By D.B.S Jeyaraj
The press communique issued on October 22nd 2001 heralding the formation of the Tamil National Alliance(TNA)was signed by four persons representing the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF).
They were R.Sambandan (TULF), N.Kumarakuruparan (ACTC) N. Srikantha (TELO) and K.Premachandran(EPRLF) The press statement had four salient points that more or less amounted to an “articles of association” for the Tamil National Alliance.
The first was about how places on candidate lists were to be allocated to each of the four parties in a Parliamentary General election. The arrangement was as follows:
Jaffna-TULF – 7;ACTC -3;TELO-1;EPRLF-1
Wanni-TULF-3;ACTC-1: TELO – 4: EPRLF-1
Batticaloa-TULF – 5:ACTC-1:TELO -2 ;EPRLF-1
Trincomalee-TULF-3:ACTC-1:TELO-2:EPRLF-0
Amparai-TULF -5:ACTC-1;TELO-1: EPRLF-0
The second point was about nominations as national list MP’s. The order of priority was TULF, ACTC, TELO and EPRLF. If the TNA was entitled to a national list MP in terms of votes received it would first go to the TULF nominee. If entitled to a second MP it would be for the ACTC nominee.
The third point was that the constituent parties should refrain from attacking or criticising each other publicly. Special care should be taken during the election campaign about not engaging in propaganda or counter-propaganda against a fellow TNA constituent.
The fourth point was about intra-TNA disputes and problems.If and when such issues occurred the TNA constituents should discuss the matter among themselves in a peaceful way and arrive at an amicable solution through a majority vote. If that was not possible the services of an outside facilitator panel should be enlisted to help resolve the issue.
The facilitator panel or “anusaranaialar kuzhu” comprised the following six members:
1.V.Kailasapillai
2.Kanthiah Neelakandan
3.V.R.Vadivetkarasan
4.Nimalan Karthikeyan
5. S.Thiyagarajah
6. K.Jeyabalasingham
The facilitators were respected members of the Tamil community primarily based in Colombo. They were mainly professionals or successful commercial entrepreneurs. With the exception of Thiyagarajah who was then the treasurer of the TULF they did not belong to any political party.
Baptism of Fire
It is under such circumstances that the TNA was born as a loose formation without a party constitution or structure. The newly formed alliance had its baptism of fire when Parliamentary elections was held on December 5th 2001. The TNA in its manifesto urged a negotiated settlement of the ethnic conflict and emphasised that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would represent the Tamil people at such talks.
When the election campaign got underway the LTTE did not openly support the TNA. The main reason for this was that the LTTE too was uncomfortable about this new development. The tigers believed that an armed struggle was the only way to liberate the Tamil people and ruled out the parliamentary path.
The LTTE had for years criticised representative democracy and accused many elected Tamil representatives of being traitors. The tigers had assassinated several prominent Tamil MP’s in the past.
Now for the first time the LTTE was indirectly supporting a Tamil political grouping at an election. This to its hierarchy was a tremendous come down.
That was one reason the leadership based in the Wanni allowed its eastern political commissar Karikalan to do the spadework. The Wanni leadership came in only at the penultimate stages to merely assure the TNA constituents that they did not oppose the move.
This reluctance to identify themselves with parliamentary democracy in anyway was the reason for the LTTE to “outsource” the task of forging a Tamil alliance to a core group consisting mainly of journalists and academics in Batticaloa district.
It is relevant to note that several of these journalists and academics who played a part in forming the TNA were killed later by para-military forces aligned to the intelligence apparatus of the state. Some were killed during the fratricidal warfare between the mainstream LTTE and the breakaway faction led by the Karuna-Pillaiyan combine.
A few journalists involved later contested on behalf of the TNA and became MP’s. But many journalists and academic participants of the TNA forming exercise were compelled to flee the country and seek refuge abroad in later years.
Uncomfortable
The tigers were wary about another matter also. Having been used to order the Tamil people and get things done the LTTE was uncomfortable about an election where people had to be persuaded or convinced into extending support as opposed to doing so as commanded.
If the LTTE were to support the TNA openly and the Tamils did not vote accordingly that would reflect badly upon the LTTE.
Moreover there was also the tiger tendency of viewing only itself as the authentic representatives of the Tamil people. The LTTE was not prepared to “share” this status with any other body at that juncture.
It must be recalled that the LTTE too was suspicious about the TNA. What if some TNA members crossed over or turned against the tigers after getting elected?
Thus the 2001 election campaign was conducted without overt LTTE participation. The tigers also refused to let TNA candidates conduct election propaganda meetings in areas controlled by it.But the LTTE did not block Tamil voters in regions controlled by it from voting.They were allowed to vote in cluster booths set up in “border” areas.
However the armed forces were unhappy about this situation. They did not permit voters from LTTE controlled areas to “crossover” and vote.
The greatest benefit for the TNA candidates was that they could campaign without fear of violence from the LTTE. But this time the danger was from the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) in the north.
Douglas Devananda identified the TNA as a big political threat to his dream of becoming the sole alternative to the LTTE’s sole representative.TNA candidates were attacked when they engaged in election propaganda in EPDP strongholds.
Results
When the 2001 election results were announced the TNA contesting under the sun symbol of the TULF had done well.
In Jaffna the TNA got six of the nine seats. Anandasangaree, Senathirajah, Raviraj (TULF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Vinayagamoorthy (ACTC) and MK Sivajilingam (TELO) were elected on behalf of the TNA. The EPDP got two seats and Maheswaran of the UNP also won.
In the Wanni the TNA got three of the six seats. Adaikkalanathan (Selvam)Raja.Kuhaneswaran (TELO) and Sivasakthi Anandan (EPRLF) were elected on behalf of the TNA.
Dharmalingam Siddharthan of the PLOTE contesting through its registered political party Democratic Peoples Liberation Front(DPLF) was also elected.
In the East R. Sambandan was elected in Trincomalee district. Chandranehru Ariyanayagam won in the Amparai (Digamadulla) district. Both were from the TULF.
In Batticaloa the TNA got three seats. Thangavadivel alias “London Murugan’ (TELO)Krishnapillai alias “Vellimalai” (ACTC) and Joseph Pararjasingham (TULF) were elected.
On the strength of votes received the TNA was also entitled to a national list seat. Veteran politician and president of the TULF Murugesu Sivasithamparam was nominated.
The TNA under the TULF label had fourteen elected and one appointed MP in 2001. Of this fifteen the TULF had seven,TELO had four, ACTC had three and the EPRLF one.
The “unity” of these Tamil parties seemed to have reaped political dividends. With Ranil Wickremasinghe becoming prime minister the peace process received a massive boost.
First Phase
It was expected that the TNA particularly the TULF would play a role in the negotiating exercise. The first phase (2001-2004)of the TNA commenced.
It was obvious that the TULF was the single largest party in the TNA and wielded enormous influence among sizable sections of Tamils. Besides it had a positive image with India and the western nations on account of its adherence to principles of democracy and abhorrence of political violence.
TULF secretary-general R. Sambandan had a wealth of experience in peace negotiations. The TNA was expected by many to function as the political front of the LTTE.
The tigers however had other ideas. Instead of letting the TNA function independently and maintain political credibility the LTTE wanted to bring the new formation under its jackboot.
Furthermore the LTTE wanted to demonstrate to the Tamil people and the world at large that they the tigers were the masters and that the TNA was a mere minion at their beck and call.The TNA bondage became apparent in a very short time.
What was most disappointing in this scenario was the abject servitude of the TULF with the exception of Veerasingham Aanandasangaree.
The TULF had its own political strength and could possibly have stood up to tiger diktat but due perhaps to mortal dread of the tigers did not dare to do so.
The harbinger of this TULF “surrender” was Sivasithamparam’s pathetic interview that he was prepared to serve Prabhakaran
Assassinated
The LTTE had killed two TNA Parliamentarians Arunasalam Thangathurai and Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam in 1997 and 1999. In 2000 another TULF Parliamentarian Nimalan Soundaranayagam was killed by the tigers.
Two TULF mayors Sarojini Yogeswaran and Pon. Sivapalan were assassinated by the LTTE. Another mayoral aspirant Pon.Mathimugarajah was also killed.
Several other MPs like Pararajasingham, Selvarajah and Thurairajasingham had received threats and been directly intimidated..Sambandan had been brazenly warned by LTTE political adviser Anton Balasingham to “toe the line” at a one to one meeting arranged by British MP Barry Gardiner in London.
Against this backdrop the caving in by the TULF was understandable. It could not however be condoned as it was a betrayal of those TULF stalwarts and ordinary members who died at the hands of the LTTE.
It was one thing to extend limited cooperation to the LTTE to help achieve a negotiated settlement in the larger interests of the Tamil people.
It was entirely another matter to support the LTTE blindly and encourage the tigers in their disastrous war project.
One does not know whether the LTTE would have taken heed of TULF counsel in this regard. But the crux of the matter is that the then TULF did not try (The current TULF under Aanandasangaree is different).
Instead they actively collaborated with the LTTE. As a result these politicians also stand in the dock with the LTTE for having brought the Tamil people to such a sorry situation.
In the aftermath of the TNA victory in 2001 the LTTE was careful in handling the group particularly the TULF. Gradually the LTTE applied pressure and brought the TNA under its control.
The tigers illustrated their power by targeting the TULF and bending that party towards subservience.
Sangaree
The only TULF leader who stood up to the LTTE was Sangaree. He became the victim as his comrades deserted him an abysmal act of political betrayal.
The LTTE had always been somewhat suspicious of Aanandasangaree who was regarded as being close to the Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam(PLOTE) and later the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) led by Paranthan Rajan.
The tigers had also identified Sangaree as the primary force holding up the TULF against both the LTTE and EPDP violence.
Sangaree was mainly responsible for the TULF renaissance in the Jaffna municipal polls of 1998 and for keeping the council afloat after the killing of two TULF mayors.
Had Sangaree also bowed his head to the LTTE and was ready to be a puppet the tigers would have embraced him in the same way other TULF leaders were accepted. But that was not to be so.
When the newly elected TNA parliamentarians went up to Kilinochchi for their first meeting with Velupillai Prabhakaran the tiger supremo made it a point to talk at length with Aanandasangaree. He praised Sangaree for standing up to the EPDP in Parliament.
The cracks in the LTTE – Sangaree relationship first appeared when the LTTE intimidated the top government officers in Jaffna into rejecting requests and representations made by Sangaree in his capacity as MP.
Then came Sangaree’s move to get the re-constructed Jaffna public lbrary formally opened by the then TULF mayor Sellan Kandaiyan. The LTTE opposed this.
The man who led the tiger effort was none other than Selvarajah Gajendran who became an MP in 2004. Kandaiyan was from the so called depessed caste community.
TULF President Sivasithamparam passed away in mid-2002 and senior vice-president Aanandasangaree succeeded him. The national list MP seat was also rendered vacant.
National List
Apart from Sivasithamparam the other person included as a TULF nominee for the national list was S. Muthulingam ex-Uduvil VC chairman. Aanandasangaree wanted Muthulingam to be appointed MP.
Sambandan and Pararajasingham wanted Thurairatnasingham who had contested and lost in Trincomalee to be appointed instead. In order to achieve their objective this TULF duo resorted to appealing to the LTTE.
There was absolutely no need for this as the appointment of a TULF national list MP was an internal party matter.
But like Esau of the old testament bartering away his birthright for a mess of pottage these two were ready to abdicate their independence for LTTE endorsement.
Since Sambandan was the secretary-general of the TULF it was easily possible for the appointment of Thurairatnasingham with LTTE backing.
Subseqently Sangaree too appealed to LTTE political commissar Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan in a futile bid to counter this move. It was to of no avail. Sangaree too deserves condemnation for appealing to the LTTE
Breaking Point
The breaking point however was when Anton Balasingham told the media that the TNA parliamentarians were acting according to LTTE wishes and would periodically be summoned to Kilinochchi to receive their orders.
While the rest of the TNA did not raise even a whimper of protest it was only Sangaree who issued a strong statement criticising Balasingham openly for this high-handed utterance.
But the rest of the TULF or TNA did not back up Sangaree publicly though a few like Raviraj lauded him privately. But Balasingham was furious.
Soon the TULF leadership minus Sangaree was summoned to Kilinochchi by Thamilselvan who ordered the party to remove Sangaree from his leadership position.
Realising the injustice of the LTTE command the TULF stalwarts procrastinated asking Sangaree to quit on his own. When he stubbornly refused the TULF continued to filibuster as there was rank and file support then for the TULF president.
But Thamilselvan was firm in getting Sangaree out. Later Prabhakaran also indicated he wanted Sangaree out. Apparently the LTTE was angered by Sangaree’s defiance and wanted to make an example of him.
Walking Corpses
Finally the TULF general council voted against Aanandasangaree in an exercise described by the UTHR (Jaffna) as something akin to a “walking corpses” performance.
Sangaree however resorted to legal action with Wijedasa Rajapakshe appearing for him. The court ruling prevented Aanandasangaree being removed as TULF president. Loyal members of the TULF “old guard” remain with the TULF under Aanandasangaree while others are now functioning within a TNA structure.
Having taught the TNA through the Sangaree affair what the price of defiance would be the LTTE intensified its grip on the TNA. Under different circumstances Sangaree would simply have been bumped off.
But what helped Sangaree was the hesitation of the LTTE to assassinate a democratically elected Tamil MP during a period where a peace process was in progress.
Later the tigers were ready to kill Sangaree but by then the Sri Lankan state had realised the TULF presidents political value and extended to him adequate protection. As a result the tigers could not kill him.
Also the LTTE priorities were changed during the Rajapaksa regime. Being a non-MP Sangaree’s importance was reduced in tiger eyes while other targets received greater attention. The downside of being protected by state security was the decrease in popular support for Aanandasangaree.
Defining Moment
The Aanandasangaree episode is referred to in detail here because of its importance in the evolution of the TNA. It is of great significance because it determined the future course of the TULF-TNA vis a vis the LTTE. It was a defining moment.
Had the TNA leaders in general and the TULF in particular rallied to Aanandasangaree’s defence then the tiger tendency to dominate may have been curtailed to some extent. The TULF-TNA could have retained some self-respect and autonomy of action.
Instead the TULF-TNA chose to grovel before the LTTE and let down Aanandasangaree badly. In the process the TNA in general and the “old” TULF undermined themselves and were reduced to being mere appendages of the LTTE.
Today the TNA has fragmented badly. The basis for this dissension lies in the roots of the TNA and in the handiwork of the LTTE.
The TNA came together as a loose coalition of parties but when the tigers established total control they could have cemented this unity as a structural whole . They could have got the TNA registered as a party with a constitution and party structure.
The LTTE did not do so and in fact prevented such moves when suggested by the TELO and EPRLF. Instead the tigers preferred to keep the TNA constituents as separate parties without forging a permanent alliance.
This enabled the LTTE to manipulate and control each party separately. At the same time the tigers were pre-empting a parallel or rival Tamil political organization emerging or developing.
Likewise older established democratic parties like the TULF and ACTC were also reluctant to merge with ex- militant organizations like the EPRLF and TELO. They wanted to preserve their distinct identities.
As for the TELO and EPRLF they were at times encumbered by their militant reputation and wanted to extricate themselves from their violent past. For them dissolution of the existing parties in favour of a greater entity was desirable.
Apart from preventing the TNA being concretised as a whole and independent party the LTTE also drove wedges between the parties. One was manipulated against the other. Also members of one party were set up against others of the same party. Factionalism was fomented. Individual tale-carrying was encouraged.
Divide and Rule
It is said that the British practised the divide and rule principle. They united for administrative convenience to exploit while dividing the ethnicities politically to govern.
When the British left these fissiparous tendencies came to the fore and many countries of the commonwealth were saddled with separatist movements.
In similar fashion the LTTE maintained “unity” of the TNA as a facade on the one hand while keeping the constituents dis-united on the other.
The TNA remained as one entity while the LTTE remained powerful. But once the tigers were no more the submerged differences have emerged.In that sense the current instability too is a consequence of LTTE imposition.
The tigers succeeded in showing to the TNA they were the mastersThe next few years saw the TNA becoming complete slaves of the LTTE.
When the 2004 Parliamentary elections was on the cards the LTTE changed its stance. The tigers played an active role in selection of candidates and conduct of the TNA election campaign.
The 2001 election had seen the TNA contesting under the TULF symbol of sun.Now the TULF was officially separate and independent under Aanandasangaree. So a new symbol was needed. The Federal party known as Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK)symbol of house and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress symbol of cycle were available.
Though both the ITAK and ACTC Had merged to form the TULF in 1976 both retained their distinct identity as registered parties due to peculiar political circumstances. The LTTE decided to go ahead with the ITAK and house. Senathirajah was the secretary of ITAK.
New Element
The TNA constituent parties were asked to put forward their nominees. In addition to these the LTTE itself introduced a new element. The tigers had a list of names without any political party affiliation.
Many of these were office-bearers in LTTE front organizations. They were all die-hard tiger supporters. A few were LTTE members.
The LTTE prepared a TNA candidate list for each district. The lists consisted of nominees from the TULF, ACTC, TELO, EPRLF and those without party affiliation. Actually the term “Tiger nominated Agents” would apply to the latter category.
The lists for the North were finalised by Thamilselvan in consultation with regional commanders. The lists for Batticaloa and Amparai were finalised by Karuna and Karikalan. The list for Trincomalee was finalised by Paduman and Thilak. Once finalised the TNA officially “Approved” them.
The election campaign commenced in earnest. The ceasefire accord of 2002 had paved the way for a tiger presence in government controlled areas in the form of political offices.
Now these offices were stocked with tiger cadres. Their task was to do “propaganda” for the TNA.
In Jaffna and Batticaloa the LTTE cadres together with pro-tiger student organizations in the Thirunelvely and Vantharumoolai campuses engaged in propaganda.
In Jaffna a tiger motor cycle brigade went into action intimidating rival candidates like Aanandasangaree and Devananda. On polling day an active force of 1500 “volunteers” embarked on a gigantic vote rigging spree.
The situation in Batticaloa underwent a rapid transformation one month prior to the poll on April 2nd 2004. On March 3rd 2004 the eastern regional tiger commander Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan revolted against Prabhakaran and broke away.This had its repercussions on the elections campaign
Rajan Sathiyamoorthy
Among the TNA candidates was in B’caloa was Rajan Sathiyamoorthy the father of current B’caloa mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran. He was regarded as Karuna’s right-hand man and an architecht of the eastern revolt.
Sathiyamoorthy and his brother in law were shot dead by the mainstream LTTE while doing morning pooja at the shrine room in their house.
Karuna organized a grand funeral and buried Sathiyamoorthy with honours at the tiger great heroes cemetery. After nightfall rival tiger cadres dug up the corpse and dumped it in a half-burnt state by the banks of a river.
The TNA lists for Batticaloa and Amparai had been compiled before the Karuna split. Now a fellow candidate had been brutally killed. His buried corpse had been defiled.
Yet there was not a peep of protest from fellow TNA candidates. They simply kept mum and went on with their electioneering regardless of what had happened.
Astounding
Election day came and the results were certainly astounding for the TNA. The LTTE had done its part in doing propaganda, ensuring a large turn out of voters and vote rigging. The TNA virtually swept the polls among Tamil voters in the North and East.
In Jaffna the TNA got eight of the nine seats. Selva.Gajendran, Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam,Suresh Premachandran, Nadarajah Raviraj, Somasundaram Senathirajah, Sinnaiah Sivanesan and MK Sivajilingam were returned. Douglas Devananda was the solitary EPDP winner.
In the Wanni the TNA got five of the six seats. Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Vinotharahalingam,Sivasakthi Anandan, Sathasivam Kanagaratnam and Sivanathan Kishore were elected. The sixth went to Rishard Bathiyutheen of the Muslim Congress.
In Trincomalee the TNA received the most number of votes and got the bounus seat. Both Sambandan and Thurairatnasingham were elected. In Amparai district the TNA sitting MP Chandranehru lost but a newcomer K. Pathmanathan was elected on the TNA ticket.
In Batticaloa the TNA got four of the five seats . T.Kanagasabhai, Thangeswari Kadirgamar,T. Jeyanandamoorthy and Kingsley Rajanayagam were elected. Veteran Batticaloa politician Joseph Parajasingham who had been an MP since 1990 had lost. Sathiyamoorthy though dead received more than 20,000 preference votes.
The TNA lists for Batticaloa- Amparai had been approved by Karuna. But the LTTE split occurred after nominations were filed. Most TNA candidates were in a quandary after the split and undecided on which horse to back.
Sathiyamoorthy openly supported Karuna and paid the supreme price. Pararajasingham backed the LTTE Wanni leadership and so lost in what was a rigged poll. The rest wavered and were like cats on the wall.
The political climate changed within a week of the poll when the LTTE launched a military onslaught on the Karuna break-away faction.
Once the mainstream LTTE got the upper hand and Karuna relocated to Colombo the wavering TNA MP’s through their lot in with the Wanni leadership.
Kingsley Rajanayagam
There was however a hitch as P. Ariyanendran the Kokkattisolai Sivan temple trustee and editor of the LTTE journal “THamizh Alai” (Tamil wave) had not got elected.
On the other hand Kingsley Rajanayagam an ardent Tamil nationalist was suspect in the eyes of the LTTE due to his perceived affinity to Karuna.
In another blatant display of LTTE tyranny the elected MP Rajanayagam was virtually abducted and forced to resign his parliamentary seat. His family in Thamaraikerny in B’caloa town was under threat.
Thus Rajanayagam “relinquished” his seat which was filled by Ariyanendran. Subsequently Rajanayagam was killed by the LTTE.
All this happened but the TNA parliamentarians were not bothered at all.They simply emulated the three monkeys made famous by Mahatma Gandhi. They remained blind,deaf and dumb.
Meanwhile the TNA was entitled to two national list seats. Joseph Pararjasingham was appointed to one and MK Kanakendran alias “Eelaventhan” (king of Eelam) to the other.
Eelaventhan though originally from the FP and TULF was now a maverick sycophant of the LTTE.
There were now twenty elected and two appointed MP’s.Of these twenty-two eleven were from the original four constituent parties of the TNA.
They were Sambandan,Thurairatnasingham, Senathirajah, Raviraj,Pararajasingham (TULF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam (ACTC)SElvam Adaikkalanathan, Vonoharahalingam. Sivajilingam (TELO) and Sivasakthi Anandan, Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF).
There were eleven with non-party affiliation .They were Selva,Gajendran, Padmini Sithamparanathan, Sinnaiah Sivanesan, Sathasivam Kanagaratnam, Sivanathan Kishore, T.Kanagasabhai, Thangeswari Kadirgamar, Jeyanandamoorthy, Ariyanendran , K. Pathmanathan and MK Eelaventhan.
Fifty-Fifty
So the TNA parliamentarians were divided equally as those with and without party affiliation. In lighter vein both sides were evenly matched to play Cricket, Soccer or Hockey. GG Ponnambalam’s “fifty-fifty” formula had at last been implemented.
Subseqently Eelaventhan fell foul of the LTTE leadership and was deprived of his MP seat on the orders of the LTTE. Even the jeep allocated to him was “re-possessed “by the LTTE. Currently he is in Canada spouting venomous hatred against Sambandan.
Parajasingham, Raviraj and Sivanesan were assassinated at different times in different places. Their vacancies were filled by Chandranehru Chandrakanthan (TULF),Nallathamby Sri Kantha (TELO) and Solomon Cyril (non –party). Eelaventhan was replaced by RM Imam a Jaffna Muslim stalwart of the TULF.
Second Phase
The TNA track record during its second phase from 2004 to 2010 was as dismal as the earlier first phase from 2001-2004. It could be termed as even worse because war erupted fully during this.
The first phase was one where the TNA did not play a constructive role in helping to usher in a negotiated peace.
The second phase was one where the TNA supported the LTTE in bringing about war and was then powerless to protect the helpless Tamil civilians from the consequences of that war.
In the first part of this article published last week I have written extensively about the TNA political performance within and outside Parliament.
I do not intend therefore to re-appraise that record in this section except to reiterate that the TNA failed in their duty miserably by playing second fiddle to the LTTE and bear responsibility to a great extent for the pathetic plight of the Sri Lankan Tamil people.
pic: TNAInfo.com
Third Phase
It is against this backdrop that the TNA enters its crucial third phase. Though this phase should properly begin after the April 8th 2010 elections some recent developments could also be attributed to this phase.
In a sense the TNA has undergone a transfiguration after the events of May 2009 where the LTTE was defeated and virtually destroyed in the Karaithuraipatru AGA division of Mullaitheevu district.
Realising perhaps that the LTTE was on the verge of military defeat and suffering perhaps pangs of conscience for the tragic state of the Tamil people the TNA leadership tried in early 2008 to draft a political blueprint for a negotiated settlement.
There was encouragement in this regard from influential sections of the international community and India as well as thinking sections of the Tamil Diaspora.
