diaspora aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Large sections of the North-East were under de facto control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for most of the 1990s–2000s during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Tamil Eelam, although encompassing the traditional homelands of Eelam Tamils, does not have official status or recognition by world states. The name is derived from the ancient Tamil name for Sri Lanka, Eelam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandara Vanniyan</span> Tamil Vanniar (Chieftain) of Vannimai

Pandara Vanniyan was a Tamil Chieftain who ruled in Vanni Nadu in 18th century AD. He is referred to by some as the last Tamil king in Sri Lanka, who also rose to revolt against the British Ceylon empire and Dutch Ceylon empire, who died battling the British colonial rule on the island. He was officially declared a National Hero of Sri Lanka in 1982.

Adele Ann Balasingham, (née Wilby), is the Australian-born former leader of the women's wing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka.

The Battle of Kilinochchi occurred in September 1998 over the control of the city of Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka. The battle was fought between the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamil nationalism</span> Ideology based on a Tamil nation

Tamil nationalism is the ideology which asserts that the Tamil people constitute a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Tamil people. Tamil nationalism is primarily a secular nationalism, that focus on language and homeland. It expresses itself in the form of linguistic purism, linguistic nationalism, Social equality and Tamil Renaissance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balasingham Nadesan</span>

Balasingham Nadesan was the Political Chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from late 2007 until his death in 2009. He was formerly the organization's Chief of Police.

Poopathy Kanapathipillai commonly known as Annai Poopathy was born in a small ancient Tamil village of Kiran in Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka. She was a mother of 10 and grandmother of one. During her lifetime two of her sons were shot and killed by the Sri Lankan government forces in separate incidents.

The Bank of Tamil Eelam was founded in Jaffna in 1994 by the Sri Lankan separatist organization LTTE, but was relocated in 1995, to Kilinochchi after the Sri Lankan army retook the peninsula. The Bank of Tamil Eelam had six branch offices and employed around 100 employees. The Bank of Tamil Eelam was suspended on January 2, 2009, following the capture of Kilinochchi, which had been the administrative capital of self-proclaimed Tamil Eelam.

Kingsley Rasanayagam (1941–2004) was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and former Member of Parliament. In 2004 Rasanayagam was selected by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary candidate. He represented the Batticaloa multi-member electoral district for the TNA in the Sri Lankan Parliament, for a short period of time between April 2004 and May 2004. In May 2004, he was pressured to resign, by the LTTE because of his close relationship with former LTTE Eastern Province leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman. LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran feared that he would become a patron to the political party registered by Karuna Amman, Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).

The White Flag incident is the massacre of surrendering leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and their families by the Sri Lankan Army on 18 May 2009 in Mullivaikal, Mullaitivu, Vanni, Sri Lanka. The LTTE's Political Wing leader, Balasingham Nadesan and Pulidevan agreed to surrender and contacted the United Nations, the governments of Norway, United Kingdom, United States and the International Committee of the Red Cross. They were given assurance by Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and told to surrender at a particular place by Basil Rajapakse. LTTE's request for a third party witness to oversee the surrender was not granted by the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE surrendered to the 58 Division carrying white flags, but were reportedly shot dead. Sarath Fonseka, then the Sri Lankan Army Chief stated that they had been shot dead on the orders of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to Shavendra Silva, commander of the 58 Division. Balachandran Prabhakaran, Prabhakaran's 12-year-old son, was also killed after surrendering along with his bodyguards. A UN Panel states the LTTE leaders intended to surrender. The Sri Lankan government has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Chola</span> Prabagaran Sokumaran

The Flag of Chola or Tiger Flag was used by the Tamil Chola dynasty. The Tiger or Jumping Tiger was the royal emblem of the Cholas and was depicted on coins, seals and banners. On the coins of Uttama Chola, the Chola Tiger was shown sitting between the twin fish of Pandya and the bow of Chera. The flag of Chola is mentioned in Periya Puranam, which was compiled during the 12th century by Sekkizhar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mullivaikal Muttram</span> War memorial

The Mullivaikkal Memorial or Mullivaikkal Muttram is a memorial dedicated to the Mullivaikkal massacre, the killings of Tamil civilians during the final phase of the war between Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sri Lankan armed forces at Mullivaikkal in 2009. The Mullivaikal Memorial is in the Thanjavur District of the Tamil Nadu state in neighboring India. On 6 November 2013, the inauguration of the Mullivaikal Memorial took place. Tamil leader Pazha Nedumaran and the World Tamil Confederation Trust he heads are the founders.

