Sri Lankan Tamils after Sixty Years of Independence I
February 2nd, 2008
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Sixty is a magic number in the Hindu astrological calendar. Each year has a distinctive name.The names for these years number sixty . All years come and go in a cycle of sixty. So people born in a particular year will find themselves celebrating their sixtieth birthday in the year with the same name.The sixtieth birthday itself is regarded as a milestone and observed ceremoneously by many.
[Tourists watch sunset in Waikkal, North Western Province, January 2008-Pic: by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai]
The pearl of the Indian ocean gained independence from British rule as Ceylon in 1948. It was renamed Sri Lanka or the resplendent Isle in 1972. We also became a Republic. Even as the Country is poised to complete 60 years of independence on February 4th it would be worthwhile to reflect on where we are today on the eve of Independence day.
There would be no doubt many people examining and analysing the progress made by Sri Lanka after sixty years of independence. Everything seemed rosy then and we were tipped to be second only to Japan in economic progress.
Lee Kuan Yew saw us as a model nation then and wanted his Singapore to emulate us. Today he points to Sri Lanka as the model that should be discarded.
Sri Lanka has achieved many things .In terms of the quality of life index we have indeed done very well. Literacy, healthcare, infant mortality, nutrition, democracy etc are areas where we have done remarkably well.
Economically, Sri Lanka is not a basket case at least not yet.. Yet one cannot but be sad when aware of the fact that we have not realised our full potential. We had everything going for us and should have been in a different league. But then?
The secret of Singaporean success does not lie in the decisive fiscal policies adopted by a pragmatic leadership alone. Its success is rooted in the conscious decision made by its leaders at the dawn of independence to forge a common Singaporean identity.
Such an identity was not that of the numerical majority imposing itself upon the others and expecting them to fall in line.The Chinese community was 75 % of the nation but thanks to the enlightened vision of Lee Kuan Yew there was no majoritarian hegemony.
There was a crackdown - undemocratic perhaps - on those advocating Chinese supremacist policies. The founding fathers of modern Singapore concentrated on evolving a common inclusive identity based on equality. Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English have been the official languages of Singapore for decades.
In Sri Lanka things went awry on the ethnic front. It is to the credit of Sri Lanka that democracy flourishes despite some strains and bad patches. But this very democracy has contributed to our decline too.
Populist pandering to the Sinhala majority has distorted the very basic concepts of an ideal democracy. It is no accident that the growth of the two party system in Sri Lanka co-incided with the deterioration of ethnic relations in this Country.
“War is an extension of politics by other means” observed Clausewitz. Today this land is in the grip of a vicious civil war that has ruined the country.Militarism rides high!
Yet the national question remains unsolved. It would remain so unless and until true wisdom prevails on all sides of the ethnic divide.
Meanwhile relations between the Sinhala and Tamil people have deteriorated rapidly in the post - Independence period. There are some who say that the Country is in a state of de - facto partition. Others say it is at the crossroads.
Sixty years of independence is a time for reflection for the Country and her people. Many persons would be doing that I am sure.
As a Tamil of Sri Lankan origin I would like to focus briefly on the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamil people after sixty years of independence.
I was born in 1954 six years after Independence. Another Tamil born in the same year is Velupillai Prabakharan the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Prabakharan and the LTTE have been the determining force in Sri lanka since 1983.
There is no Sri Lankan history without Sinhala history but Sinhala history alone is not Sri Lankan history. It has been Prabakharan’s role to remind us sharply of this. Sadly , in the process the Tamils have been undermined and weakened to an extent never seen before
However much we rail against British colonialism we cannot forget that the “idea” of one Ceylon was a British construct.It was the British who unified this Island under a single administration.
This is true of India too. But enlightened policies by Indian rulers have made the “idea of India” valid and strong. Secular India has withstood several challenges to its unity and territorial integrity but neighbouring Pakistan glued together by a theocratic ideal failed and Bangla Desh was born.
The tragic reality today is that the Sri Lankan Tamils are alienated from the state. It is a process that was underway for many, many years.
In spite of the sixth amendment to the Constitution disavowing separatism the idea of a separate state for Tamils has not gone way. It will not go away either through military repression.
Tamils have been living in this Island from time immemorial. Eminent historian Sir Paul E Peries has written of the five “Eeshwarams” - Muneeswaram., Ketheeswaram, Koneswaram, Naguleswaram and Thondeeswaram - ded icated to Lord Shiva at the time when Vijaya had supposedly arrived here.
Though there was a long - standing Tamil presence here , large scale Tamil settlements began after the 10th century. By the 13th century a Tamil kingdom was set up. There were also feudal Wanni chiefs. The Jaffna kingdom after phases of resistance fell finally to the Portugese in 1621.
Thereafter the Dutch and then the British took over in 1658 and 1796 respectively. The Jaffna Kingdom comprised the present Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts and substantial parts of the Mannar and Mullaitheevu districts. They were administered separately by the Portugese and Dutch.
After the fall of the Kandyan kingdom the entire Island came under British rule. It was the British who unified the Country in 1833 in terms of the Colebrooke - Cameron reform proposals. The idea of one Ceylon was a colonial construct.
Junius Richard Jayewardena was the most history conscious of our heads of state since independence. He once said that the history of this Country could have been vastly different if the western colonialists had not come. JR said that Sri Lanka could have been dominated by the “Mussalmans” ( Muslims) or “Dravidians ” (South Indians) if not for this.
A substantial part of the Indian sub - continent (India, Pakistan and Bangla Desh) was under Moslem rule when the British, French, Portugese, Dutch and Danes came. In Sri Lanka the Arya Chakravarthy Tamil kindom of the North received sustenance from South India.
The Sinhala Kingdoms in the South too derived support from South India. The Telugu Nayakkar rulers of Madurai and Thanjavoor sent troops frequently to help out warring Sinhala rulers. The Kandyan kings married their “Maheshi”Queens from South India. The last four Kandyan Kings were all Nayakkars.
So who knows? As JR observed the Muslims or South Indians may have dominated Sri Lanka if the westerners did not come. But then this is only a point to ponder at this point of time.
The reality was that the British who unified the Country also sowed seeds of dissension in classical “divide and rule” mode. It has been famously said that what the “British unified administratively to exploit they divided politically to govern”.
The British introduced the principle of communal representation and ever since then this Island nation became an archipelago of communities.
Limited franchise came to the Island in 1910 when an “educated Ceylonese ” constituency was created. The franchise was restricted to educational and property qualifications. Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan won in both 1912 and 1916.
One reason for his victory was that the Govigama elite in rivalry with the Karawe elite supported the Vellala Tamil. Ramanathan’s opponents were Dr.Marcus Fernando and Thomas de Sampayo.
This period is seen as the golden age of Sinhala - Tamil unity. A demonstration of the goodwill that existed then was the welcome afforded to Ramanathan as he arrived in Colombo from London.
Sinhala stalwarts of the day seated Ramanathan in a chariot and pulled it along the streets of Colombo. This was in appreciation of his espousal of the Sinhala cause in the aftermath of the anti - Muslim violence of 1915.
Tamils in those years did not perceive themselves as a minority. They saw themselves as being on par with the Sinhalese as the two founding peoples of modern Ceylon. Tamil influence was so great then that few Tamils thought of themselves as a numerical minority.
It was in this “equal partner” mindset that Ramanathan’s brother Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam played a prominent role in the affairs of the Ceylon National Congress. Arunachalam’s lecture on “our Political needs” became the bible of all patriotic (to be differentiated from the pseudo - patriots of today) Ceylonese then.
The same Arunachalam was to be bitterly disappointed within years over the issue of allocating a seat for Tamils in Colombo. He formed the Ceylon Tamil league and began emphasising the Tamil identity. It was Arunachalam who spoke of Tamil Eelam first.
Sir James Peiris had promised to support the proposal but his successor in the Congress EJ Samarawickrema had gone back on it saying his predecessor’s pledge did not bind him. This was the first in the long trail of broken promises that has marred Sinhala - Tamil relations in this Country.
Another attempt at Sinhala - Tamil understanding was made when several Sinhala leaders met with Tamil counterparts at “Mahendra - Giri ” in Velanai. This was the home of Sir Vaithilingam Duraiswamy who was later State Council speaker in 1936. A “Sinhala - Tamil” pact was signed to apportion seats in the legislature on a 2: 1 ratio.
There was opposition to this arrangement in the South spearheaded by Sir Francis de Zoysa. The pact was repudiated.
The Donoughmore reforms brought in universal franchise and territorial representation. Tamil self - perception of being on par with the Sinhalese was crudely shattered.
At the same time there was another vibrant school of thought among Tamils that spurned narrow nationalism and embraced a broad Ceylonese identity.
The Jaffna Youth Congress rejected the Donoughmore Commission proposals and demanded “Poorana Swaraj” or complete self - rule. It urged a boycott of the State Council elections.
Ceylon’s “Father of Marxism” , Philip Gunewardena hailed this decision. “Jaffna has given the lead” he wrote to the “searchlight” and called upon the Sinhalese to follow.
There were no takers in the South. The dominant Sinhala elite preferred co-operation over confrontation. They wanted to work within the system and seek gradual political reform.
Besides Donoughmore reforms brought about a sea change in the Sinhala psyche. The notion of Sinhala - Buddhist supremacy was taking root.
A whole lot of politically ambitious “Christians” saw which way the wind was blowing and changed religion overnight becoming what was derisively referred to as “Donoughmore Buddhists”.
Ramanathan in the twilight of his life saw what was coming. “Donoughmore means Tamils no more” he said. This was the same Ramanathan who had in 1904 called upon the Sinhalese to nurture and nourish their language while addressing a prize giving at Ananda College.”If Sinhala lips will not speak the Sinhala language who else is there to speak it” he queried.
Elections to the State Council in 1931 saw Jaffna boycotting it as a result of the Youth Congress call. Four seats from Jaffna remained vacant. There were no Sri Lankan Tamils in the first board of ministers. However there were a Muslim Sir Mohammed Macan Marcar and an Indian Tamil Sir Jaya Perisundaram in the seven member board of ministers.
The 1931 boycott was the high watermark of the Jaffna Youth Congress. Sinhala patriots did not reciprocate. Without Sinhala participation in the politics of protest the confrontational mode of the Youth Congress lost lustre.
