I have argued in the past there is Singhala Chauvunism and Tamil Chauvunism. The latter was defeated by eliminating the LTTE. However the big elephant from the post independence era has only risen to new hights. The way the Tamil refugees are now treated and imprisoned in their camps in no new model for reconcilliation.

We Sri Lankans are great at living in a dream land are only great at creating nightmares for the future generation.

Ladies and Gentlemen we are not going to be the next Hong Kong of India or Singapore of the far east but we are moving towards another Sudan of the Indian ocean under China. Worse a Kosovo with concentration camps.

Lets stop illusinating and face reality democracy is being erradicated all over the country. I urge my Singhala brothers and Sisters to join with their Tamil brothers and sisters to restore democracy for this nation. Dont forget what Lasantha wrote before his death. When they came for me there was no one!!!.

We Sri Lankans whether we are Singhalese or Tamils owe a lot for the next generation. We have destroyed their future. Today we will surrender our rights not to home grown terrorist but to China and India. With that we will lose our independence too.

Wake up!!.

We’re getting slightly away from the original topic, but you do raise an interesting point.

I remember reading about some 10,000 people in Tamil Nadu converted to Buddhism en masse, in one day. Would Sri Lanka be their homeland too? If so, how does one prove a valid conversion?

If religion is what one chooses from conviction, at least one hopes it is, wouldn’t the demography of ethnicity-to-religion change over time? Quite drastically – the more free our society becomes and more aware people become of other religions or ways of thinking and the benefits of a secular society.

To return to Gus’s topic, perhaps the answer for the future is to ban changes of religion, at least for the majoriy ethnicity.

As you say, I suppose it is possible that a government of Tamil politicians could be elected to parliament, Sri Lanka being a democracy. Unless of course we ban voting across ethnic boundaries …

I predict, in 50 years time our future generations will be laughing at us. The whole world is likely to be secular. People around the world are more likely to cherish the common origins of all Human Beings, and race will be invisible. Our children will learn at school that the ‘invaders’ Navin speaks of were the same as we (the Sinhalese) are – predominantly Dravidian – they were therefore our own people, despite what our ancestors thought (see #60). I wonder if our descendents in 50 years time will look back on us like the present day German people look back on 1930-45?
If I could I’d like to spare them the embarrassment.

I totally agree with your sentiments in #83 with regards to traditions, the continuation thereof, the respect it deserves.

However, when I read your earlier post #63 I automatically put you in the category of the extreme nationalist camp. Let me explain why.

I am glad you mentioned the British traditions. The difference between this and the SL scenario is that, unlike the British people, the masses in Sri Lanka are massively influenced by superstition, religion, black magic. The British masses in your example can, and do, easily differenciate between tradition and the reality of the present. To the SL masses this crucial distinction is blurred. Successive governments were elected to power on the basis of how well they abused this emotive factor, on both sides of the political spectrum. For example, in the mid-1960s the elected government promised to change the calendar of SL to the traditional Buddhist calendar – so for 5 years we had a calendar out of synch with the rest of the world! (those born later find this hard to believe, but it’s true!). Even today all Poya days are public holidays. The present leaders also play the same tactics. The racist elements in our society do this also.

So when you bring concepts of tradition, such as the Tooth Relic and the Mahavamsa, into an argument concerning present day realities (your #63 mainly) two things happen. (1) You mislead the masses into continuing to confuse tradition with the truths of the moment thus ensuring that they remain ignorant and (2) you place yourself within the racist camp in the eyes of your audience and (3) conspire to deny the masses from acquiring the objectivity that will enable them to (someday) enjoy the traditions in the same way the British enjoy their traditional pomp and ceremony (taking your example) without the danger of it fuelling ethnic unrest.

In SL we have a long way to go in this regard. Our leaders (including you Navin as a thought leader) are denying the masses the education, because maintaining the blur assists the job of manipulating the masses (remember Oscar Wilde?).

Your Blog is very interesting and about ninety percent of it correct. Although I am a Buddhist, I am not very happy
about Monks getting involved in politics. Politics in SL is really a dirty game.

By the way you sound like those nice Tamil gentlemen
whom I used to work with in 1960s.

God bless you.

