India will back Tamil consensus calling for implementation of existing constitutional provisions
By Dr Dayan Jayatilleka
There are new trends in Tamil politics and a quickening of activity in Tamil political society. The Tamil Political Parties Forum is one manifestation while the visit of the TNA to India is another.
The Tamil Parties Forum, an initiative of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda has succeeded in drawing together most of the old EPRLF and much of the ex-Eelam Left, with a few prominent civil society activists and the odd ultranationalist thrown in.
Its very existence is a quasi-miracle, given the fissiparous character of Tamil politics. The second type of activity has been the TNA’s interaction with the Government of India. There are efforts to call a meeting in Colombo or overseas of both tendencies, the TPF and the TNA. A successful ingathering too would be akin to a miracle, given the sectarianism that abounds.
What has brought about these centripetal efforts, reversing the twin phenomena of anarchic sectarianism and vicious monopoly that consumed Tamil politics and politicians for decades? Firstly the pressure from the Tamil people, as distinct from the Tamil Diaspora. The Tamil Diaspora derides these efforts that water down the commitment to self determination. The Tamil people of the North and East do not share this view or have different existential priorities, pushing several Tamil parties to get together.
This stems from the Tamil community’s collective sense of apprehension or perception of threat. The second factor making for convergence seems to be India. The Tamil parties having taken their case to India seem to have been informed that in the absence of a Tamil consensus, Delhi is unable to intercede. We may surmise that this has been an incentive in the tentative intra-Tamil dialogue.
The most reliable report of the TNA’s visit to Delhi is that of veteran journalist and Colombo hand Venkat Narayan who reports, significantly, that India has told the TNA that this is not the 1970s or 1980s, and that the TNA had better move on, engage with President Rajapaksa and that Delhi would help as best as it can in this regard.
The problem is that the TNA may not have got the message or all of it. Some elements still refuse to enter into a consensus building process with Douglas Devananda alleging that he does not accept the right of self determination and is also a member of the government. Now I am not privy to whether my old comrade and friend Douglas accepts the right of self-determination (and if so, with what qualifications if any) or has abandoned it, but I do know that he is smart enough a politician to understand that it is more than a non-starter – it is a conversation killer — as a slogan with the Government of Sri Lanka, under this or any conceivable administration and leadership.
As Delhi reminded the TNA, this is not the 1980s. There is no going back to the Thimpu Principles. Nobody is going to Thimpu either. As for Douglas being a member of the Government, what is the logic of the TNA wishing to talk to the Government of Sri Lanka but not wishing to enter a process with a Tamil member of that government? If it is on the basis of being sole representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils, that won’t fly either because the Tamil voters have shown that there is political space enough for at least two representative formations.
The demands and grievances that the TNA has presented in Delhi also shows that those politicians haven’t still caught up with the Tamil situation in the 21st century. No Sri Lankan administration is going to withdraw troops from the North and East. This is more so when we refer to areas which sustained a secessionist war for decades, and a part of the citizenry which supported and endorsed the hegemony of the most fascist of the Tamil nationalist armed alternatives in play. The Union armies stayed in the ex-secessionist southern states of the US for twelve years after the victory in the Civil War, while the Russian troops stayed for ten in Chechnya.
US troops have remained for decades in Germany and Japan, having gone in to defeat Hitler. The Sri Lankan forces are there to stay in the North and East. They will and must be a sufficiently strong permanent presence, pre-empting secessionist insurgency and safeguarding the island’s outermost ‘buffer province’ beyond which lies Tamil Nadu with its pro-secessionist groups.
While that is not up for negotiation, what is justifiably negotiable is the issue of demographic alteration due to the building of permanent housing for soldiers deployed in the North and East instead of being rotated back to their homes in the South. The role, function, deployment and visibility of those troops should also be the subject of negotiation with the democratically elected representatives of those areas.
Even more amazing is the report that the 13th amendment loomed large in the TNA’s Delhi discussions or in Delhi’s discussions with the TNA, but the latter was of the view that the 13th amendment was problematic within a unitary state form. The absurdity of that is the fact that the 13th amendment was precisely within a unitary framework and if that was good enough for Shri Rajiv Gandhi and his top negotiators, and it must be added, for Mr Amirthalingam at that time, it should be good enough for the TNA today.
A respected commentator T Sabaratnam, chronicler of Mr Amirthalingam’s life and career, recounted last week how Shrimati Indira Gandhi told the TULF to eschew separatism and get back to federalism, and that the Government of India would secure autonomy for the Tamils. He says that the TULF has done that now. If that is an attempt at humour it is a poor one. If the Tamil nationalist parliamentarians wanted federalism they should have endorsed Chandrika’s ‘union of regions’ package of 1995, but they didn’t. Now it is far too little a change and far too late. There are no Sinhala takers; not even on the far horizon.