The boycott call itself was inflenced greatly by Mahatma Gandhi’s call in India. Analysing the Youth Congress boycott failure the scholar Jane Russel was to call it the “dance of the Turkey Cock”. The Tamil poet Auvaiyar in a popular stanza had derisively compared the dance of the Turkey cock to that of the Peacock.
Another development at that time was the differences between the Low - Country and Up - Country Sinhalese. A delegation of Kandyan notables argued for federalism before the Donoughmore Commission. They wanted three units. One for the Kandyan provinces, one for the North - East and one for the rest.
The Sri Lankan Tamils did not support the federal demand. In fact when SWRD Bandaranaike proposed a federal solution in 1926 the Jaffna elite had rejected it
Tamil leadership then was in the hands of the Colombo based elite. This elite had its own self - interests. Their interests were not those of the agriculturists and fisherfolk and toddy - tappers of the North and East. Thus the Tamil leaders during colonial rule did not espouse federalism. Had they done so the history of Tamils in this Country could have been different.
The Donoughmore reforms of territorial representation and universal franchise were laudable but brought about unintended consequences.
The Commissioners dismissed pleas for the retention of communal representation and called communalism as a cancer eating into the body politic of the Country. Ironically the Donoughmore reforms resulted in the rise of communal politics.
The Jaffna Youth Congress began declining with the rise of communalism. It was a pity because it stood for a healthy all Island nationalism. The Youth Congress in its own way raised the standard of revolt against the British empire.
It was in Jaffna that the union Jack flag was brought down by the Youth Congress and the Nandhi or crouched bull flag hoisted.The Nandhi was the flag of the Jaffna kingdom. At the behest of the Youth Congress ,it was Jaffna that boycotted the visit of the then Prince of Wales.
The accomplishments of the Youth Congress are well documented by Santhaseelan Kadirgamar in his book on the Congress. Prof. Wiswa Warnapala writing a review of it in the “Lanka Guardian” paid tribute to the Youth Congress in glowing terms.
As the State Council began functioning there was a growing feeling in Jaffna that the Tamils had blundered by boycotting elections. There began gathering momentum that Tamils should enter the State Council. Riding the crest of this wave was Ganapathy Gangesu (GG) Ponnamnabam.
By - elections were held in 1934 and the seats were all filled. Realisation was dawning on Tamils that they were no longer a majority race on par with the Sinhalese. The harsh reality was that they were a minority albeit a privileged and powerful minority.
GG Ponnambalam who had opposed the boycott evolved slowly into becoming leader of Ceylon Tamils. In striving to be the leader of his people GG also promoted a Community consciousness.
GG began promoting a sense of solidarity and pride among Tamils.Invoking the Tamil poet Subramania Bharati’s lines , GG Ponnambalam came up with the motto “Thamilan Endru Solladaa, Thalai Nimirnthu Nilladaa” (Say you are a Tamil and hold your head high).
TO BE CONTINUED IN NEXT WEEK
Entry Filed under: MinorMatters
112 Comments Add your own
1. bk | February 2nd, 2008 at 7:48 pm
On 28 May 2007, R Sundaralingam (retired from the Sri Lanka Police as a Senior DIG and worked for many years at Interpol as a specialist in narcotics) has written on your website an article titled ‘The Jaffna I knew ‘
http://tamilweek.com/news-features/archives/983
I quote the following which gives an excellent account of the state of North of Sri Lanka upto 1972, through the eyes of a very senior police officer (who should know of most of the crimes that has carried out) of that area;
‘….I go back to the days when I served as Superintendent of Police, Northern Province, from 1966 to 1972 when there was just one senior SP in charge of each of the country’s nine provinces. My charge was what was then the single Northern Police Division, later separated into the Jaffna and Vavuniya divisions, through the days of the governments of Dudley Senanayake (1965-70) and Sirima Bandaranaike (1970- 77)….
….The national government of Dudley Senanayake led by the UNP came to power in 1965 on the support extended by the combined strength of the 20 elected Tamil MPs of S.J.V Chelvanayam’s Federal Party and G.G. Ponnambalam’s Tamil Congress. The Federal Party member M Tiruchelvan was named the Minister in the Cabinet responsible for Local Government. His job, clearly, was to formulate a workable proposition for devolution of power at the provincial and district levels….
…..This was the beginning of a conscious conjunction of interests, of a well defined political reconciliation between the Sinhala and the Tamil political parties. Senanayake’s government with its mandate for communal amity created tremendous goodwill in the North and the East…..
……R. Premadasa who took over later from Tiruchelvam as Minister, Local Government immediately visited Jaffna and the rest of the province on assuming office. He initiated several development projects. He was accorded a welcome that was both warm and welcoming. Five hundred meters of red carpet was rolled out for him from the Pallaly airport where he landed to Tinnevelly on the Jaffna road. This trend continued even in Mrs. Bandaranaike’s time with ministers Dr. N M Perera, Dr. Colvin R de Silva, Felix Dias Bandaranaike, Mathirapala Senanayake, Pieter Keuneman and host of others all being frequent and regular visitors, planning projects in the North. The visits of the various ministers and Sinhala politicians created tremendous goodwill and promoted a close Sinhala-Tamil amity warmer than ever before. This was the Jaffna I left in 1972…..’
I am intrigued to find out what has happened between 1972 and 1976, for the LTTE to begin it’s murderous policies of claim of a separate Tamil homeland from 1976?
2. Anonymous | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Thank you for this article, I did not read all of it but when Sri Lankan history was mentioned I had to make this comment..
I would like to point out a simple but overwhelming fact that we always try to look
away from. We may write volumes and volumes and libraries in many languages, but we will finally reach this simple but deciding truth:-
Sri Lanka is the home of the Sinhalese; the Sinhalese are from Sri Lanka.
India is the home of the Tamils; the Tamils are from India.
It is the job of the real politicians, statesmen, diplomats, scholars and reporters to enlighten to this simple truth. Otherwise the Tamil generations to come will continue to be misinformed and will continue to search for something that does not exist.
I look forward to your next article and thank you
3. SPKanags | February 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Good Work, keep it up.
4. Param | February 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Hi DBS,
After a long time I enjoyed reading your article. This time around, you were objective and stright to the point.
You are absolutely right, both Tamil and Sinhalese leaders have made mistakes in the past with respct to a political framework in Sri Lanka. But, as you have pointed out the Sinhalese politicians had always repudiated any agreements reached.
I am sure all the Sri Lankan know very well the long lost of agreement and pacts that were repudiated by the Sinhalese leaders.
I hope, in the future if there is going to be another one, it will be guranteed by the UN or some other internationa community and preserved and implemented fully.
I don’t think the Tamils will want another Indo-SriLanka pact, in the future.
Param.
5. R.Goonetilake | February 3rd, 2008 at 3:22 am
“Anonymous ” is a stupid unlearned sinhalese.
Mr.DBS, thank you for this detailed sixty years of freedom only in the name sake and the rest of it all either dictatorship and war or constitutional marginalisation of Tamils & Muslims to advance the “Anonymous” theory.
The Native Red Indians are the “Bhumi-Puthra” of Americas. Go tell the US citizens that they should go back to Africa or Europe.
The Chinese aren’t the indegenous people of Singapore.
The Caucasians aren’t the indegenous people of Australia New Zealand.
The Sinhalese, just because they came earlier than the Tamils from India doesn’t mean that sinhalese are the indegenous people of the island.
What is important is to RESPECT each others FREEDOM, EQUALITY and RIGHTS.
Sri Lanka has failed in all counts of creating a secular multi-ethnic society that all communities can call it HOME.
All Races should be treated equal and fair.
You cannot have Buddhism & Sinhala as national religion and language and expect other races to accept this. A few quisling might do so and you may implement such draconian measures using the power of ethnic composition and numeric advantage in parliament.
This is the reason for what the island nation is going through today.
6. Maran | February 3rd, 2008 at 4:16 am
Hey Anonymous, where were your Vijayan from ?
After all is he Sinhala?
Did sinhalese born to a lion and a woman?
Even your mahavamsa says there were people before Vijayan. What language they could have spoken? I think it should be Tamil. Because Tamil is the ancient southern Dravidian language in this region.
Sinhalese are the Aryan origin people who occupied Dravidians’ land.
7. Sudalaimaadan. | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:41 am
Dear D.P.S,
We have read it enough.Like eating pittu,Stringhoppers,
Rotti etc almost daily.
What is the destinity of the Thamils in Srilanka from now?
No point in repeating the past History records!
Do you still believe “They lived happily everafter”like what we read on the Fairy tales during our School days,will be bestowed for the Thamils?
8. SA | February 3rd, 2008 at 7:33 am
Please note that the Tamils very already settled in the North and East coast of Ceylon long before the arrival of the Aryans from North-East and North-West India. The Tamils were coastal dwellers were engaged in trading with the original inhabtants, native of the soil, namely the ‘vedda’. (refer to history of Lord Kartagama;the Tamil Murugan God). Sri Lanka had a hindu culture as Ravana (Tamil or Singala?) professes his love to Lord Siva. Hope you are enlighten by this facts!
9. The benevolent Dictator | February 3rd, 2008 at 8:52 am
Anon above,
The Sinhalese are also from India. History as we know it is almost always subjective. While Sinhalese texts may state that Tamils were latecomers to the island and that it belongs to the Sinhalese, Tamil texts state otherwise. Whom do we believe?
Plus, even if we believe Sinhalese history, arguing over the who came to Sri Lanka first is moot as we would just be arguing over a difference of a few hundred years… a small amount of time in the context of Sri Lankan history.
As long as we keep looking back we’re never going to move forward so forget about history.
10. roshann wickremesinge | February 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 am
Good article, evil british created all these troubles. Destructive sinhala leadership continue what british left. Until sinhala people rise up against this evil leadership, i am afraid srilanka got no future. If its a solution depend on ethinic base separation is the best way for both sinhala and tamil community.
11. RAM | February 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
The war is not going to end. After LTTE is gone another force shall fill the gap as long as the Tamil problem is not solve!
12. Subra S.Massey | February 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 am
Mr.Anonymous,
We are living in the west, you are well protected by the constitution. So if you are living in the west you can put forth your name. We are not state sponsored terrorist to come after you., besides we have some work to do. We have done alot for the Tamils, we are going to offer schlorsahip to Singhalese people in Sri Lanka to come to the west and learn about democracy and go back to refrom their country. By the way you also came from India and I hope you know the story of Kuwani who married the lion. I do not want disgrace you but I leave it at it.
