'International community should stand up for Prof. Hoole'

S. N. RAJAH

AUSTRALIA: LTTE propaganda machinery is up in arms against the appointment of Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna.

LTTE's agents in Sri Lankan Parliament, the Tamil National Alliance MPs, and the pro-LTTE websites like Nitharsanam and Sangathi in concert with Jaffna based newspapers such as Sudaroli and Uthayan have launched a virulent campaign to prevent Professor Hoole taking up his appointment. They are issuing dire warnings in order to get Professor Hoole to renounce his appointment.

LTTE's most faithful agent Eleventhan, MP, has come forward with a statement that Professor Hoole was blind to the suffering of the Tamil people.

He has also accused Professor Hoole as an intellectual sell-out and dismissed him as a collaborator whose thinking is not in tune with the Tamils.

Eleventhan is accusing Professor Hoole as being blind to the suffering of the Tamil people. Where was Eleventhan when the Tamils suffered in the hands of the Sri Lankan authorities? He was living in comfort in Tamilnadu enjoying the patronage of the Tamilnadu and Indian Governments.

Eleventhan is an LTTE lackey who was kicked out of India for having abused Indian hospitality after spending years in Tamilnadu in comfortable lifestyle.

This politician was an empty voice and a joke until he joined the LTTE bandwagon. He fell on the feet of the Sun God in Vanni despite the fact that LTTE was responsible for the killing of his own party leaders.

Eleventhan argues that Kumaravadivel is the best candidate for the position but in the same breath curiously admits that Professor Hoole is qualified to be appointed as Jaffna VC. Eleventhan cannot and should not decide as to who is appointed as Jaffna VC. It is the President's prerogative to make his own choice.

Eleventhan's argument that Professor Hoole not being in tune with the Tamils is absurd and most puerile. How can it be a qualification to become the VC of the Jaffna University?

For argument sake let's say the President appoints a Muslim as the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University. How can Eleventhan then expect a Muslim to be in tune with the Tamils.

In Eleventhan's language to be in tune with Tamils means one should not criticise LTTE or its Fascist ways. How could Eleventhan expect a respected academic like Professor Hoole to fall on the feet of the so-called Sun God who is a wanted criminal in India and for whom the Interpol has issued an arrest warrant?

Another MP who is shouting at the top of his voice against Professor Hoole's appointment is "Kudirai" (Horse) Gajendran.

A well-known LTTE nominee to the TNA Jaffna list of candidates, he was camping at the Jaffna University during the strife-torn days in December and January instigating the students to agitate against the Sri Lankan Army.

Brushing aside the saner counsel of the Jaffna University's academic staff, it was he who urged the Jaffna University to go on protest demonstration and who made them to clash with the Armed Forces and the Police.

He is reportedly a drop out from the Jaffna University. There were also whispers about the circumstances of his admission into the University and hence the sobriquet "Kudirai".

What qualifications he has to criticise Professor Hoole's appointment? Again, Jaffna university students have no right to decide on who should be appointed as their Vice Chancellor.

What an irony that these Jaffna University students are dancing to the tune of people like Tamilselvan, a drop out from primary school and a one time LTTE pistol group member who knows nothing about University life.

The international community condemned LTTE when it prevented voters in North East from voting in the last Presidential Elections.

It was condemned because it prevented people of North East from exercising their democratic right. Now the LTTE and its agents are trying to prevent Professor Hoole from exercising his democratic right to accept an appointment which was duly made by the President of Sri Lanka and for which he has all the credentials.

Should not the international community condemn the LTTE and its agents in the same vein for interfering with the democratic right of an academic whose only fault is to raise his voice in support of human rights and against the Fascist ways of LTTE.