The trouble with the TNA is that Delhi and their own Tamil voters are not the only voices they are listening to. There is the Tamil Diaspora, the ideologically dominant stream of which considers Delhi as part of the problem, not the solution. They do not want Delhi to mediate between the Tamils and the Sinhalese or Jaffna and Colombo; they want Delhi to come down on the Tamil side and carve out a separate state for them or join a Western led concert in punishing the Sri Lankan state. This Delhi didn’t do in the 1980s and just won’t do now with Colombo having a Beijing string to its bow. The TNA also hears the voices of the LTTE’s ghosts and their own ambitions.
So the TNA has an existential choice. It can continue to live the Diaspora’s delusion of self determination supported and secured by the West, or its own home grown fantasy of federalism. If so it can dwell forever as a symbolic entity and agency of agit-prop. Or it can heed the letter and spirit of what Delhi has counselled.
With last week’s fiasco of ‘the fastest fast’ in Asia, Colombo is slowly beginning to learn that Delhi is the critical and indispensable variable in its external relations. The Tamils are divided between those who understand that Tamil destiny cannot move outside the parametric constraints of what Delhi chooses to do, and those who think that Tamil destiny can be made by the West. They have to figure out that having lost a war so utterly, and having supported a militia that lost a war so utterly, the only real card they have is what Delhi secured for them in 1987 and is willing and able to secure for them now.
The only thing that Delhi has the soft power, including the moral right, to urge Colombo to do, is to activate the existing provisions of the Sri Lankan Constitution making for provincial autonomy, which was also an undertaking given at the highest level in bilateral talks. That is also the least fraught (because it does not require Constitutional changes) and contentious (it has the widest public acceptability). It is also the moderate demand that Colombo cannot be seen to reject out of hand.
Sinhala ultranationalists may object that the Accord and the 13th amendment were results of Indian coercive power and therefore unacceptable, but that is analogous to the Tamil ultranationalists refusing to accept the reality of the results of the war because it was an ‘imposition by the Sinhala army’. Historical reality must be recognised.
The State won the war decisively. However it did not win a war against the IPKF, though it did secure its withdrawal. The state also fought and won a war against the anti-devolution Southern insurgency. The sum total of these historical outcomes is that the Tamils cannot expect either self determination or federalism and the Sinhalese cannot expect to roll back, default on or dilute provincial autonomy.
The Southern ultra-nationalists also argue that provincial autonomy was meant as an incentive or trap for the Tamil Tigers, which failed and is in any case rendered irrelevant by the outright military victory. This of course is a distortion of fact. The idea of federalism or regional autonomy was proposed by Bandaranaike in 1925-6, the Ceylon Communist Party in 1944-60, and in the Bandaranaike –Chelvanayagam Pact of 1957, not as sop to the as yet unborn or infant Prabhakaran but as a method of inter-communal reconciliation and nation building in a multiethnic context. That problem still remains and therefore the solutions retain validity.
Tamil nationalism must recognise that certain ‘red lines’ are not drawn by the current Sinhala nationalist administration alone, while some are. The very long term ‘grand strategic’ red lines are that there will be no Sri Lankan troop withdrawal from the North and East; and no self determination, re-merger or ethno-federalism. Meanwhile the ‘red line’ that Colombo has to recognise is that Delhi will not permit a unilateral roll back of the results of 1987-8, already modified by de-merger.
What of the Tamil Diaspora strategy, that holding out for a solution based on self determination will work, because the current dispensation will be eroded by Western led international pressure, and therefore there is no urgent need to arrive at a pragmatic Tamil consensus and settle for something less, right now?
Firstly, this underestimates the irreversible demographic changes on the ground, that may have been effected as the months and years go by. The only counterweight to such changes would be a legitimately functioning provincial council.
Secondly it omits a lesson of political history and the defeat of the Tigers. Just as the Sinhala electorate threw up an administration capable of winning the war, it will eventually elect one capable of winning the peace, safeguarding the unitary state while prevailing in the international arena.
Therefore a Tamil consensus, embracing the Tamil Political Parties forum and the TNA, calling for the implementation of the existing provisions of the Constitution, is a call that can be backed by Delhi, and will prove irresistible for Colombo in the current climate of worsening relations with the West and the imperative of obtaining Indian, SAARC, Asian and NAM support.
Implementing such a deal is Colombo’s best chance of getting India solidly on board in the coming diplomatic confrontations.
Having an intermediate structure elected by the local populace and positioned between itself and the local populace, provides the Sri Lankan security forces with a social shock absorber and vital adjunct in preventive counter-insurgency.