A panel of Tamil lawyers was assigned the task of drafting a scheme outlining the contours of a political settlement. The idea was to base it on the Oslo accord of 2002 where the Govt of the day and the LTTE agreed to explore a federal solution. Representatives of 56 Countries and International organizations were witnesses to that historic agreement.
But when Senathirajah went to the Wanni to attend Sivanesan’s funeral and met with Prabhakaran the tiger supremo was not pleased with the project.
Apparently Prabhakaran wanted to distance himself from the Oslo agreement signed by Anton Balasingham. Thereafter the TNA project of drafting political proposals was put in cold storage.
Political Proposals
After the military debacle suffered by the LTTE last May the TNA again took up the project. Sambandan a lawyer himself requested two Tamil lawyers outside the TNA to draft political proposals. They did so in consultation with Sambandan who in turn consulted Senathirajah and Suresh Premachandran.
Once the scheme was formulated it was submitted to Srikantha and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam both lawyers themselves.
The scheme was modified and submitted to all TNA parliamentarians in Sri Lanka for their approval. It was obtained. The MP’s were asked to keep details of the proposals confidential.
The proposals apparently avoided contentious issues and did not refer to the terms unitary or federal. With fresh Presidential and Parliamentary elections on the cards the idea was to to submit it to the “new” President and “new” Parliamentary government as a basis for political negotiations.
It was felt that greater support for the proposals could be garnered from progressive sections of the Sinhala majority, International community and India for these. The TNA hierarchy was fully conscious that the Tamil people had no bargaining clout at the present juncture.
Meanwhile the Presidential polls took place. The cracks within the TNA surfaced. There was a major difference of opinion about lending support.
The bulk of TNA parliamentarians were for refraining from supporting either candidate and boycotting polls. Some wanted to field a separate Tamil candidate. One wanted to support the incumbent President. But the influential trio of Sambandan, Senathirajah and Suresh were for Sarath Fonseka and officially endorsed the General’s candidacy
This resulted in Sivajilingam contesting the Presidency himself with Srikantha’s backing. Sathasivam Kanagaratnam released from custody as a ” terrorist suspect” openly canvassed for Mahinda Rajapaksa in terms of his release as arranged.
Sivanathan Kishore who facilitated Kanagaratnam’s release had publicly hugged and kissed President Rajapaksa thereby indicating his future political direction.
The presidential poll saw Rajapaksa win but the Tamils and Muslims of the North and East voted for Fonseka. Both the TNA and Muslim Congress claim credit for this.
Nomination
As a result the triple “S” trio of Sambandan, Senathirajah and Suresh felt confident enough to “weed” out problematic elements from party nomination lists for the Parliamentary election.
Some of the “unmanageable” MP’s like Selva.Gajendran and Pathmini Sithamparanathan were denied nomination. So to were people like Sivajilingam and Sivanathan Kishore. Of the MP’s with non-party affiliation only Ariyanendran has been given nomination again.
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam however supported Gajendran and Padmini Sithamparanathan and wanted the TNA to nominate the duo in place of himself and fellow ACTC nominee Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy.
This was refused and so the ACTC is now split with Vinayagamoorthy contesting as TNA while Gajendrakumar along with Gajendran and Sithamparanathan are contesting as Tamil Nationalist Peoples Front candidates under the ACTC cycle symbol.
Sivanathan Kishore, Sathasivam Kanagaratnam and Thangeswari Kadirgamar are contesting under the betel symbol of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in Wanni and B’caloa.
Sivajilingam and Srikantha have formed the Tamil National Liberation Alliance and are contesting under the umbrella symbol of the Left front led by Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne.
Some TNA ex-MP’s have quit like Kanagasabhai and Thurairatnasingham. While Kanagasabhai remains aloof Thurairatnasingham is canvassing actively for the TNA in Trincomalee. Jeyanandamoorthy is abroad but keeps criticising the TNA leadership. Solomon Cyril though denied nomination keeps away from politics.
Rhetoric
An adverse consequence of the TNA break-up is the rise of extremist rhetoric. With some Tamil ex-MP’s accusing the TNA of betraying Tamil interests and putting forward unrealistic demands the TNA too is compelled to raise the ante with equally bombastic rhetoric.
The negative contribution of irrational Diasporic elements has compounded the situation further.
It is in this situation that the TNA enters its important third phase. The fragmented alliance faces hustings at a critical period for Sri Lankan Tamils. It is a moot point as to whether the elections in the north and east would be free and fair.
Nevertheless the poll is of tremendous importance as it would enable the Sri Lankan Tamils to re-gain a strong, unified voice again. For this to be possible the Tamil voters must give the reformed, re-configured TNA another chance.
Will They?
Related: Tamil National Alliance enters critical third phase-1
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
Mr.Jeyaraj
I agree with your position.Like you I too have no respect for the TNA who functioned as lackeys of the LTTE and through their irresponsible servility placed the Tamil people in a tragic plight
Nevertheles one has to pick the best out of the worst and the TNA remains the best bet for the Tamils.
I do think the TNA leadership is trying to reform itself and act responsibly
I think the TNA must be given a second chance to repent and make amends for their pitiful past
Dear DBS
My regard for you has gone up very much after reading these two articles on the TNA
You have criticised and pointed out the past mistakes of the TNA
At the same time you have been realistic enough to say that despite its faults the TNA should be supported by the Tamil people
I agree with you whole-heartedly that we Tamils need a strong unified voice and that the TNA needs to be supported
I have been a regular reader of your articles since 1982 – you always remained neutral without writing in favour of any parties or groups.
I think for the first time you have published a paper supporting a political party. I can very well understand your initiative: an extra ordinary situation needs extra ordinary measures to deal with. In a way you are attempting limit the damages inflicted on Tamils by the “Pirabaharan Phenomenon.” I respectfully take my hat off to you.
I urge you again please write an article on, ” Say no to Pirabaharan phenomenon”
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Thank you.
You have understood my thoughts well.
I will try and write about the topic you suggest in the near future.
I see the danger of the rise of “prabhakaranistas” in the anti-TNA campaigns of the break–aways .
Meanwhile could you please send me your e-mail address to dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com .
Thanks
DBS
I agree with all contents of your two articles on the TNA
Despicable as the TNA has been it needs to be elected to voice the Tamil cause eloquently
You have proved by this article that you are at heart an ardent Tamil nationalist who is concerned about the future of the Tamil people
DBJ as usual has done a wonderful analysis of TNA. The short cuts they were trying to take have betrayed the interests of Tamil people in the long run. Even backing up Sarath Fonseka for presidential election gave a bad taste for them of majority of Tamils. The very TNA who were critical of Sarath Fonseka for the longest time, suddenly turn tables to support him just because he became odds with the President. Any person with senses feel Sarath Fonseka was completely out of line when he started foul mouthing the President whom was hailed by the very person just a few months ago. It is like a senior member of TNA suddenly starts attacking the party leadership because he thinks that he can get to the top by back door. How people will accept such political turn coats. Anyway TNA should make a serious reach out to President Rajapaksa to resolve problems faced by the Tamil people without playing politics.
A good description, but there are bits missing. Please go into the details of the assassinations of the MPs Raviraj etc…
DBSJ RESPONDS: This article is not about those assassinations. I have written about the assassinations of TNA parliamentarians like Pararajasingham, Raviraj and Sivanesan earlier
Please go to the http://www.transcurrents. com archives and read them if you are interested
Thanks DBSJ…
I read your both articles about TNA. i am 100% agree with you.Without any doubt they need to reform their party policies towards united Srilanka and buried their 70s ideology. Tamils need a strong leadership in Srilanka working closely with the majority. They need to win the next election to prove that.
Superb article.
The fact that the LTTE didn’t have any love for the democratic process led to its being branded as a terrorist organization and also to its downfall.
When the LTTE came down it also brought down the Tamils.
The worst affected are the Tamil civilians and their cause.
It pains me to see that they didn’t learn anything from their past mistakes.
Their cause suffered a set back.
Dear Jeyaraj,
You have contradicted yourself in this article. In October 2000, the Tigers killed Nimalan Soundranayagam. It was done by the then Eastern Commander Karuna. You blamed the EPDP and/or the Army for the killing, without any basis, in your Sunday Leader column. You are now blaming the Tigers for the kiling. Why the change of heart?
regards,
Rifat
DBSJ RESPONDS:
There is no change of heart.Only a change of fact.The mistake was corrected years ago.
DO YOU THINK FP/TULF /TNA ALL POLITICIAL PARTIES WORK FOR TAMIL CAPTALIST CLASS,SINCE 1948.
THEY EVER OR NEVER SUPPORT NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE OF CEYLON OR SRI LANKA. 1972 REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA THEY OPPOSED,OF COURSE,REPUBLLIC OF SRI LANKA IS NOT SOCIALIST ONE.BUT INDEED IT OPPOSED IMPERIAL HEGEMONY.
WE NEED LIVE ALL SRI LANKA AS ONE COUNTRY
IRRESPACATIVE OF RACES,WE NEED MINIUM DEMOCRATIC FRAME WORK TO LIVE THIS ISLAND
CAPITALIST CLASS WANT ALL OPPORESED PEOPLE TO SPLIT AS COUNTRY,NATION & PEOPLE.THEY PROMOTED SPLITTERS ACTVITIES AMONG PEOPLE.
THAT IS WAHT JVP AND LTTE POLITICIAL ROLE IN SRI LANKA.
JVP STILL IN THIS AGENDA,FEW MONTHS BACK JVP SUPPORT FOR WAR,NOW THEY ARE CRYING FOR TAMIL RIGHTS. I BELIVE MOST OF TAMIL PARTIES STILL HAVING WESTERN AGENDA?
THIS AGENDA SEPEART COUNTRY FOR NOT TAMIL NATION IS FOR USA A & UK ALLIES.
In other words, DBS has demonstrated clearly that Tamils politics is ALSO the last refuge of scoundrels. Except for Mavai Senathi, who is a scoundrel from the very beginning? Mavai had not done anything in life other than Tamil politics and if not for politics, even now he cannot do anything else in life.
The real exception is Anandasagaree. Hats off. I wish him well. What a courage to stand up single handedly against the LTTE.
A political and/or an election defeat must end the political career of any sensible and respectable person. But in Sri Lankan politics, the failures are the pillars of political success. If people reject you in poll, find a way through the national list because it was the same people who polled to create that seat. In other words, if you are defeated, you become a technocrat overnight to fill the national list.
Few comments, before I embark on my view on the future of Tamils, especially for the eastern Tamils.
Knowing Kingsley Rasanaygam well I do not agree that he was ever a Tamil nationalist. Hailing from Kallar, he had strong leaning to LTTE and showed his due loyalty and caste solidarity to the LTTE. Secondly, from Batticaloa he moved to Vanni to help the LTTE to form its Eelam Bank and returned with some money to buy some lands in Batti and finally got killed in the same land which he bought with the LTTE [or people’s] money.
If Raviraj had lauded Sangaree privately for criticizing Anton Bala, then the LTTE is also on the killer’s list of Raviraj.
Sathasivam Kanagaratnam and Sivanathan Kishore are thick as thieves from day one. Sathasivam Kanagaratnam also known as Anna Coffee Van Kanaku is the brother of Sellakili who was killed in July 1983. If Kanaku, Kishore, Sivajilingam can become legislatures of Tamils, the seats once held by GG, SJV, Thiruchelvam, Neelan, Kadirgamar etc., it is the worst curse this community can continue to have.
It is my understanding that MPs are legislatures. They legislate law and nothing else. The other parts of the government such as executive and judiciary will do their part in running the country and one shall not interfere into the other.
But our MPs do everything other than legislation for many reasons. They are not qualified to understand what legislation is. They do not have any language skills to legislate. They do not have the basic understanding of law making. All what they know is to interfere in the executive. They strongly believe that transferring and punishing, teachers, grama sevakas and civil servants who did not vote for them, is their primary duty. In this Tamil Nadu MPs are their Gurus.
But ignoring all these important duties and responsibilities, in the name of unity, Tamils vote en masse and send bunch of donkeys to Parliament who does nothing other than raising voice which no other non-Tamil MP can understand. The commentators above and DBS are telling the same to ‘re-gain a strong, unified voice again’. For what? Have they not raised a unified voice in the past? Is there anything new to tell to the majority community?
In 1977, we were unified and made history by forming the leading opposition party and for the first time in the history a Tamil became the leader of opposition. And since then, Tamils continuously occupied parliamentary seats in the opposition. What did the Tamils achieve?
On the contrary, think about the period where Tamils occupied the government seats and what they gained. To mention a few, KKS cement factory, Paranthan chemicals, Valaichenai paper mills, Irakkamam tile factory, Ilmenite factory in the east and many more. In addition, the local development of Tamil areas took place only when a Tamil MP was in the govt. If there was any local development in Batticaloa, that took place only after Rajan Selvanayagam was elected as MP in 1977 and not during C Rajadurai’s 35 years of service with the Federal party. I think it was the same for Jaffna during Alfred Duraiyappas time. But I did not vote to Rajan Selvanayagam. As an emotional donkey, I voted to the Tamil unity without knowing what it is. Do I have to continue this forever?
The lesson we have learnt in the past is that nothing can be done in a democracy without sitting with the ruling party. Democracy means rule by the majority. Opposition is there only to monitor what the majority does and not to dictate the majority. So let us join the ruling party and do some work to our so called homeland. The only practical way to stop Sinhala colonization into Tamil areas [if that is a concern], to develop Tamil areas, to find a way to rehabilitate the ex militants who are in detention and for any other matter, is to take a seat in the cabinet and raise our voice there. No point in barking in the parliament.
Let us put behind our religion, language, caste, creed or whatever we allege to have behind the four corners of the walls of our houses and we shall come to the streets with one identity as Sri Lankans. Let us do this for another 50 years and see whether we will care for what we left behind the four walls. If we were willing to take the risk of destroying everything for the last 30 years in a violent manner, why we cannot do this in a democratic way.
Yes, I know we did this before 1971. But did we do a united way? No. The Tamil man who did the major development works in the north and the east was branded by Federal Party as a traitor and he was defeated in the elections. Tamil politicians undercut each other to gain power and they used the venom called ‘Tamil Nationalism’. This helped the Sinhalese to deny our rights and we suffered and continue to suffer.
To make the story short, I wish all the Tamils who contest in SLFP and UNP tickets win in the forthcoming elections. All the Tamils vote for a Tamil who contest under UNP and/or SLFP ticket. If those MPs can work with the government and can develop their respective areas that would be a yeoman service to the Tamil nation now.
If Tamils need a separate party, there shall be a new political party without the word ‘Tamil’ in the name of the party. It could have a Constitution such a way that the party leadership is held by the Tamils. That party shall contest all over Sri Lanka giving opportunity to other communities to contest. If there is a seat from national list, give that to a Sinhalese or to a Muslim. Let us teach them what Affirmative Action is. I know it is a long way but shorter than the wasted 30 years.
Again, stop this nonsense of ‘re-gaining a strong, unified voice again’. We have shouted and voiced enough. It did not work. So why it should work now or in the future. It is time to do something differently, constructively and intelligently. Let us not repeat the history, please.
More later!
A dissenting minority feels free only when it can impose its will on the majority: what it abominates most is the dissent of the majority. – Hoffer, Eric –need we say more!
DBS
I agree with you that Tamils need a strong unified voice presently. If the TNA corrects itself and acts wisely the TNA can be that voice
I feel the Tamils should not cast their vote overwhelmingly for any one party or grouping. Those contesting these elections should be taught a lesson they will never forget- do not take the Tamils for a ride ever again. Tamils have been made fools of for too long! They will once again sell the Tamils for a song!
They are incapable of negotiating with the government, because they do not know what matters to the Tamils most and do not have a vision for their future. They are men and women who went blind in their youth and are unable to see the world has changed! Let the best of what is available as individuals get elected, irrespective of their party or group labels they carry. The present voting system however may be a barrier to even this option. However, It will make no difference to the Tamils in the coming six years. We have to learn to survive and succeed despite this bad baggage.
It is time for civic organizations to carry the onerous task of providing leadership in the interim and form the platform from which a new generation of honest, competent and visionary leaders would rise.
I would say Tamils should support Sangaree who stood up against Arms groups including LTTE. Sangaree did not have blood in his hand as TNA as a whole directly and indirectly have blood in their hands.
However, I do not like confrontational politics. I would prefer to go along with SJV’s son Chandrakasan line (enakka paddu arasiyal). If we do non confrontational politics, We can least not loosing our rights and freedom that fast or we can get something better .
What we have got now after confrontational politics by since 1948? Everyone should think are we better off now than 1948 ?? If anyone say yes we are better off then go a head and support TNA and others. If we say no then Support who would do non-confrontational politics or even Support MR. Nothing to loose anyway.
DBS,
I agree 98% of Amirthakaliyan’s view. However, He forgot to mention A. Amirthalingam. Amirthalingam is the one who convinced India (During Indira’s time and Rajiv’s time) to bring peace accord to Sri Lanka in 1987. Of cause Amirthalingam proposed Tamil Ellam but later he corrected because of International community and India. The political Leader should do whatever it is possible at the time of the situation and what they can achieve with the help of their friends or their own. If we had agreed to that accord we would have much better off now. Its all LTTE’s policy which killed that chance.
I agree 98% of Amirthakaliyan’s view. However, He forgot to mention A. Amirthalingam. Amirthalingam is the one who convinced India (During Indira’s time and Rajiv’s time) to bring peace accord to Sri Lanka in 1987. Of cause Amirthalingam proposed Tamil Ellam but later he corrected because of International community and India. The political Leader should do whatever it is possible at the time of the situation and what they can achieve with the help of their friends or their own. If we had agreed to that accord we would have much better off now. Its all LTTE’s policy which killed that chance.
DBS. please accept my humble thanks for an excellent well researched article. All the time I had a feeling that Anandasangaree was a brave man and you just informed me. Of course as a Sinhalese I had to ask my Tamil friends about him and some who may have sympathies with LTTE rubbished him. But you have enlightened me. My grateful thanks. I always like to see the right picture before forming opinions.
Secondly. My greatest admiration to Amirthakaliyan who wrote at number 11 contribution. He has shown maturity of thought. If Tamils follow what he has said, they will certainly be on the path to pave a meaningful future for their people. Don George
DBS Anna
I read both your articles on TNA again and again
Thank you very much Anna
You have shown how badly they behaved in past but point out that they are the best choice of what we have now
I agree with the previose writer in some extent because in the first time in Srl Lankan histry head of the state speek in Tamil and I feel he can understand our problems as tamil speeking community.
In todays situation Tamils are finished if they are fragmented with one or two MP’s from different parties in Parliament
Tamils need a large body of MP’s from a single party
TNA is best for that
I endorse DBS in saying we need strong unified voice
#11. Amirthakaliyan
If u are a tamil…. u are seeing things very differently from amny tamil writersat present .
I hope tamil people will be free to make thier choice as individuals not in a race mind set. Its rare to read a tamil moderate voice.
I feel all Sri Lankan citizens should vote for policies where all people could live with basic human needs and with dignity .
The majority of our citizenslive at or below the poverty line…. not knowing if they could have thier next meal, when the roof above thier head will stop leaking.
The children need education & nutrition, the sick need healthcare, socialy deprived need justice, the list is never ending. Does the politicians look in to these matters??? Mothers throwing thier children to rivers becuase of extreme povery !! One poster can provide a week’s food for one of these families, a big cut out can provide a solid house to one of them… think what a diffenerce these shortsighted politicians could have made.
Ethnic mindsets of all should be erased and think as Lankans born to one country and try to live and coexist. Devisional politics should be condemned by all the moderates.
the developments should be sustainable in the long run not a propaganda by itself. We need genuine poeple serving the contituencies genuinely.
I agree with you ‘unified voice’ is good if it is to further betterment of the society but not to seek power only.
mr.dbs your article is historical valuable,but mr. amirthakalians comments should be given much thought.sinhale nationalism and chauvenism is a hindrance for the unity of the srilankans,just like tamil n./ c. .
in my opinion tna is a hindrance.reccomending the tamils to vote for the top sinhale nationalist fonseka mainly supported by the national socialist party the jvp,whatever the reasons are was stupid. ranjit de mel berlin/colombo
Amithakaliyan #11
I dont think you were donkey in voting years ago
I think you are donkey in saying Tamils dont need a stong unified voice now
I have been reading comments by this guy Amirthakaliyan for quite some time. He displays a puerile mentality and thorough ignorance of fundamental principles.
One such example is his childish post chiding DBS for wanting a strong unified voice. He says it is unnecessary whereas even a tyro in politics would realise that such a voice is urgently needed at this time
Stating that the TNA is best equipped to provide such a voice despite your valid critism of its past demonstrates your sincerity and political acumen Mr.Jeyaraj
More power to your elbow
Does it really matter if there is a fragmentation by various parties or unison under the TNA?
Both scenarios will yield nothing.
Vote for whoever you want. Justice will not come from forming a coalition with SLFP.
Some want to unite under one party, and then try to get foreign powers to exert pressure for the 13th
That would never be accepted by the South.
Nobody can force Colombo’s hand. The only people who could force Colombo’s hand are lying at the bottom of a lagoon.
DBSJ – Thanks for this timely reminder of the facts behind the formation of TNA in Oct 2001.
I suppose one cold also add the factors that dominated the thinking in the Sri Lankan political scene in Oct 2001.
- attack on the Katunayaka Airport July 2001 made LTTTE seem victorious, unassailable. Colombo Chamber of Commerce, Chandrika and Ranil were reeling under the conditions and facing massive hikes in insurab=nce costs, flight of foreign investments away, Nordic lobbies getting active on proposing talks with LTTE
- However , the attack on twin towers in New York, brought home to the western powers that third world terrorist movements could not be used as pets to destabilse poorer countries to ensure control of trade routes, raw materials , cheap labour.
It is funny to see people getting excited for saying Tamils need a strong unified voice.
It is very necessary at this dark period for Tamils
Today the concept of Nationalism is increasingly of a Sinhala Buddhist Nation. What Fonseka said is being practiced by the present government. Increasingly the JHU and NPF are becoming the mouth piece of the Govt even in the drafting of a new constitution etc.
It is neccesary that while we are all Sri Lankans, the minorities maintain their identity and their rights. Hence strong representation at national level is a must. We must give the TNA another chance.
Hello DBS,
Its a well done article. Keep up the good work. I am from the Sinhalese community but I feel the one voice you are asking will create lot of suspicious among Sinhalese community and will create lot of problems for ordinary Tamils. But Tamils have their rights to do any thing but try to advice the wise thing. I agree with comment 11. Only people living in North and East can get many benefits through the government is by being a part of the government. See what has happen to Rauf Hakeem he is a toothless lion, he can stay in opposition for ever. But see Thondamen, he can get any thing done from government but he is so corrupt that’s another story. For many tamils living in north and east my advice is to be a part of either SLFP or UNP these are the two parties that would survive for future… Do the wise thing…
When DBS said Tamils need united strong voice he also said the Tamil representatives must be able to corporate with govt without becoming stooges
I think that is sound advice
Why are peple thinking DBS wants Tamil voice to fight the govt
I think some readers are unable to understand what DBS is saying. He does not want confrontational politics for Tamils
But he does not want Tamils to be fragmented and easily manipulated by govt
DBS also wants Tamil representatives to co-operate with govt with self – respect and not collaborate
Am I right Jeyaraj?
No Tamil with an iota of common sense will say Tamils dont need a strong united voice
DBS dont worry about rantings of people like # 11
Just keep on writing
We are with you
Dear Amirthakaliyan,
I am a Sinhala and I see that many Sinhalese would support what you have to say about Tamils accomplishing more through participating in govt than forming a united front. I am not against either path but have a few comments why participating may not be effective at the present moment (but may be in the future):
1) If it is true that participating Tamils NOW can build things in Tamil areas (KKS, Paranthan, and Valaichenai under GG Ponnambalam were great examples 50 years ago), then we should look and see what the longstanding Minister Douglas Devananda has accomplished.
I have seen no objective analysis of Douglas’s role in Jaffna. Even the moderates like Anandasangaree hate Douglas for acting like a lackey for the govt. and killing other Tamils (in that latter sense surpassed only by the LTTE). However I have also heard that most of Douglas’s supporters are the poorest Tamils and that they have been uplifted to a certain degree. It would be nice if somebody knowledgeable and objective can show us a balance sheet, although it may be irrelevant if EPDP becomes a nonentity after the elections.
2) I think it is reasonable for Tamils to expect the govt to make the first “confidence building” move before they participate in govt. After all Ranil was willing to hand the country over to LTTE for “confidence building” so why not open the hand for ordinary Tamils? Mahinda can send a strong message by dismantling high security zones and relocating many military facilities outside Jaffna (Ranil was ridiculed for offering this, but I have to say as an anti-Ranil person myself this is not a bad idea).
Great article DBSJ. I feel a bit sorry for Anandasangaree. He seems a decent bloke but some people say he has not got much support. I hope iam wrong, but decent people seem to be not appreciated whether in north or south. Are we getting the representatives we deserve. This poor man has escaped death by a whisker, he keeps writing and writing to the president. i don’t know whether the president is even reading it.
