Dear Chaminda,

Colombo (and the South) does not have the courage to change.

The way to go is to reconcile and unite all sections of society. LTTE may have evolved into a terrorist organisation but not before the Tamil People were discriminated, marginalised and attacked by state sponsored groups on several occasions. So when people are cornered and attacked they resort to whatever means to hit back.

Today the war is over and we have a chance to turn a new leaf in the history of this nation. Trust and goodwill between communities needs to be built up. By carrying out covert operations to wipe out traces of the Tamil struggle will only serve to heighten distrust among the communities. It would be far better to extend the hand of friendship and help the vanquished back on their feet. This magnamity is lacking in the efforts of the government to develop the North. Hence it will not be successful in uniting all sections of the community. Statesmanship is the need of the hour, not empty words.

Mr. Weerawardhana, Thank your for this very thoughtful article. My father who was a Master's level Economist who had published and presented papers in international forums. with the Ceylon Government was told 1962, that he would not be eligible for promotions or salary increments, unless he passed (grade for or five), I cannot remember) level Sinhalese. He was expected to learn Sinhala at his own cost in his own time. After struggling with this indignity for couple of years, He retired and went to work for public corporation. The Sinhala only restrictions were not practiced as rigidly as in the government sector and he worked under a former leftist politician, who was understanding. Later, the politician was replaced by a former Chief Justice who told him on the first day that his increments would be suspended unless and until he passed Sinhala. An uncle a Ceylon and British qualified engineer was the Deputy GM for a major Corporation for almost 12 years in Sri Lanka and twice had Sinhalese who he had trained and supervised appointed over him as GM. And during the interim periods he was acting as GM. All because he was born a tamil.
Unless the Sinhalese majority accept and acknowledge that Tamils (and other communities) are full citizens with inalienable rights and not some kind of "special status types" this cycle is going to be repeated over and over again.

In 1952, Ceylon's GNP per Capita was second only to Japan. Thanks to racial politics and corruption, Sri Lanka is a basket case.

.
WOW, that was great, I totally agree.

People like you must take the fear out of Sinhalese mindset. Even if entire Tamil race in Srilanka is wipedout, some Sinhalese are going to live in fear of Tamilnadu Tamils, and they will look at them as enemies.
If there is enough universities, enough employment opportunities in North or East, Tamils will not be coming to South and take away Sinhalese jobs. It's simple as that.
:-)

A few more Chaminda Weerawardanas can take us to the path of unity, peace and reconciliation. You make all Lankan proud. Those Tamils convinced the point of final departure has arrived now pause saying "Wait - let's give it another try"

Well done and take care. May a sustainable, Happy and Prosperous Newyear dawn to Lankans in all four quarters of this lovely land. Patriotic sons of Lanka such as yourself transform this wish from the realms of dreamland to reality.

ISS

According to what I know the decision to start an armed struggle started at the Moratuwa University in 1968. There were many groups of militants and the ltte was able to destroy the others and become the most prominent group. Old saying of "those who live by the sword die by the sword" is validated by VP's death.

Take a look at his raw photos in circulation looks like a sword was used on him.

Lalkumar

There was no Moratuwa university in 1968

Excellent article. As the writer has said, whole problem was created by the politicians for their own political gains. Government after Governments thought about their own political gains rather than the development of the Nation. Advice by intellectuals like Dr N M Perera, Colvin R de Silva, S J V Chelvanayagam had been ignored. For example, when SWRD Bandaranaike advocated for the Sinhala Only Policy, Dr N M Pereira advised that "One language -Two nations OR Two languages -One nation". In those days majority Sinhalese hailed Mr Bandaranaike as a Statesman. Ignored Dr NM’s advice. But the whole mess in which we live now are due to the narrow minded Sinhala Only policy. At the time of Independence, known then as Ceylon, was one of the richest countries in the South East Asia. Indians, relatively living in a poorer country attempted to migrate to Ceylon illegally. We referred to them as "Kallathonis". Now the Tamils in "poor" Sri Lanka have become "Kallathonis" to the richer India. India with well over ten different languages speaking communities, is able to live together and develop the nation as a Super Power. Soon after the Independence, in the eyes of most of the countries, Indians then were a ‘laughing stock”. Western movies and TV’s made fun of them. Now every other country clamouring to invest in the country. Admire its development.Term it as one of the Super Powers in Asia. Singapore with four languages speaking citizens, never quarrelled over language. It is being admired by the rest of the world. New Zealand with two languages speaking communities lives amicably and considered as one of the Developed Countries. On the other hand, with only two major communities, we are unable to live together and develop our country as one of the rich, strong SRI LANKA. We are still fighting a "War" with their own citizens. When the Sinhala JVP rebelled to take up arms against the Government, then it was termed as an “uprising by a rebel group”. At the same time when a Tamil group rebelled, it was termed as a "War." Almost all the Tamils, irrespective of their views, were termed as terrorists. When the Tamils were killed and looted their belongings, none of the Governments cared about them. For example J R Jeyawardhana termed the riots as “natural anger of the Sinhalese!!”We are proud and boast that we WON the WAR!! War with whom? With your own people? We lit fire crackers, serve kiri bath for killing our fellow country men. When we quarrel, naturally other countries will like to interfere and "ASSIST" us (?)for their benefit. No wonder, India, China, Pakistan, to name a few countries, to supply arms and ammunition to encourage Our Country to be in an undeveloped state for their benefit. Lets forget about whether Fonseka or Rajapakse is Sinhala Supremacist or Not. Responsibility for the development as a Nation is in the hands of both Sinhalese as well as Tamils. But who will “bell the cat?”