It is a win-win scenario, but will the Tamil and Sinhala ultranationalists blow it, as they always have?
34 Comments
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Yes DJ, you're right, these stupid Tamils are not united and this is the main reason for all issues.
If all Tamils unite under Dougie, problem solved.
But unfortunately for (smart and united) Sinhalese, these stupid Tamils are divided in three groups with a plan.
Douglas is with the government and he is okay with just Dosa.
TNA is with the people and they want Dosa and Sambol.
Diaspora is saying Douglas and TNA will get nothing from Sinhalese, so let's wait, IC will get us Dosa with Sambar and Sambol.
Unitil then Tamils will have to starve.
:-)
To poison the minds of the unsuspecting Sinhala voters it was "Federalism" from 1956 to 1976; "Separatism" from 1976 and then from the 1980s it became "Eelam" All were certain vote winners in the numerically larger Sinhala electorate. Now that the Tigers are gone a new terror “must be invented” It is the "Diaspora" Who will convince the Sinhala voter that with the exception of a smaller number but better organized and therefore “louder” LTTE remnants - most Tamils in the diaspora are for the mid-1950s Status Quo. Or more specifically, they are not for Separatism of Eelam. Not just KP but SC Chandrahasan too have changed their perceptions. Look at the degree of small and medium investors from the diaspora that is showing keen interest to invest in the NEP. What is suggested by Dayan here and consistently earlier, Provincial Autonomy can well be the starting point and will be acceptable to the Tamils. The delay is on the part of the government to take the initiative.
Not only permanent houses for SLA men in the North is counter-productive but also the reported new schools and Dagobas now being built there. These can be major irritants and potential time-bombs in the embryonic peace efforts now on.
The Sinhalese now have the tremendous advantage of Delhi, that is so inclined to work with the Rajapakse brothers. Tamilnadu is all out to go by Delhi’s dictates unless some mischievous elements in the SL Navy create unnecessary problems in the sea in our Northern waters. If Seeman’s claim of over 500 deaths of Tamil fishermen under SL Navy hands turns out to be true this can be a very hot potato for both sides.
While Tamils may live with SLA camps of previous years, it should be mentioned the US forces in Germany and Japan are stationed in those countries throughout with the consent of the lawfully elected governments of both countries – while it is the other way around here.
ISS
Aratai, brilliant!
DJ,
Your final question summarizes the outcome:
will the Tamil and Sinhala ultra nationalists blow it, as they always have?
Especially the Sinhala supremacists will impose a military based political solution to the NEP and that will be the seeding for the future unrest and racial tension in Sri Lanka.
In the mean time India will continue to impose control over the Tamil territory by caressing MR Government. (Setting up an Indian consulate in Jaffna is just the beginning). TNA, EPDP and other Tamil splinter groups are just the pawns in he overall strategic game in accordance with the Indian foreign policy towards Sri Lanka.
It is your responsibility to enlighten the majority Sinhalese regarding the impending dangers of greater Indian influence if the devolution of political power to the Tamils is not granted with the consensus of TNA, EPDP and other Tamil groups operating within the country.
Aratai,
When you said " Unitil then Tamils will have to starve ", I am sure you did not mean that they should follow Tamil Nadu Chief Karuna's and JVP leader Weerawansa's style of starvation through Ghandian fasting.
Your brilliant piece has triggered me to look at the issue from another angle. Suppose Dosa, sambal and sambar are Tamils heritage /rights equivalent to Indepnedence, Freedom and Sovereignty, Tamils of NE have no choice but to kneel down and beg the Sinhalese Governers / Masters for any one or two or all three of them. But I thought our Tamil leaders of different parties have been doing this before LTTE was born.
DJ,
Your last few articles are so confusing to me. First you tell us not to under-estimate the tamils and their thinking. Now you tell us they will get nothing if they carry on like this.
This article seems to me like something that you would like to see happen. It also tells me that you are placing before the present government a thinly veiled offer. You know what I mean.
The only part that is consistant is when you say that " The people threw up a government that beat the tigers and eventually they will throw up a government that will win peace." This is an admittance that peace cannot be expected under the present regime.
I do not know which Dayan to believe!!
Aratai,
When you said " Unitil then Tamils will have to starve ", I am sure you did not mean that they should follow Tamil Nadu Chief Karuna's and JVP leader Weerawansa's style of starvation through Ghandian fasting.
Your brilliant piece has triggered me to look at the issue from another angle. Suppose Dosa, sambal and sambar are Tamils heritage /rights equivalent to Indepnedence, Freedom and Sovereignty, Tamils of NE have no choice but to kneel down and beg the Sinhalese Governers / Masters for any one or two or all three of them. But I thought our Tamil leaders of different parties have been doing this before LTTE was born.
