The August 18 Hartal called by M.A. Sumanthiran has failed and once again proved that Hartal is not a solution for Tamils. It punishes Tamil daily wage earners and small businesses while serving only political agendas and foreign manipulation. Even worse, Sumanthiran struck deals with Muslim Congress leaders in the East, agreeing to give up Tamil lands just to ensure Muslim participation in the Hartal. Instead of shutting down our own economy through Hartal, the real way to challenge Colombo is to boycott Colombo-based products for one month and strengthen our Tamil homeland producers.
Hartal is a Political Tool that Hurts Tamils and Betrays Their Land
The Tamil people must be clear: Hartal is not the solution for our struggle. Every time Tamil businesses are forced to close and daily wage earners are stopped from working, it is not politicians or the powerful who suffer—it is ordinary Tamil people who live hand to mouth. Hartal punishes the very community it claims to defend.
The August 18 Hartal called by Mr. M.A. Sumanthiran has already taken place, and by every measure it was a failure. The Tamil public refused to sacrifice their livelihoods for a politician’s staged show. Instead of weakening the oppressors, it only deepened the hardship of shopkeepers, farmers, fishermen, and daily wage workers.
Mr. Sumanthiran has repeatedly used Hartal to promote his own politics. Previously, he called for Hartal in response to a killing by the army. Later, he shifted his justification, demanding the removal of army camps. These changes in tone show Hartal is not about principle but about opportunism.
More dangerously, Sumanthiran has made political deals with Muslim Congress leaders in the East. To ensure Muslim participation in the August 18 Hartal, he agreed to support the transfer of Tamil-administered lands into Muslim-dominated divisions. This is not resistance—it is betrayal. Hartal became the cover for bargaining away Tamil territory.
Equally troubling is the role of certain employees of the Swiss Embassy, together with some Swiss officials. They have been using relatives of the missing to stage Hartal actions and portray them as powerful voices. Afterwards, these families are taken to Switzerland and Colombo, where they are pressured and brainwashed to accept that all the missing are dead. The goal is to weaken demands for truth, stop the struggle for justice, and erase calls for a political solution and Tamil sovereignty.
If anybody truly believes that economic action is needed to punish the Colombo government, then the best alternative to Hartal is this: Boycott Colombo-based products for one month. Instead, support and consume produce and products from our Tamil homeland. Such a boycott would hurt Colombo economically while strengthening Tamil farmers, traders, and local industries.
The Tamil people must not allow their businesses, livelihoods, and future to be destroyed for the sake of political theater or foreign manipulation. Nor should they accept secret deals that hand away Tamil lands.
The August 18 Hartal has already proven that Tamils can see through these tactics. The way forward is not Hartal, not betrayal, and not manipulation. The way forward is unity, self-reliance, and an unwavering demand for justice and sovereignty.