Your point, if I understand it correctly, is that the relic is the basis on which one faction of a conflict legitimately claims superiority over another – meaning it’s in Kandy and not in Jaffna. You seem to be saying it’s an acceptable basis on which we should run a country in the 21st century, going forward, so it’s an important constitutional issue. Tell me, if the one who has possession of the relic is deemed the rightful ruler of the land who does have the real relic? (no don’t answer that) And shouldn’t we seriously look into it? (Kalama Sutra)

I do not proclaim in anyway that the man who is in possession of the relic ought to be considered the rightful ruler of Sri Lanka today. Even if Sri Lanka was a mono ethic Sinhalese society that would be an inappropriate way to choose the political leadership in these times. However, what I advocate is whoever rules this land be he, Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim pay the same courtesy to the relic that his predecessors did throughout history and the traditional prominence give to the relic be continued. The tooth relic is not only part of history of Sinhalese people it is also part of this country’s history and to disrespect it in anyway is equivalent to disrespecting the country. It has nothing to do with the fact that tooth relic is tied to Buddhism. I would apply the same argument against anyone who would try to change in anyway the Hindu Tamil heritage of Jaffna. This is the whole point of my argument. People, especially in a multi-ethnic society need to respect the history of other communities in the same way they respect their own. I believe people of this country are more intelligent than Taliban that demolished the Bamyan Buddhas. The Sri Lankan equivalent of course been LTTE bombardment of Temple of Tooth. See the kind of vibrant acts VP has committed on behalf of SL Tamils!

Is this so difficult to understand? Why is it that the British PM pays a visit to the Monarch immediately after been elected– is it to formulate government policy? Hell no! Its just continuation of the tradition. Why is it Monarchy is continued by the British? The prominence given to Buddhism and Tooth relic are similar. They are historical artifacts that have symbolic value and does not play any role in governance or policy formulation.

If the Tamils are not happy to accept these artifacts, then that indicates they have trouble accepting this country’s history. (e.g. #11. Rajah) Which of course is a serious problem.

lets see now in the north and east the tamils are the majority and have been for quite some time , So then that must be there homeland right?

Now if v consider Srilanka as a whole the sinhalease are the majority and have been so for quite some time so then that must be there home land right?

now dont think that “no thats wrong only southern part of SL is homeland of sinhalese coz tamils r the majority in the north”

wel if u go in to that then what about sinhala or muslim villages in the north and east? v shud consider tamil homeland without them coz in those villages the sinhalese or the muslims are the majorities right?

so i was looking only at the big picture.

hmmmmm……………….

now this may be a case of 2 homelands where one is inside the other……

or one came 1st and the other followed ?

Now then its like who came 1st , hen or the egg?

hmmmm…………

Sounds like crap doesnt it?

wel it is crap, so please stop this bullshit about homeland myths…. or we’ll never go forward…..

Dear Mr. Haroon,

Mr. Mathews said what he said. Whether we agree with him or not we, as civilized persons, are duty bound to defend his right to air his views and to be listened to. If I may pontificate a bit: IMHO had this basic edict been adhered to in the Lankan society from the outset most of our problems would have been solved without a single gun shot being fired.

As you alluded to, we all aspire for a peaceful life with self-respect, dignity, fundamental rights and equal opportunity assured. That is precisely why many of us left the land of our birth and may never return. May I add that I am acutely aware of the daunting challenges involved in the process of reconciliation and integration given the current ground realities. Thats why, in response to another article in this forum, I postulated mass migration or exodus as a “no other option” solution.

We all need to graduate to another level of thinking and approach vis-a-vis the ethnic conflict. When we collectively decide to not even consider taking to violence in any circumstance what so ever new avenues will begin to open up. I may be the perennial optimist. But I believe in the fundamental goodness ingrained in everyone.

Yes, as you say, building a house requires a lot of planning. But I am just trying to put up a small hut. Just imagine, if everyone endeavoured to do just as much we all will be sheltered from the elements. Hope you got the metaphor.

Wish you all the very best.

PK, my observation is it’s the other way round. Growing up in an insular society like Sri Lanka we were conditioned to believe there is only one valid ethnicity, ie. ‘us’. Everyone else is ‘them’. This, I think, is the source of our narrow-mindedness, racism, jingoism. In a land with greater diversity like India the people can see they are not the only people – much easier than Sri Lankans can. However, if we can become less ignorant, lose this idea that we’re god’s chosen people (every insular tribe has thought that) then yes I agree, it should be much easier for us in Sri Lanka to become a harmonious peaceful society.

DBSJ: I may have paraphrased Gus too harshly. What I meant was, Gus’s point of view is one that resonates well with the extreme nationalists.

With genial souls like you I can live under a Tamil state.