Yes, Dayan ..
Aratai is brilliant ... Ofcourse,
Aratai is guy a who works on the principle 'Now a little , more later' ...
You are a guy who thinks 13th is the supreme no matter what ....
13th has already given us a huge white elephant with many many corrupt politicians all over the country. They spent 2/3 of all the money allocated to PC's on their personal things like vehicles/offices/corrupt deals etc ... Give them land/police powers, Sri Lanka will be doomed in no time ... Dayan does not care at all about those .. Actually, it is good for him ... many politicians means that he has a chance atleast of being a PC minister as once he was ...
Just writing anything to prove what he wants (13th), he looses his credibility ...
Look at what he says in the article, I quote
"With last week’s fiasco of ‘the fastest fast’ in Asia, Colombo is slowly beginning to learn that Delhi is the critical and indispensable variable in its external relations"
.. Any fool in SL knows how critical Delhi is ... Especially, all Rajapkses know it ... if you see how they briliiantly handled Delhi for last few years, you would never say "Colombo is slowly beginning to learn that Delhi is the critical" ...
Dear ISS,
The supreme legislative body of the country concerned, i.e. the Parliamant of Sri Lanka, will certainly ratify the long term troop presence in the North and East.
Aratai,
If you will allow me - Sambol is not taken with Dosa but Chutney. Sambol goes with Strings, as we all know.
ISS
Brilliant Mr. Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan!
"Not only permanent houses for SLA men in the North is counter-productive but also the reported new schools and Dagobas now being built there. These can be major irritants and potential time-bombs in the embryonic peace efforts now on."
"While Tamils may live with SLA camps of previous years, it should be mentioned the US forces in Germany and Japan are stationed in those countries throughout with the consent of the lawfully elected governments of both countries – while it is the other way around here."
Dayan,
Interesting article. Trying to sell the least possible solution to tamil.
Remember, now world become a global village. All the countries are merging them self to get the economic advantages eg EU.
Now technology makes the people knowledgeable on each and every aspect of their life and world. They know each moments, what is happening through out the world. Now people wants respect, individuality and wants to determine their own destiny. More than ever people wants to identify their belonging, their tradition, believe, values and heritage. I believe that you will understand that this is called self actualization needs.
Obviously sri lanka is struggling to meet the basic needs of the people currently such as food, shelter, safety , security, education, medicine etc. once the normally is there, it is easy to meet all these needs quickly for all under good government.
As you aware, Sri Lanka consists two strong distinct nations over 2000 years. Language, religion, culture, believe, value, traditional home land, government, affiliation etc are entirely different for these two nation.
These nations co-exist as distinct identity until British merged them for ruling purpose.
As you mentioned that even British time too, this racial issue was there because of this merging.
One the Sri Lanka got independent, the singala politician political propaganda was always try to marginalize the tamil nation at their best. Because tamils economic status was quite high compared to singalese at those time. They also perceived that tamil nadu is a threat to the sri lankan. Because of that tamil need to be kept as powerless in their own place.
Because of these two perceptions, singala government time to time induced racial violent and killed and destroyed the tamil and their economy. They also systematically conducted planned settlement to destroy the tamil home land concept. Last 60 years, singala government virtually do nothink to develop the north east. In fact, before the war too nothink was done for the north east development by singala regimes. Partly tamil politician too need to be blamed. They just fight for the right through non violent means and kept them away from government. This was what the singala government want and they neglect the north east and developed the south. Before independent north east was prosporous and south was poor. After independent south become prosperous and north east become very poor. Always parallel scenario occurred.
The real fact is that tamil was purposefully neglected and marginalized as much as they can by the singala regimes for the past 60 over years. This was very obvious and tamil just voice for the survival. Right to live. After a point in time, it become arms struggles and finally defeated.
Through out the time, tamil was unfortunate. Most tamil never demands independent country because tamil area are not resources full as south, small state does not have economic of scale, maintaining greater boarder with singala state is not easy in long term, India never allow to grow because of tamil nadu etc.
But tamil wants to rule them by themselves under sri lanka. Tamil wants to manage their resource, preserve their culture, develop their traditional home land as they wish. They wants to utilized their full potential in their traditional home land. They wants to grow with singalese in Sri lanka. This is like EU, Swiss, Canda , India, Australia etc.
The military, foreign policy can be under central but the rest of the afire, they wants to utilize to grow and prosperous their home land without affecting, accusing or depending the sri lankan government.
This is their requirement during 1900’s, 1950’s 1980’s, 2000’s and 2010’s. due to the war, tamil have badly affected and more than ever they desperately require power now to rebuid their nation.