.
Hello Lalkumar,

If your old saying is correct,
- why Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, SWRD....were killed by a bullet?
- even in Srianka so many innocent men, women and children were shot or hacked to death...they never carried any weopons!

(Actualy Prabhakaran had a heroic death, he never gaveup his goal. He kept his promise).

:-)

Dear Gentleman,

My mind is a bit at ease. Is there still room for hope for a united country? ... ...

No Tamil should get hyped at the sentiments expressed. Merely defending the postion of Tamils is not going to change the thinking of the majority community. A superficial read might please almost all Tamils. But, will not bring about any change in Sinhala thinking. Sorry, the presentation is off target.

I wish to cautiously address a serious failing in the presentation. There is no incentive in the article for the commoner among the Sinhalese to be drawn into the thinking shared.

Tamil political leadership of the post-indepence era was guilty of this same failing.

Raising the expectations of the minority community leads to misery for the total citizens of the country and disaster for the minority community.

Tamil leadership of the past (political) and of the recent past (nationalist) erred in preaching to the Tamils; Had they spent half their energy in defending their stance amongst the Sinhalese masses, the outcome could have been reversed.

But, such a step required vision, courage and Statesmanship! Alas, poor Sri Lanka never had a single visionary. The call of the hour is for such a leader in each of the two communities. I could count on you for one. Let the right Tamil come forward!

very good sujestions made here, I always believe capturing the heart and mind Tamils in a correct and trustful way is the way forward. But also believe that lot change need to take place in the heart and minds of the majority community. That need a lot of effort and political will.

Lot of responsibility is fallen on media people and journalist to send the messages to other side. Have to convince slowly the injustice done to Tamils.

Have to inform the average hard line singalese that if tamils are not respected or given the power to self determine the future, their misery will be used by the foreign powers to destabilize the region. And at end and tamils and singalese will be the losers.

Lets hope 2010 is s better year Tamils who have suffered for long.

It is noble of the Sinhala writer to take an extremely fair view of the situation. However, although the origin of the LTTE, for that matter all forms of militancy, could be traced to the standardization that peaked in the early and mid seventies other underlying factors also should be considered. Abuse of lower castes and intellectual and wealth-oriented (Tamil) elitism come to mind.

GOSL should focus on economic development and move on without wasting their time pondering over a solution for the Tamils because there is none. Treating all countrymen (and women) with dignity should suffice. They have enough military power to crush any type of militancy that may re-emerge. I am assuming that GOSL, whoever the leader may be, wants the best for the country but somehow I am not convinced of that!

Congratulations to Chaminda. As one has said, Statesmanship is the need of the hour and has been the need of all hours since Independence. A new generation of Sinhalese thinkers - along the line that of Chaminda - is the future hope of the island. The scattered liberal thinkers among the Sinhalese should unite, locate a leader, coalesce around him/her and begin building the bridges towards true peace and freedom - in a new and secular Sri Lanka.

Though it will not be easy. Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist forces though presently appear dormant are briskly active behind the scenes continuing their influence on the Executive branch - with as much gusto as they ever had. To counter, perhaps it would be helpful for the Chamindas among progressive Sinhalese Buddhists to mobilize their contacts to secure international (especially US and Western) support at the highest levels. It is highly unlikely that without such support, grassroot progressive moderates can take on the powerful Sinhalese Nationalist movement.