So let us behave like children born to legitimate human father and human mother. Mr.Anonymous we are trying to solve the probelm in Sri Lanka for your people and our people. What is the problem with such a gesture? The way you are writing that all Tamils must go back to India, but the how do you define a Tamil and how do you define a Singhalese? I guess If have I fleece I am a Singhalese and if I have brain I am a Tamil! Well you started it. Mr.Ieyaraj is doing a fantastic job of bring both sides together, you should appreciate it, in the name of Lord Buddha.
13. Anonymous | February 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
well said, Mr Massey ! Anonymous is indicative of the ruling elite and corrupt leadership and the virulent Sinhala-Buddhist extremists / thugs who have triggered the Tamil rebellion and the untold misery that is unfolding today. As long as communal minded people like him spout genocidal talk, SL is doomed to burn and explode.
14. exiled | February 3rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
well said, Mr Massey ! Anonymous is indicative of the ruling elite and corrupt leadership and the virulent Sinhala-Buddhist extremists / thugs who have triggered the Tamil rebellion and the untold misery that is unfolding today. As long as communal minded people like him spout genocidal talk, SL is doomed to burn and explode.
15. Gee | February 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Mr.Anonymous is right .. too much talk and writings…do something …it is always about doing..and not talking and writing ..let us at least pray for those who are doing rather than talking… let us pray and hope for that dawn of freedom for the Tamils.
16. Dr K C | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
We are very unfortunate, we neither have a statesman like Mahathma Ghandhi nor a freedom fighter like Nelason Mandela.
Unless and until a Sri Lankan mother gives birth to a statesman, the carnage and calamity in the island will sadly continue unabated.
17. mahin | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Another lost year for Tamils, We Tamils should give our wholehearted support to our Tamil nations struggle in this difficult time. The dreams of the Sinhala forces invading and terrorising our Tamil homeland should be thrawted and safeguard our sovereignty.
18. tham | February 3rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
DBS, good to review the history of SriLanka..
Its more important to know what would be the future like…
Can Singalese and Tamils live happily together again ?
RAM, you did not complete the sentence..
LTTE is gone……………… to South.
………may be to settle the 60 years of pending account. Civilian deaths Tamils >100,000 Singalese
19. Athos | February 3rd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
If anything, Mahavamsa confused and misinformed a lot of people with the claim Sinhala settlements begin with Vijyaya landing. Sinhalese are in fact the authentic natives of the island. If they arrived from India, then show some credible evidence where from. There is no confusion of the origin of Tamils however.
As DBS says, there is no evidence of large scale Tamil settlements before 10th century. The Sinhalese were driven down from their traditional lands in the north by marauding Tamil armies. The Island captal gradually moved down starting from Anuradhapura, Polonaruwa and further down towards Kotte because of these invasions. One invasion in particular by the Kalinga army totally decimated Sinhala settlements in the North and East.
After driving out the invaders, the kings allowed the remnants of the defeated army to settle down in the north. When Europeans took control over the island, there was an area in the north ruled by a Tamil who payed taxes to the Kingdom of Kotte. These areas were still part of the Sinhala throne.
20. Pon | February 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
It is an accepted fact that Buddhists have close link with Hindus. They worship Vishnu, Karthigeyan, Ganesh, Kannagai and Aiyyanar. They sponsor many Hindu temples such as Kathirgamam, Muneeswaram. Also when it comes to language, there are many Tamil words in Singhalese language. So are many similarities between the festivals and rituals of Buddhists and Tamils and almanac used. Many village names down south are Tamil names. With all these close links between Tamils and Singhalese I do not understand why the hatred between the two communities increased after the independence. Is it the greedy for power. Just agreeing for a federal form of government, similar to India would have avoided the bloodshed, destruction caused to the country. It is the mistake of the power hungry Singhala and Tamil politicians that has brought the country to a state of a killing field. Tit for tat policy of the government will not resolve the crisis
21. kugan S | February 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 pm
sudalaimadan
the writer is DBS and not DPS.
22. K.Sivaram | February 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Mr. SUDALAIMADan
you may have eaten rice, pittu and stringhoppers all your life. but do you stop eating them due to that?
23. Raj | February 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
What the calaous and heinous attacks of the last few days have shown is how dangerous this terror organisation is, they must be wiped out for the sake of all Sri Lankan’s. International actors will start to realise this and change their implict support to something more tangible.
Terrorist have no soveraignty, they live through fear and the the forces have a duty to protect the people against this campaign of terror, it is the duty of the goverment to put end to this bunch of murders.
DBS should do an article on how the great Tamil leaders of the past were one by one killed by these terroists.
24. Maha Raj | February 4th, 2008 at 12:41 am
#21 comment.
Never mind how many Tamil leaders killed by LTTE, my question to you is, how many Tamil leaders were killed by the GOSL and it’s armed forces?.
Forces should protect the civilians….., in Tamils case they are the one’s devouring us. Did you mean to say the Sinhalese civilians? if that’s the case you have a valid point.
Based on your argument they should be wiped out as well, and FYI, this is what LTTE is trying to accomplish, and I’m wishing them well in their endeavour to devour the Sri-Lankan armed forces!
Tamils may dis-associate themselves from the LTTE, but will never forget or forgive the Sri-Lankan armed forces for their murderous attacks on Tamil civilians.
Take it easy pal.
25. Deva | February 4th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Anonymous,
If you think that Sri Lanka is a SinhalaNadu or a Sinhala country, then please read the following,
THERE WERE NO SINHALESE BEFORE THE 13TH CENTURY AD.
According to the Mahavamsa, Vijay the son of Sinha Bahu (Sinha Bahu’s father was a Sinha/lion) from the Lala country where he established a kingdom and founded a city named Sinhapura is believed to be the forefather of the Sinhalese.
It is said in MAHAVAMSA CHAPTER VII - THE CONSECRATING OF VIJAYA,
But the king Sihabhu, since he had slain the lion (was called) Sihala and, by reason of the ties between him and them, all those (followers of VIJAYA) were also (called) Sihala.
The term Sinhala/Sihala is mentioned in the Mahavamsa only twice in the beginning chapters as shown above. After that, the term Sinhala is only found in the Chulavamsa written after the 13th Century AD.
None of the ancient historical Objects/Monuments/Buildings which were in existence or found in the archaeological surveys in Sri Lanka before the 13th Century AD says anything about a Sinhala race or a Sinhala Kingdom or a Sinhala Country or a Sinhala civilization, or a Sinhala culture, and none of the Written History, Rock Carvings, stone inscriptions, etc, says anything about a Sinhala race or a Sinhala Kingdom or a Sinhala Country before 13th Century AD.
There never existed a race/ethnic group/nation called Sinhala in Sri Lanka before the 13th century AD, there never existed a kingdom called Sinhala in Sri Lanka before the 13th century AD and Sri Lanka was never known as a Sinhala country throughout history.
The archeologist/historian Prof. S. Paranavitana was a biased researcher who did all his research with a preconceived Sinhala-Buddhist mindset. His findings and assumptions magically supported all the myths found in the Mahavamsa.
Prof. K. Indrapala in his book (pg.19) says,
the assumption forming the basis of Prof. Paranavitana?s statement is that the people of the kingdom ruled by the Anuradapura kings and the inhabitants of Rohana and other southern chiefdoms were all Sinhalese and that any ruler other than a Sinhalese in control of Anuradapura or other chiefdoms was a foreigner. As will be seen later in this book, such an assumption is not supported by archeological or epigraphical evidence. In the centuries before the Common Era, there were many ethnic groups in the island and one of them was the group known as the Damedas in inscriptions and Damilas in the Pali chronicles, identified without any controversy as the Tamils. Sena and Guttaka, the first Tamils mentioned in the Pali chronicles as having gained power at Anuradapura were from a merchant family and are not even described as invaders.
According to Prof. R. A. L. H. (Leslie) Gunawardana, a historian/archeologist at the Peradeniya University, there NEVER was a Sinhala race/ethnic group or a Sinhala Kingdom before the 13th CAD. What existed was ONLY a Sinhala dynasty, a ruling linage group. There is NO evidence whatsoever to prove that an ethnic group/race or a kingdom by the name Sinhala existed in Sri Lanka before the 13th CAD. The concept that the Sinhalas were indigenous people or the first to arrive in the island originated only during the colonial and post-colonial period.
In his publication ‘The People of the Lion: The Sinhala Identity and Ideology in History and Historiography’, Prof. Leslie Gunawardana says,
Sinhala was a name adopted by a ruling linage group for whose origin the lion myth had been created. He says, contrary to popular belief, in ancient times the Sinhala identity was associated primarily with the dynasty which ruled Anuradapura. He goes even further by saying that, not only the Sinhala kingdom but also the Sinhala ethnic identity (race) in Sri Lanka emerged only after the 13th Century AD. Before that, there never was a Sinhala race or a Sinhala Kingdom, but only a Sinhala royal family (dynasty).
NOW, WHO SAYS THAT THE SINHALESE HAVE A COUNTRY?
Unfortunately, even the Sri Lankan constitution does not say that Sri Lanka is a Sinhala Country.
Bikku Mahinda and the missinory monks who introduced Buddhism and the Pali/Prakrit language to the Island called the language that existed when they arrived (before 3rd Century BC) as Dipa Basa and still no body knows what this dipa basa was, it can even be ancient Tamil.
It was only some Europeans such as Wilhelm Geiger, who studied the language of the Island (after Buddhism was introduced) in depth and divided the newly developing language into many phases. Later, he came up with the following name labels.
Prakrit-Sinhala (3rd Century BC - 4th Century AD), What he called as Prakrit-Sinhala is an ancient Prakrit spoken by many in South Asia in ancient times.
Wilhelm Geiger also came up with terms such as Proto-Sinhala (4th Century AD - 8th Century AD) and proper Sinhala (after 8th Century AD) for the developing stages of the new language.