Today’s tamil suffering and last 30 years tamil suffering is not fault of the innocent tamil. It is the failure of the government to address the genuine grievance of tamil in a meaningfully way politically. Failed to take action against the arm group initially or find a peacefull solution and avoid the destruction during the 30 years time.
Because of your perceived fear, singala government is putting immense pressure on unfortunate tamil over the past 60 years. Now the tamil has nothing to loose other than life.
You are telling now that do not expect more and go for the lest and satisfy it.
Dayan, you are a doctorate and a buddist, genuinely tell that what shoud the tamil expect?
During the past 60 years, political solution never be delayed because of tamil. It is all because of Singhalese. They wants to keep the tamil as slave. This is the real fact.
As you mentioned that now the issue is not between Singhalese and tamil, it is between whole justice system of world and Singhalese.
For example, in your village, you are living happily with respect and dignity. Some body purpose fully destroyed your house and property and your happened to be a refuge in the same village. Can you say that now I am defeated person and what ever the other person offer only I need to accept. Is this sensible or moral.
you are taking about germany and japan defeat. this is like JVP defeat. after defeating JVP, has you placed your troop throughout south. if you well address the tamil grivenge of tamil, there is no necessity for worry of violent. tamil love peace more than any bodyelse.
Tamils need a new leadership. The 'Pretenders to the throne', currently contending for power, are only capable of leading the Tamils further into the wilderness. They are mostly a self-seeking and corrupt bunch, who have thrived on the misery of the Tamils. They are yet exploiting the Tamils in many ways. Tamils in the Vanni and the peninsula are well aware of this.
Tamils have to find a niche within the Sri Lankan polity, though wise and pragmatic thinking. Tamils need new ideas and new goals. India, the west or the Diaspora are not capable of producing any solution for the Tamils. The priority now is not a political solution.
Tamils have to find ways to care and support their war affected; rebuild their institutions and economy; rejuvenate their culture and learn to stand on their own feet again. They are doing this in small steps at the moment, without much outside help. None of these 'Pretenders to the throne' have been of any help yet. They have been more a hindrance than help.
Dr.Dayan Jayatilleke is indeed a loyal friend to his old EPRLF colleagues! HA e should visit the north and interact with the public at various levels, before prescribing any more medicines for the Tamils. I am sorry to say that he unfortunately has no clue as to what the Tamils want and need at this juncture in their history.
very optimistic in the point of view of the majority. when there is no solution then another war will take place which will not last long as the last one it will be minutes.
I wish this will not take place for the sake of the sinhalese because they are a minority.
Nathen
aratai
Unitil then Tamils will have to starve
Tamil tried all the way ( united when LTTE time, divited in all other time) Tamil united & divided not ethanic probmle to solve.
problme id Sinhaleese are united alway as not to solve this problme.
So this sinhaleese problme not Tamils.
Dayan ,
Do you feel in your heart that Tamils are brothers 0f your Sinhals and live together as a family in equality for ever ? Ifyes How do you think youre past pronousuments help this? Do you feel Tamils have to be subservient to Sinhala? Just imagin if your were a Tamil and have under gone the same discrimination,pogromes,politigal opressons, and repeated violence perpetrated by Sinhala governments and its apporatous sice1948. Will you sit and sib your whisky and brandy and dance with your wife every night possible. Or start to do something with in your ability to change the course of events? If you feel your Sinhala Mahavamsa supremacist mind setis going to predominate youre thought and actions. there is no point in talking or reading or having any dialoc with you. youre language skill and your fathers hard and sincere work is a waste to humanity.
If SL continue to refuses tamil to have Dosa & Sambol then It will be easier for China & India to have not only Dosa, Sambol & Sambar for themself but also Kiribath, Kattasambol & Kavun.
Nice article. When US forces remained in Germany after the war they were in the barracks and not on the road. This should be the case in the North as well. Further if Sinhala people want to live in the North as the Tamils are living in the South, there should be no issue provided the Sinhala people are not planted by the Government.
Well analyzed writeup.
Where were these deal makers for the last thirty years while the NE Tamil population was decimated both numerically and economically.?
Isn't it only Mr Doughie Devananda and his few mates had the guts to stand up, whilst all the rest were scared shitless by a megalomaniac wearing a cyanide capsule and hiding in a bunker thirty feet down.?
Isn't it the TNA lead by Mr Sambathan that muzzled the rest of the Tamils by openly courting the LTTE leader?
Once the North and the East are opened up for all Srilankans to live .invest, visit and trade freely, there is no problem having provincial government rule as same as that is in operation in the other parts of the country .
Military presence in the North East has to continue until all citizens achieve a descent level of standard of living and they would not fall prey to the opportunistic politicians or the terrorism oriented groups.
If that is also the aim of the Tamil people in Srilanka. how can that be so difficult to negotiate?