Thanks Chaminda.
All the right thinking people knew this right along. Either they kept quiet or simply voted with their feet out of the country. Universities became just factories issuing certificates, not the educational institutions. Then what to expect, if you seed beans, you get beans. Make matters worse, state and religion in the same bed. Violent manifestation of Tamil struggle is simply a symptom , remedy is killing the patient. Unfortunately, Srilanka is going to repeat this method in the future on all communities and its citizens without any remorse, unless miracle happens.

Dear Chaminda
Suba Aluth Avruddak Wewa

Thank you for your revolutionary thinking, which we don't see from many sinhalese these days. Plese continue your efforts until every tamil in that island live in peace with dignity and equal right as every other citizen of that island.

Excellent Article!

Few points for your note:

Tamil struggle is not 30 year old. It is 62 years old as the dawn of 2010

Srilanka is the name choice unilaterally made by Sinhalese. It is not fair for tamils to simply accept that name without any due process involving tamils.

Thank you Mr Chaminda Weerawardhana for your excellent contribution, but you are among the microscopic minority among the Majority. If only we have democracy in our country everything will fall into proper place. When I say democracy it is not majoritarian democracy, but participatory democracy where power sharing is the norm and devolution and decentralization are routinely practiced and where each individual is respected equally irrespective of his race or religion or caste, irrespective of whether he belongs to a majority or minority. That is the Sri Lanka we dream of ..

It is totally wrong ,

the answer to the 2nd question (who really crated LTTE ? )is the foreign policy mistake by the JR Govt. they ignored india's regional important and security. india started training mulitple arms groups from ceylon. LTTE later betrayed india and worked with the enemies of India to influence the sri lankan foreign policy without knowing that they are used all the time by one or the other side .
the answer to the 1st question is (why did ltte come to being?) is very simple for those know the jaffna tamil culture and mentality.
1) this was the best past time the tamil had on their own , like a reality show ,for a long time.
2) this was a best money makeing business for lots of people.
3)LOts of useless tamils got instant recogniziton as members or supporters of LTTE.
4) lots of political capital were made due to LTTE existance.

and above all lots of STUPID SRI LANKANsand lots of STUPID south INDIANS were made to believe the mole hill(LTTE) a mountain.

Chaminda,

Let me have your e-mail contact and I will give you some thoughts where we
probably can soon reach the end road all of us want - in reconciliation.
This will touch on why the Tamil struggle for justice was hijacked to gain
an unwelcome violent face albeit briefly.

ISS
phase

Dear Chamida,
Congratulations for your excellent article. Many more singhalese interlectuals should come forward till South realise mistakes made in the past. Only if these mistakes were not made, Ceylon would be richer and prosperous than Singapore (Lee Quan Yu, Former Prime Minister of Singapore statement)

Dear makeswaran, I was astounded by your analysis. I have never heard those four reasons before. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. And one more thing...

Is your nickname "makkan"? or do your friends prefer "mokkan"?

Before engaging in the same old Tired TAMIL CRYBABY RHETORIC about how the LTTE were formed.... please ask this Legitimate question first:

Why are there CHECKPOINTS and HOW DID THEY COME TO BE....?

CHECKPOINTS and RACIAL PROFILING did not just spring out of the blue... When Tamils stop behaving like RACISTS and TERRORISTS then they will be respected in Sri lanka just like the rest of the multi-cultural and Multi Ethnic races living in peace and harmony.

*** The answer to both questions, to cut a long, horrible story short, are:

1. Due to post-1948 Ceylonese/Sri Lankan government policies and:
2. The majority Sinhalese leadership(s)seeking narrow political gains and political mileage ***

WHAT UTTER NONSENSE... ITS REVISIONIST GARBAGE CHURNED OUT BY TAMIL PROPAGANDISTS...

What were Tamils and Tamil Politicians doing at the time eh? Being Fair and Equitable to the Sinhalese? Who asks that question? Why did Sinhala So-called Chauvinism sweep the polls shortly after Independence? Who even bothers to ask that question? Yet according to these CRYBABY TAMIL NATIONALISTS after Tamils and Sinhalese living in Harmony for over 1500 years on the same island, only after 1948 did we as a Race decide to go "GENOCIDAL" on them???