Dear Sitheeg,
“in the first time in Srl Lankan histry head of the state speek in Tamil and I feel he can understand our problems as tamil speeking community.”
Although I applaud any fellow Sinhala who is trying to learn Tamil, Mahinda cannot win Tamil support through words alone. He has to back up Tamil words with ACTION.
Take a look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRa2oqWkU20&feature=player_embedded
I don’t know whether this is authentic (but some trusted friends told me that it is), but Mahinda did poorly. He got angry without understanding why the crowd was upset, and he used the term “demala” while speaking in Tamil- big mistake.
Contrary to what some people think, I don’t believe that the Tamils were hooting at Mahinda because of mispronunciation. My personal experience with Jaffna and Batticaloa Tamils is that their eyes light up whenever a Sinhala person makes a strong effort to speak their language and reach out.
Excellent well researched article, Anyway is it not the time that before you push people to TNA, You rather push TNA to accept a realistic solution.
What ever political soltuion may come, You will never destroy the unitary state of the country, The army camps will be in Jaffna until it become possible to trust tamil people. Is not separatism died a violent death at Nanthikadal lagoon..
Improve the law and order of the country, Teach tamils to learn with sinhalese and sinhales to live with tamils. This is the only realistic solutin I envisage. Many people can dream about Elam in foreign lands. Come to Sri Lanka and look at the ground situation. Your children will grow up in west and in another generation they will forget Sri Lanka and you will be dead. The practical solution is needed for the people live in Sri Lanka
Hi Wije#36
Dont be deceived by anti-Mahinda propaganda
The incident didn’t happen in Jaffna but Vavuniya
Some JVP type Sinhala guys hooted Mahinda when he spoke in Tamil and shouted “api Sinhalayo, Apata demala theranne naa”.
It was to that which Mahida retorted by saying “we are Sinhalese,I am also Sinhala” and then told them not to act smart and leave if they didn’t like it
Then these guys hooted in a big way
Then Mahinda said in Tamil the more you shout the more I will talk in Tamil and went on to speak
This is what happened
The Tamil people didn’t hoot Mahinda for talking in Tamil
His pronounciation was bad and he made mistakes. But the Tamil people liked the way he tried to talk in Tamil
But I am really mad at these anti – Mahinda , pro-JVP websites for twisting the truth and doing malicious propaganda driving wedge between Mahinda supporters and Tamil people
I read both your articles again together. They were wonderful
I learnt a lot about Tamil politics and the TNA
We are indebted to you Mr.Jeyaraj
#37-janaka
Your children will grow up in west and in another generation they will forget Sri Lanka and you will be dead
————————————————————————–
This is another strategic mistake that some sinhalese are making. They think that if they hold on for about 30 years without giving a political solution, the problem will just die out. Wishfull thinking indeed. There are holes in this argument as follows
1. Assumption that young tamils will not be as patriotic as older ones and will become part and parcel of western culture. Why don’t youlook at what is happening to young muslims in the western world. Are they forgetting about all their muslim brothers in other parts of the world. Judging others by one’s standards and making assumptions for future scenarios is not a very good model to follow.
2. Assumption that older tamils will be getting older and older and be dead and gone, good riddance of bad rubbish. They may die but is the pipeline destroyed. As long as the problem persists less older tamils will be going through the pipeline becoming older and older and replenishing the dead. So only a political solution will destroy that pipeline.
3. Assumption that ‘clever’ old sinhalese who are managing to counter these ‘cunning’ old tamils are themselves not going to die and be replenished by idiots.
4. Assumption that geopolitical realities will not change in 30 years to the extent that todays friends are tommorows foes and vice versa.
5. They say hope springs eternal in the human breast. So keep on hoping that without giving anything to the tamils the problem will just fade away and everyone will be one big happy family hugging and kissing each other the whole day.
The LTTE did irreparable damage to Tamil community and TNA towed the line regardless. We are here talking of 30 long years, a nation, killing large numbers of Tamil intellectuals and innocent civilians both Sinhala and Tamil. Yet TNA towed the line on these mega crimes.
Giving another chance to TNA is the same thing as saying giving another chance to LTTE. How can I respond when a Sinhalese says “To counter this Sinhalese should give 2/3 to Rajapaksha.”
THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN EDITED
To my dear fellow citizen,
“Why Srilnka parliament
While on travelling our mother India
might rejects their visas!”.
You know the UN
An intergovernmental body
Is in the air!
So our Ealam is Fruiting!
“Why srilanka …”
Don’t believe Sampanthan
I personally witnessed it
He has the temptation to hoist
Srilankan flag in our soil.
“Why srilanka …”
Sinhalese with minority complex
Talking about ‘unitary ‘
Some funny Tamils with Majority complex
Talking about ‘united’
We pragmatic people
are always working for a separate state.
“Why srilanka …”
Some will charge you as separatist
Don’t get irritated.
Tell them we are friendly
And ready to work with SAARC.
“Why srilanka …”
Stay at home on 8 ThMarch2010 and
Say to the NAM “Don’t use
The Gandian concept for harming others”
“Why srilanka …”
Varatharajapperumal
who declared independent Ealam is here
He is collecting the abandoned NEPC flags in Jaffna
Don’t get panic!
India is named by its enemies
So NEPC flag will be accepted by all.
“Why srilanka “
Another intrestig thing is about our camouflage
Is also accepted by our enemies.
Respecting by it The IC figures Cordon and Milliband.
How smart they were, like Their Air wing!
“Why srilanka “
Most will say boycotting is Hazardous
Every time they sing the same chorus!
The world knows their performance.
Be brave! Don’t you believe?
Indias history was Written
by a single Ghandy’s heart.
“Why srilanka “
Stay at home on 8 th march 2010
As father of India did!
Sing the Ealaththuppann
as father of our nation did.
“Valga Ealath Thamilagam…”
Parathy
Now where can we fit the election results of “Vadukotai Theermanam” here… which is conducted by the so called tamil wel wishers in overseas?
No…I am serious.
#41-Daya
Yet TNA towed the line on these mega crimes
————————————————————————
That is why getting 22 seats again is completely out for the TNA. Probably they might get 10-12 maximum. As DBSJ correctly pointed out they have lost the respect of the tamil people due to their servile attitude to the LTTE.
However i refrain from commenting about that because i am a bit confused as to how they could have dealt with the LTTE. The fault lies with the government for allowing the bullet to take power in the tamil regions all these years. How come the rajapakshes were able to achieve this while all the previous leaders could not. What did we have a armed forces for all these years.
If Sampanthan went his own way regardless of the LTTE we would be talking of the late Mr. Sambandan. From DBSJ article you will notice that Anandasangaree had a narrow escape and is lucky to be in the land of the living. See how many tamils the LTTE killed.
Tell me how else the TNA could have survived that era?
They could have retired from politics probably, but then it would have been difficult to comeback one day, because people would have forgotten them or would deride them saying you ran off when the kitchen was too hot and now you are coming. I really don’t know how to judge them really.
From now on they have no excuse. Tell the sinhalese they are no longer going to be the sole voice for the tamil people. There is douglas who is strong in areas like kayts, the PLOTE in parts like vavuniya, the SLFP itself can start making inroads, the UNP, anandasangaree, Ponnambalam, pillayan, karuna, thondaman, mano ganeshan, all are having their own vote base. New leaders also can start emerging during the next 5 years. Tamil politics is starting again after a very long time. The era under the LTTE was not politics. It was a farce. Some people may have just acted the goat just to survive hoping that such a day will come.
My heart goes to Amirthakaliyan – comment #11.
Been in Jaffna recently and observed the way the Uthayan is reporting events in Jaffna, combined with the pre presidential poll rhetoric of Mr.Sambandan that “Mannaiyum Makkalaiyum kaapaaththavae naam Sarath Fonsekavai aatharikinrom” does not give too much confidence TNA will act responsibly.
.Also i notice you have not gone into details of the “Quality” of the TNA candidates.But we all have to bow for the verdict of the people.Also on another point defeating Sambandan in Trinco is our priority says,
Gajendrakumar as reported in Colombo tamil newspapers. By the way two names on the TULF list in Colombo district caught my eye,Jayasangaree Anandasangaree,and Neminathan( related to the former Trinco MP?)Any idea?
DBS could have whitewashed TNA if he wanted to but instead he has written the truth about TNA and pointed out that with all the faults the TNA is the best option for Tamils available
Well Done DBS
My regard goes very high for you
DBS was only Tamil writer who openly criticalised LTTE and TNA under his own name for many many years when tigers was powerful.
Then I didnt see any brave Tamils supporting him or atacking tigers or TNA
Now tigers are finished and TNA tries to change its way and act freely for benefit of Tamils
DBS can see the change and bad situation of Tamils and is trieng to give TNA a chance
But people like no 11# comment are finding fault with DBS for that now
Everyone who kept mouths shut when DBS was faulting TNA are now very brave and finding fault with DBS now
What a world!
I hope tha TNA will reform itself ,do well at polls and act responsibly to bring about ethnic equality,unity and peace
DBS
In both your articles on TNA you have really dissected the TNA thoroughly and exposed their faults and frailities extensively
Yet you see the TNA as the best bet out of what is available and are indirectly urging Tamils should support it
I think you are doing this because you realise the Tamil predicament and are seeing signs of change in TNA
I am really impressed by your stance and approve of it
Amirthakaliyan #11
Doubting TNA sincereity is acceptable but to say Tamils dont need a strong united voice is absurd and ridiculos
Dear Amirthakaliyan,
You are again getting emotional to the other extreem and feeling to get surrender due to your feeling of defeat and depression and thinking of surrounderring without self respect. People who are depressed feels hopeles, loose self respect, and prepared to loose identity and bury their head under the sand.
Victors and bullys always try to say to their victums trust me I will look after you.
Do you thing only laweyers should become Mps.(legislaters)? Are they the ones can only understand law ? Mps shouls be able to represent people they should be able to articulate their constituents view points in the parliement. I totaly agree they should not interfear with exectives (transfers,job appointments etc) but they shoud not be sefish and try to to promote their own family and personal benifits. If you look at the Mps who have served in Srilanka Sinhala and Tamil mps in the past and present how many would qualify?.
After exposing the TNA so frankly and openly DBS has been detached enough to see that despite the flaws the TNA is the best choice for the Tamils now
My respect for DBS has increased greatly because of this
Because of Diaspra elements and the Gajendran-Gajendrakumar and Sivaji-Srikantha pairs the TNA is uttering lots f extremist nationalist nonsense
But after elections TNA must act realistically
37. Janaka
What ever political solution may come, You will never destroy the unitary state of the country,
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Unitary state is the root cause of all the problem in sri lanka.
Tamils and the Sinhalese are distinct nationalities.
Any agreement which does not recognize this ground reality will not usher in a political solution.
The Tamils have been living in the North and the East from historical times.
The Sinhalese claim that the entire island belongs to them only and the Tamils and the other ethnic and religious minorities can live in Sri Lanka.
Sinhalese have the absolute right and others can only live at the pleasure of the Sinhalese, so the Sinhalese seem to think.
The constitution of a country is and should be drawn from the history.
Unitary means Sinhala only and the entire island belongs to the sinhalese only, which is not fact.
It again means ‘All are equal’ but ‘SOME ARE FIRST AMONG THE EQUALS’.
Tamils have been living for a very long time in your island. They have been ruling themselves. This should be recognized.
If this is not recognized then it is sinhala hegemonism masquerading as sri lankan nationalism.
India is a secular country. India is secular not because the framers of the constitution wanted India to be secular.
Secularism is in the blood of the country. Secularism is one of the national currents of Indian nation.
Can you tell like that about the Unitary nature of your country.
What is not in your national current, you are seeking to impose through legislation, which will not work and is not working.
The least that the Tamils are asking is the federalism. Only when you denied the LTTE came and took to the weapons.
Also do not think this Tamil problem will be solved if you dilly dally another 30 years or so.
The Palestinian problem has not solved. The Chechen problem has not solved the Kurdish problem has not solved by that way.
By the way the diaspora Jews’ contribution towards the state of Israel is immense.
What is needed is genuine change of hearts on both the sides.
Sandun #38
Thanks for clarifying the incident regarding Tamils hooted Mahinda in Jaffna. Some web sites have reported that the incident had happened in Jaffna. I agree with the comments made by Wimaladas #10. Tamil capitalist are trying to discredit Mahinda and Douglas. They accuse Douglas for all negative incidents in Jaffna. Jaffna Tamil newspapers such as Uthayan and Thinnakural are in the forefront to discredit EPDP. Their real motive is to undermine the emergence of Tamil leadership from grass roots and they want to keep the old feudal system in the Tamil community.
Dear Amirthakaliyan,
Are you prepared to get crums and bones from your masters, You are getting gratified by the crums and bone pieces (KKS cement factory, Paranthan chemicals, Valaichenai paper mills, Irakkamam tile factory, Ilmenite factory in the east and many more. ) thrown at you as a reward for helping to divide the Tamil polity in the past In addition these factories were to destroy the natural resouces of tamil areas if ask any geologist will confirm. you are trying to promote the same now and to loose more in future.by superficialy thinking and getting emotional. Are you telling us Tamils in the past did not do any colaborative politics with Sinhala parties. You have poor and short memory pal.
“ontru paddal undu valvu” Unity is strength. Otherwise you will give in to Mahinda’s ascimilation and Genocidal chinthanava..
I agree with #40 Shankar.
In the past pre LTTE era the international diamention were absent to support Tamil polity
Now we have International an international diamention we can achieve what we The Tamil people’s democraticic wishes and dream for Years . REGAIN INDEPENDANCE. WITH IN OR OUTSIDE UNITED SRILANKA.
We should strengthen current TNA and urge them to bring in ACTC in to their fold.In Srilanka and support urge diaspora to support TGTE.
Dear DBS,
I came across the following Youtube clip which is claimed to be from MR’s speech in Jaffna.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRa2oqWkU20&feature=player_embedded
If this clip is authentic, his slip of the tongue clearly indicates MR’s thinking on the ethnic question. Kata boru kiyuwatta diva boru kiyyane nehe.
DBS, This is slightly off topic but a response to #55 Mahesh:
You wrote:
India is a secular country. India is secular not because the framers of the constitution wanted India to be secular.
Secularism is in the blood of the country. Secularism is one of the national currents of Indian nation.
————————————————————
This is nonsense. India is a secular country in name only. That is the huge fig leaf that you guys use to cover up everything else that is going on in India.
Most Hindus do want anything to do with the huge Muslim population. They are just tolerated because you can not physically eliminate them or convert them back to Hinduism. Some with the Muslims of India, most of them don’t want to do anything with the Hindus but they can not do anything about it. How many times during the 60 years of Indian secular rule did Hindus went on rampage against the Hindu population? How many times did the secular Indian government prosecute the people who murdered and burned the innocent people and the properties?
In the mid 80’s secular Indian government put down the Punjabi separatist movement with brutality that was no different to what happened in Sri Lanka. How may Hindus have been persecuted and jailed for the deadly 1984 riots against the Sikhs following Indira Gandhi’s assassination? Why is that one of the leaders who is accused of personally leading the attacks, Kamal Nath, is now the minister of road transport and highways in India in the current “secular” Indian government?
What is the Indian government doing these days in Kashimir? You call the secularism? You say Sri Lanka is trying to impose unity of the country through legislation. What do you call what the “secular” India is trying to do in Kashimir?
And here is what the author Arundathi Roy very recently wrote about what India is doing in the tribal areas in NE. Do you call this secular?
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?264738-1
You say secularism is in the blood of India. I say that is nonsense. India got a “secular” government because that is what Pandith Nehru wanted. Then the ruling Congress Party found it a convenient means to hang on to the power. However, BJP suddenly realized that religious issues are a convenient and easy way to get into power and average Indian Hindu voter was very comfortable to them into power. So much so for secularism being the national current. The famously secular Congress Party could not handle an Italian born woman Prime Minister although she was the one who campaigned and won the last Indian elections for the Congress and except for the white skin, she is for all intentions and purposes Indian.
Don’t fool yourself. Secular governments will be around as long as the politicians need it. The moment the politicians find other more convenient ways to power, secularism will go out of the window. It will happen in India just as it happened in Sri Lanka.
Douglas D is was and will be a thug trying to make mony and power to himself only. He has done nothing to improve Tamils life. or help any tamils. He came from India with a broken bata sliper and sqondral million of rupees and raped and kill many people. he has no political answer to tamil people’s proublems. how did he accumulate such a vast amount of wealth?.
#11 Amirthakaliyan has selective memory.
Though GG was able to get some factories while in government, there have been many others like Thiruchelvam Snr, Kumarasooriyar, Arulampalam, K.W. Devanayagam, C.Rajadurai, Thondaman Snr and Jnr, Devaraj, Pulendran, Puthirasigamani, Chandrasekaran, Maheswaran, Devananda, Karuna, Pillaiyan, who have collectively been able to do nothing real for the Tamil people.
Indeed, if joining the government were so good for the people, they would by and large have ignored the rhetoric of nationalist Tamil parties and supported the pro-government candidates. Becoming part of the government simply leads to patronage politics, benefiting the few at the expense of the many.
There were a few party organizers of the UNP and the SLFP who controlled such patronage appointments and indulged in blatant corruption. I recall hearing a lot of complaints even as a teenager against people like K.T. Rajasingham, C.P. Vinodhan, Ganeshalingam, Pulendran and others.
Expecting people to sacrifice their deep philosophical, moral and policy principles and differences, as well as their self-interests, at the alter of non-confrontational politics in the name of ‘pragmatism’, goes against the very grain of human nature and universal truths.
#34 Wijayapala a.k.a Wije a.k.a N….. R……
“However I have also heard that most of Douglas’s supporters are the poorest Tamils and that they have been uplifted to a certain degree. It would be nice if somebody knowledgeable and objective can show us a balance sheet, although it may be irrelevant if EPDP becomes a nonentity after the elections.”
Behold the moral relativism of a champion Buddhist educated in the U.S. That killing innocent fellow Tamils is OK as long as he did some patronage politics to help his supporteres who might be among the poor, at the expense of the many. Devananda is simply a murderer, there is no escaping this truth. Sure he had problems with VP, but he murdered innocents, so why should he be allowed to roam free when the former has been eliminated, let alone allowed to assume power?
Dear DBS,
Your basic argument of the TNA’s role is acceptable.Despite the severe and correct criticism of the TNA,it is deplorable that you conclude -TNA should be given another chance.Many of the readers and the present generation is not aware of the political journey of the ACTC and FP.They are the parties which brought disaster to the Tamil people and country.The muslims in the East those days supported the FP/TULF and eventually they realized the folly of supporting them.The way out is to follow what the major parties in Tamil nadu are doing,fostering alliance with congress of BJP.Tamils have to support national politics.
I am surprised at learned journalist like DBS writing “… Sri Lankan Tamils to re-gain a strong, unified voice again.” Please note that:
Sri Lankan Tamils= Ceylon Tamils + Upcountry Tamils.
Upcountry Tamils (UCT) have rarely been part of whats going on with the Ceylon Tamils. UCTs understand that what the CTs want and desire have not much in common with UCTs’ daily life. You will note that segmentation inside and outside Sri Lanka, phenomenon you are well aware wthether it is in Malaysia, Singapore or the present diasporas in the West.
We have to call spade a spade. TNA, TULF et al are all about Ceylon Tamils.
Trust you will accept it for the future. I regret that a fine journalists like you and others are not seen much in public.
Longing for a just society.
Comment no #63
I think you are not understanding Sri Lanka reality. You seem to be from Malaysia or singapore
Here in Lanka we refer to indigenous Tamils as Ceylon Tamils or Sri Lankan Tamils to differentiate from us (I am of Indian origin but a citizen of sri lanka after Sirima-Shastri pact)
We Tamils of recent Indian origin are referred to as Indian Tamils or Tamils of Indian origin
Recent times the term becoming popular for our people is Malaiyahath Thamilar or Up Country Tamils
It is beter than “Wathu Demalu” as the Sinhalese call us meaning estate or plantation Tamils
Important point you have missed is that though we can be called Sri Lankan Tamils after we get registered as citizens or children born to us here can get it most of us dont want to be called in that way except those who have gone to north and east
If we get lumped together with Jaffna and other north – east tamils as Sri Lankan Tamils the ethnic quotas due to us will not be given
We are a backward community so the forward Tamils from North and east will appropriate our share too and we will be deprived
That is why we dont like to be called Sri Lankan Tamils
DBSJ being a seasoned journalist who knows up country Tamil feelings well is writing this way because of this I think
From the comments, I am pleased to know that I am not a loner here. At the same time, I am not surprised that I do belong to the minority view here. Tamils are generally emotional donkeys and they would not accept facts until it hits their head.
Let me say this first to those who have written encouraging notes to DBS, especially to Meera #33, Suntharamurthy # 13, Manjula # 19, Rathinam # 21, Kumaraswamy #25, etc. Good, finally at least you all are distancing yourselves away from violence now. But as Mohamed Ali Jinnah put it, Too Little; Too Late. Where were you guys when DBS was manhandled, when his Tamil weekly ‘Muncharie’ was thrown out of shops, when he was branded as a traitor and/or when he was individually and systematically targeted by the so called Tamil liberators. You were not there to raise your voice in support of him or of doing the right thing. But you all believed then that ‘grade 7 drop out cycle thief’ would deliver Tamil Eelam through his gun barrel and that DBS was blocking it.
24. Ambalavan, – I do not say that Tamils do not need a strong unified voice now. They surely need but the question is how and through whom. If that is through TNA/TULF/TC/ or with any other T, then I say that they are doomed again. Let them make that ‘strong unified voice’ through UNP and SLFP and see how they flourish.
61. Expatriate – Yes, I do not claim to have photographic memory. But, with that limited memory I know that Thondaman Snr did great service to the upcountry Tamils which no other Tamil leader did to those Tamils.
First of all, he distanced himself from the TULF and its confrontational politics and thereby he virtually saved upcountry from violence.
His pact with Mrs B granted citizenship to many of his people who otherwise would have been repatriated to India.
Upcountry Tamils were in a pathetic situation where even getting basic rights to them was a great service and which is greater than getting economic benefits like factories.
And there are more and I do not want to delve into that now due to space issue.
But let me say this. When you came to Colombo, you did not look for a surety to get your passport to travel abroad and to become an expatriate #61. You know why? It was Thonda’s wisdom. If not for Thonda, you would have run around to find a surety to get your passport. So, please be nice to Thonda and do not show that typical Tamil ungratefulness to that great man.
As to Maheswaran, Devananda, Karuna, Pillaiyan do I have to say anything? Do they differ in anyway from Suresh Premachandran, Horse Gajendran, Sivajilingam to name a few. If not for Velu Thambi, these guys would not have even come to Colombo other than to get a passport and to become an expatriate like you. But as to Karuna and Pillaiyan, as they hold ruling party’s ticket to Parliament, it is a Hobson’s choice to eastern Tamils.
As to Devaraj, Puthirasigamani, Chandrasekaran again I know they have done a lot to their people by promoting Upcountry Tamils into public service. They have uplifted the standard of the living of those Tamils. Pulendran was not an efficient man to get things done, I believe and so I do not want to comment. Same thing with C Rajadurai but still he was able to construct Vipulananda Music Academy within his short stint with the govt. He was one of those who were instrumental in setting up the eastern university also and many other new minor constructions in Batticaloa.
If not for KW Devanayagam, I would not see the massive Court complex in Batticaloa town.
Thiruchelvam Snr. was a real legislator. He was able to get only Post and Tele com ministry and therefore he could not have done much other than providing more job facilities to Tamils.
Again Kumarasooriyar, Arulampalam were not Ministers. But they were getting jobs for Tamils, of course after getting ‘something’, I hear.
We all know how Badiuddin Mohamed uplifted the educational standard of the Muslims. Ashroff did great service to Pottuvil and to Muslims generally. They would not have done this by sitting in the opposition.
In any event, do not compare every one with GG. There was only one and only one GG who did not have the full support of the Tamils when needed and I deeply regret for it and I strongly blame SJV for that.
In this context, I reply to Rahulan # 16 & 17, that Amir and Co. was not sincere in real good politics. They took advantage of SJV’s softness and became the champions of racial politics. Amir promoted violence and in fact, negotiated with India to have his own militant group having his son as their leader. In late 1960s, Mrs Amir openly announced in Trincomalee that she wished to have a slipper made out xxxx’s skin. SJV should have banned Amir and his wife from Tamil politics on that day. Having learnt from Mrs Amir, Horse Gajendran [ex TNA MP] announced in Parliament and all the Sinhalese soldiers in Jaffna will return to Colombo in coffins only. Finally it was his Lords’s bare naked body that came to Colombo many times without a coffin and finally disappeared in thin air. Thanks for the generosity of my Sinhalese brethren who allow this Gajendran to roam along the Galle Road, Colombo now.