The people in Sri Lanka who are known as Sinhalese today boast about a written Sinhala history that was neither written in Sinhala nor says anything about Sinhala, they boast about an ancient Sinhala history and civilization which is not mentioned anywhere in the ancient artifacts or publications or inscriptions as Sinhala, they boast about Sinhala Kingdoms which nobody, even Ven. Mahanama the author of Mahavamsa has never mentioned. They boast about a Sinhala Nation which never existed, they talk about a Sinhala race/ethnic group which came into existence ONLY after the 13th Century AD and they boast about a Sinhala country which neither existed then nor exist now. Just because a few Sinhalese like Senanayakes, Jayawardanes, Bandaranakakes, Wijayawardenas, Kothalawelas coloborated with the British they made them leaders and gave the whole of Sri Lanka including the Tamil homelands to the majority on a platter. Even then, the Sri Lankan constitution does not say it is a Sinhala country.
Today, for anything and everything, the term Sinhala is attached, Sinhala-Buddhism, Sinhala-Medicine, Sinhala-Roofing tiles, Sinhala-Rice, Sinhala-that, Sinhala-this, etc but before the 13th Century AD, why the word Sinhala is not mentioned anywhere?
Of course, many different races existed before the 13th Century AD, but a race known as Sinhala never existed.
According to the genetic study conducted recently on the Sri Lankan population, the people who call themselves Sinhalese today are having 70% Indian Tamil genes and they still call themselves Aryans.
It is absolutely hilarious to see a race which never existed before the 13th CAD claiming to be the natives and the sole owners of the Island Sri Lanka just because they speak a new language (borrowed from many others), they became a majority because most of the South Indians who arrived throughout history and those tens of thousands of Tamils the Dutch brought in from the Coromandel coast of South India and settled in the southwestern seaboard from Negombo to Galle mainly for growing cinnamon and fishing got naturalized with the Sinhalese and become a part of them as Sinhala Buddhists/Catholics increasing their population and since the British gave them the whole country on a platter.
26. N | February 4th, 2008 at 3:53 am
It is irrelevant who settled in Sri Lanka first. If you tell someone that they are a second class citizen because their ancestors did not settle in the region first they will not simply get in line and follow. Even if there is proof that Tamils are alien to NE Sri Lanka, it will not make the LTTE disappear and the tamils will not accept a unreasonable settlement. It is disgraceful that the Sri Lankan Parliament actually has parties such as the JHU occupying seats. How can you expect Tamils to abandon the LTTE when Sinhalese parties suggest that SL Tamils go back to Tamil Nadu.
Why don’t tamils go back to Tamil Nadu? Why don’t the Sinhalese go back to North India? These questions are racist and counterproductive. Such questions are irrelevant and only serve to deepen the divide between communities. Sri Lanka since earliest times has been a multicultural society. If Sri Lanka wants to maintain its territorial integrity I suggest that it is made a secular federal state. Although the LTTE is regarded as a violent organization even among ordinary Tamils, the LTTE is unfortunately also regarded by the majority of Tamils as a necessary evil to safe guard their existence and presence in Sri Lanka. If the Sinhalese majority continue to refuse Tamils their equal rights then I assure you the LTTE will succeed in establishing Tamil Eelam, because the local Tamil population will not tolerate the abuse of majority power and expatriate and Indian Tamils will not just watch their brethren suffer.
27. Subra S.Massey | February 4th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Hello PON,
You are the man. let see what is good among us and forgive the bad. That way we can live as brothers and sisters. Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa do you hear us.
War is not the answer. Poverty is you enemy not the Tamils or Singhalese. Pon you should write to the President of Sri Lanka.
28. andy lingam | February 4th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Anonymous
Sri Lanka is the home of the Sinhalese; the Sinhalese are from Sri Lanka.
India is the home of the Tamils; the Tamils are from India.
I (am a Sri lankan Tamil) Fully agreed with you.
the Tamils are from India So what… , You want us to go back to where we come from ( or you want to send us back if you can?) ?
Wake up My Lanka puththa!!!!
FYI, I had my hair cut yesterday in Sameera’s (Sinhala) saloon in South Harrow (UK) .
live & let’s live or die & let’s die together!!!!!!!!!!!!!
29. Deva | February 4th, 2008 at 8:27 am
HOW THE SINHALA POPULATION INCREASED?
There is a false propaganda by the Sinhala chauvinists that the majority of the Jaffna Tamils are coolies brought in by the Dutch from Tamil Nadu for the Tobacco plantation in the 17th century AD.
It is true that the Dutch brought slaves from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka during 17th century but what was settled in Jaffna in the Tobacco fields was a very small percentage when compared to those settled in the South from Colombo to Galle on the Southwest coast.
According to the colonial writer Markus Vink, (http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/jwh/14.2/vink.html),
the Dutch Indian Ocean slave trade was flourishing during 17th century.
In 1694, the city of Colombo alone had a slave population of 1,761. See Knaap, ‘Europeans, Mestizos and Slaves,’ p. 88. In 1661, 10,000 slaves had been put to work by the company and by private individuals on the lands in southwestern Ceylon, including 2,000 company slaves.
Ten thousand slaves from Coromandel Coast in South India were brought to the South of Ceylon (Colombo, Galle and the entire South West) by the Dutch.
One of the main sources of income the Dutch had at that time was not Tobacco but Cinnamon.
The South west Coast was where cinnamon grew to perfection during that period, and the Dutch were the monopoly in trading spices. Cinnamon was the staple export. It was ‘the Helen or bride of contest’ (as Baldaeus called it) for whose exclusive possession successive European invaders had in turn contended.
In 1740, Governor Van Imhoff, by a system of forced labor/slaves, planted the waste land along the coast south of Colombo with the Cocoa palm, the result of which is seen in an almost unbroken grove of palms for 100 miles along the south west shore.
In other words, the Sinhalese from the entire South west including Colombo and Galle are partly the decedents (5th generation) of those 10,000 slaves from the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu. As per the article written by Markus Vink, these slaves were settled and used by our colonial masters for the cinnamon and cocoa palm plantation along the South west coast as well as for domestic and other purpose.
During the Dutch period, those slaves would have been domestic laborers, grown cinnamon or planted coconut but today (Within the last 350 years) they have got naturalized with the Sinhalese and become a part of them, as Sinhala Buddhists and Sinhala Catholics. A large part of the present day Sinhalese (those 10,000 would have multiplied into lakhs), both Buddhists/Catholics in the South western coast from Colombo to Galle such as Fernando, De Silva, etc were originally coolies/slaves brought in by the Dutch from Tamil Nadu and today they are the people who are talking about those few coolies/slaves settled in Jaffna during the same period.
The most hilarious part is, these are the people who pretend to be more Sinhala (Patriots) than the original Sinhalese (if there is any such thing today).
30. Dingiri | February 4th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Why worry about who came first when trying to work out a future settlement to the problem? We are all equal arnt we? To me there is an obvious soluion that stares us in the face if we consider the following.
1. The Sinhalese want to be ruled by a Sinhalese.
2. The Tamils want to be ruled by the Tamils.
3. Maybe the Moslems want their own state too where they could rule themselves.
4. Being equal citizens of Sri Lanka citizens of all communities should have equal land entitlements.
5. Everyone, Tamil Sinhala and Moslem should have a say as to which enclave he/she becomes a citizen of. A Tamil who wishes to remain in the South should have that freedom and a Sinhalese, Indian Tamil or Moslem who wants to move to the North or East should have that freedom.
6. There should be open borders and free trade between the 3 or 4 enclaves.
A solution that incorporates these principals does not take away anything from either community but offers self respect and opportunities for progress to all communities for the future.
With some enlightenment we can slowly move towards it. I think it is the inevitable solution in the long run and the sooner we recognise it the better to limit the suffering and economic damage to a future Sri Lanka.
Now whats wrong with calling these enclaves separate states each with their own representatives in the UN? Are there still any losers? I personally can only see winners.
31. Daniel | February 4th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Unlike Kosova or Scotland, the tamils and sinhalese have a very diffrent langauge, religion, culture, food and tradional areas.. the tamils are the majority in the northeast and the sinhaese are the majority in the south.. one majority cannot rule another majority..99% sinhalese army in tamil homelands and serial stte sponsored riots since the british are ample reasons for that..
32. Ram the 2nd | February 4th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Every body is slandering the anonymous for the fact
“Sri Lanka is the home of the Sinhalese; the Sinhalese are from Sri Lanka.
India is the home of the Tamils; the Tamils are from India. ”
The way the tamil nationalist movement led by LTTE, looks up to the Tamilnadu as its motherland, it is natural for the the rest of the srilankans to assume tamils still are from Tamilnadu.
Factually, it is not so. Srilankan tamils are born in srilanka and srilankan citizens.
The whole country is awaiting top see when will the tamil diaspora start acting like SriLanakan citizens rather than looking up to the mama Tamilnadu.
It is the diaspora that wants to seperate this land not the tamils living in SriLanka.
33. Villa Anand | February 4th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Comment 19.
Dear Mr Athos,
I personally do not believe in identifying any one by race and will accept any race ruled the country. What ruled the country were different dynasties and subjects were ordinary people of different classes. It is incorrect to say that there were no Tamil settlements before 10th century. It may be invasion from India in large scale after 10th century. But Sri Lanka had Tamil kings before B.C. Even Mahawamsa acknowledges that Elara was a Tamil king.
You mentioned Kalinga invasion. Kalinga’s are not Tamils. They are from the present day Orisa and suppose to be where the Vijeya the founder of Singhala race came from.
34. Ruwani | February 4th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I am not at all surprised by these former colonial lackeys comparing and demeaning Sri Lanka. Eelamists are utterly jealous creatures. If SL is so bad, I am wondering why they don’t pack thier bags and leave to Naadu. Rest assured no one is going to miss them.
35. mahin | February 4th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
There are some poisonous elements spilling their chauvinistic venoms in these discussions, rather bridging their differences in a civilized manner. This is the typical attitude of a Sinhala modaya. They have been provided a platform to come to wash their sins they had committed against the Tamils by confessing them shelf’s. Please use this opportunity wisely and get Civilized.
36. Devinda Fernando | February 4th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Tamils (especially LTTE FELLATING Tamils) mock Sri Lankan independence because they all lost their prestigious Ranks as the Top 2nd Class Citizens of the British.
So relatively speaking you can understand why they are upset over independence. That is why this Armed Struggle still perpetuates because it has been inbred into Tamil Culture that they are somehow superiour to Sinhalese because Sinhalese refused to be “Colonial Lackies” to the British.
For them it seems better to Live in the Master’s house and shine his furniture, rather than roam the fields without a roof over your head.
37. Rajash | February 4th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Anonymus is a typical sinhala modaya
majority with a minotiy complex so much so he is a coward who does not have the courage to post the comment in his real name
38. Jackson Stuart | February 4th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I am married to a Tamil woman. My dad second married to a sinhalese woman.
