Theepachelvan Pratheepan

Biography

Theepachelvan, was born in Sri Lanka on 24 October 1983. The third phase of the war-displaced Tamils living in the area in which he was living in kilinochi Rathinapuram and moved to Maniyankulam, Akkarayan region. In 2002, he returned to kilinochi later. In 2001 his brother prasanna, called as Veeravengai Vellaiyan, was killed in the battle.kilinochi was then restored by the LTTE then. He joined the kilinochi central college and later admitted in Jaffna University, selected as a student leader was serving for the welfare of students. His mother and sister were living in the last war site of vanni and,his involvement in the movement for free Eelam has irked the rulers of Sri Lanka and was severely cautioned by the militia, later was threatened by them along with 14 of his peers from Jaffna university that they all may face trials. He went for trials and tribulations by the militia then, taken to the military camp .and now somewhat serenely settled with his sister and mother, freed from the wired militia bases of the Lankan military from kilinochi. He migrated to Tamil Nadu in 2011 and has qualified himself with post-graduation in journalism in Madras University...and currently lives in Marina, Chennai.

education

Started educating himself from Kilinochi central college yet due to war in 1996 he moved to Maniyankulam urudra vidyaalya. War and poverty had though created many breaks in his learning he somehow qualified with an eligibility certification from the central college in kilinochi and later joined the university of Jaffna. He was awarded with B A in Tamil from Jaffna University and with an MA in journalism & communication from university of madras.

Writings and creativity

His first poem was published in 2005 in Sudar oli and in Eelanatham his second one peiygal(ghosts) was published.Poems like Yaazh nagar and keeral viluntha mugankal are important in those dates. In 2007 made some poems on life of vanni and however his first volume of poems Tamil, pathungu kuliyil kidantha kulanthai (the child delivered in the bunker) was published by kaalachuvadu, Nagrcoil, a famous international Tamil publisher. These verses deal with catastrophic voices that upsurge the debris created with the demise of the bodies charred and entangled into the pits made by the Sinhala fascist junta and its inexorable militancy. They cry for loss of lives and bloodline and the pains of migration and temporariness. The images of his poems are stark that even a malleable situation where the lovers meet is the place rammed with guns dangling on trees. Loss of natural habitats is not just meant for the human beings but for the animals too. The dreams spring out of death is a product of the abduction of lives that has no willingness to conformism, conformism that will not permit an ethnic group diachronically sabotaging the lives, landmark and culture of the mighty Tamil civilisation ravaging it at gun point. The existence has become pandemonium that youngsters and children practice their funs and frolic within uncertainty sagging on their heads as swords. It is a kind of Camus's meaninglessness and uncertainty.These poems beautifully bring together the stripes of the people of all directions north, east, west and south as these geographical locations in silence bear a lot of political semblance; Life depicted in all directions and all time space. What is important in theepachelvan's work is that it is a continuum of works starting from early Tamil writers from Sri Lanka which depicts an unchanging picture, time immemorial. When temples are need to be protected wars became imminent was the condition in which civil war got escalated in Sri Lanka.Theepachelvan's works are far from fiction and remain documents of austere reality. In 2007 many works in relation to vanni and the war fought out in that wilderness region have become the chief theme of his poems which have been published in Theepaam, a blog created by him and Thinnai a web literati journal and Uyirmai, a major Tamil literati journal.Uyirmai brought out his major work 'The Beast consumed Man less city 'in the same year as well as composed a major one on Jaffna, The Daybreak of the Deserted city. His aftermath work containing Eelam in discourse and fiction was published by Tholamai publishers. The book contains interviews by Shobha shakthi and Gowthama siddarthan.

in journalism field

He joined the national television in 2006 as a producer of documentaries. The documentaries depicted the context of schools in vanni during war, students studying in the bunkers and the role of institutions. While he specialised in national television shows, also produced poetry shows. Written and directed a documentary on national TV AS CENCOLAI VADU – SCAR OF CENCOLAI. . He served as a scribe in the national television news section. In 2006 he made many contributions on poetry and Eelam films and in 2009 when kilinochi was taken over by the army he wrote the story of kilinochi documenting the end days of war and LTTE. Then he wrote in journals like Unnatham about the Srilanka's wired camps in the bases and later made many politically intentional articles in a continuum. In 2009 on wards he turned to freelance writing widely; on post war peoples reconciliation, lives of the wired community, forced habitation of Sinhala mass on vanni , vanni and its vastness ,Sinhala buddist autocracy ,militantly imposed lives on Tamils etc…he composes these stories whilst visiting directly to these fields .in GTBC website he is composing a lot of habitation ,reconciliation and militarisation related works and voices for the fundamental rights of the migrated .His contributions include all forms of media be it is written word or visual ones. The vanni life IS depicted as a serial as,Peru nilathin kathai.'popular works are documented in sites like 'Tamil Win' too. All forms of his works were published in Thinakural,sudar oli, Irukkiram etc.…when Santhakar and Ponnagar were about to be swept by the fascists his articles have created awareness and the lands were later relieved from the above dominance. He works in all media like radio, TV, press, printed or digital.

Awards and recognitions

In 2010 he was awarded and in the same year awarded also awarded the best photographer in 2010.these were recognitions showered on him during the vanni space settlements that were forced on the Tamils. The awards are from the media institutions of srianka. And in the same year awarded for 'probing during difficult times' by the Sri Lankan forum of journalists. In 2012 kanaiyahzi awarded him as the best poet. The 6th number of journal Nerkaanal was dedicated fully on him.

Student leader

He Served as a student secretary, Jaffna University in the year 2008– 2009 during war. Fought for students despite the warnings by the Sri Lankan military. Tried resolved student issues and protected the rights of the student community.

Admonition of the srilankan military

His involvement in the movement for free Eelam has irked the rulers of Sri Lanka and was severely warned by the militia, and was threatened by them along with 14 of his peers from Jaffna University. He went for trials and tribulations by the militia then, taken to the military camp... military warned him to estrange himself from fighting for the students, leave his position from the student empowerment .he was warned by the military on issues like; silent protest to end war, closing the university for a week on last days of mullivaikal war, when Raveendran (former MP Gajendran's brother) was abducted, for students voicing against it.

Celluloid

In Thaandavam, he has given training to Nasar, the famous character artist of the Tamil film, in Sri Lankan Tamil dialect. In the film yavum vasappadum he has composed a few lyrics which have been enlightening and popular. The title song too is his own which begins with a positive note .r k sundar has composed the music. Puthiyavan is the film maker.

Works