As TRN # 22 put it, ‘our children need education & nutrition, the sick need healthcare, socially deprived need justice, the list is never ending.’ So we need politicians to look into these matters. The big question is that can we do this by sitting in the opposition. Expatriate are not worried about the ground situation. For them the Tamil pride runs high because their glucose level is high. The real Tamils are licking their palms to get some sugar with their morning tea.
Therefore, #57 pandaravanian, to save and feed the needy Tamils, what is wrong if I am prepared to get crumbs and bones from our masters. We have been brought to that situation by this long war. We have to beg and no choice. Again, never forget that you are not even 12% of the total Sri Lankan population today. Secondly, good that you mentioned about the destruction of natural resources of Tamil areas by installing these factories in Tamil areas. No doubt, as you pointed out, any geologist will confirm that. On one hand you want employment opportunities and development in your area but that also at the cost of Sinhalese. What a selfishness. I have no doubt that real, clean untainted Tamil blood runs in your body.
But let me say this to you on the environmental damage to your soil. The ecological damage done by the LTTE during the last 30 years of war is much more high and permanent than the KKS factory or even by Mitsui cement factory in Trinco, or by Paranthan chemicals. Few years ago there was an article written on this topic in Tamil Times [published from London] by Dr. Narapalasingam, I believe. According to him, the bombs thrown in the north, the exploded land mines and the spill of gun powder in the northern soil had permanently and irreparably damaged the soil forever. Due to the nature of the soil, the poisonous chemicals [gun powder] will never dissipate and will not run into the soil. It is going to be at the top of the layer and will pollute the drinking water and the plants. By drinking this water and by consuming vegetables that grow in this soil, the future generation is going to suffer and that is unavoidable. Soon we may have children with big ears, and deformed body as Japanese had after the explosion of atomic bomb during the second world war. Anyhow, my question to you is that if you were really concerned about ecology, why you supported this war for these long years.
Mahendran # 52, I never said that only lawyers should become MPs. Thondaman was not even finished grade 10. But that does not mean that therefore Pillaiyan, Mavai Senathi and/or Suresh Premachandran are fit to become MPs.
I totally agree with Expatriate # 61 – that ‘Expecting people to sacrifice their deep philosophical, moral and policy principles and differences, as well as their self-interests, at the alter of non-confrontational politics in the name of ‘pragmatism’ ‘, may go against the very grain of human nature and universal truths. But this is politics which is a dirty game and in Sri Lanka it is a blood sport now. In the name of this pride only, many youngsters have killed themselves and buried without trace. How do you balance this? Is life not supreme and not worth to risk for anything.
I am pretty sure none of the current Tamil politicians [including those who are in UNP/SLFP tickets] has the political sagacity to bring the real peace, law and order back to our Tamil land. It is a long journey and it is just starting tomorrow.
See you at the end of the tunnel.
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Thank yo for this detailed response Amirthakaliyan. You are indeed very passionate about this crucial issue of the future of the Sri Lankan Tamil community
Three factual errors need to be rectified
1. Senator Murugesan Tiruchelvam was minister of LOcal Govt in the Dudley Senanayake cabinet from 1965 – 69. He was not POst and Telecommunication ministers
2.Chelliah Kumarasuriar did serve as a cabinet minister. In fact it was he who served as Posts and Telecommunications minister in the Sirima Bandaranaike govt from 1970 – 77. He was a Senator until 1971 when the Senate was abolished and then became an appointed MP in Parliament
3. Soumiyamoorthy Thondaman did not sign any pact with Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike. One of the main grievances of Up Country Tamil leaders like Thondaman snr was that no Up Country Tamil representatives were consulted by the Ceylon or Indian govts when signing pacts determining their fate
Sirima signed one pact with Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964 and another with Indira Gandhi n 1974. Both dealt with repatriation in a big way
But Thondaman objected to both pacts over the arbitrary arrangements about repatriation
Actually the problem of statelessness and citizenship for Up Country Tamils was resolved by Thondaman during the time of JR Jayewardena and R.Premadasa by reaching an understanding with the respective UNP govts
Finally I note that you have cut short some of your points due to your concern about shortage of space
You need not have such worries. You are most welcome to post your comments at length here
It may even be better if you write them down as a comprehensive article and send it to dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com for posting on http://www.transcurrents.com
If TNA really cares, it needs to display that it represents ‘Sri Lankan people’… not just “Tamils”.
That is how the credibility, respect and trust can be earned, making way to its leaders to get elected even to the highest chair in the country. That was proven by great leaders like Obama.
Do not take the hapless Tamil speaking Sri Lankans on a another wild goose chasing expedition dubbed ‘Tamil voice”, “Tamil identity” et al.
Think big… think ‘Sri Lankan’… and your ‘Tamil’ syndrome will fade away paving way to fly to the Prosperityland as a nation…
Or if Sri Lankans are felt that they are being bugged once again, hindering their journey, they are sure to inject a very painful medicine.
And what is this “painful medicine” you threaten the TNA with?…………DBSJ
#42 note the correction please
Stay at home on 8 th April 2010
As father of India did!
Sing the Ealaththuppann
as father of our nation did.
“Valga Ealath Thamilagam…”
Parathy
59. Ranjan from Toronto
Most Hindus do want anything to do with the huge Muslim population. They are just tolerated because you can not physically eliminate them or convert them back to Hinduism. Some with the Muslims of India, most of them don’t want to do anything with the Hindus but they can not do anything about it. How many times during the 60 years of Indian secular rule did Hindus went on rampage against the Hindu population? How many times did the secular Indian government prosecute the people who murdered and burned the innocent people and the properties?
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In India the Hindus and the Muslims live respecting each other. Yes there may be many problems happening in any country but the govt and the courts do not side with any body in India.
In Sri Lanka it is not so.
It is a fig of imagination if you will say that the Hindus want to do away with the Muslims and vice versa.
in the same India a chief Minister had to obey the dictats of the Supreme court and present himself before a team of police officials for questioning.
BJP came to power no denying it. But if the Indian state and the people wanted only a right wing party like BJP to come to the power they would have done so from the time of independence.
The Hindus believe in the ‘Ekam vipra bahuta vidanti’.
Meaning the God is one and people call him by different names.
Swami Vivekananda will say this mantra had gone deep into the psyche of the Hindus and it has been the bedrock of the tolerance in the Indian soceity.
A Hindu could accept Christ or Allah as Gods as readily as he can accept Ram and Krishna as Gods.
For the Hindus the Budha is an avatar of Lord Mahavishnu.
You said because of Nehru India is a secular state. M.J. Akbar a renowned journalist will say that India is secular not because the Muslims or the Christians wanted it to be. It is secular because the Hindus wanted it to be so.
You were talking that the Indian govt crushed the Punjabi militants the same way that the sri lankan govt used to uproot the tamil terrorism.
The police officers who was in charge of the punjab at that time were J.F. Ribeiro a christian and then came the K.P.S. Gill a Sikh himself.
Even during the Operation blue star many of the leading soldiers like Brar, Depinder Singh etc were Sikhs.
In India Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and other religious people have occupied the highest offices like the President, Prime Minister, Judges, Generals.
You were talking about the tribal uprising or the Maoists in your link.
The Indian govt doesn’t use the air power against its own people as you did to your own citizens.
in fact the air force asked the govt the permission to hit the maoists from the air. The govt firmly refused it saying we will not use it at our own citizens.
Again the Supreme court had ruled that the govt should not use high handed tactics against the maoists as they are also the citizens of the India.
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What is the Indian government doing these days in Kashimir? You call the secularism? You say Sri Lanka is trying to impose unity of the country through legislation. What do you call what the “secular” India is trying to do in Kashimir?
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The Indian govt doesn’t use the supply of the essential items as a weapons of war against its own citizens.
Where does the concept of secularism come in the matter of Kashmir. It is the problem being faced from the times of partition.
Of the many hundreds and thousands of the soldiers who have laid down their lives there are many number of Muslims also who have shed their mortal coils for the preservation of the unity and the integrity of the India.
Kashmir problem is now in the UN.
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Don’t fool yourself. Secular governments will be around as long as the politicians need it. The moment the politicians find other more convenient ways to power, secularism will go out of the window. It will happen in India just as it happened in Sri Lanka.
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India has been secular all through the ages. The parsees the Jews etc have lived and prospered in India. The Jews were persecuted all over the world. But not in India. Parsees like the Tatas have prospered in India. No matter which political party comes to power in India, India will remain secular.
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You say Sri Lanka is trying to impose unity of the country through legislation.
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Friend. i didn’t say that the Sri Lankan govt wants to impose unity through legislation. I was only telling that the Sri Lankan state is trying to impose the unitary concept through legislation.
Dear DBSJ,
You asked [And what is this “painful medicine” you threaten the TNA with?…………]
The midicine is that if the TNA’s house is not put in order, it would be led a Tamil speaking Buddhist monk. Are you dismissing that possibility?
So many ‘think tanks’, Tamil Diaspora, and the West, never believed when some Sri Lankans with vision flatly told them that LTTE can be, and would be totally decimated.
Still in doubt?
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Who am I to doubt you “punchi kurulla”.Already the great Gota has called for banning of the TNA. Tell me why not have a “Final solution” on Hitlerian lines and “decimate” the entire Tamil population? Then no need to administer “painful medine” frequently no?
#44-shankar said ..
[The fault lies with the government for allowing the bullet to take power in the tamil regions all these years.]
I absolutely agree with this observation.
Successive Sri Lankan Govts failed to protect the avarage Tamil citizen from domination and enslavement by armed groups. The primary responsibility of a government is to protect the lives and freedoms of ALL of its people, and it failed in that duty for 30 long years.
In that failure lies the fount of ALL of Sri Lanka’s agony.
The blame for that must be shared between the majority Sinhala community who failed to act fast enough, valuing the lives of their fellow Tamil citizens, and the Tamil people who allowed their ethnic pride to be hijacked by monsters promising them a monoethnic Valhalla.
This is why I am saddened by the support I see here for the resurrection of “Tamil Nationalism,” it is a prescription for continuing the disaster that has befallen the non only the Tamil people, but also the Sinhalese.
Instead of “Tamil Nationalism.” espousing a separate existence for the Tamil Community, we should be moving towards a “Sri Lankan Nationalism” that encompasses and integrates all people of Sri Lanka into ONE NATION of ONE PEOPLE with a COMMON SHARED DESTINY with EQUAL RIGHTS to every citizen and an EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY to love, defend and foster this Resplendent Island that is our shared wealth, our shared heritage.
#65Amirthakaliyan
I am enthralled by your knowledge as we Tamils do not have people who talk sense.
A reformed, reconfigured TNA with a unified voice is a sensible and wise suggestion.
Two quotes come to mind at this juncture.
” We must hang together, gentlemen…. else, we shall most assuredly hang separately ” Benjamin Franklin.
” To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last – but eat you he will. ” Ronald Reagan
Dear Expatriate,
I think you misunderstood my point about Douglas Devananda. I was using him as an example of a Tamil leader who did not accomplish much by participating in the government, except maybe helping some of the poor (in exchange for votes, of course).
There were others like Neelan and Kethesh who worked with the government in a far less destructive capacity but got nothing, but I did not cite them because they didn’t live long enough to have a chance (Douglas did not kill them by the way).
I was hoping that Amirthakaliyan would respond with other examples, and he did.
I agree with and applaud your disgust with Douglas for his misdeeds against Tamils. I can only imagine how you feel about Prabakaran who committed far more misdeeds, as well as certain “expatriates” who supported him even though he was driving the Tamils off the cliff.
For what it’s worth, the only Tamil leader that I support is Anandasangaree for reasons that DBS gave above. I think I would support him over any other Sinhala leader too, except for maybe Wijayadasa Rajapakse whom I just learned was associated with him.
Dear LittleBird,
“If TNA really cares, it needs to display that it represents ‘Sri Lankan people’… not just “Tamils”.”
Does the same apply to the SLFP to represent ‘Sri Lankan people’… not just Sinhalese? The results of the January election were not very promising.
And how do you feel about the JHU?
# 66. LittleBird
If TNA really cares, it needs to display that it represents ‘Sri Lankan people’… not just “Tamils
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It may be possible, as little bird says if TNA represents srilankan people instead of Tamils, some one from minority tamil could become a future Srilankan president. (like obama)
Sinhalese politicians may take note! Beware !!!
Amirthakaliyan,
Thondaman Snr had a block vote and the CWC was more like a trade union than a normal political party. He was able to use the threat of strike action impacting the export of tea (on which SL economy depends greatly) to get some concessions. Getting citizenship for upcountry people was important, but have their lives improved? There have been many critics who say otherwise. Moreover, while Thonda rightly recognized that aligning with the TULF was problematic for his people, he sometimes used the struggle in the North/East as a warning to the government on what could happen in the estates to extract minor concessions. Mervyn de Silva, writing as Kautilya, often referred to Thonda ‘s ‘Thosai principle’, meaning that the intuitive ability to know when the Thosai has to be turned over while making it was similar to how Thonda knew when to change alliances. Since Thonda at that time represented the most disadvantaged community in Sri Lanka, I am not critical of him for that, but I don’t think in general unprincipled politics and alliances will earn the support of people. Principled politics is possible even when occasionally pragmatic compromises are needed.
By the way, many of the things you say people like KWD or CR achieved, such as court buildings, are trivial things that any MP in opposition should be able to do in a functioning democracy; that even that is hard to get done in Sri Lanka is because the country has a mafia style democracy. The way the mafia regime has treated Sangaree (or now Fonseka) should tell you something about it and whether coming to any agreement with the regime is dancing with the devil.
In the current Tamil predicament, I think the TNA has to remain a separate power block but can cooperate with the government on certain issues like rehabilitation, resettling in HSZ, etc. for the benefit of the people; maybe the TNA can explicitly and clearly say that federalism is their maximum demand and that they will never seek confederation or separation. While that may calm some moderate Sinhalese, the hardliners who see even federalism as separatism will continue to attack them. Tamils can’t do anything about it, but the TNA cannot be cowed down by it.
#76 Expatriate said “Getting citizenship for upcountry people was important, but have their lives improved? ”
Anyone who denies that the lives of Thondaman’s Upcountry Tamil community has improved knows nothing about Sri Lanka.
Their lives have improved immeasurably over the last 30 years, compared to the lives of Tamils of the North and East left subject to the tender mercies of the LTTE. This is despite the vast treasury of ill gotten gains of the LTTE, and the free food, other essentials, and salaries paid to govt employees, by their enemy the Govt of Sri Lanka and ultimately the Sri Lankan taxpayer.
Where did all those funds channeled into LTTE coffers go? That is a question that the Tamil people in Sri Lanka should be asking themselves.
The LTTE agents of the Tamil Diaspora should be hunted down and compelled to refund the remaining balance to fund rehabilitation of the North and East, and pay compensation to those whose lives were destroyed by them.
sjoseph:
[Sinhalese politicians may take note! Beware !!!]
There you are! Once again stooping to rock bottom racial level. Sri Lankans vote for political parties, man. Not for individuals.
That’s why Tamil speaking individuals DO have a chance to be leaders of the nation. So called “Tamil” leaders are aware that if they are honest, patriotic and go national, although the road would be somewhat rocky, they can make it. BELIEVE!
After all, there still are brilliant, qualified Sri Lankans with Tamil roots who are full-blooded patriots and proud to call themselves Sri Lankans.
But deceiving the hapless gullible folks for profit is so tempting and easy for some political crooks… virtually it’s a walk in the park! So why bother with the rocky road?
65. Amirthakaliyan
Superb article.
DBS Please listen his Sinhala speech ( youtube)
#78 Little Bird said ..
be .. [honest, patriotic and go national, although the road would be somewhat rocky, they can make it. BELIEVE!
After all, there still are brilliant, qualified Sri Lankans with Tamil roots who are full-blooded patriots and proud to call themselves Sri Lankans.]
Yes, indeed!
I would vote any day for a honest, patriotic Tamil politician .. as Kadirgarmar was .. to the highest leadership positions in the land!
But, THEY MUST ABANDON COMMUNAL POLITICS first and enter mainstream politics without regard for their ethnicity. The proper place for ethnic pride is within one’s home.
Give us a Tamil Barack Obama, and we will elect him, and follow him as ONE NATION of ONE PEOPLE with a ONE SHARED DESTINY.
#65-Amirthakalian
Soon we may have children with big ears,
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That is okay. After all bugs bunny had big ears and was very popular. As long as we don’t get with big dicks and small brains like donkeys, it is allright.
DBSJ, good that you clarified about the vavuniya incident to clear up any misunderstanding. I take my hat off to Mahinda for learning tamil. It is not easy to learn another language at this age and we must appreciate it. That is why i once told you that in his 40 year political career i could not see any racism,and i was chided for that.
PS I know you will tell that just learning tamil is not enough, but it is a good first step if you want to be a national leader.
# 81. Ananda-USA
Paper tigers cant make any impact in electoral results. The ground reality is majority of the people will vote for the party which takes care of them..
USA is an execption, because the the US Citizens are from 110+ countries. Policy such as “sinhala only” does not exist there.
Even India is different. they have a Prime Minister from a minority community. Congress has chosen a candidate, though Indira Gandhi was assasinated by her personal security from Sikh community.
However, it is too much to expect from Srilankans to elect a Tamil president ( or a muslim minority) however true patriotic, talented and nationalist the candidate is..
It takes another 100 years even to dream for this in Srilanka ..
My hats off to Amirthakaliyan, you are spot on Sir.
#83 sjoseph
There were two minority figures that Singhalese would have elected without too much trouble. Kadiragamar and Fernandopullai. Unfortunately now we will never know.
As for the current Sikh Prime Minister of India, he did not contest as the leader of the Congress Party. He was selected by a handful of people as the prime minister only after the person who should have been the PM, Sonia Gandhi, was rejected out of hand by most Indians for being white. However, she with the Gandhi name was good for them to fight the elections as the leader of Congress. So much so for India being different. If the Congress had fought the last election with Manmohan Singh as the leader, they would have been no where, given that he is a uncharismatic technocrat.
The Indians who gloat about having a minority PM conveniently has forgotten the recent past of Indian politics.
#83 sjoseph
[It takes another 100 years even to dream for this in Srilanka .]
It may also take another 100 years for many Sri Lankan Tamil people to forget the brainwashed dream of a mono-ethnic aparthied Valhalla, to realize that their agony was largely self-inflicted, and to drop communal politics to join the political mainstream in Sri Lanka.
When they do, they will realize their full potential as EQUAL Sri Lankan citizens, instead of being burdened by a quest to acquire separate extra rights in Sri Lanka as wailing victims.
However, I am much more hopeful and optimistic than you about the future .. because of the enduring memory of vast numbers of good-hearted Tamil classmates, neighbors and friends in Sri Lanka .. then as now, no different from the Sinhalese .. who have always had an innate ability to rise above common expectations to grasp new opportunities and reach out to their fellows.
They will find the Sinhala people ready with open arms to joyfully welcome them home as long lost brothers and sisters, as full citizens in our shared resplendent Motherland.
# 85. Ranjan from Toronto
FYI, the last election was fought naming Manmohan singh as PM. In fact Congress came to power also due to Manmaohan Singh Factor.
Sonia was not rejected by people. In fact she was leading the election campaign and still the congress paresident. It was sonia herself, who did not chose to become PM, to avoid controversy.
MP’s are elected by people. The point here is Indians (MPs or party) have selected a man from the minority sikh community for the highest post. There are many who can do the job in India, but the party selected Manmohan singh.
There were many christian , muslim community leaders in the past as preseidents of India.
your communal spectacle may show colors differntly. remove them, to see things clearly.
# 85 Ranjan from Toronto
Manmohan Singh was projected to the Indian electorate as the candidate for Prime Minister by the Congress Party in April – May 2009 election.
The Indian people knew beforehand who was going to be the Prime Minister in the event of a congress victory.
It was in May 2004 that he became what is being termed as the ” Accidental Prime Minister “. The people never knew he would be their Prime Minister then.
So your assertion that MS was not endorsed by the people of India to be the Prime Minister is false. You also try to say MS was imposed on the people and that he was not wholeheartedly accepted by the people.. Not true.
Amirthakaliyan,
Thank you for your response which indirectly answered some of what I was saying. I applaud your passion and ability to think outside the box, although I still do not see eye-to-eye.
In some places you make negative references to Tamils such as “selfish” and “ungrateful.” If you are critical because you think Tamils can do better then I can empathize because I feel the same way about Sinhalese.
I have to tell you though that the overwhelming majority of Tamils I have worked with, especially in the north and east, have been the very antithesis of “selfish” and “ungrateful.” The people who helped my father come up in education were mostly Tamils not Sinhalese. Then there are truly heroic Tamils like UTHR-J who risked their lives to expose injustice without picking up the gun. How many Sinhalese are like that.
“I do not say that Tamils do not need a strong unified voice now. They surely need but the question is how and through whom. If that is through TNA/TULF/TC/ or with any other T, then I say that they are doomed again.”
What is wrong with TULF? What is wrong with Anandasangaree?
UNP is finished so there is little purpose for Tamils to support it. That leaves the SLFP. What is wrong with supporting another party that will work with the government on a pragmatic basis? Isn’t that what S. Thondaman and Up-country Tamils did, instead of joining UNP or SLFP?
I share your admiration for Thondaman, the exemplar of pragmatism and probably the most resourceful politician in post-independence history (who else was able to outmaneuver JR?). I can only imagine if someone like him had become Prime Minister.
# 86. Ananda-USA
I am glad you are optimistic.
However your first response is to “Blame it on” minority Tamils for all issues on Srilanka.
I have not seen many comments from a Sinhalese supporting the tamils and their grievances if any.
The attitude of asking Tamils to Join the main stream or get lost will not work.
Only way to bring Tamil leaders to national scene is to promote these leaders.
Whom do you think, will promote the Tamil leaders?
It is none other than sinhalese.
If you ask, Why Sinhales should promote Tamil leaders?
Here is the acid test. Only if you could think beyond your race and religion, you would see the good qualities and potential and promote them. otherwise, your racial minset will blind them.
With no change in mindset & attitude in both community even after 100 years it is not possible for the minority to lead the country.
No one in Srilanka even dream that to happen, including Tamils.
#90 sjoseph said ..
[With no change in mindset & attitude in both community even after 100 years it is not possible for the minority to lead the country.]
I don’t think the “minority will lead the country” ever as a whole, but I have no doubt that members of the Tamil minority will be among the top leaders, including the president, of the country, in the future, as they have been in the past, and are at present.
Did ANYONE imagine that Barack Obama would be the US President today? Yet there he is .. and the majority of the people who voted for him were white! That happened because he EARNED their trust. by rejecting the communal Black-community politics of previous Black leaders, and speaking to the minds of people of all communities irrespective of ethnicity, allaying their deeply ingrained fears.
This is in a country that embedded the “inalienable right of all men to life, liberty and happiness” in the Declaration of Independence, then refused to recognize the Negro as a “man” entitled to those rights guaranteed therein to all men, continued the institution of slavery for another 100 years, then fought a civil war partly to emancipate the slaves, then denied them the exercise of equal rights guaranteed by the emancipation proclamation for another 100 years until these inequities were finally dismantled during the Civil Rights period of the 1960s. No Tamil in Sri Lanka has ever been subjected to inequities the like of which the American Negro has suffered … not even close!
In the same way that whites voted for Obama, someday Sinhala people will vote for Tamil leaders irrespective of ethnicity, despite the fears aroused by the Eelam struggle, but only if Tamils abandon the Communal Politics of the past that threatened the integrity of the nation. I know that this is possible having lived in Sri Lanka, and honored and supported Tamils in many aspects of life, because they were the best qualified for the role, and had earned my respect and support.
Unlike in the US, where it has taken over 400 years, a day will dawn quite early in Sri Lanka when the fears and biases aroused by the Eelam war will subside, and Tamils as a people will again earn the trust of the majority Sinhalese. Tamils and Sinhalese have to work towards that day; but it will not happen if Tamils persist in communal politics of the past and the present.
Is there ONE Tamil party that does not have the word “Tamil”, or “Liberation” in its name, signifying aspirations and existence separate from the majority of the people of Sri Lanka? I don’t know of any. It is about time ALL such communal parties, including the Sinhala JHU and the Muslim SLMC, were banned as not conducive to communal harmony of our country.
We need to learn to live together in harmony as ONE PEOPLE in ONE NATION sharing ONE DESTINY. Demanding special privileges on the basis of one’s ethnicity, religion or language is not the way to attain that goal.
86. Ananda-USA
“‘wailing victims”
What about Anoma, fonseka and their children?
Annil
Machang Ananda
Anang Manang Epa pang
When CBK wanted to make Kadiragamar Prime minister with JVP supporting why did Mahinda oppose it on grounds he was Tamil?