Where do we stand on YOUR ethnic conflict?
Some speak of who came first and what “Mawansa” historical recording of the so called sinalese say!
These won’t help todays conflict.
If all can look back only sixty years and settle thing amicably,then, there is a future for this island.
If the island had to be two nation to stop the killings,then, its thousands time better than killing each other.
If a federal arrangement is best suited for both communities, so be it.
After all, the end to killings and war and destruction can be achieved. Sinhalese get fooled by their politicians for sixty long years. Make a resolution for the next sixty years to stop fooling around. Power hungry Politicians lead the sinhalese down this path of war and destruction.
Ceylon could have been the only “Developed World” country in Asia if not for SWRD who was hell bent on defeating UNP and becoming the PM. That’s his personal goal and your nation paying daily with their lives and livelihood. STOP THE ROT NOW…!!
39. Ratna | February 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
It’s funny Sinhalese and Tamils asking each other to go back to India.
No need for that. We are all becoming Indians.
Yes, India is taking over.
Once we called them Kallathoni, but today we’re the Kallathoni’s.
Even our cricket board has no money, depends on Indian cricket board (no wonder we always lose to India).
Very soon we will be India’s 29th and 30th states.
Jai Hind.
40. Athos | February 4th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Ref# 26
/*
Although the LTTE is regarded as a violent organization even among ordinary Tamils, the LTTE is unfortunately also regarded by the majority of Tamils as a necessary evil to safe guard their existence and presence in Sri Lanka.
*/
If you use violence to “safeguard your existence”, then you should not have a problem understanding Sinhalaese will have to reciprocate along those lines. Sinhalese have an overwhelmingly just cause for using violence against you because.
1 - You admit using terror as an instrument.
2 - Opportunities to end the problem was more than adequately provided during JR with Indo-Lanka, Premadasa, CBK and finally under Ranil.
3 - Your politicians started the problem.
4 - You cannot provide any evidence to the effect Tamil homeland existed for centuries in the NE.
Now that you have destroyed our country and its people, you have to pay a price on top the devastation you have suffered because of your own stupidity.
41. Selva | February 4th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
HOW TAMILS BECAME MINORITY
We are not doing a historical research here and we are not experts either to do that but to our knowledge writing something is not wrong. As you enter the musium of Sri Lanka you will see a map of India with Sri Lanka.Three arrows are marked on that one from Kolcutta other from orissa and the other from Maharastra. Actually this map is to cheat the foreigners that the Sinhalese race formed naturally by mixing of many different Indians. Sinhalese came exactly from Bengal and Bihar only. They are the people who introduced the word ‘’Arian'’ in India. They were new to India came along Ganga and settling in Bihar and Belgal. These new commers were telling they are Arians high in rank like that like that. Bhudda didn’t like it and he was fighting against these people. Those days islands of Jaffna were business centre like Singapore. Ships of Romans,Greeks, Chinese etc.. were comming and exchanging thinks here like we do in Kachadivu. Ships were coming here routinely from Kolcatta too. Bhuddha too got in those vessels and came here as a pilgrimage to these Eeswarams and to the Temples in Tamil Nadu. There were two religions in India, in the North Vetha and in Sri lanka and South India Saivam.(Sivam means non-vegitarians.Bhudda was attracted by Sivam. In Tamil nadu they were having meetings called Sangam and through these meetings only they evolved the religion Sivam. Bhudda borrowed the word Sangam too and had the one an only sangam meeting in Gaya and taught the way how live without sinning. Not only the Sinhelese were telling Arians also they wanted to dominate the region like they do in there host country Sri Lanka. He wanted to get rid of these people and encorage them by telling about this Island and expelled them here….. To be Continued…
42. Athos | February 5th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Ref# 33
/*
But Sri Lanka had Tamil kings before B.C. Even Mahawamsa acknowledges that Elara was a Tamil king.
*/
He was an invader first, then he became king for a short period.
/*
You mentioned Kalinga invasion. Kalinga’s are not Tamils. They are from the present day Orisa and suppose to be where the Vijeya the founder of Singhala race came from.
*/
Kalinga was from the East coast, and from the early ‘Dravidian’ or Malayalee variety probably why Jaffna Tamils identify most with Malayanam than TN. Nevertheless, he was the tyrant that drove away Sinhalese from their traditional lands in NE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinga_Magha
If you believe Sinhalese founder came from Orissa, they you also must believe the story of the lion. You then also must be in a position to believe a race habiting an entire island can begin with just one boat load of arrivals.
43. Deva | February 5th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Villa Anand
As you said, the Chola, Pandya, Chera, Pallava, and Sinhala were dynasties (Royal families/ Ruling linage). The South India-Sri Lanka (SISL) region was never considered as two separate countries during the Early Historic Period (EHP) as per the research done by Dr. Siran Dreaniyagala and many other archeologists/epigraphists/historians.
Within the SISL region, the Chola Kingdom, Pandya Kingdom, Chera Kingdom and the Anuradapura Kingdom were invading each other from time to time to expand their territories and to have more power. At the same time, they were also supporting each other by sending their army when one or the other was in trouble.
There was a time when the Sinhala King Gajabahu from the Anuradapura Kingdom invaded South Indian Chola Kingdom taking back 12000 Tamils as captives.
At another time, under Rajaraja Cholan, the Rajarata became a Province of the Chola empire and was called Mummuda Chola Mandalam. Under his son Rajendra 1 (1014 - 1044) Sri Lanka became one of the nine provinces of the Chola Empire and was called Eelam Mandalam.
None of the above kingdoms were alien to the people in SISL region during the early historic period. The people were moving back and forth between Sri Lanka and South India freely along with their cultures, languages, religions, artifacts and technologies with the sea dividing the two land masses acting as a unifier rather than a divider. The idea of looking upon them as outsiders or aliens was surely not prevalent in the Early Historical Period, but it was only Ven. Mahanama, the author of Mahavamsa who made them foreigners and aliens.
Right from the beginning with Vijay and his men taking wives from Madurai in Pandya Nadu, as a tradition, the Kings of Sri Lanka up to the last one took wives (Queens) from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Even the last four Kings of Kandy were from the Nayakkar Dynasty from Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
Tamils have lived in the Island of Sri Lanka from the beginning of its known history. At least from Rajaraja Cholan (985 - 1014 CE), for a thousand years, the Tamils lived as a majority within a separate land area with a separate religion, culture and language. They also had their own independent Kingdoms within their separate land. When the Europeans arrived in Sri Lanka, what they clearly observed was that, there were two different ethnic groups having two different languages, religions, cultures, and living in two well defined and clearly and naturally (jungles, lakes, etc) demarcated land areas with their own kingdoms within their traditional lands.
When the Portuguese conquered Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese and the Tamils had separate Kingdoms and both were majority in their own traditional lands.
The British, on seeing the naturally existing borders of the two ethnic groups used their technology to demarcate them as two separate regions (occupied by two separate races) and created the maps for the first time somewhere in the 1800s.
Unfortunately, the same British later united the two regions into a single unitary state in 1833 and gave it to one ethnic group (Sinhalese) in 1948 ignoring the other (Tamils) creating a majority/minority problem and a total mess in the region.
44. Maha Raj | February 5th, 2008 at 1:49 am
My Comment # 24 erroneously stated as respond to #21.
It’s actually for #23, RAM, another LION- DNA man!
45. Deva | February 5th, 2008 at 3:14 am
The Sinhalese and Tamils did not have any problems in Sri Lanka till the late 19th century. It is not a surprise that half the Sinhala aristocracy signed the Kandyan Convention in Tamil.
It was only in the 19th century AD, the British discovered the Mahavamsa. The first printed edition and English translation of the Mahavansha was published in 1837 by George Turnour, an historian and officer of the Ceylon Civil Service. A German translation of Mahavansha was completed by Wilhelm Geiger in 1912. This was then translated into English by Mabel Haynes Bode, and the English translation was revised by Geiger.
Due to the uncritical acceptance of the Mahavamsa by the British after discovering it in the 19th century AD, a new perspective of the ancient history of the island began to develop. The view that the Sinhalese were ‘Aryans’, and ‘proper inhabitants’ of the island in ancient times and that the Tamils were ‘Dravidians’, and ‘invaders’ came to dominate British historical writings. The most influential figure in this field was the great German Ideologist, Max Muller.
Don David Hewavitarana better known as Anagarika Dharmapala along with Don Niculas Gunawardhana aka Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala and a few other Sinhala scholars in late 19th century Sri Lanka took up Max Muller’s theories and injected a RACIALIST content into Sinhala nationalist thinking.
Anagarika Dharmapala was the God father of Sinhala Buddhist racism in Sri Lanka. Through his racist publications such as the ‘Sinhala Bauddhaya’, ‘Sinhala Jatiya’, and the ‘Mahabodhi Journal’ during the period between 1909 to 1915, he propagated the Mahavamsa as the Orthodox Theravada Buddhist doctrine of the Sinhala Buddhists.
His anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim propaganda during that time was the beginning of the Sinhala Buddhist racism in Sri Lanka.
His virulent attacks on Muslims and Tamils led to his internment in Calcutta by the British in 1915.
He called the Sinhala Buddhists as the only unique race with a pure Aryan blood and all others as impure and illegal immigrants. He was such a strong racist like the Nazi German Hitler. It was due to him, and his followers including the Maha Sangha are the main cause for the enmity, hatred, death and destruction of our people and our country today.
46. Kumara Ekanayake | February 5th, 2008 at 6:39 am
After sixty years of independence, Sinhalese have lost the freedom due bogus freedom fighters (terrorists). The time
will tell the truth, However, Sri Lankan younger generation is missing their right to see the Adulthood.I cant believe that some Tamils help to Organisations like LTTE which is led by a Psychopath.
47. Deva | February 5th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Ratna,
What you said is 100% true. India is economically prospering at an exponential rate, most of those Indians who worked outside are returning back.
In the near future Sri Lanka may have to send House Maids to India instead of Mid-East and Far-East for higher salaries.
It is good that our younger generation has already started learning Hindi.
48. a SL voter | February 5th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I have some simple questions: Please think and answer to yourself.