Good to see that Dr Dayan has made some realistic statements akin to what simple Simons like us have been stating for a long time.
Tamils should reject those politicians who were involved in criminal offences such as Douglas, Pillayan, Karuna.
Douglas has been accused of murder, kidnap and ransom demand and Pillayan & Karuna are accused of gang rape and murder of TRO female accountant among many other crimes
Sinhalese may put up with criminals as their leaders but Tamils must resist this pariah state of affairs in SL politics.
its true this is not the 70s or 80s , but in 2011, after the massacre of 40,000 Tamils, if u think tamil's will just forgetabout everything done to them by singala racist regime, it must be a joke.
we will play the game, and we will play this game in you own style and we will get our justice. If all fails then there are plenty of recruits for more dangerous path.
DJ im sure you're 'brilliant' enough to realise that Aratai was using sarcasm to rubbish your suggestions for Tamil polity.
"If all Tamils unite under Dougie, problem solved.
But unfortunately for (smart and united) Sinhalese, these stupid Tamils are divided in three groups with a plan."
Any honest and moral (read, non-treacherous) Tamil or Singhalese knows without a shadow that rule by the murderous Devananda is in no one way beneficial for the Tamil people.
As for the second sentence quoted above, well if that fails to alert you to the contrasts deliberately placed, then nothing will!
[And before you come out with another one of your Tamil-bashing, latent racist comments about the victorious lion-people and such like, it is worth noting that sri lanka would have achieved nothing without almost the entire world supporting it. The Tamils fought their (due in large part to Prabhakaran's/LTTE's stupidity and violence) war alone.]
So self determination is illusion, Federalism a fantasy and this is from the most progressive intellectual the contemporary Sinhala society produced !. Thank you Dayan for the refined expression of the Mahavamsa mindset. As long as this continues there will be thousands of Tamils engaging in changing these illusions and fantasy into reality inevitably perpetuating the misery of Sinhala and Tamil masses
Re. Dayan's reference to the Supreme Parliament, I cannot now recall if it was John Stuart Mill or someone else who talked of the theoritcal possibity of a majority in Parliament being able to do whatver they want. But in those days where Christian mercy was being refined in favour of reason and justice being the source of authority it was inconceivable to even think of the type of majoritarian fascism we see now projected under different facades (If the reported call by the Police in Wellawatte is only for Tamils to be profiled and registered then such a move could not have arisen from authorities whose guiding principles are based on reason being the source of authority) Just because one side has one vote more than all the others does not mean anything imposed under the label of "the law" arising from the supremacy of Parliamentary formality.
ISS
"I am not worried about the opinion of the Tamil people... now we cannot think of them, not about their lives or their opinion... the more you put pressure in the north, the happier the Sinhala people will be here... Really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy."
-- J.R.Jayawardene, Former President of Sri Lanka - Daily Telegraph, 11th July 1983
I just find this info.
As per the physiology , the normal happy human mentality need to be I am ok and you are ok.
But singala Buddhist mentality is that I am ok but tamil must not be ok. That means singala people can not be happy at all as per physiology.
As all aware, LTTE was defeated mainly because of diminishing return. Even sri lanka army never fight the war for two to three years, LTTE automatically failed because of lack of resources especially man power. This fact was obvious for all including sri lankan army. Obviously LTTE was powerful but never utilized that opportunity well to get political advantages to tamil wisely.
Therefore it is not correct to say that arms struggle will start if not maintained enough arm personal in north east. LTTE or any other arm group has not any base in tamil nadu or in India. Indian intelligent are very active and sri lankan navy also very active. In this regards, it is a false justification to maintain huge amount of arm personal and their family for longer time. It can be viewed as planned settlement and further marginalization of tamil in their traditional home land. Tamil should bring this issue to the world to exposed the singala agenda.
If the powers given to tamil, they will manage and ensure any traces of such event occur. If they noticed such symptom , they will alert the authority and they can capture.
If sri lanka really want to buit the confident on tamil, they have to genuinely addressed the political problem and empower the tamil.
The political solution not only based on the current sitation but also must consider the future growth and welfare and harmony.
Singala people should not allow the politician to conduct politic based on the discrimination of tamil. They should punish such political party or system. Then the politician really think about the people, welfare, country, future vision & mission. We all should learn from Singapore. After the independent day celebration, priminister addressed to the nation for few hours. It is about the Singapore, people, work, eduction, life, future goal, past performance, why fail, international economy, international politics. It is a great intellectual speech. Educate the people and empower the people and lead the people. He took a year to prepare that speech.
Our politician always talk rubbish. Never honor their word or deed. Cheat the people and lead the country to destruction.
Never have the true love on the country and people. Always fake. Because of that never commit to solve the issue genuinely.