Before you elect Tamils as president or prime minister try and elect a salagama,karawe, dirawe, batgam, wahumpura Sinhalayo as PM or President first
Before you elect a Muslim as PM or president elect a Sinhala christian as PM or president and show
All the presidents&Prime ministers in the country are from Givigama caste except for Premadasa
So dont give us baloney about Tamils & Muslims getting elected as PM and president
First lets get a non – govigama or Sinhala christian guy elected PM or president
#93-guru
{When CBK wanted to make Kadiragamar Prime minister with JVP supporting why did Mahinda oppose it on grounds he was Tamil?}
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Mahinda knew CBK was doing that to undercut him and see that he does not get the leadership. Therefore he opposed it and rightfully so. He was the rightfull heir to the throne waiting patiently fro 40 years.
Anyway don’t bring the primeminister into your equation. It is merely a symbolic post with most of the powers in the president. Who care whether ratnasiri wickremanayaka is alive or dead or sleeping in parliament or not. It is mahinda, mahinda, mahinda. Everything revolves around the president. Don’t talk of that puppet primeminister post anymore.
Ask whether there will be a nongovigama or non bhuddhist president in the future. The answer is no? The karawe man is locked up and probably eating karawila and is being slowly suffocated to death.
As for premedasa he had to go everyday to JR’s residence and fight and fight to get him named as the successor, with Lalith and Gamini blocking it . So much so that Mrs jayawardene was concerned for her husbands health with the raging arguments and asked preme to leave. If not for preme’s support among the masses and JR knowing what he is capable of if he is rejected, preme would never have become president because of his caste.
As for a tamil becoming a president in the future i have to disagee with you. It will happen but you have to be patient. You seem to be a impatient young man, as usual wanting things quickly. You know in evolution how things change . same way we have to wait till pigs start to fly, and once they have evolved into flying creatures, hey presto you get a tamil president of srilanka.{ mixed race like obama is okay no? Or you want pure?}
and machang guru iam working on this computer modelling to find the century for the ascent of the first tamil president, i forgot to ask you whether you don’t mind a non vellala or christian. Sakili caste is completely out from what i can see of this modelling technique, but is a karayar or madayar okay.
good artical by amirtakalliyan
#87 and #88 sjoseph and Nostradamus:
Don’t manufacture history. here is what wikipedia has to say about 2004 Indian elections:
“Congress President Sonia Gandhi surprised observers by declining to become the new prime minister, instead asking former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, a respected economist, to head the new government. …………Despite the fact that Singh had never won a Lok Sabha seat, his considerable goodwill and Sonia Gandhi’s nomination won him the support of the UPA allies and the Left Front.”
What it does not say is that Sonia withdrew only after there had been all kinds hyserical ramblings about how Sonia can not be the Indian PM because she is not “Indian born”. She being the smart lady, knew that if she made a fuss, there could be repercussions for the future of Gandhi dynasty.
The next Indian election must be coming fairly soon. So lets wait and see if the Sikh Prime Minister of India who has led the country with distiction and massive economic growth in the last 6 years will lead the Congress or will it be Rahul and Priyanka show from now on.
Nope, he was a nonentity which was why Chandrika chose him. Unfortunately, unlike the stooge Mahinda chose to be PM, he changed his spots once in power; after all choosing him as PM was also choosing him as SFLP candidate for the Presidency.
97. Ranjan from Toronto
Sonia could have chosen anybody as PM. She chose MMS. Recently Rahul Gandhi also said that anybody including a Muslim could become a PM.
Already there are many Muslims who had become Presidents.
Don’t think everybody like you.
Indians are definitely broad minded.
There may be some disturbances now and then but they do not have narrow vision. They are all embracing.
99 Mahesh:
“Indians are broad minded and all embracing”
Go and tell that to the millions of Harijans and other “low” cast Indians. I am sure they will be very happy to learn that the rest of the Indians are “all embracing”
Or to the tribal people who being maginalized and systematically robbed of their land, their water sources. and their forests.
#97 Ranjan from Toronto said ..
[Indians are definitely broad minded. ]
I suppose the recent Muslim – Hindu race riots, with many dead, in Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh (triggered by an excessive display of green flags on a Muslim holy day) , provides incontrovertible proof of that continuing Indian “broad-mindedness.” LoL!
BTW, Hyderabad’s population is 40% Muslim.
#92 Annil said ..
[What about Anoma, fonseka and their children?]
Sarath Fonseka should have known what he was getting into when he decided he could threaten and bully his way into the Presidency .. it just backfired on him!
It was up to Sarath to consider Anoma and his children before he lost his mind. In any case, Sarath will survive the luxurious incarceration mentally fuming but physically intact .. he is having a government paid vacation .. long may it continue .. in my view.
The wailing Anoma and children are just engaging in more theatrics playing to the gallery for political leverage! Just sit back and enjoy the show!
# 97. Ranjan from Toronto
Fine. I understand now you since your knowledge comes from wiki.
its a pity you are not aware india already had another election after 2004. You are waiting for next election?
97 Ranjan from Toronto
Why are you clinging on to 2004.
Why are you refusing to move over to 2009 scenario.
Your Achilles’ heel is plainly visible.Thanks for the 2004 Wiki.
Even small children in India were aware of the fact that MMS is the congress candidate for PM in 2009. It was a matter of common knowledge.
Some in the mainstream media even dubbed him as the ” Mascot ” of the congress party in the run up to the election.
So, please move over to 2009.
Srilankan election tradition since independence continues with cases of pro-government supporters chasing away polling agents belonging to opposition.
I don’t know whether this time they went one step further and chased out the voters too, because this seems to be the lowest turnout ever in general and presidential elections. Previous lowest was 55 per cent in general elections of 1988 and 63 percent in presidential elections of 1989. That time the JVP and LTTE were playing hell, but this time they are both not there.
Presidential election of 2010 produced a 75 per cent turnout, even though tamil turnout was poor. So what has happened to more than 20 percent turout this time. Tamils as usual are sulking and i think the sinhalese especialy the rural non govigama caste are angry.
Imprisoning Fonseka wasa bad political move. Gota should let mahinda the arch politician make the decisions without constantly butting in with his one track mind approach. He has buggered our relations with the international community and also buggered now his brothers carefully developed political plans.
Thank you for this and all wrtings.
I forgot to mention on this blog that a hong kong businessman came running to me after seeing mahinda’s boobs in a kovil in a photo in DBSJ previous articles.
He asked me whether i can ask mahinda to model his particular brand of bra’s and he is willing to pay 5million HK dollars.
i said no way, i don’t want to get locked up there without charges for 10 years.
This chinese just does not understand our cuture. We won’t do anything for money. We want it very badly but anything to be done has to be done discreetly , not publicly like in hong kong. He would have put me in a big soup like fonseka.
100. Ranjan from Toronto
Harijans and low caste people are taken care by the govt and the constitution. The constitution provides for reservation for the Harijans and other marginalised castes.
The reservation is provided to bring them up in par with others. Supreme court has held that 50 percent of the seats in the educational institutions are to be reserved for SC,ST and the backward classes and the balance 50 percent of the seats be filled based upon merit.
The Prime Minister and others are talking of inclusive growth.
Certain things are very small issues which you want to blow out of proportion.
Whatever happens our govt and the courts are neutral.
Yes we are having many problems but we do not use air force against our own people and claim that we are brothers.
We don’t use the food and other essential commodities as weapons of war.
#105 Shanker,
The low voter turn out of 55-60% reflects the fact that there was no credible fight put up by the opposition. People, even the government supporters, go out to vote only when there is some kind of a contest.
If Ranil does not go this time, I don’t know what will make him do so in the future. what a sad state of affairs for the UNP.
# 105. shankar ,
Sinhales know the election results even on the day it was announced. Perhaps they thought why to waste precious time to vote? Victory is certain.
Tamils are not interested, since they may have no faith in any political party. They may think: Who cares if the country is ruled by Rama or Ravana?
Oops!
My profuse abject apologies to #97 Ranjan from Toronto.
It was #99 Mahesh who intoned
“Indians are definitely broad minded”.
# 93. Guru
Its stange there is no response from any nationalists who proclaim “One people, One Nation and One destiny”?
Does “one people” means – Govigama?
#109-Ranjan from toronto
I agree with you and sjoseph #110 that i may have made a mistake. I immediatly jumped to the conclusion that the low turnout was due to a protest, but you guys i think have analysed it better. That is why blogs like this where we exchange views is very valluable.
I agree with you that ranil should go. Just like in India where manmohan singh is holding the fort until rahul gets experience, i feel karu jayasuriya should mentor Sajit Premedasa until he is confident enough to go it alone.
It is always good to have a strong opposition so that there is healthy competition.
#112 sjoseph said …
[Its stange there is no response from any nationalists who proclaim “One people, One Nation and One destiny”?
Does “one people” means – Govigama?]
OK, OK .. I will respond to that.
I chose not to respond to that OBVIOUS attempt to incite caste hatred among the Sinhalese by saying that Sarath Finseka’s troubles were beccause he was not a Goigama. Nothing could be further from the truth. Caste is not an issue among Sinhala people, we buried it long ago and moved on aided by the teachings of Buddhism. Today, only communal minded people try to make it one in their desperate attempt to drive wedges into the Sinhala community. It won’t work.
On the other hand, caste is unfortunately a major issue, among Tamil people, be it the high caste Vellalas, or the low untouchable castes still denied entry to Hindu temples and high-caste homes. I know . this well, for long ago some of my Tamil university classmates came from Jaffna to Colombo to borrow my class notes, rather than walk down the street to a high-caste Tamil home in Jaffna itself. Hopefully, Tamils too would expunge this terrible shame from their community in short order, and join the mainstream of Sri Lankan society in this respect also.
Now did you really want me to expose these ugly things in this global blog? It is an unpleasant area that I wish you had not broached. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others!
113. shankar :- mate, Sajit Premadasa & Ruckman Senanayaka I think do not have the fire to fight to the top. The only hope is Karu Jayasuriya but he is getting on in years. I agree Ranil should go but what great choice of successor does UNP have? Probably Tissa Attanayaka? Don George
If Chandrika picked Mahinda as her PM then I don’t need any more credentials about Mahinda because I know the poor selections of Chandrika (some of them are – maithripala sirisena, dm jayarathne, animal siripala, mangala samaraweera, john senevirathne, wishva warnapala, anura p yapa etc)
#113 shankar,
Sajith Premedasa is the only credible person that the UNP has that has any chance to put up a fight against the current regime. From what I have heard about him, he has done many good things for his constituents and he works extremly hard. he appears to work outside the limelight and does not appear to hog the media. One is even impressed by his measured responses when he talks to the media. We can only hope that he will step forward and take charge of the party. However, I am not that certain that the Cinnomon Grand crowd who think that they have a birthright to run the UNP and by extension the country will be too happy to give him a chance.
As fo rthe very low voter turnout in Jaffna and Vanni (23% and 43%), everyone seems to say that Tamils have no interest in participating in a Singhalese dominated government. I think it also reflects on the quality and the record of opposition candidates that were running. After all TNA, which acted as LTTE proxies for most of its existance are also responsible for the current predicament of the Tamil people. So even if they don’t want to vote fo rthe ruling party, what alternatives do they have? That is just my interpretation.
102. Ananda-USA
Thank you, Ananda.
I am sitting back comfortably and enjoying the show.
Why the UN is coming then and there in our story?
Annil
Dear DBSJ
In my opinion, generally SL politicians are shrewd and get away with all they can do. Jayawardane and Mahinda are great examples.
I suspect Mahinda’s insistence on continuing to speak in Tamil in Jaffna meeting may be usurping the opportunity to advance his political career when some section of the crowd incidentally jeered at him for speaking in Tamil.
Or the jeering may be a “planted act” by Mahinda himself.
Tamils need to be wary of these things. Generally Tamils are the only bunch of people who get deceived when non-tamils speak in our language. We get deceived very easily this way.
…
The TNA needs to work with some good politicians in Tamil Nadu-India who care for SL Tamils. In my opinion, D.Raja, the CPI General Secretary, is definitely a reliable politician in TN. He has raised concerns and supported SL Tamils at every available opportunity.
Unfortunately his voice is not loud but i am sure his deeds will if TNA or SL Tamil political representatives work along with him.
BTW, what happened to Teenage children of Soosai, and a toddler who is the daughter of Soosai’s brother. I read somewhere that MR’s brother mentioned that other than names mentioned in some websites, rest of LTTE people(or relatives of LTTE who are held in captivity) have been killed.
That little girl’s voice and those teenage children’s voice is important to be heard in public. You said will write about sometime back and I haven’t heard on that.
The news about these children will tell the world the Psyche of the current SL Govt to some extent and whatever it means.
#115-Don
Sajit Premadasa & Ruckman Senanayaka I think do not have the fire to fight to the top
—————————————————————————
There is no need to fight. The UNP has to give him the job or just wither away. The choice is clear. A third party might even fill the vacuum with the UNP breaking up.
As Ranjan says i think the biggest obstacle is the selfish colombo 7 and 3 crowd. They have money and are comfortable and don’t really care whether the UNP wins or not as long as they control the party. Control is everything for them even if it means becoming irrelevent.
The only thing that might wake them up is if the rajapakshes start coming after them. Then they will give the job to Sajith. That is unlikely as long as Ranil is the leader because he keeps mahinda happy. I don’t know whether he is in love with Mahinda, and mahinda is also content to see that he continues as the leader because he is no threat. So the cinnamon garden crowd i think will be allowed to enjoy their wealth in peace, that is the only thing they want.
Even the north and east and the indian tamils seem to be moving away from the UNP to the UPFA. It is utter disaster for the UNP. At least when even traditional voters start moving away they should see the writing on the wall and start to do something.
Ranjan, i agree with you that Sajith seems to be a good chap for the future. I was also impressed by Namal, who in an interview spoke very well and seems quite a smart fellow. These two seem to be potentially good leaders for the future and they seem to be a generation that is more united.
I think they should cut the governance periods from 6 years to 3 years like in Australia. That way candidates get more of a chance to run a country and the people also get a better look at them first hand and a better choice.
Landslide Electoral Victory for Patriotic Forces!
The final number of parliamentary seats, including estimates for the Kandy and Trincomalee Districts and including the 29 National List seats, is as follows: United People’s Freedom Alliance 146, United National Party 58, Democratic National Alliance 7, and Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi 14.
The governing UPFA won a LANDSLIDE VICTORY, 4 seats short of the 2/3 necessary to amend the constitution. The UPFA will soon be joined by opposition MPs, to form a stable Govt of Sri Lanka with a mandate to implement President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Vision .. the Mahinda Chintanaya .. of ONE NATION of ONE PEOPLE with ONE SHARED DESTINY ushering in a NEW GOLDEN AGE for our Resplendent Isle, our Motherland of Sri Lanka! Jaya Wewa, Ratna Deepa Jhanma Bhumi!!
All Patriots can now Rejoice!
#120 Shankar,
Yes Namal seems to a very bright chap. Educated and with a mind of his own. However now his fortunes are tied to his dad’s. If MR does well, then that will rub off the son. But if MR goes down in popularity, the whole Rajapaksha clan is gone.
Sajith, on the other hand has the benefit of a father gone by. most of the people have forgotten about his dad’s excesses. What most people remember now is that he was a common man’s leader and he got things done. We Singhalese have a very short memory. So Sajith can only benefit from his father’s legacy. That is provided that his mom keeps her mouth shut and away from the limelight. She was very unpopular at the last stages of the Premadasa regime.
So the two son’s have their father’s crosses to bear!
Now that Sanath Jayasuriya has been elected to the parliament….. Sometime in the near future… India is playing Sri Lanka at the SSC. The cricket commentary goes some thing like this…
Good morning. Sri Lanka has won the toss and has elected to bat. The Lankan openers are out in the middle. The honorable Sports Minister Jayasuriya takes guard at the striker’s end. Ishant Sharma is running into bowl…
He is out!! Honorable Sports Minister tried to drive the ball through the covers and is clean bowled!!!
Now what is this? The minister is refusing to walk back! He is saying something to the umpire… lets listen to what he is saying….
“Now look here… I have been appointed by the President himself. Unless he orders, I can not be given out…….”
To be continued……
The TNA has done well as you predicted and wanted DBS
The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi has won 14 seats.
Pro LTTE saga continues.
Not so bright future for Srilankan Tamils await now.
# 124. Charles
TNA is still on demand.
TNA’ s election manifesto is firm on demands on the right to self-determination of Tamils. TNA has sought federal solution based on shared sovereignty.
TNA’s should work towards equal rights, justice and protection is ensured for Tamil population. nothing more, nothing less.
Only those who have lost loved ones know the immensity of the sorrow. I have that experience
I am glad that the ruling party won.
#124-Charles
The TNA has done well as you predicted and wanted DBS
—————————————————————————
To become from 22 seats to 14, you call a loss of a third of the seats as doing well.
And DBSJ did not predict or want them to do well. Don’t try to be cunning. It achieves nothing.
I predicted they will get maximum 10 to 12 because of their past servile attitude to LTTE. I forgot the bonus national seats.
#123-Ranjan
Honourable sports minister has hit a six. Honourable sports minister has hit another six. Oh my gawd HSM has hit another six.
Tony, do you think after becoming the HSM, something has happenned. He seems rejuvenated and becoming like the sanath we knew 10 years ago. Oh my gawd , another six.
No , Ravi, i don’t think it has anything to do with that. My Aunt who lived in Srilanka said that the srilankans after a swig of pol arrack are unpredictable. They should do a breath analyser test..
This man Mahinda Rajapakse will destroy Sri Lanka with his mega projects. the environment is already in shambles and no natural environment will be left by this brute and his gang of thugs
H! DBS
your article is so interesting and informative to read.
Waiting eagerly When you write next time. continue to write the truth as always
126. sjoseph:-
TNA’ s election manifesto is firm on demands on the right to self-determination of Tamils. TNA has sought federal solution based on shared sovereignty.
TNA’s should work towards equal rights, justice and protection is ensured for Tamil population. nothing more, nothing less.
————————————————————————-
In my thinking, if TNA does what you say in the first para, they may not get anywhere . But if they do the second para, that is a more achievable goal.
Secondly, I want to understand the Tamil perspective. So let me ask you, if you were negotiating with GOSL for Tamil’s what would you say they lack which the Sinhala majority currently enjoys? Now you need to leave out the hardship caused by the war because it is an extra ordinary situation and could last for a fair while. You also should consider that there are 3 Tamil groups, Jaffna Tamils, eastern Tamils & tea estate Tamils. You may also need to consider many poor Sinhalese who do not enjoy the privileges that Jaffna people have.
and Charly, you think TNA has done well. I give below the votes they received in the 2004 general election and compare it to the 2010 one.
2004-TNA
——–
Jaffna- 257320
vanni-90835
batticaloa- 161011
Trinco- 68955
Digamadulla-55533
Total-633654
2010-TNA
——–
jaffna-65119
vanni-41673
battucaloa-66235
trinco- 12671
Digamadulla-26895
Total-211593
and charles, compare this with the votes received by the UPFA and you will find that they are making inroads into the north and east and becoming close rivals of the TNA. For future trends you should not look at the number of seats received, but instead look at the votes trend. The seats are not sometimes reflecting the votes. The future is more important than the past and present, because you can do something about the former but not the latter.
2004-UPFA
———————
Jaffna- 18612 {EPDP}
Vanni-7259
batticaloa- 26268
Trinco- 31053
Digamadulla- 111247
Total- 194439
2010-UPFA
———————–
jaffna- 47622
vanni- 37522
batticaloa- 62009
Trinco- 48819
Digamadulla- 132000
Total- 327972
At the 2004 general elections The TNA obtained 633,654 votes and 22 seats. At that time Ananda sangaree alleged that the LTTE had rigged the polls in the north with widespread impersonation, and accused the elections commisioner of legalising terrorism. This time the TNA obtained 211000 votes. So they are really lucky that though they lost two thirds of the vote, they only lost one third of the seats.
Contrast this with the UPFA that has increased its total votes from 194439 to 327972, an increase of two thirds.
Because the next election is the northern provincial council, let us look at the results of the north seperately.
In 2010 the TNA obtained 106792 votes while the UPFA got 85144 votes. So the gap is only 20 per cent between the two.
So surely mahinda can close this gap by traversing the path of Devolution and development. He should be careful that the TNA does nor take credit for that by hoodwinking tamils into thinking that it was because of them that they are getting it.
I don’t see why if the if the government plays its cards properly they cannot have a chief minister of the north. It is not like as if the TNA has swept the board or something.
Mahinda should give a devolution package specially tailored to suit the needs of the north and also outline his development programme clearly and then have the northern provincial council election. There is no reason he shoundn’t give the TNA a good run for their money, especially with their abysmal showing at the polls.
Good artical with lots of info
# 133. Don
At the moment, none of the srilankan Tamil groups have any negotiation power what so ever with GOSL . If any negotiation is engaged, the demands may never come to an end.
At the outset it appears all Srilankans including the Tamils are treated equally. However there are grievances for political leaders regarding power sharing.
The best SrilankansTamils could expect from GOSL is that those affected by war are provided compensation and and able to lead normal life.
134. shankar
compare this with the votes received by the UPFA and you will find that they are making inroads into the north and east and becoming close rivals of the TNA. For future trends you should not look at the number of seats received, but instead look at the votes trend. The seats are not sometimes reflecting the votes. The future is more important than the past and present, because you can do something about the former but not the latter.
———————————————–
Definitely, what you said it is right. Future could be made bright. You can change the demography and by that alter the future.
You did it in Batticaloa and in Trinco.
Can also do it anywhere and solve the problem.
# 133. Don
So surely mahinda can close this gap by traversing the path of Devolution and development. He should be careful that the TNA does nor take credit for that by hoodwinking tamils into thinking that it was because of them that they are getting it.
——————————-
one way to handle the problem is:
If the GOSL develop and concentrate those areas who voted for UNP and ignore the other places (till next elections) that voted for TNA, then Tamil community will get the message who is responsible for the development and vote for UNP in next elections.
Mr SJoseph,
where are u from ?
may be from Venus
# 137. sjoseph
minor addition: vote for UNP or UPFA. in next elections
the point i drive is:
Srilankan Tamils ( all 3 kinds of Tamils) does not require separate tamil political parties to represent them. Tamil political leaders should join either UNP or UPFA and contest the elections.
They can represent the Tamils representing a national party.
As long as TNA or any other tamil political party is present, the conflict of interest between majority and minority will be there. The minority will suffer more and of course the nation on the whole too suffer.
one should not compare India (Tamilnadu and other linguistic states) in this context. The states in India are bigger than many independant countries (including srilanka) and regional devolution is necessary there.
Srilanka being a small country does not require the kind of federal solution and devolution package.
Mr don
Sinhala majority currently enjoys? Tamils don’t have (analyzed after war)
1, Tamil cannot talk in Tamil very loudly still suspicion is there for LTTE (tamil= LTTE is not still removed)
2 The 3 Tamils u motioned are much poor people by money as well as any forms of wealth
3 whenever a small issue arises between Singhalese and Tamil
the word “Demala” is hearable many time (it has more meaning than the word)
Where Tamil neversays or will not have any value saying ” Singhalaya”
4, Death Tamils > Dead Singhalese the thinking of Singhalese won the war is there in many Singhalese head
5, There is no brave Singhala leader who can control the racist Singhalese mouth. Rather they entertain/ enjoy those statements
6, Tamils will be slave to u untill u give them power and treat them equally. Now they are scared for ur polical win/gun
7, why there are many Singhala labeled products (without tamil) in the market why language is not equally implemented.(now dont tell tamil to learn Singhala)
Tamils deserved to be ruled by them (not in a seperate county) they are not above or below to Singhalese
Treat them first as human then as equal as u
They have all the rights to talk about their rights.
#114-Ananda-USA
Caste is not an issue among Sinhala people, we buried it long ago and moved on aided by the teachings of Buddhism
———————————————————————————————-
Are you trying to pull the wool over our eyes just because we are tamils. Why don’t you open the Sunday Observer and look at the matrimonial column. Why are the people advertising their caste, like advertising a professional qualification needed? Is their son or daughter going to be bitten by a snake or something by sleeping with another caste?
The only thing you buried was about 70000 sinhala youth in the 71 and 87 insurrections who all came from a depresseed caste.
As for fonseka caste definitely would have played a part in many people not sticking out their neck for him when he is being humiliated and imprisoned. Otherwise it would have been like Thailand with constant street protests and bloodshed.
The only thing i agree with you is where caste is concerned the tamils and sinhalese are like dumb and dumber.
Mahinda and his clan will destroy Lanka. Wait and See. There will be nothing left for the future generation. Only solution is the GENERAL
Perhaps you could tell us what privileges Jaffna people have, or is being forced to deal with a government that speaks a foreign language part of a language immersion plan the Sinhalese are missing out on, and having your land taken for HIgh Security Zones a generous government plan to foster Buddhist detachment.
More good news for Mahinda. His friend Ranil has said that he is not stepping down from the UNP leader’s position.
#142 shankar said ..
[Why don’t you open the Sunday Observer and look at the matrimonial column. Why are the people advertising their caste, like advertising a professional qualification needed?]
Yes, you are right .. marriage is the last bastion of caste among the Sinhalese .. but nowhere else. That ugly vestige of our remote past is fast vanishing into irrelevance.