1. I my father had commited a crime, but never convicted in the court of law. Will you trial me for that crime?
2. My fore father came from India (forget when) Will you all want to chase me to India where I have no relatives?
3. My father was from Kandy. He used to say he is from the Royal blood. If I proove that, will you all give me the kandian kingdom?
this is not a question. If I live in this country from birth, I have the right to live here. Otherwise, we there is no 100% pure Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, or Veddha (Veddha’s are any way having the mixed blood) blood, we all have to leave the country.
Unfortunately, no one else will accept us as one of their people.
Dear, DBS, there is no point in arguing on who came first. Whoever came first,we are not that pure blood. we are a mixed crowd and speak differnet languages have differnet culture, but learn to live togeather. (Either under one government or under many governments.)
DBSJ RESPONDS: Dear SL Voter. I have not made any argument about who came first. I have only stated not argued that there has been a Tamil presence on this Island from time immemorial.
49. Deva | February 5th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Devinda Fernando,
Why are you twisting the history in the opposite direction? WHO were collaborating with the colonial rulers? It was not the Tamils who were “Colonial Lackies” but the Sinhalese.
The Portuguese gave the Sinhalese a fore name as DON for collaborating with them and helping them with all their basic needs. (Remember, unlike the Dutch and the British, the Portuguese did not bring their women).
Some examples were Don David Hewavitarana AKA Anagarika Dharmapala and Don Niculas Gunawardhana AKA Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala.
The Portuguese also gave surnames to the children born to the Sinhalese women as Perera, Silva, Fernando, Fonseka, Dias, Coorey, Corea, Mendis, Peris, etc.
The Tamils do not have Silvas and Fernandos because they were NOT “Colonial Lackies” like the Sinhalese.
WHO WERE THE “Colonial Lackies” TO THE BRITISH?
The Sinhalese such as the Senanayakes, Jayawardanes, Bandaranayakes, Wijayawardenas, Kothalawelas and many others were not only collaborating with the British but they were also bending into different postures and licking their feet. Due to that they earned the name ‘KALU SUDDHAS’ from their own fellow Sinhalese.
Unlike the Indians such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Mohd Ali Ginna who suffered for their Independence, the British gave our SINHALA KALU SUDDHAS Independence on a platter (without shedding a single drop of tears, sweat or blood) and made them leaders to rule the entire country including the Traditional Tamil Areas.
You should thank the British for unifying the separate Tamil federal state with the Sinhala states in 1833 and giving it entirely to the Sinhalese in 1948, the so called Independence. This is the reason why the Tamils are upset over independence. It is not the independence for Tamils. Just 8 years after the so called Independence, the Sinhalese started killing the Tamils in the 1956 riots. That is why this Armed Struggle still perpetuates.
Sadly, today the Tamil boys and girls have to sacrifice their lives to get our separate Tamil federal state back from the Sinhalese who collaborated, conspired and convinced the British by being the “Colonial Lackies”.
50. N | February 5th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Athos I assure you LTTE and other tamil militant groups are a response to the behavior of the SL Armed forces in the NE. Tamils don’t need a president who only talks about war and defeating the tigers they need someone that can give them peace through a credible solution not dropping bombs in their villages. I’m not condoning LTTE violence but if you had lived in the NE during the initial stages of this conflict then your perspective would also be different.
51. N | February 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Athos your claims of racial superiority over tamils is amusing, I assure you that as long as people of your mentality are in government Sri Lanka can expect to fight the tigers for a long time to come.
52. Selva | February 5th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Attn. 48.. Dear a SL voter what we should have done is like what happened in Rwanda we should have captured the whole Sri Lanka and negotiated with Indian and Bangaladesi governments to repatiate the Sinhalese. What to do the Tigers and the PLOT has spoiled the whole war. Even Sri Sabaratnam of TELO should be blamed for failing the war because he is the one gave the idea to Pirabaharan that the movements could be expelled. At least if we could have brought the whole of north &east even we could have sent back the Sinhalese the Sinhala Sri Lanka and brought back the Tamils who were sent back under Srima-Sasdri pact. What to do the Sinhalese are laughing at us because of Tigers.
53. Anonymous | February 5th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
lines not from bharathi but from namakkal kavingnar
54. Raj | February 5th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
If it wasnt clear from the last 25 years of tiger terror, the last ten days should help focus for the IC why there is no peace option that involves the tigers. They must be wiped out, sure if you want to only support us tacitly to not risk upsetting your tiger sypathising constiuents so be it, but please keep up the pressure and help curt them off.
Lets put end to suicide bombing of civilians and killing of politicians for having a different opinion.
55. Ram the 2nd | February 6th, 2008 at 12:16 am
What is the atatus of the SriLnakan tamils 60 years after the independance?
Tamils had fallen from the frying pan to the fire.
Started at 12%, now barely at 5% of the population.
All of this due to Eelam movement. If achieved it would have been the miracle of the 21st century. Now that the idea is defunct, we all can blame it on the sinhalas.
Tamils worst enemy is a tamil.
No matter how you slice it, Tamil leaders were unable to accept the reality and could not advocate the mutual coexistance with the rest of the population.
Provocation of the tamil extremists led to what it is today, only the tamils are paying dearly for the sins of their fore fathers.
56. Athos | February 6th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Hello N.
/*
Athos I assure you LTTE and other tamil militant groups are a response to the behavior of the SL Armed forces in the NE.
*/
If you told me that 10 or 15 years ago I would have sympatised with you. However, this is 30 years running and not without making attempts to solve these problems. Whining about the same excuses gets stale after a while.
/*I assure you that as long as people of your mentality are in government Sri Lanka can expect to fight the tigers for a long time to come.
*/
What I can assure you is, myself and many others like me have a resolve to finish off the LTTE even if takes a life time. You can do yourself a favor by accepting this fact. Hopefully the realisation will force you to take action to salvage something out of Jaffna other than a graveyard.
57. Deva | February 6th, 2008 at 2:22 am
The Buddhist monk Ven. Mahanama from the Mahavihara (temple) was a poet who wrote the Mahavamsa in the 5th century AD (more than 1000 years after the passing away of Lord Buddha and the arrival of Vijaya) not as a history of Sri Lanka but to glorify the Kings who were the patrons of the Mahavihara (temple) in Anuradapura, for their good deeds in promoting and sustaining Theravada Buddhism. Mahavamsa is NOT the history of the entire country.
There is a clear record of all the main events of Buddha, the places he visited, with whom he was, where and what he preached and to whom he preached, in the Buddhist scriptures Tripitika. In the Mahavamsa, Ven. Mahanama has created the myth that Buddha made three magical trips to Sri Lanka, each time colonizing another area of the island, in preparation for the formal introduction of Buddhism two centuries after his passing away and Buddha assigning God Vishnu to protect with zeal prince Vijay and his followers and the doctrine that is to endure in Lanka for a full five thousand years.
The followers of the above have created an imaginary link between the three elements, Country-Race-Religion and made it into one unit similar to the Holy Trinity, whereby Sri Lanka (Dhamma Deepa), Buddha’s chosen people (Sinhalese), and Buddhism (Buddha Sasana) should be protected for 5000 years. This is known as the Jathika chintanaya or the Mahavamsa mindset and one of its outcomes is the unitary state. Therefore, for the next 2500 years a Sinhala Buddhist nationalist will never allow a federal state in Sri Lanka.
When the British discovered the Mahavamsa it in the 19th century AD, they accepted it as the history of the entire country. This helped a few Sinhala scholars such as Anagarika Dharmapala, Ven. Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala and others to promote Sinhala nationalist thinking and Sinhala racism into the minds of the innocent unsuspecting Sinhala people.
From there on words, the Maha Sangha took over the task of promoting Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism/racism in Sri Lanka. By including the Mahavamsa as a part of Buddhist scriptures, the Theravada Buddhism has turned into Sinhala Buddhism which is unique to Sri Lanka.
Since the Mahavamsa is also written in the Pali language, a Buddhist layperson who does not understand Pali cannot understand the difference between the Buddhist scripture Thripitika and the Mahavamsa. Therefore he/she believes everything what the Buddhist monks preach, as the true words of Buddha.
Even though a Buddhist Bikkhu should practice Ahimsa, Karuna, Metta, and Maithriya towards the fellow humans irrespective of race or religion, not only by words but also in his thoughts and action, due to the misinterpretation of the Mahavamsa, a Bikkhu is at liberty to engage in racist politics and promote war and hatred as we see today.
From a very young age, the innocent Sinhala Buddhist children who attend the Daham Pasela (Sunday school) in the Buddhist temples are brainwashed by engraving the Mahavamsa Buddhism and Sinhala Buddhist racism into their sub-conscious minds.
They are taught to believe that the Non Sinhala Buddhists (Tamils) are invaders, they don’t belong to Sri Lanka, all the Tamils should be chased away to Tamil Nadu just the way their ancient Kings Dutugemunu, Parakarama Bahu and Sapumal kumara did. The country, Sinhala race and Buddhism should be protected from the Tamils.
If this attitude continues, what ever solution the GOSL provides, the Sinhalese and Tamils can never live together in Peace. Even a very minor dispute between a Sinhalese and a Tamil in some corner such as a liquor bar can erupt into a big ethnic issue, and, as long as they cling on to these 2500 years old mysteries of the past as their guide, many more young and innocent boys and girls from both sides are going to loose their lives.
DBSJ, you are one of the most respected journalists among the Sri Lankans both Tamils and Sinhalese. As a service to our nation, it is also a part of your moral duties to highlight these facts to the masses who are being hoodwinked by a few pseudo-scholars.
58. Deva | February 6th, 2008 at 5:57 am
The ethnic problem in our country has a history of more than 50 years, and almost all the leaders in the GOSL recognized it. Today the whole world (IC) talks about a federal solution, but still the Sinhala-Buddhist Nationalists with narrow mind and low mentality, with a primitive thinking Mahavamsa mindset cannot comprehend anything beyond their own race.
The minority Tamils are not trying to grab something from the majority Sinhalese, we are only asking for our share which rightfully belongs to us.
In multiethnic societies/countries like Sri Lanka where the ethnic differences is usually enough to create tension in the relation between races, if one race GRABS all the political or economic power for itself just because it is a majority, there will definitely be strong antagonism from other races, which causes political instability and violent confrontations as we see in our country.
In such situations, no economic growth or development takes place, and therefore, the race which takes all for itself will find that it would be owning all of nothing of the country that is politically unstable (involved in civil war) and with an economy that not only fail to grow but would actually be shrinking, in the end, the race which grabs everything will find that it has nothing.