In my knowledge, President Premadasa is such a honest, committed and determined leader to solve the ethnic problem genuinely.
In 1900, no body no much about discrimination in sri lanka. In 1950s majority know about it in sri lanka. In 1980s, ethnic issue is widely know in the western country and Asia pacific. In 2010, ethnic issue become a globally know matter. Same issue is magnifying with the improved understanding by the global community on human right.
Same unsolved issue not only causing enmity among the community but also costing the country and world community a lot. It is unwanted and unnecessary.
Because of LTTE, tamil reluctant to talk about real issue to the world. Now openly express the ethnic issue and make the singala government become ashamed in front of international community for adapting 500 years old mentality to address the tamil issue.
Removed their fear factor and stubidity over tamil issue. Empower them to accept and accommodate the tamil for the mutual benift.
In this modern world, most of the people aware the tamil experienced horror under sri lankan miltry. Therefore if we explain the root cause to them, singala regime compelled to solve the issue for the shake of international community.
very well said Dharma Wilson,This is the reality we have not found a solution to move forward and when people like DJ compliment comments from Atari in derogatory term ( 1960 when the famous dosai musalawadi slogans)
what more can you say
namo namo matha nobody can save this country
Nathen
Wish the clock could be turned back for VP to have accepted a negotiated settlement however watered down it would have been.
Narayanswamy Sankaran
Chennai
Dear Mervyn'sfanstudent,
If I were a Tamil, I'd have supported the Indo-Lanka accord and the Indian PeaceKeeping Force and opposed anyone who waged war on it. If i were a Tamil i'd certainly have stood agsint anyone who murdered Rajiv Gandhi. If I were a Tamil i'd have fought against anyone who killed the best and brightest Tamil intellectuals like Rajani, Neelan, Kethesh and Kadir. If I were a Tamil I'd have opposed anyone who murdered most of my leaders from Amirthalingam and Yogeswaran to Pathmanabha and Neelan. If I were a Tamil I'd have pushed for acceptance of CBK's 1995 or 1997 package. If I were a Tamil I'd have felt ashamed about anyone rolling on a hot tarred road in the noonday sun in Trinco behind portraits of a fat guy termed a Sun God.
I can afford to say this because as a Sinhalese I stood against the LTTE's equivalent, the JVP, and supported those Tamils who opposed the fascism from within their community.
Diaspora Tamils who have a job and a family dreams nothing but Eelam. Those who did the real fighting to make their dreams come true had no job of family and had never dream for a future.
Now that LTTE cadres are in detention camps, sun goat is no more to train them to bite the cyanide pill; they have time to dream about a job, family and a future. In short LTTE ex combatants are gradually settling down. I do not say they don't want an Eelam, but I do say that they know that they will not get it. So they dream about a family, a job and a future instead.
Our forces have been playing an integral part in transformation of ex-combatants. Getting them married is just one of them. I say we must forget the devious charges and continue with such efforts. SLA must help ex-combatants every way we could to transform themselves to be civilians.
But that doesn’t mean SLA must withdraw from the North or indeed restricted to camps. SLA should make their presence visible so they would think twice before they rebel again. SLA should keep an eye on their activities and slightest rebellion must be nipped at the bud. To do that effectively, SLA must not just built garrisons but station soldiers permanently.
They came up with all kind of justifications and excuses to get it in India but failed.
There are over seventy million Tamils all over the world. They have no country of their own. It is not toilets they feel missing in Tamil Nadu but a Tamil country. That is why, Nadumaran, Wyco and et al support Eelam project even after Piripaharan being sent to hell. That why MIA a Malaysian and et al, support Eelam project. That why many South African Tamils support Eelam project. That is why Tamils all over the world support Eelam project.
In Sri Lanka, Eelam is their end of the project. And different aspirants have different road maps to reach it. Devananda want it real slow (13A) to start with. Sangare wants it rather slow (13A+). TNA wants it faster (Federal). Diaspora wants it straight away (ISGA). Dayan and commentators here only confirms it. If we give the least as Dayan says, will the others settle down to it? No. They will sharpen the edges of their struggle. This is a never ending fight. So, what should we do.
Most Tamils that live in Sri Lanka say they are historical. Pusari at the Munneswaran Kovil told me it was there for over five thousand years. What puzzles me is; how come indigenes Tamils never developed their own language like Maldivians. How come they speak ‘Tamil Nadu’ Tamil? I think historical Tamils that were here had been assimilated to our society throughout history and most of the present day Tamils have come to Sri Lanka after the European colonials.