You are TOTALLY WRONG about the caste issue in Fonseka’s Follies .. that is what the good old Eelamists and the incurably disappointed would-be ministers of the opposition banished from power like to propagate to divide the Sinhala community and regain office.
IT SIMPLY WON’T WORK anymore .. in fact it will gain them nothing but ENMITY and DISLIKE from the Sinhala masses.
Dear old Fonseka would have been revered as a war hero the remainder of his life, but blinded by unbounded ambition, he turned on his fellow patriots and behaved like a thug, and reaped what he sowed.
The lesson that all thugs of all communities should take note is this: The characteristic gentle smile of the typical Sinhalese that springs from his good breeding should not be equated to lack of courage, toughness and moral fiber .. as the Sun God then, and Gonseka now, found out to their utter surprise and dismay .. it is only the VELVET glove that hides the STEEL hand within.
# 141. Kandasamy
Going through your points, i do not see any inequality by law or by the GOSL. These are social and emotional problems of a racial minded society. some of the inferior Sinhalese may boast and ill treat fellow Tamils to show off their superiority.
If Tamils ignore or tolerate this treatment for a period of time, this evil will go away. I understand and know well that it is easier said than done.
DBSJ,
I dont agree that all political parties should get into one cup. Its like putting all the International cricket teams into one giant team. Democracy is giving the voter options. Otherwise you just might as well have a king / Ruler. – (Prabhakaran?) . The current election results show all of us whether the Jaffna man still subjected to fear or whether he is really free to vote against terror or front organisations of terror.
All srilankan need political leaders who can be kicked out through the ballot. Bringing all under one organisation defeats that purpose.
#137-mahesh
You can change the demography and by that alter the future.
————————————————————————-
I was giving figures for the north where there is no sinhalese and pointed out that there was only a 20 percent gap. So for the provincial council elections which is already due, my advice was to go on the path of devolution and development and the UPFA can have a chiefminister.
I understand what you say that changing the demography is also one way to go, but that is a medium to long term fix and also can have repercussions such as exarberating already fragile relationships.
With regard to sinhalese living in tamil areas what is your answer when they ask if you are living with us why can’t we live with you? I have no answer to this frankly and look at the ceiling or sky when i’am asked these embarrassing questions.
That is why the tamils need smarter politicians, not the usual guys who go around spewing racial garbage to get votes. The sinhalese politicians are also in the same predicament, because if they go too far now indulging in racial politics they will lose the tamil votes in sinhala areas.
That is why i agree with don that mixing people up is the way to go for the country. Only thing i don’t agree with him is that it will be a final solution to this ethnic divide. We have had the military solution which has solved the problem 50 per cent. Now we need the political solution to rid the problem for ever. The carrot and stick approach is the best for any problem. So far the tamils have seen only the stick.
Shankar, few points about your #142.
I would not say that the cast issue is totally dead among the Singhalese, but it is not a factor in most instances except when marriages are arranged. Yes, people specify the cast in the marriage ads, but there are also many these days which says that the cast is immaterial. Also, the number of arranged marriages in Singhalese society is decreasing. Reason? More and more women are in the work place, and in universities. In these places, couples meet, decide that they like each other, and get married, simple as that! Looking at my extended family, me, my siblings and mot of my cousins selected our own partners; this is in 70s and 80s. Now I see most of my nephews and nieces doing the same. Not a single arranged marriage in that group so far! Another important thing, a new cast system is rapidly forming among the middle and upper class Singhalese. This one is based on who has money, influence and connections. It is based on who studied in the International schools and who went to Australia to the universities. It really does not matter is you are a Singhalese, a Tamil or from any other community, let alone from a different cast. As they say, money talks, and in this instance, it really does.
The Singhalese youth of 71 and 89 were not from what you call “depressed” casts. In the South, they were mostly Karawa and in the Central hills, they were mostly Govigama. In fact me and my siblings still tease our dear mother (who is still cast conscious and faithfully Karawa, despite her dear daughter-in-laws and son-in-laws) that the two most notorious characters in recent SL history responsible for thousands of murders, Wijeweera and Prabakaran, were both from Karawa cast. So figure that!!
As for your assertion that the cast played a factor in Fonseka affair, not really true. The reason there were no street protests and bloodshed was because, the UNP saw Fonseka as a lost cause and lost interest. As for JVP who took up his cause, you saw how many voted for them last week. The street protests would have been effective only in Colombo or Kanday where the UNP (and not the JVP) is the main opposition party. Despite what people try to portrait, there are no spontaneous protests anywhere in the world. For a “spontaneous” protest to take hold, it has to be organized by someone and in this case that someone was the UNP and they did not have a heart for that. JVP tried but failed miserably. After all, the people who are really passionate about SF are the Colombo crowd, the business people and the so called “western educated intellectuals”. I can not see this bunch on the streets throwing stones and conducting sit-ins. They are more likely to be found in the coffee bars at Cinnamon Grand or Cinnamon Lakeside, moaning about how those silly buggers from down-south are taking over the country, or how airfares are so high that they can not fly to London or Melbourne for Christmas as they used to.
It was interesting to note that after all the screaming of computer fraud by the opposition parties about the presidential election, when they went to courts to argue that the PE was not legitimate, there was not a word about computer manipulations in the case that was presented by them to the courts.
#146- Ananda-USA
Dear old Fonseka would have been revered as a war hero the remainder of his life, but blinded by unbounded ambition, he turned on his fellow patriots and behaved like a thug, and reaped what he sowed
————————————————————————–
Who started it all? Why was he kicked upstairs. Apparently in October 2009 manmohan singh called mahinda and said his intelligence guys say that there is a coup brewing. So your so called fellow patriots instead of being loyal to their commander and army, without properly investigating turned on him and played the indian’s game without shame. Why are they not charging him for that at the court martial because it is alleged to have happenned when he was the army commander.
Here was an army and a commander who had loyally done their job, losing 24000 soldiers and 84000 wounded with countless young men in the prime of their lives in wheelchairs, and it only takes a telephone call from the indian primeminister to suddenly think they are a disloyal bunch.
So when you praise so much the average sinhalese why don’t you praise how loyal they are also with their velvet gloves, velvet pussies etc.
As for being blinded by unbounden ambition, are you saying there is something wrong with a person entering politics. Politics are only reserved for a privileged few who come from political families like the rajapakshes, bandaranayakes, wickemesinghes, premadasa’s etc according to you, not for you and me.
As for behaving like a thug, can you tell me what he did after entering politics, don’t talk of the rough and tumble of army life please.
The day he entered politics at the rajamaha vihara it was the grand thug of srilanka mervyn with his mob who hooted and jeered at him. From then on it has been never ending hounding by thugs. can you tell me when he retaliated.
As for your contention that his current predicament has nothing to do with his caste i never said it was the main reason. The main reason is of course a power struggle. What i said was some sinhalese may not be willing to stick their neck out for him because of his caste. we can’t really know what goes on in people’s mind but goigama people may be thinking who does this karawe upstart think he is. After all the Goigamas allowed the karawes to come and live as well behaved guests, not to make undue demands and to take over the country and threaten their leaders with death and imprisonment.
# 146. Ananda-USA
Re- read your own statements. More of boasting than facts.
Answer truthfully:
- Why most of the Sinhalese marry only among the people from their own caste?
As long as this caste tendancy in wedlock remains, you cannot boast of “One people, One nation and one Destiny” and the slogan is meant only for Govigamas – since they are the majority caste and more likely to come to power.
and Ananda, i will accept your view that marriage is the last bastion of caste among the sinhalese, only after i see Sajith premedasa the leader of the UNP
Shankar though a Tamil has understood Sinhala caste problems well. But our people like Ananda and Ranjan trying to deny the obvious foolishly
Very good article by DBS. I always learn lot about Tamil politics when I read DBS
and Ananda, since we are on the topic of thuggery, here is one with the compliments of your patriotic brethren with velvet gloves and steel hands
” The woman sexually abused by members of the ‘Blue Brigade’ is an active member of the DNA and she had maintained an election office of the DNA in her residence. Enraged by this members of the ‘Blue Brigade’ abducted her on the 8th, the day of the election, and she was sexually abused by several of the members of the ‘Blue Brigade.’
A complaint No. CIB 157/89 has been lodged at Beliatta Police but so far no action has been taken regarding the heinous crime. The woman, a 31 year old mother of two, is being treated at Ward 18 at Matara General hospita”
I hope Mahinda will become friendly with TNA and have talks to solve ethnic problem reasonably without talking stupidly about there being no majority or minority in the country
sjoseph your comments at 136 & 140 :- I agree in principle to most of what you say except comment that Tamils should get into Sinhalese political parties. Because both Sinhalese and Tamil’s are not at a maturity to hold such a bonding together in current times although individual cases such as Kadiragama being in the SLFP was quite possible. Even Muralideran being in the SL cricket team and very well respected by the Sinhalese players and community is one of these success stories.
Secondly your comment that as long as political parties are based on racial lines such as TNA, Muslim Congress, CWC, JHU, JVP etc people will be divided on racial lines is correct. This is definitely not good for a future SL if we are to reduce racial tentions. However pollies on both sides use this race business to achieve popularity & that is their trump card.
The best way is to settle Sinhalese in Tamil area’s and vice versa because statistics shows that around 65% of Tamil’s live among the Sinhalese currently without serious issues. I have lived in Colombo with Sinhalese and Tamil’s & Muslims all round me and I never witnessed serious issues. Infact many Sinhalese would rent out their houses to Tamil’s than Sinhalese because they always found Sinhalese to be less dependable than the Tamils!! And in Colombo, the Sinhalese constitute about 28% of the population!! St Thomas’s College is another example. We had Tamil Warden’s such as Rev Selvaratnum, Anandanayagam and David Ponniah & they were very well respected by everybody because the college fostered racial amenity & respect for each other.
The other question is that if Tamils are so much beaten up by the Sinhalese as some Tamil’s try to make out, how come I have Tamil friends who are doing so well in SL? Some are even bribing the Sinhalese pollies using their Singhalese friends!! One guy is operating a chain of businesses in SL while residing in USA!!
The problem as I see it is that Tamil’s who have never properly associated with Sinhalese and Sinhalese who have also not associated with Tamils think the other fellow is a pariah while those who got mixedup with the other fellows (like what happened to us at St Thomas’) think they are good as gold. This is why I always say that, had Prabakaren had Sinhalese friends, his path would have been entirely different. Balasingham tried I believe to broaden his mind set but failed and VP ended up in the dumps. As somebody said “association maketh a man”
Another example of this association is that history has shown that there were Singhalese who were generals under Tamil kings and served them with distinction while some of Dutugamunu’s best troops were Tamils. Don George
Having his father as leader didn’t count?
Nice to know that you will accept the openness of the UNP when you have the nephew of one leader give up the reins of power to the son of another. Bit like if Hilary had won the US election.
149. shankar
I understand what you say that changing the demography is also one way to go, but that is a medium to long term fix and also can have repercussions such as exarberating already fragile relationships.
—————————————————————-
Sinhalese and the Tamils should mix up. That should not be forced. It should happen naturally.
If you look at the transcurrents there is one video footage showing the Sinhalese are settled in the Tamil lands and that too in prime areas and the Tamils are pushed into periphery.
What do have to say about this?
Most of the Tamils living in the Sinhalese areas fled the North and the East due to the action taken by the armed forces.
They settled down in the Sinhalese areas.
I am not able to say anything in this regard.
But I would like to point out to you that prior to 1948 the population of the Sinhalese in the Tamil areas was negligible.
The govt was actively involved in their settling in the Trinco, Batti etc.
What do you have to say about this?
Can someone tell me how come wimal weerawansa got 280000 preference votes even beating ranil in his stronghold of colombo? I blinked when i saw that. Is he so popular?That old fart who leads the JVP has now got to move on and give the job to this guy i think, otherwise the JVP is going to be a write off.
Basil’s vote of 425000 also surprised me. Can someone explain that too? i think it is the highest ever preferences. i may be mistaken but it sure looks huge. I wonder whether even mahinda would have got that if he had contested. Are the people sending out a message we want basil as our next president. He is a dedicated worker behind most of the development projects i believe.
#152 sjoseph,
On the matter of caste in marriage among Sinhalese, I cannot do better than to refer you to the post #150 of Ranjan from Toronto. Enjoy!
Caste among the Sinhalese is only an issue for incurable Eelamists bemoaning their confinement to Virtual Eelam, trying to divide the Sinhala community along caste lines while IGNORING the vast caste divide within their own community!
The chutzpah of Sri Lankan Eelamists in this matter is only exceeded by the affrontery of Eelam supporters (Vaiko, Karunanidhi, Ramadoss etc etc ad nauseam) in Tamil Nadu who discriminate against vast segments of their own people with impunity, preaching to Sri Lanka about the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. Sri Lankan Tamils have NEVER been treatedin the way Tamil Nadu citizens are routinely treated everyday in this original Tamil homeland.
#158 Don
[The problem as I see it is that Tamil’s who have never properly associated with Sinhalese and Sinhalese who have also not associated with Tamils think the other fellow is a pariah while those who got mixedup with the other fellows (like what happened to us at St Thomas’) think they are good as gold. This is why I always say that, had Prabakaren had Sinhalese friends, his path would have been entirely different. Balasingham tried I believe to broaden his mind set but failed and VP ended up in the dumps. As somebody said “association maketh a man”]
I completely agree with you.
Lack of intimate contact between Sinhala and Tamil communities, especially in rural areas, is the reason for continued communal conflict and lack of empathy. S. Thomas is a fine example of ethnic, and even religious, integration .. I remember Mr. Anandanayagam with great affection as one of S. Thomas’s finest Physics teachers, wardens.and human beings.
It is in this context that I advocate that the Sri Lanka Government should adopt ETHNIC INTEGRATION eliminating ethnic concentrations and fostering intercommunal empathy as a cornerstone of future government policy.
Ethnic Integration should be geared to transforming Sri Lanka into ONE NATION of ONE PEOPLE with ONE DESTINY with citizens who think as only as Sri Lankans without regard to their communal affiliations.
CONCEPT OF MINORITY
In a simple organization such as company has some protection to the minority.
Tamils and Muslims also need that protection?
How ever u talk about the united Sri Lanka. Tamils and Singhalees together in one village etc.. You can’t deny the fact that Tamils are minorities in SL
Today may MR will treat equally life the Sighalees (I have my doubts) but the issue for minorities long future.
Law should protect the minority
And political system should protect minority
There is no question asking why only minority because they the people discriminated in the past which lead to a pathetic blood war in the county.
If you don’t power them,
Those people (minority) also considered like another animal, which can be killed beat chase No one will question
160. Mahesh :- Video footage from a news media may never tell the correct story. In fact at the height of SL fighting I saw on SBS television in Australia, program on SL hosted by George Negus a well known Aussie journo. It was totally skewed. Because I have been somewhat involved in the media I knew immediately what was going onn but the general Aussie public was mislead. Long time later I learnt that some Sinhala group had brought charges against this clip and the SBS was warned by the Australia media watch dog.
However what you say in Trinco and Batti is true according to my friends. In a perfect world, Tamils should also be settled in Sinhalese areas and guaranteed protection. But the biggest issue Tamil’s are worried is that by this Sinhalese settlement, their identity would be lost which is perfectly understandable. Now personally I have a view that our identity is made by ourselves. It is an ego thing. Sinhalese identity 30yrs back is girls must be virgins when they get married, no sex outside marriage & get married along caste lines. Tamils were no better. But today this is no longer true.
Secondly, around 65% of Tamils are supposed to be living outside the so called traditional Tamil areas. That means these Tamil’s are integrating with other races and in 20 yrs time, they will be mixed up. Even now my Jaffna friends say the Tamil girls in Colombo talk Sinhala and their Tamil speaking is disgraceful. Then some of my Tamil friends elderly parents who are in their eighties are still living in Colombo while the children are living abroad because the oldies want to live with the Sinhalese & Muslims and die in Colombo! So this identity is being lost as we speak.
Also don’t forget that today the world dictates terms to us. Internet makes us communicate and what ever happens any where in the world is up for criticism from a fellow who may be living 10,000miles away. Today the Pope is accused of hiding pedophile priest. So in this mix, Tamil or Sinhala identity is a drop in the ocean. Unless we are nuts, we cannot place too much emphasis on these things any more. We are rapidly moving into a global village where Sinhalese and Tamils are insignificant.
As you are in India you may have read J. Krishnamurthy, the greatest Indian philosopher after Gautama Buddha who said to be nationalistic is being anti god. This is perfectly right. Moment we think in terms of Tamil or Sinhalese, we are being anti god.
While the way the GOSL is doing this integration is not good, it will nevertheless help in future racial harmony. Just like recently there was a bus load of Jaffna children brought to the South to meet their Sinhala brethren.
Finally what I would like to see is an integrated set of Tamils and Sinhalese throwing out these corrupt politicos of both sides and forming a just government rather than fighting against each other spurred by the racial card played by politicians with vested interests. Don George
Wish all Srilankans a happy and prosperous new year and hope that from today onwards a new era dawns for our country that has had more than its fair share of woes.
# 162. Ananda-USA
While you compare the caste issues of Srilanka and India, you seems to conveniently ignore the solutions available in India for backward castes.
1. No indian boasts India is a caste free society.
2. Indians do not claim one people, one nation. India’s national philosophy is unity in diversity.
3. Backward caste and low caste people in India were suppressed in the past. As a remedy there is reservation in education, job and even in partliament seats for these people.
4. Laws in india Protects lower caste people being discriminated in India.
5. Higher caste in India is less than 20% of the population. Backward & Lower castes combined together are in majority, though there are hundreds of such backward castes.
6. No single caste in India is dominant enough ( % of people) to come to power conveniently, like what is happening in Srilanka. (Govigama’s are 50% of the voters)
I hope it makes some sense now.
Where from Eelam comes in to picture in this case?
Govigama’s remain in power, by divide and rule
using anti Tamil feelings among other sinhalese caste and tamils.
159. Stephen Jones
Just because one’s father was a former leader of a party, that should not be a disqualifying factor for the son. In this case, Sajith came into politics after his father has passed away. He contested from Hambanthota, as far as one can get away from the Colombo. There he put his head down and worked like crazy for the people. All this is well known. He was never groomed as a prince in waiting. The respect he has earned among the people, he earned it the hard way. So there should be absolutely no issue with him being the leader of the UNP.
167. sjoseph:- Something worries me about this debate on caste. In SL may be 50-60% are govigama and they dominate the political scene. But in India this may not be happening because there is no high cast which form 50-60% of the population. If I am correct, then this does not mean in India things are different because better solutions are available for the back ward class to get equal status with high casts as you suggest.
What has happened DBSJ? Have you closed down? High time for an article on the elections and its implications for the people…..
Happy New Year…………..DBSJ
167. sjoseph
You are right sir. In India Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes are protected by the constitution. Backward and most backward classes are also protected by way of many legislation and affirmative actions.
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162. Ananda-USA
The chutzpah of Sri Lankan Eelamists in this matter is only exceeded by the affrontery of Eelam supporters (Vaiko, Karunanidhi, Ramadoss etc etc ad nauseam) in Tamil Nadu who discriminate against vast segments of their own people with impunity, preaching to Sri Lanka about the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. Sri Lankan Tamils have NEVER been treatedin the way Tamil Nadu citizens are routinely treated everyday in this original Tamil homeland.
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You are wrong. You can accuse Vaiko, Karuna, Ramdass etc of anything but discrimination against some castes.
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165. Don
As you are in India you may have read J.Krishnamurthy, the greatest Indian philosopher after Gautama Buddha who said to be nationalistic is being anti god. This is perfectly right. Moment we think in terms of Tamil or Sinhalese, we are being anti god.
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Then why settle the sinhalese there in those areas and you are being anti God.
Don’t bring Budha into this discussion. Where is Budha the soft and tender soul who nursed the bird back to health and the Budha when he hurled a fire and brimstone against the Yakkas when he set his foot in the Sri Lanka.
I only know that the Sinhala Budhists are invoking the
name of Budha to do all sorts of atrocities against the Tamils. Example Welikade prison when they threw the bodies of the slain Tamil political prisoners before the statue of Budha.
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165. Don
Now personally I have a view that our identity is made by ourselves. It is an ego thing
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If it is a ego thing, then why settle people there. If internet builds bridges then construct more internet cafes in those areas instead of occupying those lands with Sinhala Budhists.
# 169. Don
My point is to highlight Srilankan political scenario is dominated by caste.
Govigama candidate (majority caste) have very good chances of becoming a prime minister compare to other castes and that means, caste game is crucial in political scene.
India need not be dragged here, because the caste system is different and widespread. In Indian political scene, there is no clear number dominance (50% of total voters) for any particular caste.
However, If you wish to compare, then India is better off compare to Srilanka due to reasons i pointed earlier.
#171, Mahesh,
“You are wrong. You can accuse Vaiko, Karuna, Ramdass etc of anything but discrimination against some castes.
Oh really!! I didn’t want to enter into this caste debate but your arguments in the guise of logic is spewing nonsense.
I have a question to you. Can you say with a clear conscience that MK never talked ill of (and acted against) forward castes, especially brahmins? Or do you consider brahmins as non-tamils like MK does? (vandhERigaL). Ramdass also is on the same boat. Vaiko, on the other hand, doesn’t bother about atrocities on dalits. In fact, all of them don’t. Otherwise, by now, the thiNNiyam perpetrators would have been severely punished. You know what the court ruled on that case? The court ruled that it didn’t seem to be a motivated incident and fined the perpetrators just Rs. 2500/-
Fabulous, isn’t it?
Btw I changed my handle to Kumar_I as I find that some other poster with the handle Kumar is also present (#56) and I would like to avoid his comments being mistakenly considered by other posters as mine.
#171 Mahesh said …
[I only know that the Sinhala Budhists are invoking the
name of Budha to do all sorts of atrocities against the Tamils. ]
Right .. Right .. you only know that because you have ignored ALL THE ATROCITIES OF THE LTTE recounted by DBSJ at this blog.
For example, when over 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers and policemen who were captured at Mullaitivu were summarily executed after drawing their blood to augment LTTE blood supplies, I don’t remember any of you in the Diaspora condemning it as a war crime of the first order!
No Sinhala person has EVER COMMITTED atrocities in the name of the BUDDHA against ANYONE, but in SPITE OF HIS TEACHINGS, and I would not dare say that even the LTTE committed those atrocities in the name of Hinduism or Christianity, but by violating the teachings of those wonderful compassionate religions.
It is this kind of inflammatory false statements that brainwashed all those young people in the LTTE into committing unspeakable atrocities!
Have you read NOTHING of what DBSJ has documented here, at this blog, in chapter and verse?
#171 Mahesh said ..
[You are wrong. You can accuse Vaiko, Karuna, Ramdass etc of anything but discrimination against some castes.]
You don’t know your history or been following the activities of these people for very long have you?
For example, Ramadoss was the guy who initially wanted special privileges for his Vanniyar caste denying equal rights to all other, and a separate Vanniyar state in northern Tamil Nadu with himself at its head. When he was strongly opposed in this, he gave that up and became the champion of the lower castes. Recently, he again revived his demand for a separate Vanniyar State when India was poised to create a Telengana State out of Andhra Pradesh, and he saw an opportunity to claim his long awaited kingdom.
These guys are just opportunistic communal rabble rousers of the worst sort having no love for Tamils, for Dravidians, or for India .. their motherland .. it is all ME ME and ME!.
For them, their espousal of the Eelam cause was also just another step in aggrandizing their own political careers and perpetuating their dynasties from father to son to daughter ad nauseam .. at Sri Lanka’s expense they thought .. but they only managed to get many of their own poor gullible people to immolate themselves.
I can continue like this in chapter and verse to describe the careers of all of these awful rabble rousers.
We Sri Lankans patriots have not forgotten .. even if you have developed a highly selective memory.
171. Mahesh:
Your arguments are so contradictory. On the one hand you attack Sinhala Buddhism, campaign for removal off protection offered to Buddhism under the constitution and promote secularism. At the same time you exclude a segment of population from occupying N & E just because they happen to be Sinhalese Buddhist in order to preserve Hindu Tamil culture. Then again, not so long ago you were talking about why the Sinhalese should allow Indian Tamils to continue to occupy “their lands” but now you are vehemently campaigning against Sinhalese settling in their own land in the N & E!
My sincere New Year Wishes to the Tamil People of Sri Lanka. May they enjoy full equal rights as Sri Lankan citizens and have a bright prosperous future
I use this auspicious occasion to humbly request pardon from our Tamil siblings for all the damaging destruction and discrimination we Sinhalas have shown and practised in the past
Samavenda!
As a Canadian with deep concern and affection for the wonderful people of Sri Lanka , I want to use this popular blog to wish all of them a happy traditional new year
My prayer is that the intransigient sections of the Sinhala community should change their attitudes and recognize the rights of the Tamil people and share power with them
May all beings be happy
173. Kumar_I
Can you say with a clear conscience that MK never talked ill of (and acted against) forward castes, especially brahmins? Or do you consider brahmins as non-tamils like MK does? (vandhERigaL).