On the other hand, if the races decide to share political power and economic wealth under a federal system within a united country, the chances are the country would be stable and the economy would grow, each race will get less then 100% of the political power or economic wealth but the growth of the country in both spheres will ensure that the portion that each race gets would actually be bigger than the 100% of the original political power and economic wealth.
If I put in simple terms, it is better to own a slice of the political or economic cake which grows healthily than to own the whole of the cake that shrinks and disappears. That is, the races share political power and strive to redistribute wealth from the growing economic cake so as to ensure that every race has a fair share.
This fair share is what we are asking for the last so many years.
When the Europeans were ruling the country, they treated both Sinhalese and Tamils equally.
They did not colonize the Sinhalese in Tamil areas, did not bring ‘Sinhala Only, Buddhist only’ laws, they developed Jaffna almost similar to Colombo with very good schools, they gave employment on merit basis, to put it in simple terms, the Sinhalese and Tamils were treated equally without any discrimination.
If the Sinhalese leaders did the same, our economy would have grown, today Sri Lanka would have been in a better position in the world map, and will not be known as ‘the country of housemaids/nannies’.
59. Villa Anand | February 6th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Dear Mr. Athos,
To your response #42,
You missed my first statement that country was ruled by dynasties and not by people.
My point was not to say who came first, but to point out the absurdities in claiming the land by racial identites.
Elara might have invaded the land from India. But with him there were soldiers, priests and artisans arrived and settled more than 2000 years ago. This had been continuously occurring either by armed invasion or by trade and friendly exchange. The reference to Mahawamsa was only to point out that even by it’s prejudiced version of history, there cannot be racial uniqueness among people in Sri Lanka. The word race has lost it’s meaning. People have identities, individual and group. Group identities are used to dominate, defend, protect or share.
We tend to blame the Governments for the current situation. Government’s represent the people either democratic or not. In Sri Lanka they represented the interest of the petty bourgeois that are benefited by racial, religious, cast and gender divisions. Ordinary people even though they do not belong to this class, they are influenced by this bourgeois by using false interpretation of the history. In Sri Lanka the average Sinhalese does not hate the Tamils and vice versa. But it is not hatred, lack of progressive thinking, as a person’s position is determined by birth, gender, race, status, cast etc and using such difference to score over the other in competition. Question is, will they give up their advantage of being a majority, cast, family status, gender superiority and try to be equal with every one to be judged and rewarded only by their own merit.
60. Devinda Fernando | February 6th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
RESPONSE to #49
*** The Portuguese gave the Sinhalese a fore name as DON for collaborating with them and helping them with all their basic needs. (Remember, unlike the Dutch and the British, the Portuguese did not bring their women). The Tamils do not have Silvas and Fernandos because they were NOT Colonial Lackies like the Sinhalese. ***
Deva,
Ignorant Fool. The Portuguese forcibly converted many Sri Lankans to Cristianity - Tamils too were no exception: Names like: Roystan, Joseph, Fernando, Fernandopulle, etc All Tamil names too! Go look in a Jaffna phonebook if you dont believe me.
And were talking about the British, not the Portuguese. 60 years of Independence was from the British those are the Colonial Masters you Tamils enjoyed shining shoes for.You Tamils followed behind them with your noses so far up their rear ends embracing their language and culture, and even doing the work we refused to do like picking tea for their plantations. (The British had to ship in MORE Tamils from India to do those jobs!) You call us lazy because we didnt embrace British Colonialism like you did, now how ironic you have followed your former Colonial Bwanas back to their homeland? Maybe you can now try to take their land from them, if you werent too busy enthusiastically and wholeheartedly integrating into their society yet again and trying to marry their white women.
Tamils never suffered for independence in Sri Lanka, you loved your Master-Servant arrangement. You all thought that by being Colonial Bootlickers (Like GG Ponambalan) and sit on the sidelines that your Obediant Minority would inherit the House when the Master left town. You selectively forget how Ponambalan and your COLONIAL KISS-ASS Politicians tried to do away with the Soulsbury Constitution and split the country 50-50? Tamils who were not even 15% of the country would get 50% of the Island,Why? For being Colonial Lackies.Thats why!
You people thought that was an entitlement for being Loyal Lap Dogs to the British didnt you!? Your so-called Traditional Tamil Areas were forfeited when you people decide that Colombo 6 & 7 would be your homes because those were the houses in which you lived when you polished your Masters’ furniture. I dont see a huge rush for you Tamils to Leave “traditional Sinhala Lands - even to this day. Most of you stay in Colombo and enjoy the benefits of it unlike Jaffna where your Thalaivar takes your money and livelihood at gunpoint without question. Sadly today you breed the same Hate, Racial Superiority, and Arrogant Contempt that your grandparents had toward to the Sinhalese that got them in this mess in the first place. Dont come here trying to White-Wash Tamil History, and play the victim in all these problems. Your souls are stained just as much as ours.
61. Ruwani Perera | February 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
These people have plenty of time to waste and hence write novels in here!
It’s pointless writing short stories when your mesg can be said in a single paragraph.
“My view on this: In contemporary times, you need to look at issues in a global perspective and there is no unity among races nor the will to mend things up politically. Thus, it would be better off going separate ways and develop the nations for the future generations sake.” Sri Lanka /Ceylon missed the IT Revolution bus long time ago. It has missed the WTO/ Global Village bus again. all due to corrupt and scrupulous politico’s swindling the public purse for their own betterment”
The redemption to SL has to be the division.
62. B | February 6th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Athos maybe what happened in the past is irrelevant to you but to move forward it is important to accept the past and people like in the government refuse to accept that there is a problem, they just say that there is a terrorism problem, but your willful ignorance is just serving the purpose of extending this war. You say that you and others are determined to destroy the LTTE, I heard the same remark about 9 years ago from someone else but it has not happened after many years. Go to the root of the problem, destroying the LTTE is not going to solve the problem. Even if the LTTE is defeated, another militant group will take their place soon enough unless changes are made to make tamils true sri lankan citizens by giving them equal rights through a federal state.
63. Subra S.Massey | February 6th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Mr.Dingiri,
Some times you are my enemy some times you make sense to me. In my opinion there is one country called Sri Lanka and one people called Sri Lankans. You know, if you ask a Tamil where are you from? They say Sri Lanka, why do we say Sri Lanka?Beacuse we love the country. It is beautiful country.
If the Tamils and Singhalese can get together and create honest comminication we will be the next Japan or Singapore.
Let start the healing process and 10 years from now we can look back and say thank god we finally realised our mistakes. Mr. Dingiri lets put food on the table, roof over head and much more. All Sri Lankans must live as one people and the whole world msur live as one people. To talk in terms of race, religion, class is primitive.
64. bk | February 6th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
When I read the above comments, I can not help but learn that most of the above commenter’s have never been to Sri Lanka.
I have been to Sri Lanka several times and have seen through my own eyes and experienced for myself that Sinhala Buddhist people can and do live amicably, with Sinhala Christian people, Muslim people who speak another language, Tamil Christian people, Tamil Hindu people and Chinese/Korean people.
I suggest before anyone make false comments, one should travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and hang around amongst the locals to see how multi-cultural cosmopolitan city that has become and how people live and go on about their business without any problems. I have noticed this in other urban areas of Sri Lanka as well.
It is quite evident that Sinhala Buddhist has become a soft target.
Perhaps, the real problem is that Tamil people need to know that they have to learn to live amongst other ethnics/religious-devotees without causing a problem, in this world, which is becoming more and more multi-cultural day by day in every corner of the world.
65. Abdullah | February 6th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Look Gyus,
Mos of the comments made in this forum dont understand or leant the history of Sri Lanka. Please dont use your heart, use your brain to base your comments. If you are a logically thinking person, look at the world geography, which part of the Srilanka is closer to India? The first civilization should have taken the closest passage bet ween two countries. This proves either way about the first civilisation to occupy Sri lanka. If you dont understand this logic, you should have come from our current presidents family!!
66. N | February 6th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
bk I do not mean to insult you but Colombo is a single city in Sri Lanka, please travel to the NE of Sri Lanka and see that people are suffering because of the racist politics of most Sri Lankan armed or unarmed parties that dominate Sri Lanka. There is no pint arguing that there is no constitutional problem, there is a constitutional problem and its not going to go away just because we do not acknowledge it.
67. N | February 6th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Athos maybe what happened in the past is irrelevant to you but to move forward it is important to accept the past and people like in the government refuse to accept that there is a problem, they just say that there is a terrorism problem, but your willful ignorance is just serving the purpose of extending this war. You say that you and others are determined to destroy the LTTE, I heard the same remark about 9 years ago from someone else but it has not happened after many years. Go to the root of the problem, destroying the LTTE is not going to solve the problem. Even if the LTTE is defeated, another militant group will take their place soon enough unless changes are made to make tamils true sri lankan citizens by giving them equal rights through a federal state.
68. Suresh M | February 6th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
#60
Fernando,
I agree with Deva, and you should go back to your Fartherland.
*** The Portuguese gave the Sinhalese a fore name as DON for collaborating with them and helping them with all their basic needs. (Remember, unlike the Dutch and the British, the Portuguese did not bring their women). The Tamils do not have Silvas and Fernandos because they were NOT Colonial Lackies like the Sinhalese. ***
69. Deva | February 6th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Devinda Fernando,
Before I come to the subject, let me ask you why you are sooooo frustrated.
Just look at your response, look at the language you are using in a public forum.
Wonderful, really great man, you are at your best!
This shows your frustration and inability in countering the arguments put forward by others.
Great job keep it up buddy. You have yet again cleared doubts about your bringing up and your origin, and the class you belong to.
The words you uttered would suit you and your family members more than any of us.
What a self advertisement. LOL.
There is no point in explaining anything to a totally ignorant buffoons like you because you seem to be brought up in the slums and you are showing others about your low level of education and decency. When things doesn’t seem to favour you or when there is no proper counter argument you use such degrading and offensive words.
We cannot blame you because such animal instincts are already in your blood coming from that half lion.
Usually I do not respond to people of your caliber because I cannot stoop down to your low level to reply you but if you read very carefully what I have written, you will understand that there are NO Silvas or Fernandos or any other portuguse named Tamils in the NE (Tamil Homeland).
Can you tell me which Sinhalaya fought head on with the British to gain Independence in 1948?
