” ‘A God cannot die’: Divergent narratives about the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” ‘by Giacomo Mantovan and Lola Guyot (Critique Internationale)

Giacomo Mantovan and Lola Guyot co-authored an article entitled ‘“A God Cannot Die”: Divergent Accounts of the Defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’. The article was published in the journal Critique internationale.

Summary

After waging a long war against the Sri Lankan government (1983-2009), raising high hopes of victory among combatants and activists in the Tamil diaspora, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were totally annihilated in 2009. Although they share the same objective, diaspora activists and ex-combatants in exile have developed very different narratives about this event. The former, on the one hand, gloss over the destruction of the armed movement and the death of its leader and play down the defeat by declaring that victory is within reach. The latter, on the other hand, give a detailed account of the annihilation of their organisation, as well as the ensuing collapse of their culture, their imagination, and their way of being in the world. In seeking to understand the reasons for these differences, this article examines the links between memory production and the mobilisation trajectories (demobilisation and remobilisation) of activists. The efforts of defeated actors to make sense of years of struggle, the experience of defeat, and political impotence are studied in light of their various political trajectories, between capitulation and attempts to resurrect the struggle.

source: Mantovan G. & L. Guyot, in Critique internationale, 101, n°4, 2023-12-01, p. 77-98

“Anushan” short film by Vibirson Gnanatheepan (TV5 Monde+)

Vibirson Gnanatheepan’s short film could be watch online for free in TV5 Monde +’s website

Detail

The only son of Tamil parents, 13-year-old Anushan much prefers rap to his native culture. When his uncle arrives from Sri Lanka, he finds himself sharing his room and his daily life with him for a few days.

Realization: Vibirson Gnanatheepan

Subtitles: Romanian, German, Spanish, Arabic, English, French

Casting: Kirujan Logeswaran, Guru Sivam, KP Logathas

Country of production: France

Origin: France

Awards: Selected for Bogoshorts (Colombia, 2023), Festival Off-Courts de Trouville (France, 2023)

“Eelamarasu Times: How a revolutionary movement gave rise to a Tamil press in Paris” by Delon Madavan and Anthony Goreau-Ponceaud (Dvar magazine)

In his inaugural release, Dvar magazine has published “Eelamarasu Times: How a revolutionary movement gave rise to a Tamil press in Paris“, a condensed translation of an academic article, authored by Dr Anthony Goreau-Ponceaud and Dr Delon Madavan published in Paris, Capitale Polyphonique
 
About the authors:
Since 2008, Anthony has been engaged in research on the Tamil diaspora, examining the trajectories and experiences of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, particularly in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Delon was born in France to parents originally from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. For the past twenty years, Delon’s research has focused on migration, identity and integration of Tamil populations in several cities around the world (Jaffna, Colombo, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Paris and Montreal).

“”I hated MGR’s politics but loved his cinema: Shobasakthi on his yearning to return to Sri Lanka, his political allegiances and why violence solves nothing” by Debesh Banerjee

“When Dheepan was announced as the winner of the coveted Palm D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film festival, it was its unlikely lead actor Jesuthasan Antonythasan, 47, who stole the limelight. Known in literary circles by his pen name Shobasakthi, he has written several short stories, political essays, and two novels in Tamil, the most recent being a collection of translated short stories, The MGR Murder Trial. A former LTTE child soldier, Shobasakthi’s own career graph bears close resemblance to the film’s lead character’s journey. Over a telephonic interview from Paris, Shobasakthi talks of his yearning to return to Sri Lanka, his political allegiances and why violence solves nothing.”

– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/i-hated-mgrs-politics-but-loved-his-cinema/#sthash.Ltny0gxx.dpuf