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Talking is different and killing is different. Compared to what they are doing in Sri Lanka this is nothing. It was only a comparative statement.
I myself is a Brahmin.
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Ramdass also is on the same boat. Vaiko, on the other hand, doesn’t bother about atrocities on dalits.
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Ramadass and Thiruma were friends even before Thiruma came into active politics.
In fact in one communally inflammatory situation it was the Ramdass and the Thiruma who gave shoulders to remove the dead body of a caste conflict victim.
In India now the Mayawati is wooing Brahmins. Ramdass and other political leaders know that if they have to come to power the votes of their caste people are not enough and they are actively wooing the votes of other caste people also.
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174. Ananda-USA
For example, when over 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers and policemen who were captured at Mullaitivu were summarily executed after drawing their blood to augment LTTE blood supplies, I don’t remember any of you in the Diaspora condemning it as a war crime of the first order!
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DBSJ has said who did it in Sri Lanka. He is now a Minister in your Govt.
The atrocities against Tamils happened long before the VP or the LTTE were born.
Why don’t you talk about them also.
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175. Ananda-USA
We Sri Lankans patriots have not forgotten .. even if you have developed a highly selective memory.
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Be patriots and remember everything including 1983, Welikade, Jaffna library, Sinhala only etc etc…
I know you will keep remembering them because you are a patriot.
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176. Navin
you attack Sinhala Buddhism, campaign for removal off protection offered to Buddhism under the constitution and promote secularism.
……….
………..
At the same time you exclude a segment of population from occupying N & E just because they happen to be Sinhalese Buddhist in order to preserve Hindu Tamil culture.
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I never campaigned for the removal of the protection offered to the Budhism.
The intention to forcibly occupy the N and E with the Sinhalese is to dilute the political representation of the Tamils and to deprive them of their bargaining power.
I am opposed to only that.
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but now you are vehemently campaigning against Sinhalese settling in their own land in the N & E!
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The North and the East are the historical Tamil home lands as per the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan agreement.
By forcibly settling the Sinhalese without any political settlement you want to dilute the Tamils representation in the Parliament and you want to stiffle their voices.
171. Mahesh :–Mate, what Buddah said is relevant because in his philosophy there is no distinction between races. There is no Tamil or Sinhalese. So was with Christ. Krishnamurthy said if we put ourselves into such compartments we are acting against god. Because this Tamil, Sinhala etc identities are created by us. It is a figment of our imagination. Our Ego tells us each of us we are unique and we are prize fighters but in reality we are all the same. That is why Sinhalese gets married to Tamil’s and live happily ever after because fundamentally there is no difference. Politicians of course use the race card to better their own ends and the idiots who don’t realise that go with them. You just got to look at Karunanidhi and J.lalitha’s actions during the last stages of the Elam war. They were all over the place. Lalitha was one time ardent anti LTTE but switched over as she faced elections. Both K & JL then were competing with some hilarious statements.
If GOSL recognises North and East as Tamil homelands, then the Sinhalese can tell all the Tamils who are living in their area’s to push off & what is that going to cause? I am sure 80% of them would still opt to stay with the Sinhalese! This shows the futility of this argument. Buddha said we look at the world through a tinted glass and we need to get rid of our impediments to see the true picture if we want to achieve salvation of our soul. Similarly if we want to achieve ethnic harmony, we got to see the situation from the others race’s point of view, not through the tinted glass and one way this can be done is for the races to associate quite freely as it has been done in Colombo. Now there may be other ways but I don’t know. May be you can tell but at least what the GOSL is doing is one way although it is not perfect.
What is your objection to the settlement? Obviously because these area’s may get saturated with Sinhalese. So what? Isn’t that already happened in Colombo? When 65% of Tamil’s live outside their so called traditional home lands, hasn’t that already happened? Or do you want the Tamil’s to go on an Ego trip and say we are unique race, we don’t want to mingle with the pariah Sinhalese & we got to maintain our pure bloodlines? If the Tamils go on with confrontational politics with a GOSL having a thumping majority, Tamils will go back to square one. I don’t know about you, but I live in western comfort, but I feel for the Tamil’s in SL who don’t have money to pay for the boat trip. What’s their future going to be after 30yrs of bloody war, many of their children, relations missing, trying their hand again with a couple of shots at the GOSL? I am not a supporter of GOSL but a realist.
Buddah said our minds create our problems. Therefore we got to be mindful that we don’t create problems to our future generations but emotional thinking. Don George
# 177 Gunarathne Mapitigama
I am humbled by your humility. The willingness you demonstrate to reconcile with the minority community is laudable.
Hats off to you.
#174-Ananda -USA
For example, when over 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers and policemen who were captured at Mullaitivu were summarily executed after drawing their blood to augment LTTE blood supplies
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You seem to be deliberately making an acharu of the whole thing hoping that people won’t notice it. Don’t do that on this blog. We are all straighforward people here and though we have had difference of opinion we have never tried to be cunning and are good friends for a long time because we just tell the truth as it is.
The mullativu debacle was where the LTTE surrounded and attacked the mullativu army camp and 2000 soldiers lost their lives. This was a straighforward loss due to a battle in which the LTTE also suffered heavy losses and has nothing to do with with prisoners being killed with their blood drawn out. From what i can remember of the media reports at that time the army did not surrender and definitely nothing was mentioned about the blood being drawn out. Obviously in a army camp in mullativu there can’t be policemen that you mention.
If Srilanka media itself does not publish these atrocities you mention how the hell can you accuse the tamils for not condemning these acts?
It is tiring to be correcting misleading information being spewed out with probably sinister motives but it has to be done to set the record straight.
If it is correct it is okay, the sinhalese and tamils will accept our shame with bowed head for all the awful deeds and just hope that a new era has dawned permanently. What to do, this is a shameful part of our history, and my worry is history can never be erased.
180. Don
I have never said that Sinhalese should not settle down in the N and E. First the political settlement should be in place and then these things could happen when the atmosphere is conducive for this.
If it happens before that it only means that the political voices of the Tamils is stifled with.
The Tamils first didn’t go and settle in large numbers in Colombo. Only when the Army and Air force had put them into extreme hardships did they have to go and settle in Colombo.
That races should mingle. No doubt about it. you said well when you said that the issue should be seen from the others’ view point.
Then why the Sinhalese are not seeing the issue from the Tamil view point.
All you people want is that the Tamils should accommodate the Sinhalese and you boast of your numerical superiority to draw support for your arguments.
Democracy is understanding and accomodating each other, be it Tamil or Sinhala or Vedda etc.
If not is not then it is not democracy but mobocracy.
I do not think the international community will watch as mute spectators this development.
If the identity of the Tamil and Sinhala is anti-God or whatever as it is as Budha or JK, then why have the identity as a Sinhalese.
First why don’t you try to be human beings treating Tamils with dignity.
Well said Mahesh
# 182. shankar
Yes a gree Shanker.
One strange thing i notice is, most of the Tamils in this blog condemn in the strongest manner all violence acts (past) of LTTE.
But in general sinhalese try to justify the inhumane acts of army or others against Tamils, by finger pointing some other misdeeds done by LTTE. Most of the time those citations are exaggerated.
Defending the guilty merely on racial background would be catatrophic to Srilankans.
Defending the guilty ( even if it is done by Armed forces or monks or a sinhales political leader) may drive moderate Tamils , especially the youth towards the path of violence again.
# 180. Don
What is your objection to the settlement? Obviously because these area’s may get saturated with Sinhalese. So what?
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The settlement should be voluntary by individual. Mutual respect for each community and willing to live in harmony is mandatory between Tamils and Sinhales.
1. Why Tamils fear forced Settlement?
Sinhales are majority population in Srilanka. If forced settlement is done in traditional Tamils areas, the Tamils will lose their political strenth. in a worse scenario, one day not even a singale Tamil MP will be there in Srilanka.
2. What are some of the possibilties that would happen if forced settlement is implemented when lack of trust and hatred is still present among people?
Assume sinhalese are settled among Tamils in large numbers, while Tamils feel let down. It would be easier to organise attack on Sinhalese by misguided Tamil youths who are armed. They can hide among the crowd. Srilankan forces may find it too difficult to use aerial attack among sinhales population.
3. What could be a possible solution?
Encourage Tamils to join the National political scenario. Tamil People will vote for any party which governs well and fair to all groups of people.
Srilankan Tamils do not necessarily require a Tamil political party to represent and protect them. Even national parties UNP/SLFP can represent Tamils as they represent sinhalese.
184. Kandasamy
Thank you, Sir.
177. Gunarathne Mapitigama
Your humility humbles me. I have no words to say any further.
Some of the alleged grievances/discrimination Srilankan Tamils have faced/are facing.
Employment:
Today, more than 90 % of civil servants, and 99 % of the security forces are Sinhalese.
Language:
Instead of multilingualism, Tamil is reduced to local vernacular
There are surplus of 14 000 Sinhala as against a shortage of 10 000 Tamil medium teachers.
Education:
Teacher pupil ratio of 70 to 1 in Tamil areas as against 22 to 1 for the rest of the country
National Identity:
By flag and religion the majority sinhalese identify as the sole representative of the nation
Broken promises by past Prime Ministers:
Promises made by primeministers were broken.
Pogrom:
Bloodier pogroms, occasionally with offical connivance, carried out against Tamils.
How true are they? any response??
#189: sjoseph
Can you give a reference for those numbers that you are quoting?
When Sinhalese ask what problems do ordinary Tamils have even in this blog the norm has been to rebuff their questions. I think a better approach would be to clearly articulate these issues and direct them to places where they can find answers.
Though I believe it is certainly possible to use Diaspora and West against the Sinhalese, I for one will align with the Sinhalese hardliners than with any Tamil, (moderate or not) if I see any kind of coup where local Tamils trying to use external leverage to get whatever they want regardless of the sentiments of the Sinhalese. On the other hand if I see local Tamils appealing to ordinary Sinhalese to get their grievances settled I will align with the Tamil moderates and listen to their issues. The former approach to me looks as if Tamils are trying walk over the heads of the Sinhalese than try to get their problems solved. So its a question of do Tamils need my help or not? If I see that they don’t, then why bother?
Issues you have cited can be grouped into two categories. Ones that will not be accepted by the Sinhalese as a population and those that may not get through the political establishment without the right amount of motivation, pushing and bargaining.
Defense forces will now be out of bounds for Tamils for a long time. Until Sinhalese get convinced that recruiting Tamils to SLA will not lead to a coup in the N & E with a faction of SLA fighting against rest of SLA, there is no point in bringing up this issue. I also do not see how this is a major impediment to Tamil to prosper.
The flag represents the fact that there are minorities in this country but that Sinhalese are the majority at the same time. It doesn’t say that Sinhalese are the sole representatives but it does say that Tamil are not the majority nor is their culture the predominant. If you have a problem been a minority then that is a different issue from been discriminated.
All of these are issues of the second kind. Today, I do not see major Tamil political parties actively pursuing any of them. IMO, they are after bigger fish and these perhaps look insignificant to them.
One thing about war crimes, is I believe Tamils must get their priorities right. What is it that they really want? Do you want to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka because it is the country of the Sinhalese in YOUR view anyway or do you want to see the guilty punished? I for one
will not side with any military official who has been involved with extra judicial killings, torture or any misdeed taking law on to his own hands. At the same time, I do not want to shoot myself in the foot and weaken SLA when there is a bloody war going on. I’d rather have these people dealt appropriately by SLA itself than make a big deal out of it at international level.
Now you will say, how can we have any kind of investigation when Gota has already said that there will be no investigations against SLA? The problem is you screwed up in the way you asked for an investigation. Instead of asking Gota or MR to fix the problem you guys went and asked aunty Hilary and uncle Milband! So now we have Tamil ego up against that of Gota/Sinhalese which is an entirely different battle.
Besides, let’s be realistic– what do you think government could have done different in the way it fought the Eelam war? If you say no air strikes
for instance, then that is not been very serious in light of how wars are been fought elsewhere. If however, you want air strikes to be more carefully planned then that could be looked into. Same goes for other war strategy/method related issues.
#191-Navin
The problem is you screwed up in the way you asked for an investigation. Instead of asking Gota or MR to fix the problem you guys went and asked aunty Hilary and uncle Milband!
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You can’t ask alleged perpetrators to conduct investigations. You need an independent party.
All this could have been avoided if independent reporters were there bringing back news to the world while the war was going on like in Iraq and Afghanistan. The news blackout has caused the problem.
As for tamils screwing up i can assure you that Srilanka will be the ultimate loser if it does not allow a independent investigation. Who does gota think he is to tell the international community to piss off. He is like a fly in their ass and when they shit it will be all over his head.
It will be only a matter of time before sanctions will come and economic throttling will begin. As i mentioned once before the international community cannot afford to allow this one to go because many countries with similar problems have been watching this and will embark on the same course and tell the international community just like srilanka to mind their own business, even if it means killing their own people.
It is in Srilanka ‘s best interest to allow an investigation, to also hire a top notch international lawyer well versed in war crimes legislation, ably supported by our own best legal eagles and give this a good fight. The LTTE stupidity in forced human shield, and past brutality of LTTE resulting in uncontrollable hate from security forces are factors that defence lawyers should build up on. Also remember war crimes law stipulates that intent to harm civilians is a vital factor. So civilians caught in crossfire are not war crimes.
If Srilanka does not embark on this path it will become an international pariah like what happened to south africa at one time due to apartheid. There is always a limit to the worlds tolerance. They have to know what happenned.
It is in Srilanka’s own interest and for future generations of sinhalese to clear this up without unnecessary shame on the people. The figures keep rising and now there is even taalk of 40000 dead. It will rise to 50000 and oneday to 60000 and also news about eyes being goughed out etc. So without trying to be smart just let them find out the truth and then defend it to the best of ability. It is people with limited intelligence who will think that this will just go away due to tha passage of time.
# 190.
Is source more important than facts :0
I think it is extracted them from an anti-srilankan establishment.- UN Human rights report on srilanka discrimination.
# 191. Navin
if I see local Tamils appealing to ordinary Sinhalese to get their grievances settled I will align with the Tamil moderates and listen to their issues
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What ordinary Sinhalese people can do when Tamils appeal to them?
Most of the political leaders who have the power even does not care, since they survive on the racial discriminations, false supremacy and division among its own nationals.
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Do you want to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka because it is the country of the Sinhalese in YOUR view anyway or do you want to see the guilty punished?
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Please understand when guilty are punished, Srilankan image fly high. No one has an intention to lower a country’s image.
In an Armed conflict, it may be inevitable that common public and innocents are killed.
However the end does not justify the means. Was it necessary to kill so many thousands of common people, to achieve victory over LTTE. Let there be a honest investigation and results published.
If the investigation results prove that Armed forces have used unfair methods to achieve the results, let the govt apologise to affected people for it s action and punish the guilty.
The goverment must compensate and express regret for the killing of innocent lives. Instead the authorities defend why the innocents were killed and blame LTTE for all.
Srilankan Govt must investigate if any war time crime happened and take action on those found guilty. Crime such as misuse of authority & power on common people, executing suspects without judicial enquiry, Rape & molest of women, torture of underage children etc.
When the above is not done, one may wonder if Srilanka encourages state terrorism.
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All of these are issues of the second kind. Today, I do not see major Tamil political parties actively pursuing any of them. IMO, they are after bigger fish and these perhaps look insignificant to them
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These are significant for common people. resolve them. Why there should be discrimination among Srilanka’s own citizens based on race?
why do you bother on political party if they do not take this issue. If these small issues are sorted out by the goverment, ordinary Tamils may ignore the political parties who are after big fish.
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191. Navin
Besides, let’s be realistic– what do you think government could have done different in the way it fought the Eelam war? If you say no air strikes
for instance, then that is not been very serious in light of how wars are been fought elsewhere
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No Govt uses air strike against its own people. How do you use the air power responsibly?
Indian Air Force chief said that the rockets have to be fired from the air at the height of 1500 mts atleast. From that height you cannot differentiate between the civilian target and the military targets.
How will your use the air power responsibly?
It is calculated to inflict maximum destruction on the enemy. If you view Tamils as enemy how will they come and approach you for getting their grievances right?
Your people have collaborated in the Jaffna library burning and also in the 1983 pogrom.
All these things were done with the official sanction.
You are talking all these things just because you are not in the receiving end.
If you were in the receiving end, if it had all happened to you how would you have responded?
If Mullivaikal had happened to you and your people in lakhs had died at the hands of the security forces and your population in lakhs have been kept inside the camps then what would you have said at that time?
King is not great. The Justice is great.
Justice is being trampled in your country.
As for the documentation there are scores for you to see. Don’t pretend that it is not there. If you don’t see then you do not want to see.
Accept that. At least then the International community will know what you people are and plan things accordingly.
Navin,
please note your Chinthanaya are differant from MR’s Chinthanaya .What is the Chinthanaya we Ordinary tamil people can follow?
Annil
Many people think Tamil civilians killing at war time is acceptable since they lived under LTTE area and might have supported LTTE.
Tamil civilians were caught between LTTE and Armed forces all through the years.
It is a shame Srilankan armed forces massacred Tamil civilians in the past. To name a few:
1984 Mannar massacre
1985 Valvettiturai massacre
Kalmunai massacre
1990 Batticaloa massacre
And Finally.. the bombardment in Jan 2010-May 2010
If LTTE suicide bombers killed civilians, then LTTE is a terrorist organisation? Yes. No doubt about it.
If Srilanked army killed civilians, then Srilanka is a State terrorist? Yes. absolutely true. Who can deny?
Srilankan government and Sinhalese need to do honest initiatives and extraordinary efforts to get back Tamils (those affected) confidence and to heal their wounds..
Blaming LTTE for all their sufferings wont work for long….
193. sjoseph
The reason I asked for the reference was I want to look at the numbers you are quoting before I respond to them. You say thery are from a UN Report, can you give the title, and year of publication so that I can check it out?
When the LTTE was busily blowing up innocent civilians, hanging dissenting Tamils from lamp posts, assassinating political leaders in Sri Lanka and India who opposed them, kidnapping, brainwashing and enslaving underage children by the thousands for use as cannon fodder, turning children against their parents, instituting a nihilistic regime of death by cyanide capsule and suicide bomb, ethnically cleansing vast areas of innocent Sinhala and Muslim villagers by hacking them into pieces in the dead of the night for maximum terror, cold-bloodedly executing captured soldiers and policemen by the thousand after extracting their blood, turning their own people into global refugees and smuggling them abroad to create a captive tax base to fund their terror in Sri Lanka, violating the immigration laws and welfare systems of every host country blackmailed into accepting these fake refugees …. no supporters of the LTTE in the Tamil Diaspora then cried foul and wept for these innocent victims as the LTTE pursued the goal of creating a racist mono-ethnic aparthied separatist Tamil state of Eelam in Sri Lanka.
These unworthy souls aided and abetted, stood up and cheered, these MONSTERS who claimed to be the SOLE REPRESENTATIVES of Tamil people in Sri Lanka after killing all Tamil dissenters within reach, and expelling Tamils to seek refuge by the hundreds of thousands in the South among the much demonized Sinhala people of Sri Lanka.
Given this monstrous human rights record of these so-called “Liberators of the Tamils”, it is truly amazing to hear these same Eelamists accusing the Government of Sri Lanka of war crimes and persecution of Tamils at this blog.
The chutzpah of these unrepentant Eelamists is the same as that of the MURDERER who axed both of his parents to death, and then pleaded for a leniency in sentencing from the judge because he was an ORPHAN!
The FOREMOST DUTY of any elected Government is to protect the integrity of nation and the lives of its people .. a duty that successive governments of Sri Lanka failed to fulfill for 30 long years because of a lack of will, determination and courage. It is for that reason that the US armed forces are now fighting a difficult, but essential, war in Afghanistan. It is that duty which compelled President Abraham Lincoln to wage the US Civil war, horrendously costly in blood and treasure, 150 years ago. It is that same DUTY that President Mahinda Rajapaksa served so magnificently in eradicating the LTTE from Sri Lanka, despite seemingly insurmountable barriers erected by global naysayers.
Today, Sri Lanka is FREE OF TERRORISM. Sri Lanka has now resumed its march towards a NEW GOLDEN AGE, that beckoned it at independence in 1948, as ONE NATION, of ONE PEOPLE, sharing ONE COMMON DESTINY as Sri Lankans with EQUAL RIGHTS, and EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY to love, protect, and develop this Resplendent Isle that we call home.
Sri Lanka will achieve that goal in the next decade, despite the dire predictions, and fervent wishes, of the amateur economists populating VIRTUAL EELAM to which they have now been PERMANENTLY BANISHED!
183:- Mahesh:- You say political settlement must take place before people are settled because the atmosphere will be conducive by then. Now, when will that happen? We don’t know. Similar argument was made to spare the LTTE on the dying stages of the battle. The GOSL(I am not their supporter) thought enough is enough. 30yrs of blood letting should be stopped once and for all and went all out and killed the LTTE plus some civilians. The outcome today is both Tamils and Sinhalese can visit each other without bombs and bullets. Although civilians died which is very unfortunate, there is no conflict in this world where there is no collateral damage due to war. If there was one please tell me.
If you think settling civilians is undemocratic, the GOSL can pass a motion in parliament and as they got the majority, nothing can stop it and it will be law. What I am saying is sometimes any government has to make hard decisions on behalf of the majority of its people whom it represents. OK say people in N & E don’t like the settlements. What %age are they out of the total population? Probably 6%! So do you think a government will stop what it decided to do to please 6%?
Also if Sinhalese are settled, they will very soon form a bond with the Tamil people because before the advent of VP, Tamils were very amicable people. This would help the security of the Tamils in that district because the GOSL will not be able to jump in and harass the Tamil’s as they wished.
There will be more Sinhalese talking on behalf of the Tamils by then. See what is happening at Ampara where a Tamil speaking Sinhalese Mr Piyasena has become an MP. Now this drives it really up the nose of the Sinhala dominated GOSL and gives good balance.
You think that Tamil’s will loose political clout once settlement occurs. Not so. Say by the settlement occurring, at the next election Tamil’s get only 12 seats versus 22 seats they have now. But even now with 22 seats they cannot force an issue as they don’t have the numbers in Parliament. Even if they currently got 22 seats, if the GOSL induces some of these MP’s to join them, again the political clout is lost. Did the Tamils gain any political clout by getting VP and TNA involved in the liberation movement which saw thousands killed?
You say Sinhalese are using their numerical superiority to ask the Tamils to accommodate Sinhala demands. Not so. I am saying Tamils are freely distributed in Sinhala areas. So why not distribute Sinhalese in Tamil areas so that it can foster racial harmony. I mean there is a very good reason. I am not asking the Tamils to be a..se lickers of the Sinhalese.
Try to understand my friend. In the past 30years, even moderate Sinhalese got to hate the Tamil’s because of the LTTE. They eventually thought 99% of Tamil’s support LTTE either directly or indirectly because they want to carve up Srilanka to attain the dream of Elam. But today, war is over & many Sinhalese think they can live with the Tamil’s. 65% of Tamils live outside their so called traditional homelands & if a few Tamils living in the North make difficult demands, I don’t think they are going to get anything at all.
If Tamils are worried (quite justifiably) about their identity and political clout, then opposing settlements is not going to make their identity and political clout any more secure. Well what about the identity and political clout of the 65% of Tamils living out side their homelands? Does it mean they got NO identity and political clout? If so why do they continue to live there?
According to you, these Tamil’s came to Colombo in the recent past because they got chased from their areas by the Army & Air force. Now this is not true because I have lived in Colombo and Tamil areas of Colombo long before the troubles started and Tamils were always there. There is a very large amount of Tamils I know in Kandy and even in Kurunegala. Many of these people lived in these areas for generations. They came to these places as it offered more economic advantages than the Tamil areas & that is quite natural. I also can say that many Tamils living in Sinhala areas have always been held in high esteem by the Sinhalese. So naturally they stayed put.
Before you blame the Sinhalese for everything that has happened to the Tamils, remember that Tamil’s also made many mistakes. They did not play their cards well & they cannot blame others. Some examples. VP was given North and East on a platter one time but he did not take it. When VP killed Ghandi, no moderate Tamil voices were raised. When he killed Thiruchelvam, Thiranagama and other Tamils, no Tamil raised their concerns. When TNA became the lackey of LTTE and Anadasagaree was pushed out and nearly lost his life, no Tamil voice was raised. Then the TNA to get revenge from MR went to support SF which was the biggest blunder of all time because MR got a thumping majority and now he does not care a damn for TNA.
You say the international community will not sit & watch what is happening to the Tamils. Well aren’t they watching for years what is happening in Burma? Aren’t they watching for years the degradation of the minority indigenous communities of Aboriginals in Australia, Maoris of New Zealand and Red Indians of the USA? And if you compare those minorities who were the original inhabitants of those countries before the advent of the whites to the position of the Tamils today, I don’t think you can say by any measure that the Tamils are a deprived lot.