Colonel Friedrich Wilhelm von Driberg was Commandant of Mullaitivu whilst in the Dutch colonial forces and Captain of the mercenary military for the Dutch East India Company in Ceylon. He is known for killing Pandara Vanniyan in battle on 31 October 1803 in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mullaitivu fort</span>

Mullaitivu fort was built by the Dutch in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka. The original fort, a small wooden structure with palisades and earth, was erected in 1715. In 1721 the Dutch constructed a quadrangular fort on the site. The fort was initially erected to control the unauthorised commerce between the Chetties and the Kingdom of Kandy, it subsequently formed part of a strategic defence of Dutch territory against the Vannimai.

The Joni 95 or Jony 95 was an Anti-personnel mine developed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Internet censorship in Sri Lanka is conducted under a variety of laws, judicial processes, regulations and more. In Sri Lanka, internet censorship is mostly executed by blocking access to specific sites as well as the use of laws which criminalize publication or possession of certain types of material, including regulations against terrorism and pornography.

Vithusha also spelt as Vidusha commonly known by the nom de guerre Brigadier Vithusha was a Sri Lankan Tamil rebel and member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka. She joined the LTTE after being deeply affected by the massacre of Tamils in the Kumudini boat massacre in 1985. She came from a Tamil Brahmin family, her brother Vithushan died in combat during battle with the Sri Lankan Army in Vilakkuvaithakulam in Vavuniya District in 1999. She received her training near Kilili as part of the Freedom Birds training program. She was in charge of stores during the IPKF operations. She got into combat and fought in an attack on the Jaffna Fort and she played a significant role in every military operation in which the women's brigade was involved. She was killed in combat in the Battle of Puthukkudiyirippu in 2009.

References

  1. ↑ "Madurai artist sketched LTTE logo". newindianexpress. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  2. ↑ TAMIL EELAM STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM Under one flag
  3. ↑ "Rules guide on use of Tamileelam National flag published". Tamilnet. 26 November 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Tamil-Canadians vote for independent state in Sri Lanka". CBC News. Dec 20, 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Tamil Eelam, Canadian, U.S. flags: Toronto, March 3, 2009
  6. ↑ in England
  7. ↑ "Tamils protest outside UK parliament". CNN. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Tamil flags flown at protest legal, Toronto police say". CBC news. Mar 18, 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Row in Sri Lanka over appearance of Tamil 'rebel' flag". BBC. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Batticaloa students hoist Tamileelam flag in Annai Poopathy event". Tamilnet. 6 April 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Tamil Eelam flag hoisted in Geelong city, Australia". Lankasri.com. 5 February 2013. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  12. ↑ Daya Somasundaram (11.02.2014) Scarred Communities: Psychosocial Impact of Man-made and Natural Disasters on Sri Lankan Society, SAGE Publications India, p. 73.
  13. ↑ Short, Damien, ed. (2016). Redefining Genocide: Settler Colonialism, Social Death and Ecocide. London, UK: Zed Books. pp. 93–126. ISBN   978-1-84277-930-9.
  14. ↑ "History of Tamil National Flag". Youtube. 2009-10-31.[ dead YouTube link ]
  15. ↑ Daya Somasundaram (11.02.2014) Scarred Communities: Psychosocial Impact of Man-made and Natural Disasters on Sri Lankan Society, SAGE Publications India, p. 52.
  16. ↑ Balachandran, P K (2012-05-15). Madurai artist sketched LTTE logo. The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015.
  17. ↑ "NATIONAL ANTHEM :FROM "NAMO NAMO" TO "SRI LANKA MATHA"". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  18. ↑ Writers sought for Tamil anthem . BBC News. Accessed 21 June 2012.
  19. ↑ "Tamil Tigers hunt for catchy new anthem". IBN Live. Reuters. Oct 28, 2005. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  20. ↑ Tamil Eelam's promising display, despite loss to Zanzibar . tamilguardian.com . Accessed 22 June 2012.
  21. ↑ About the Flag. TamilNationalFlag.com . Accessed 22 June 2012. Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.