Muslims have settled down all over the country. More than half the Tamil population in Sri Lanka have done the same. They all live amicably with the Sinhalese. There have been no racial riots between Tamils and Sinhalese since 1983. There have been no racial riots between Muslims and Sinhalese since 1915. I think solution for this problem lies in creating non homogeneous provinces of Sri Lanka. That means, Sinhalese must be encouraged to move on to live in the North and the East of Sri Lanka. And that ‘Tesawalame law’ should be repealed.
DJ
I agree with your responds to Mervyn'sfanstudent- " if I were a Tamil"
But
If I were a Sinhalese..... wait.... I need a 1TB server.
Posted by: Leela2 | July 15, 2010 08:39 PM
I think you are suffering from infantile verbal diarrhoea of racism. Are you saying the concept of "Homeland" should be obliterated at the point of gun as do Israelis in Palestine, Chinese in Tibet, Russians in Chechnya and Sinhalese in Eelam? Are you saying Scotland should be dismantled too? Punjab? Quebec?
Can a Tamil or Muslim become a head of state in SL? What sort of integration are you talking? Are ethinic minorities are appropriately represented in state employment? How come >99% of state armed forces are Sinhalese? Why didn't Kadirgamar did not get the post of PM? Why did Mahinda play his race card aginst Kadirgamar? When a Sinhalese talks about integration it is nothing but a BS, isn't it? How come a Sinhalese doctor who was accused of rape and murder of a Tamil female nurse was released on bail? Is this how a pariah state governs itself?
Please get hold of an infantile history book and study the ancient history of an island called Ceylon.
If Sinhalese are not prepared to respect the integrity of Eelam you cannot expect the Tamils to reciprocate. Do you think you can always oppress the Tamils at the point of a gun and under boots? I doubt it.
dear dayan,
if i had been a sinhalese like you i would have opposed jr jayawardanes role in anti tamil riots in 1983,i would have supported operation poomalai which india embarked on when sinhalese government starved jaffna and other areas in 1987 ,i would have condemned the navy guy who tried to kill rajiv gandhi(i dont know what that guy is doing now)i would have condemned sinhalese government hand in killing kumar ponnambalam,dharmaratnam sivaram,raviraj.if i were a sinhalese like you i would not have been part of the team which was barbaric in killing 40000 people of its own citizen and brazenly claim that not a single civilian had been killed in the last stages of the war.if i were a sinhalese like you i would not have defended sinhalese government in international forums for its human right abuses.if i were a sinhalese like you i would have condemned white van culture of your actor president.unfortunately list goes on before you point fingers at tamils better see what bedevils your society dayan.i guess you are a closet sinhalese racist with an overt left leanings.i remember you supported razing of tombstones of tigers i guess your sinhalese culture supports such inhuman acts you cant take cover under the arguement that tigers were equivalent of nazis becoz tigers were creation of sinhalese barbarism it is not the other way around.was there any jayawardane or bandarnaike equivalent in 1920s if so please enlighten me.i personally think you are like a trishanku neither a sinhalese racist nor a left liberal who will support tamil grievances.unfortunately your views regarding sinhalese troops staying in north and east and since citizenry supported seccessionist in the past hence they need to be punished exposes your mindset please come out of closet try to be what you are dayan jayatilake there is no point in acting another great actor is there who is also your president.
Dear Dr. DJ,
The GOSL should be holding talks primarily with the TNA led by Mr. R. Sambanthan. He is the right man who can convince the Tamils to accept a fair solution.
As for Tamil diaspora, I'm sure majority of them have chosen the path of KP and will back the TNA and not Mr. Douglas Devananda.
Tamils won't mind the SL Armed forces in the North and East, as long as they were comprised of multi-ethnic Sri-Lankans, rather than the mono-ethnic Sinhalese only forces.
The Tamils have valid reasons for resenting the Sinhalese only armed forces for committing numerous atocities on them, beside burning down the culturaly important "Jaffna library" and destroying irreplaceble, centuries old Tamil scripts and palm leaf scripts. These wouldn't have happened had the forces were of mixed ethnic.
The LTTE was rightfully banned by the IC for their actions but the SL armed forces so far has been escaped punishment for their human right violations and massacres of Tamils and the JVP insurgents.
I still remember how happy I was when I heard the suicide of SLA Captain who murdered the countryside girl and stunningly beautiful, "Kataragama Queen" after his wife divorced him and he was disowned by his friends and relatives.
While the GOSL and SLA has been busy fixing and constructing Viharas in the North, the Kataragama Temple's Tamil "OM" sign has been mysteriously removed from the main entrance of the temple and placed inside Pillayar's (Lord Ganapathy) temple, why? perhaps, devalaya authorities decided to jump start the national reconciliation and healing process between the communities? Shame!
Cheers.
dear dayan,
where is your reply to my postings are you trying to plant something to show that at that time i did all those things which you mentioned lol