His death instantly triggered widespread strikes, demonstrations and public unrest in the state, most notably the manifestation of popular defiance of the Government of India ban against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which the people demonstrated carrying flags of Tamil Eelam, placards and images of the LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran in the funeral procession of Muthukumar.
[2][3][4][5][6] On 29 January 2009, Muthukumar doused himself with several liters of petrol, and set himself on fire opposite the state Congress headquarters in Shastri Bhavan, Chennai.
Just before his death, he flung several copies of his eight-page note in which he protested the Indian government's war in Sri Lanka against the Tamils.
With 95% burn injuries, he was rushed to the Kilpauk Medical College in a critical condition, with slim chances of survival.
[7] Police officials later told media that Muthukumar had not experienced any fear or wavering; he had been resolute in his decision to sacrifice his life to highlight the need for a permanent ceasefire.
Muthukumar's grandmother, who remains in his native place of Kulavai Nallur in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), had made plans to get him married in the coming months.
[10] Over a hundred thousand people, including students belonging to various colleges in the state, cadres of several political parties, women organizations, mediapersons and members of the public participated in his funeral.
[11] Even before the funeral procession entered the cremation ground, news reached the students that the ruling DMK Government had ordered indefinite closure of all colleges and hostels to clamp down protests.
[14] Muthukumar's sacrifice became a symbol for many members of the diaspora, and by 14 February, at least 6 people had sacrificed their lives by self-immolation calling for a ceasefire and protecting the Tamils in the island.
When we lend our voices to say the killings should be stopped, Indian imperialism maintains a stony silence and does not give out any reply.
The Indian ruling class is eager to annihilate a very large population by using the hollow excuse of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in order to satisfy the vengeful and selfish goals of a few individuals.
Then, he will once again request for a right decision, and pass a resolution in the Legislative Assembly—like actor Vadivel's comedy in the film Winner where he claims that no one has touched him until a particular month, a particular week, a particular time.
If we look at his puppet-shows, it looks as if he has done a lot of licking... Law college students who have entered the field through your hunger strike... As a fellow Tamil, I wish you all success.
I have a suspicion that only in order to destroy your Tamil feeling, the Indian intelligence would have systematically instigated caste-feelings among you and paved the way for the skirmish that occurred at Ambedkar law college.
The DMK that came to power riding high on the efforts of your struggle, first made a law that students should not take part in politics.
As if this were not enough, what do we learn from the fact that the Indian and Sri Lankan peacekeeping forces were deported from Haiti because of sexual misdemeanour?
Students of the Tamil Nadu medical colleges who will treat me, or conduct my post-mortem, I should have done some virtuous deed to be cut at your hands.
If it is possible for people from Taiwan, which is thousands of kilometers away to lose their way, can't they believe the fact that the Tamil fisherman from Rameswaram, which is just 12 miles away from Lanka strays away from his route?
Because the 1965 anti-Hindi agitation was placed in the hands of a few selfish people, the history of Tamil Nadu has been dragged to the stone ages.
After all, boxing hero Muhammed Ali said, "The little white in my community would have come only through rape..." As long as you remain silent, India will never open its mouth.
Our Thiruvalluvar has said: Arathirke anbucar penpa ariyaar/ marathirkum akthe thunai (The ignorant say that affection is appropriate only to righteousness, but it will also inspire heroism to be restrained).
If that is so, we suspect that Pakistan's terrorism in India is a mutually agreed-upon concept created by both sides in order to exploit and squander their respective citizens.
In such a situation, Sri Lanka said, Why don't you directly interfere, the Tigers are making use of the ceasefire to stock up weapons.
Just because they agreed to the ceasefire in view of their compulsions, how could it be argued that the fighters should lay down their arms, or that they should not involve themselves in reconstruction activities.
Only by bringing about the faith and confidence that you will behave honestly and truthfully, you can make the fighters lay down their weapons.
In such a state, they want us to believe that the Sri Lankan government will provide all the amenities for the people of Eelam, and that India will support this endeavour.
Because the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is always functioning with a bias towards his homeland China, he must not be given the power to take any decision regarding Eelam.
When the Tigers were weakened militarily, the Upcountry Tamils were targeted, and it is feared that in the future that area might be subjected to a major genocidal pogrom.
Douglas Devananda, who was punished by the courts for firing at innocent Tamil people in Chennai under the influence of alcohol escaped to Sri Lanka before the period of imprisonment was completed.
Yes, make copies of this pamphlet and distribute it to your friends, relatives, and students and ensure that this support for this struggle becomes greater.