197. sjoseph
Well said Sir.
192. shankar:
I agree but the question is if the government were to allow independent reporters, will they be perceived as independent by the west or accepted by the diaspora? Can you name independent reporters who will be accepted by the west even if they say things which do not support the western objectives?
Did the west allow independent reporters into their wars? I agree that they did allow reports but I won’t call them independent. What news for instance have these independent reporters brought to us about what is going on in Afganistan? Surely, their rosy picture of Utopian war that is been fought in these countries do not match up with bits and pieces that fall out of that region from time to time? For instance what have you got to say about the recent wikileaks video? Given this context, if Sri Lanka allowed independent reporters and we revealed all good and bad that happened, will they be seen in the proper context?
Then again who are “international community”? The word has no meaning. It is the _West_ that we are talking about. West like to use the term “international community” to pretend that they are speaking for everyone but the truth is no one else is really behind them. Most countries don’t speak up to this abuse because they are powerless to do anything.
This would be meaningful if the west has good behavior for it is only then they have moral authority to question the conduct of others. In this case the behavior of the west it worst than that of Sri Lanka. The only thing different is that their media machine or so called “independent international media” doesn’t report their abuses, doesn’t campaign for the rights of their victims, covers up whatever that leaks out while hounding mistakes of countries who refuse bow down to their command.
Its not a matter of seeking justice for the victims its a matter of punishing out any one who questions their authority. I have highlighted these before so I won’t repeat them here again.
However, I do agree with your suggestion that Sri Lanka may need to agree to some sort of investigation with carefully planned strategy counter all sinister moves by the west and Diaspora lobby– not because I believe that it will serve justice but because I believe
the way to thwart the ulterior moves of the west is to defeat them at their own game. Sri Lanka can depend
on other countries for support but they will most certain not back us for a crusade against the West. So we need to decide when and where we are going to stand firm and make our decision so that others can take our side.
200. Don
By the settlement of the Sinhalese in the Tamil areas people will not think in terms of political soln. The sinhalese will want only military soln and this settlement of the sinhalese is part of the military soln.
The Russians tried it in Chechnya, it didn’t work till date.
You again are showing the mind set of suppressing the Tamils.
You said that the Sri lankan parliament could pass a law so that the settlement of sinhalese in the N and E could be made into legal.
This is absurd. You cannot pass a law legitimizing something which is illegal. That is contrary to Natural Justice.
You can as well pass a law, legalizing genocide and say to the international community that killing tamils is legal in your country.
If you look into the census figures then you will know that the majority of the Tamils living in Colombo came after the ethnic conflict due to the hard ships inflicted on them by the sri lankan armed forces.
LTTE is a terrorist entity. That is the reason people distanced from it. People have also condemned it.
If the Sri Lankan state also indulges in terror tactics, It is not stranger in using the terror tactics. It has used the terror tactics in the past and continues to use the same in the present also. Example the white vans. Then what is the difference between the LTTE and the govt.
In what way you are superior. Instead of you the LTTE itself could have ruled the people isn’t it.
Whether MR respects TNA or not in not the issue. Whether MR respects the Tamil sentiments is the issue.
You talk about the wrongs done by the Tamils.
Only if you people had behaved well with the Tamils and treated them with respect and dignity all these things would not have happened.
You have asked me will not the International community sit and watch things as they do in so many other parts of the world.
Yes in those places the IC has to put in more their efforts. It is not enough they do act only in Srebrenica. It is also important they act in other places also including Sri Lanka.
195. Mahesh:
Please don’t lecture people who have been subjected to terrorism for 30 god damn years from the safety of other countries on how they should fight terrorism.
Please leave out this crap about fighting a war against one’s own people. On one hand whether you fire at your own people or people from another country you are still firing at people. It makes no difference whether you kill your own kind or of different kind, the damage is the same. You make the Americans dropping bombs on Bagdad sound just since Americans are killing non Americans.
On the other hand, the government was _not_ fighting the Tamils it was fighting the LTTE.
I understand very well the imprecision involved in air strikes. With the Russian made aircraft having decades old technology and Pakistani trained pilots it pretty terrifying asking them to drop a bomb at house from up in the air. However, what is the impact of not dropping that bomb?
If you drop the bomb on that house it may fall on some other house nearby or even if does hit the target still some people may get killed. However, if we don’t do that, the LTTE cancer will continue to grow and each day 1000s of other people are at risk of getting killed on a bus, a train, by the road side etc. etc. This country was held to ransom. The future of 20 million people was in ruins. Air strikes and others were bad, but there was no alternative.
Had MR and GR not fought the war the way they had we would not have won.
Stopping air strikes was not an option but certainly improvements were possible. But the problem was no one was interested in that option because, most people who shout at air strikes were not interested in the lives of Tamils but those of Tigers. Hence for them precise air strikes were as bad as if not worse than blotched air strikes.
Sinhalese are not any worst than Americans or the West who adhere to human rights pretty well by your own standards for the way we reacted was not any different from the way in Americans or Brits have done. In fact we have done much better with little resources we had.
Agreed. However, official sanction doesn’t mean everyone in the government let alone the whole country sanctions those actions. At the end of their term those who sanctioned burning the library must go before people. If you make your case, people will support you and elect someone who can do justice for the crimes committed against you by them. What is happening here is instead of asking your next door neighbor for help, you go and bring in your own goons from other side of the world and intimidate everyone who may or may not have had a hand in the crime. In effect you are showing your own arrogance.
And it is _not_ been trampled in other countries? Excuse me could you please tell me how US served justice to those Blackwaters mercenaries at the end of their trial?
# 198. Ranjan from Toronto
56th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Item 10, Discrimination of Tamils in Sri Lanka
01. Januar 2000, Geneva, 2000
_ I am not sure how authentic it is? thas why i asked for your input
- Now its your time to get the facts right.
.
195. Mahesh:
On 11 Sept., the only reason those planes that hit world trade center were not shot down by the USAF was because they couldn’t get their fighters in air in time… I suppose had they shot down those hijacked aircraft killing 100s of people on board that would have been bad because no government should shoot their own people??? … does “end doesn’t justify the means” apply their too?
# 204. Navin
Please leave out this crap about fighting a war against one’s own people. On one hand whether you fire at your own people or people from another country you are still firing at people. It makes no difference whether you kill your own kind or of different kind, the damage is the same
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Answer this question:
- Firing at civilians is wrong, whether it is by Americans or srilankans.? Do you think, if americans do the wrong, srilanka also can do the wrong?
- You are conveniently quoting american atrocities. Do you follow Americans and their value systems in all cases? Can a obama become a president in srilanka?
- If you fire at your own nationals, how do you expect they are patriotic to your nation?
- other nationals lecture because, Srilankan refuges are all through the world, including India. Who is responsible for this? Is GOSL not responsible?
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On the other hand, the government was _not_ fighting the Tamils it was fighting the LTTE
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Your logic is horribly erratic. It justifies LTTE cause too.
“LTTE was not killing Sinhalese, but was freedom fighters, fighting the GOSL”
- Do you agree?
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# 204. Navin
What is happening here is instead of asking your next door neighbor for help, you go and bring in your own goons from other side of the world and intimidate everyone who may or may not have had a hand in the crime
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Why should affected tamils ask for help with in Srilanka? why not Sinhalese and GOSL help them on their own with out asking? are they not your own nationals? If the next door neighbour also glad to be a silent observer, where will the affected person go?
- Because Srilankan tamils are forced to think ( due to what ever reasons) like they are outsiders and aliens, they are seeking the help from outsiders.
I do not see any thing wrong if external help is sought, if the affected think justice is not done internally.
one can understand if certain politicians defend the guilty, with a hidden agenda. However, If Government as a whole and ordinary people start defending the inhumane acts happening around, how do you think the wound of the affected will heal.
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204. Navin
lease leave out this crap about fighting a war against one’s own people. On one hand whether you fire at your own people or people from another country you are still firing at people. It makes no difference whether you kill your own kind or of different kind, the damage is the same. You make the Americans dropping bombs on Bagdad sound just since Americans are killing non Americans.
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- american action on Baghdad is like a lady chastising a mischievous boy of her neighbours. We can understand the harsh & legalistic treatment, though that is not the proper way
- GOSL action against Tamil rebels are like a mother chasting her mischievous boy. Naturally some expectations of kindness and love with the chastisement.
What is surprising is GOSL’s step motherly (at the best) treatment of Tamils.
Is srilanka not the mother land of Srilankan Tamils?.
Srilankan Tamils are having only language as the link with Tamilnadu/India (If you talk about ancestors, then Sinhalese are also from India). But there is no doubt, Srilankan Tamils are the true children of Srilanka.
If external people (Non srilankans) cry out loudly “Injustice is done”, then it is time for GOSL & srilankan public to open their ears to reasons & eyes to find out the facts..
194. sjoseph:
Do you think MR advocates Sinhalese supremacy?
I have no problem with government doing its own investigation. I have said before that if there are people in SLA who are taking law onto their own hands we need to take action. However, I don’t think we need to let international war criminals investigate ourselves or let them make use of this investigation to prove to the world that they advocate justice when obviously they don’t. I also do not subscribe to your view that appealing to international audiences is the only way to seek justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka. This is more about trying to get the world to act against the Sinhalese people than seek justice. I’m obviously not motivated to jump in on that band wagon.
All Tamil politicians are preoccupied with unitary vs. con-federal debate they hardly seem to care about anything else. For local Tamils it seems unless they get their Eelam, it doesn’t matter even if all those problems were solved. When Tamil Politian’s are not bothered about these issues, I don’t see why the Sinhalese Politicians should be bothered about them.
# 210. Navin
Do you think MR advocates Sinhalese supremacy?
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i do not know. MR could bring a change.
however Politicians are politicans and they will do any thing to occupy power.
However, ordinary people and learned should stand united, and display basic care, kindness and warmath , to suffering humans irrespective of race , religion and language.
# 210. Navin
When Tamil Politian’s are not bothered about these issues, I don’t see why the Sinhalese Politicians should be bothered about them.
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We are not talking about what politicians should care.
Ploiticians depends on people, not the other way around.
I know both Tamil & sinhalese politicians do not care about people (Sinhalese or tamils). In fact politicians encourage divisions among the people, if that benefits them. That is their survival tactics.
Here the question is; What a ordinary common tamil and sinhales should care and support.
If you are a politician and not an ordinary man, i do not pose the question to you. The answer is well known.
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# 210. Navin
i have no problem with government doing its own investigation
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You have no problem. I agree.
what is your response?? have you ever expressed that government should do its own investigation.
What will be your reaction, if GOSL and MR have a problem for your own fact finding investigation??
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# 210. Navin
For local Tamils it seems unless they get their Eelam, it doesn’t matter even if all those problems were solved. When Tamil Politian’s are not bothered about these issues, I don’t see why the Sinhalese Politicians should be bothered about them
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why In Srilanka the problems exist in first place?
is it not the responsibilty of GOSL to be fair to ALL races?
Do you suggest, as long as some group of people continue to pursue Eelam dream, these problems in Srilanka can remain unresolved?
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203. Mahesh You say the settlement of Sinhalese in Tamil areas is a part of a military solution. That only means that Tamils are planning a military move in the future and settlement is going to put a spoke into it. That means Tamils are not genuinely committed to a future peace. Now I don’t have an issue with that because there are ample remedies when it comes to that. However if that is right, lack of integrity on the part of the Tamils shocks me.
You say the parliament cannot pass a law to settle Sinhalese in the north and east because it is illegal. Well it is only illegal in your opinion. It does not breach any existing laws of the country. To decide settlements in any part of the country is well within parliamentary judicial functions. If you think this perverts the natural justice, then you are using a term “natural justice” which is not in legal books and used by bare foot lawyers to justify anything and everything. It is like some people using the term “law should not only be done but also appear to be done” That means a legal judgment should appear to be correct in the eyes of any one who looks at it including the guy on the street!! If you want to pursue that type of argument, I shall leave it to you.
You say I should look at census figures which will show that many of the Tamils ended up in Colombo from Tamil areas after the ethnic conflict because they were chased out by armed forces. I don’t have census to check your story and even otherwise I don’t believe your story as I said before, I lived in Colombo before and after the ethnic conflict. There were always Tamil’s and I can remember during the IPKF occupation Tamils from Jaffna came and stayed in our house due to rape of women. The second time was when LTTE chased many people including Tamil’s & some stayed with us in Colombo. The first lot of people went back after a time while the second lot went abroad. But nevertheless I did not notice any significant settlement in Colombo.
LTTE comprised of a minority of people who were hell bent on having their own way by killing people. The only way terrorist around the world understand is to bring terror to them. This was the solution imposed by Governments on the Bader Mintoff gang, Red Brigades, IRA, AlQuida, dictators like Saddam, Hitler, Polpot etc and that is what GOSL did. Yes I do agree that GOSL employed terror tactics because that is the only solution. I do not support killing of any form but if that is the only way, what do you do? To pussy foot terrorists is to get yourself killed. Yes every terrorist in the world also have a very very good worthy cause they are fighting for. Even the LTTE was fighting for the liberation of the Tamil people but the catch was they were not voted to that position by the Tamil people. But later it appears many Tamil’s supported them as they thought LTTE will attain their dream.
This is the crusial issue. Many Tamil’s from Federal party times (1955) were brainwashed to think Sinhalese are unjustifiable & only way Tamil’s can attain salvation is for a separate state. But this is false. Tamils could live in harmony and without conflict with Sinhalese but that message was never put forward. Because that is how the 65% of Tamils are living with Sinhalese in areas out side the so called traditional Tamil areas. So today, Tamils are again left with two choices. Either try to live in harmony or go on a collision course. Those who support the latter in my view are those lacking in lateral vision because they don’t realise there is so much wealth and brains in our little SL for both these communities to live and prosper. Think for a minute, how come I got Tamil friends who are prospering doing business in SL and will continue doing so? Some of them even don’t live in SL!! So isn’t something wrong with some Tamils who say Sinhalese are hopeless & impossible idiots?
Not at all. On the contrary it is the Eelamist themselves who are putting obstructions. For example when MR wanted to bring in that agricultural expert from India I forget his name, it was the Tamil parties themselves that campaigned against that move which eventually led the person concerned to publicly announce he will not be visiting Sri Lanka to assist in the process of development work in the Wanni until a political solution is provided!!!
202. Navin
Navin continue to talk like this. you and your govt and most of the Sinhalese people are talking in this fashion only. Continue to talk in this fashion.
also encourage all those who are not talking in this way to talk in this way.
Also kill innocent Tamils. Deliver Final Solution to them in the lines of Hitler.
Behave arrogantly before everybody in the world.
Then definitely Eelam will be born.
If you have these kind of mindset then the eelam is not far off.
If Eelam is born you people can claim credit for it. Without your hate for the Tamils the eelam would not be born.
People were hitherto condemning VP. Now they will say VP was right. Sinhalese only understand these types of terrorism. He spoke in the language you understand.
Continue to speak like this man. Also I wish all the Sinhalese speak in this manner.
# 215. Don
You are welcome to solve your problem in your own way and think fit best.
There is a saying, Srilankans do not need external enemy or war and they will kill teach other and die. Hope it does not happen.
Just to display to GOSL, India is not keen in supporting any Pro LTTE movement, Indian immigration did not permit, pirabakaran’s mother in India even on humanatarian grounds (medical treatment).
However there are small group of Tamils in India and Srilankan diaspora spread out the world (one million people) who are pro Eelam groups, and genuinely think, they support the suppressed Tamils living in Srilanaka.
Only when local Srilankan Tamils are satisfied with GOSL they will shun away from taking support from your external threat..
20- 30 years down the line, the next generation may continue to discuss this topic.
ALL the BEST.
207. sjoseph:
I think the force Sri Lanka used against LTTE was justified given the latter’s aggression. You may not feel the ferocity of LTTE for you have not been subjected to their violence.
Obama talks more than he walks. Nevertheless, could please first name equivalent of Obama in Tamil politics? Then we can discuss whether or not that person has a chance of getting elected. Don’t forget
that individuals like Lashman Kadirgama were very much respected by the Sinhalese though he may be a traitor for you.
LTTE child soldiers are like Americans on hijacked planes. We don’t want to shoot them but there is no alternative. You guys speak as if rehabilitation of 10,000 LTTE carders by GOSL is nothing!
GOSL is responsible. But so are the British, the Indians and most importantly the Tamils. SL Tamils arriving in those countries as refugees is a concern for them. But at the moment, refugees are seeking greener pastures more often than fleeing prosecution. Furthermore, am I to believe chaps like David Milband, and Hilary Clinton are speaking about SL problem because of refugees?
# 216. Navin
Is it not a shame to admit, if an agricultural expert from India refuses to visit Srilanka, GOSL has no other option left to develop the country?
Alas!
220 S. Joseph:
You missed the point. At the moment the GOSL wants development to take place in the N & E but its it the Tamils who do not want that for Eelamist are worried that development would reduce the cry for Eelam. Its not very different from LTTE been scared of Ranil’s ceasefire of loosing its fighting carder.
I’m sure MR will move ahead with or without the help of Indian guru. MR has a the backing of Indian central government though the west is withholding aid to placate the Eelam lobby. Japan will also chip in. So I don’t think Eelamist will succeed in their goal of preventing development taking place.
However, I’m not so opstimic about there been peace. I believe its a matter of time before LTTE’s Makkalei Paddei starts planting bombs here and there in the Wanni if not in Colombo to create havoc. All the money been pouring into Wanni will go to utter waste if that happens.
191. Navin
Your new found love for the people of Iraq is fascinating. Do you have uncles and aunties in Iraq ?
The acquittal of Blackwater guards involved in the deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in a busy intersection in Baghdad is apparently bothering you too much. Do you have any hints or recommendations to improve the US judicial system ?
Did you at any time understand US intervention in Iraq led to the liberation of the oppressed majority Shia muslim community from the domination of minority Sunni Muslims ?
As a champion espousing the legitimacy and primacy of the majority rights over the rights of the minority in Sri Lanka at every turn, you should be trumpeting the effort to bring democracy in Iraq that allowed the majority to gain its rightful place in the governance as humanitarian liberation.
You cannot have it both ways.Though 60 % of iraqi population is Shia and 20 % is Sunni, the latter under the dictatorship of Saddam reduced the 60% majority to second class citizens.
For your information, in USA those spending time behind bars include convicted defense personnel, high ranking politicians and super rich white collar criminals.
I understand your aversion to lectures; one now and then may be beneficial !
222. Nostradamus:
Where have I espoused primacy of majority rights before minority?
I’m not talking about whether it was right for Americans to have gone to Iraq. FYI, I do not believe americans went to Iraq to save Iraqi people. They went there for their own benefit. I’m simply citing that violations that happened in Sri Lanka’s war against LTTE are minor compared what the Americans did and are doing in Iraq and elsewhere in the world. If the latter are acceptable to UN and West and Human Rights busy bodies in the world, and does not constitute war crimes or abuse of justice then the former is too. There are things that are feasible and things that are not feasible. You people are accusing Sinhalese of war crimes after putting the bar high up in the sky when the same bar for the superpower with all the advanced technology is dead flat on the ground. I know it hurts for you to have some guy point these out.
# 221. Navin
I agree with your prediction. Srilanka does not have much hope to return to peace.
it is a question of time, before Tamil rebellion against GOSL take their righteous place again.
However, peace makers need to put their best possible efforts.
218. S Joseph :- I have lived probably with all ethnic groups of SL except the kaffirs of Puttalam. My next visit to SL, I am going to see them. There are many Sinhalese communities who live very poorly much worst off than the average Tamils. Who speaks for them? There is no Diaspora. Many Tamils naturally think, because Sinhalese are in power, all Singhalese are having better opportunities than them. I just don’t think so. Sinhalese ruling class looks after themselves and their goonda’s. The poor has to look after themselves. I have visited St Johns, Hartley, Vembadi girls school etc in Jaffna. The quality and the standard of education is probably better than the Colombo schools. This is what is available to Tamil’s but of course not to all. The estate Tamils and the poor Singhalese are probably on par on poverty level. The estates Tamils also don’t have Diaspora to back them. While the well off Tamils comment about suppressed Tamils of SL, they don’t talk about the estate Tamils or the poor Singhalese. This is the sad part.
I always believe we decide our own fate. If I am oppressed, there are plenty of opportunities in this world to use to rise above that. Obama & Mandela are great examples. But if we go on blaming others for our plight, we never get off the launching pad. I apply this principle to my life.
All the best and thank you for your comments. Don George
#225-don
Who speaks for them? There is no Diaspora
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Diaspora refers to a permenantly displaced or relocated population sharing common national or ethnic identity.
If the tamils living abroad are considered diaspora according to this definition, then what about the sinhalese living abroad too. Cannot they be also considered as sinhalese diaspora, or is it wrong to consider both as diaspora, because they are only thinking of living abroad until the problems in Srilanka are sorted out by our clever politicians and the country becomes a utopia.
197:
I don’t know where you got the impression that people in the South believe that Tamil civilians getting killed in war is OK because they supported LTTE. Yes, people in the south are aware of the fact that not just the Tamils who lived in the LTTE controlled areas but all Tamils in general with the exception of a few support LTTE. They may speak and act kindly with the Sinhalese but god knows what these people do behind our backs. A far greater number support the idea of a separate state. Yet, I don’t think people wish them dead. On the contrary, the reason why many Sinhalese including myself, say the war was justified in spite of its ferocity is because it was impossible to live in Sri Lanka
with LTTE running riot all over the country.
I’m aware of incidents where elements of SLA have taken law onto their hands and acted in ways totally unacceptable. I’m not aware of what steps the governments in power took in response to these incidents. It is not surprising that there exists indisciplined individuals in SLA but its shameful that even after an act of misconduct no proper investigation
was done. Even when investigations are done, people responsible may still get away. The situation is not unique to this country. You just have to look at what is going on in Iraq. The Blackwaters case is a good example. These must be investigated by the country itself.
However, I’m not at all convinced the reason why Tamil diaspora are ganging up with the west to put pressure on this country is to get it to investigate these incidents. What the diaspora want to achieve is 1) take revenge from the Sinhalese (Jaffna Tamil mentality) 2) achieve via cunning what the LTTE could not via muscle.
197:
Lack of proper investigation is not unique to war related issues. Look at what is going with hon. Dr. Mervin Silva. The guy took several under world thugs to the SLRC in the middle of Colombo in broad day light, threatened the staff there, then over the course of weeks that followed intimidated people involved one by one. What action did MR take? Nothing. But then what about the election result where he got 150,000 votes? Some say the man may have served the people of the area but it is my view that its more to do with the mentality of people in his electorate. So I won’t go so far as to associate lack of proper investigation on part of the state with victims been Tamils.
226. shankar:- You are correct. Technically both Sinhalese & Tamils living abroad are Diaspora. However the word came into being recently because Tamils abroad were shouting about the suppressed SL Tamils and LTTE getting bashed. The Sinhalese Diaspora are more or less silent while Tamil D is active as they think their people are getting bashed. However in my view they are doing the greatest disservice to SL Tamils as they are rocking the boat for the SL Tamils. When ever I get a good opportunity I tell my Tamil Diaspora friends why don’t they pack the bags and go SL and fight for the poor Tamils. And then we start the argument!! The issue is the poorest of the poor whether Tamil, Singhalese, or Muslim suffers. The rich Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims are a league to themselves. They do business together, make money together & send their kids abroad for education etc etc. The poorer fellows fight for the rich guys. If you can check the social status of the Sinhala and Tamil youth who lost their life in this conflict, you will find at least 80% come from poor families. Even the boat people are rich fellows or else they cannot give bribe of $15,000 for the trip while the real refugees lament in SL!!
# 228. Navin,
Thanks for taking pains to clarify
It is a known fact (from past experiences) that both GOSL and Tamil rebels would stick to their Guns..defending their position.
we can hope that time will heal past wounds….
A quick look at any Lankan internet discussion forum, including this one, will soon disabuse you of that idea.
comment 217
“People were hitherto condemning VP. Now they will say VP was right. Sinhalese only understand these types of terrorism. He spoke in the language you understand.”
thanks for clarifying the mentality of the “super supreme” ex Jaffna Tamizh, current diaspora refugees….it’s pretty clear the ONLY solution to the threat of future Tamizh Terrorism is the the settlement of Sinhalese in the North and East.
When communities mingle together (eg-Colombo) there is no terrorism, when Tamizh’s live in “mono ethnic racist” enclaves (eg-Jaffna, Scarborough) they get greedy for mono ethnic tamizh only lands…..
# 232. citizens
it’s pretty clear the ONLY solution to the threat of future Tamizh Terrorism is the the settlement of Sinhalese in the North and East.
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if Tamils oppose settlement of Sinhales in Tamil area, the alternate solution may be settlement of all Tamils in Sinhalese area.
#
232. citizensl
Take care. For the world may come to view that the only solution to the Tamils is the Eelam.