Reclaiming Sovereignty in the Age of Stateless Solidarity

We must engage in dialogue with the powers that govern the world — but in doing so, we must never relinquish our own pursuit of sovereignty.

For decades, many among the Eezham Tamil people have stood in solidarity with stateless nations. Some of these communities — once marginalised and voiceless — have since advanced towards political recognition and statehood. Yet we, the Eezham Tamils, remain locked in trajectories that reinforce defeat, caught in a cycle of symbolism, ritualistic remembrance, and the glorification of individuals over collective strategy.

This culture of individual glorification is not merely a distraction — it is a structural danger.

When a people become fixated on personalities rather than institutions, they become vulnerable to manipulation. Those who praise us do not always serve our cause. In fact, praise, when uncritical, becomes a tool of pacification. It blinds. It sedates. It stalls movement. In such a climate, we do not require an external enemy — we orchestrate our own collapse.

The enemy may approach us with a sword — and we may resist with a sword of our own.

But the hero-worshipper arrives without weapons. Their tools are language, flattery, and sentimentality. Their words paralyse action. Their admiration seduces us into passivity.

And for that reason, they are more dangerous than the enemy himself.

This phenomenon is not unique to our context. Across the Global South, many postcolonial and developing societies fall into the same pattern — exchanging long-term vision for momentary heroes, sacrificing political structure for personal symbolism.

Furthermore, as we repeatedly align ourselves with stateless causes, there is a deeper risk: that we internalise statelessness itself. Solidarity is essential. But when it comes at the cost of building our own strategic foundations, our own diplomatic machinery, and our own claim to international sovereignty, it becomes a trap.

We must not lose our own nation in the name of championing others.

In short:

A stateless people cannot afford the luxury of hero worship. Only through principled organisation, structural clarity, and strategic engagement with global power can a nation truly rise. This is not a rejection of solidarity. It is a call for strategic self-respect.

Let us honour our martyrs — not with statues and songs alone, but by finishing the work they died for. The construction of a sovereign, self-determined Tamil Eelam.

© 2025 | Balananthini Balasubramaniam (Nila Bala) | Small Drops

All rights reserved.

(Disclaimer: Images are AI generated and are used for representational purposes only)

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