The REAL TRUTH is this:

Tamils BOOT-LICKED their way into the Good Graces of their BRITISH MASTERS while standing on the heads of the Sinhalese... they then thought because they WILLINGLY SOLD OUT their Language and Culture for that of their COLONIAL BWANAS that they would naturally inherit the country after the BRITISH left... But after trying their best to Disenfranchise the SINHALESE and doing it so successfully while they had the BRITISH MUSCLE to do so they realized that they were going to have a revolt on their hands once their protection was pulled. Tamils did not give a Damn about EQUALITY with the Sinhalese pre-independence, they controlled 40% of the vote while being only 10% of the Population under the BRITISH LIMITED FRANCHISE SYSTEM in 1911. They you people sit here, mouthes agasp, wondering why Sinhalese people post Independence might have had a grudge against Tamils.

TAMILS WERE THE ARCHITECTS OF THEIR OWN DEMISE, and the LTTE was the end result.

That is the Truth, now call me a Liar,...

*** Actualy Prabhakaran had a heroic death, he never gaveup his goal. He kept his promise ***

Really? I heard he was TORTURED and KILLED...and so was his entire family... which is a FITTING END for those WORTHLESS COWARDICE SCUM. Oh well... I can only hope (and pray) that the version I heard is the Truth, ... because for him to just get EXECUTED with a bullet is simply not a good enough death for that TERRORIST...

Dear Nathan, Shall I propose name from Tamil side|
1. Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan

I am Gleefully thank Chaminda for his honest and truthfull article. If as you say the majority of the like minded Sinhala side can get organised There will be ample Tamils will accommodate these views But due to past experience ( Repeated betrayal) We may not put our foot without looking twice.

It is the responsibility of the Majority Sinhala who has the power should make us feel equal and comfortable first. Do not stop with JUST WORDS .
please See the comment I have written to another article.

Truth and justice is a PREREQUISITE to peace

The one and important lesson Tamils have learned was Sinhala parties have made suppressing of Tamil rights as a tool to become to power.

Tamil wisdom should be to make both candidates to promise to take Tamil problem out of party politics first and now. Will it happen?

Why do you think the British conservative politician's mission failed to make this between CBK and Ranil?

I also agree with : aratai , SriLankan, Bomman K, : Nathan, : Xsrilankan, Fran, Thaya- yes, name and the lion flag, Sri, : Anonymous, : Rationalman1- Iam sure
We can ignor Mokkan and Devinda Fernando.

DEAR CHAMINDA

Yours is an excellent truth But the Task is tremondus are you going to stop with the words or do somenthing about it? If majority of Sinhala mass think or can be made to think or allowed to think like you, we Tamils do not need to exercise our birth right of SELF DETERMINATION. BUT Past history/experience makes me say this Specially for people like Devinda Fernando and mokkan/s.makeswaran or the real person behind :-

We Tamil nation tirelessly, fearlessly and openly point out to those who speak to us about a creating a multi ethnic Sri Lanka that the conflict continues not because of the LTTE , LTTE sympathisers or diaspora but because a Sinhala Buddhist nation seeks to masquerade as a 'multi ethnic' 'Sri Lankan civic nation', with a Sinhala Lion Flag, with as yet unrepealed Sinhala Only Act, with Buddhism as the State religion, and with an occupying Sinhala army in the Tamil homeland - a Sinhala army of occupation which was first sent to the Tamil homeland in 1961, long years before the demand for an indedependent Tamil Eelam in 1975.

"because for him to just get EXECUTED with a bullet is simply not a good enough death for that TERRORIST"

Do you believe the story that Prabhakaran was executed by the army?!! This is a story created for their failure to capture him alive -as a proverb in Tamil:
"Upon falling, he didn't bother as his moustache didn't get soiled" (Villunthalum meesaiyilai mann padavillai).
Had Prabhakaran been captured alive, he would have been subjected to the same treatment as Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

*** Sinhala army of occupation which was first sent to the Tamil homeland in 1961, long years before the demand for an indedependent Tamil Eelam in 1975. ***

If you want to accurately speak of History.... TAMIL ARMIES of OCCUPATION were sent to OUR (Sinhalese) TRADITIONAL HOMELANDS in the North and East - way before you people started Illegally claiming it for yourselves. Your CHOLA INVADERS from TAMIL NADU came on ships with Weapons (Not Flowers) and began fighting us to STEAL OUR LAND... and to Expand their TAMIL Dynasties... luckily for us we SINHALESE are far better fighters than you SOUTH INDIAN COLONISTS...

But hey, keep fighting us... and we'll sooner or later Erase the Mistake our King Dutugemunu made over 1000 years ago by NOT CHASING YOU BACK INTO THE SEA....

Dear all,
Thanks very much for reading and commenting - all of you have made a very useful contribution for this discussion. Everyone has the right to express their opinion, and I simply wish that in contemporary Sri Lanka, Tamils had the freedom to express themselves as openly as they do here in Transcurrents....
As many of you have stated, the route to reconciliation is definitely not a straightforward one. It is full of barriers, challenges, and all sorts of challenges. This is not specific to us, but has been, and continues to be the case in many parts of the world. Even today (over ten years after the Belfast Agreement, having re-established the regional Power-Sharing Executitve in May 2007), there are still collisions between unionists/loyalists and nationalists/republicans in Northern Ireland (especially during the July-August season of loyalist parades). The ideological conflict between their two 'conflicting' readings of history continues with vigour. Anything like a 'solution', is a very obsolete far cry in the Israeli-Palestinian case; as Dr Robert Fisk (Middle-East correspondent of the British newspaper 'The Independent') remarked last year, not even President Obama (with all the 'new beginnings' and 'changes' and 'transformations' he represents) will be able to anything much about it.
Conclusion: we need to make Sri Lanka an economically stronger modern society. She has to be made an integral part of the economic boom in Asia. The Indo-Sri Lanka free trade partnerships should be fully activated, and Sri Lanka definitely needs to mend her relations with the so-called West.
We cannot do any of these successfully as long as the ethnic question prevails in its present-day form - hence the necessity of a power-sharing arrangement for the North and East, an Equal Opportunities Bill, and developing mechanisms to engage Tamil and Muslim youth in the state sector (especially in the police and military - a 'Northern Brigade' or a 'Chelvanayagam Regiment' in the SL military - in honour of someone many Tamils continue to consider as the 'Father of the Tamil Nation', or anything of the like seem essential). The comments here amply show how opinions differ on the ethnic issue among citizens.
It is only when these essential [political] 'repairs' are complete that the vehicle can move further. Otherwise, the scenario will be very similar to that of a primary school classroom, where kids keep on pointing fingers at each other.
I'm not saying that Tamil nationalists should change their ideology or that Mr Davinda Fernando should change his. The two groups can continue their ideological confronations as they wish, but to make Sri Lanka 'take off', those in policymaking positions really need to resort to power-sharing and interethnic reconciliation [through a Truth Commission etc]. It is only through an unbending, consistent, strong and strictly ‘no-nonsense’ ‘national policy’ on the two issues that we can move Sri Lanka forward. Otherwise we will end up downgrading our motherland to one of the poorest, most backward places in the world.

Dear chaminda weerawardhana,
I could not agree anymore with your posting and the comment you have made on this forum.

Let me add my two cents.

1. A two state solution would have kept the Tamil / Sinhala nationalists apart.
- But, a two state solution was seen as a defeat to the Sinhala nationalists
who wants the entire country for themselves and we would have had a India /
Pakistan story in SL. But that should be expected and should have been some
extra work for the UN.

2. If you want to keep SL as one country, Tamil / Sinhala nationalists
do not need to change their believes, but at l east they should try NOT TO
KILL the innocent people, like in the 1958, 1977, 1983 etc and which was
then copied by LTTE in later years. But, do you really think it is possible
for people like you can change the opinion of the Singalese people who are
now even more embalden by the victory over LTTE / Tamils, who now have no
defense against the Sinhalese? The 62 years of history has proven otherwise.
Therefore, a TRUE power sharing agreement and SJV regiment are not possible
in SL without some external force OR a balance of power being achieved
between Tamils and Sinhalese like in 2002 (but later tilted by IC for the
wrong reasons). Other wise you may see PHONY power sharing agreements and
SJV regiment like providing ministerial posts to Tamils, who betray the
Tamils.

Thereofore in my view, what you have written here is just a tactic in a bigger twin strategy. We need to work hard to achieve that balance of power through political / financial means. People like you should work with the SL local Tamils, while the World / Diaspora Tamils (and fair minded Sinhalese) should keep exposing the GOSL in the world capitals and make it to pay for its gross misconduct in SL. This may sound contradictory to some extent, and it is, but the over all direction will move towards achieving the balance of power. When the IC begins to take actions (not just statements) against GOSL, a balance of power will be achieved in SL, paving its way for equality for Tamils with power sharing agreements and SJV regiments etc.

I salute you for your clear thinking and for your fair mind.