Those Sinhalayas I have mentioned in my above post did not fight the British, they only collaborated and conspired with the colonial rulers by licking their boots to gain Independence in 1948.
Please do not speak rubbish. If you do not know history and if you cannot help, but continue speaking rubbish, at least try not dump your rubbish in a public forum like this. You are making a fool out of your self.
By the way, do not forget to listen to Nanda Malini’s ‘Nidahas Baila’. You will get to know the rest.
70. mahin | February 7th, 2008 at 5:18 am
Simply divide and develop the two nations based on healthy competition. Don’t be scared of Tamil’s abilities.
71. Deva | February 7th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Athos,
You said quoting DBSJ that there is no evidence of large scale Tamil settlements before 10th centuryAD. Yes, it is true but there were NO Sinhalese settlements either. You said the Sinhalese were driven down from their traditional lands in the north by marauding Tamil armies. It is true that there was a Chola invasion during the time of Rajaraja Cholan in the 10th century AD and the Anuradapura Kingdom which was ruled by the Sinhalese kings were gradually driven down starting from Polonaruwa and further down towards Kotte because of the Chola invasions.
But in the recorded history of Sri Lanka, where is it mentioned that there was a mass influx/settlement of Tamils from South India to the North of Sri Lanka during that period?
In the recorded history of Sri Lanka, where is it mentioned that there was a mass exodus of Sinhalese from the North to the South? Did all the Sinhalese simply pack their bags and go to the South leaving all their lands to the newly arrived Tamils without any protest?
If such a thing happened the Sinhala Buddhist monks who wrote the so called history of Sri Lanka would have never missed such incidents, but where did they record them?
The Chola invaders did not bring Tamils and settle them in the North and chase away the Sinhalese to the South. They only converted the Buddhists into Hindus. According to Prof K. Indrapala, there was NO mass migration, but only an effective language replacement. The Koviars (Goviars), Nallawas, Tanakaras and a few others were originally Sinhalese speaking Buddhists who were living in the North before the 10th CAD who got converted into Tamil speaking Hindus.
According to the census carried out by Mudliyar Simon Cassie Chetty, 20% of the population lived in Peninsular Jaffna as late as 1824, have had some clear SINHALA ancestry, even though they lived as TAMILS belonging to different castes.
Right from the beginning of the known history, Sri Lanka was a multi ethnic society/country. The Tamils were not confined to a particular area, they were living along with the others throughout the country.
The only common factor which kept all these multi-ethnic groups together was Buddhism because they were all (including Tamils) Buddhists and they shared the same Buddhist temples (Theravada and Mahayana).
It was only during the 10th CAD, when the Cholas who were strong Hindus (Saivism) were ruling Sri Lanka, they did everything in their power to destroy Buddhism and they managed to convert many Buddhists into Hindus.
As a result, the Tamils got separated from the others into a well defined and clearly demarcated land area with a separate language, religion and culture.
According to the latest Genetic studies/research on the populations of Sri Lanka and India carried out by the geologist Gautam Kumar Kshatriya, it is found that the Sinhalese contribute 70% Indian Tamils, 25% Bengalis, and 5% Veddhas. On the other hand, the Sri Lankan NE Tamils contribute 55% Sinhalese, 28% Bengalis and only 17% Indian Tamils.
In other words, both Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan (NE) Tamils are from the same stock and belong to a common gene pool.
My suggestion is, try to read the book known as ‘The evolution of an Ethnic Identity: The Tamils in Sri Lanka C. 300 BCE to C. 1200 CE (2nd Revised-2007) by Prof. K. Indrapala, a well known historian from Sri Lanka.
72. Desha | February 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
The tamils and the sinhaese are very diffrent people.. Both are majorities in their own areas of the islands..how can one mojoirty rule another mojority?.. Can India rule pakistan ?.. can serbia rule croatia which has the same langague?
73. Devinda Fernando | February 7th, 2008 at 11:56 am
*** Before I come to the subject, let me ask you why you are sooooo frustrated.
Just look at your response, look at the language you are using in a public forum. ****
LOL! Who’s frustrated here? I find debating you Kotiyas here amusing. Looks like you are because you keep responding to me trying to take the Moral High Ground but resorting to the same name calling? Do you want me to copy and post some examples of your behavior? At least I have the decency to admit I have no qualms calling it like it is. You on the other hand are trying to maintain a mask of Deceit.
*** We cannot blame you because such animal instincts are already in your blood coming from that half lion. ***
You were saying something about: ‘When things doesn’t seem to favor you or when there is no proper counter argument you use such degrading and offensive words’- LOL! how Ironic you don’t even see your own hypocrisy here. But then again you call Sinhalese people ‘Racist’ and ‘Chauvinist’ but then call for your Own Racially-Pure Tamil-Only Homeland’ Racism and Hypocrisy must be part of your DNA’?
*** Usually I do not respond to people of your caliber because I cannot stoop down to your low level to reply you but if you read very carefully what I have written, you will understand that there are NO Silvas or Fernandos or any other portuguse named Tamils in the NE (Tamil Homeland). ***
North East homeland! Don’t make me laugh! There was never a Eastern Kingdom’do you want to argue that fact?! but why should that matter to you anyway,? You people try to take what you can and not share with rest. You think you are so superior? And How very convenient for you’ You say no Tamils in the North and East were Christian’? Oh so all those Churches were built for who? The Sinhalese? Oh but wait! I thought you said those were Tamil Homelands’. IF only Tamils live in the North and East as you claim (and you make a point of saying that as an argument for getting Eelam) then who are the churches for? Who are all these Tamil Christians going there? And furthermore,’. I love the way you now exclude ‘Other Tamils’ to try win this argument, but in the Eelam Struggle when you justify this to the International Community you are Inclusive of All Tamils under the Blanket Tamil Identity (created in the 1880s) to suit your propaganda and Lies. I guess you can only Spin this to the International community by saying ALL Tamils are the Same and believe and want the same as your North & East Tamils and the LTTE. You have to claim that Sri Lanka is a Genocidal Nightmare for Tamils when in reality most Tamils live well and equal to the Sinhalese. Only those in the war zones are suffering but the LTTE nor you really don’t give a S**T about them do you’. They are your ‘Sacrificial Lambs’ and ‘Involuntary Martyrs’ that you can photograph and sell to the International Community as the Reason for your Terrorist Ideology.
Look where you are now’Pariahs in Western countries submitting yourselves to Western powers. You talk about Self-determination for Tamils and the Tamil Language, but you Diaspora Donkeys wholeheartedly encourage your Children to integrate into Western society. Learn their languages,’ it is ok for Tamils to learn English but not Sinhala? That clearly shows your Arrogant Contempt for the Sinhalese. You DON’T want the problems of Sri Lanka to be fixed because you don’t want to live with the Sinhalese,’ but living with the Canadians and the British and Scrubbing their Toilets for them is not even a question for you. You Love it!
*** Those Sinhalayas I have mentioned in my above post did not fight the British, they only collaborated and conspired with the colonial rulers by licking their boots to gain Independence in 1948. ***
The Fact Remains that regardless of How we achieved Independence,’we still ACHIEVED IT!’ you Tamils love Boasting about Gandhi and Non-Violence'’ and now you’re criticizing the Sinhalese for Obtaining Independence Peacefully? Colonial Lackie Tamils didn’t want Independence,’like I said you enjoyed the Master-Servant Arrangement didn’t you! That is why you’re Bitter about the British leaving to this day isn’t it? By the way, do not forget to counter what I said about GG Ponambalan’. I’m still waiting for that rebuttal’.
74. Devinda Fernando | February 7th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
*** I agree with Deva, and you should go back to your Fartherland. ***
LOL! And you to yours Suresh…
By arrogantly trying to fight the Sinhalese (who you consider beneath you) and take more than what you deserve, you have lost your lands, your limbs, your friends, your culture, and your minds. You will die in a foreign land alone, haunted by the thousands of young Tamils you have sacrificed for your unattainable goal.
The LTTE is the best thing that happened to F**k up the Tamils in Sri Lanka. And DOnkeys like you support it whoelheartedly.
75. Suresh M | February 7th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Re: # 71
Deva,
You should have mentioned that what geologist Gautam Kumar Kshatriya did not find. 70% of Fernando’s gene is traced back to Portugal.
76. varakuna | February 7th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
my dear friends who are suporting our freedom please dont go and argue with this type of modayas.before you teach history you teach arithmetic.because their army spokeperson giving killed LTTErs day by day
30 to 40.this modayas believe that…….but the days are numberd…Namungal Thamil Eealam Naalai Pirakkum
77. Athos | February 7th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
/* You said quoting DBSJ that there is no evidence of large scale Tamil settlements before 10th centuryAD. Yes, it is true but there were NO Sinhalese settlements either. You said the Sinhalese were driven down from their traditional lands in the north by marauding Tamil armies. It is true that there was a Chola invasion during the time of Rajaraja Cholan in the 10th century AD and the Anuradapura Kingdom which was ruled by the Sinhalese kings were gradually driven down starting from Polonaruwa and further down towards Kotte because of the Chola invasions.*/
You agree the island capital was forced down towards south because of Tamil/foreign invasions. Yet at the same time, you make the assertion there was no Sinhala settlements in the north. What were Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms if there were no Sinhala settlements in the north?
/* But in the recorded history of Sri Lanka, where is it mentioned that there was a mass influx/settlement of Tamils from South India to the North of Sri Lanka during that period? */
Typicall each invader came with an army of 25-30 thousand. Then each soldier brought their immediate family. Then they ruled for many years with constant trickle of Tamils landing on our shores.
/* In the recorded history of Sri Lanka, where is it mentioned that there was a mass exodus of Sinhalese from the North to the South? Did all the Sinhalese simply pack their bags and go to the South leaving all their lands to the newly arrived Tamils without any protest?*/
Please read the link I have given above viz-a-vis Kalinga-Magha invasion.
/* The Chola invaders did not bring Tamils and settle them in the North and chase away the Sinhalese to the South. They only converted the Buddhists into Hindus. According to Prof K. Indrapala, there was NO mass migration, but only an effective language replacement. */
You are partly correct. It could not have been just forced colonisation. There would have been Sinhala cultural genocide along with gradual assimilation of Sinhalese into foreign colonies as well.
/* The only common factor which kept all these multi-ethnic groups together was Buddhism because they were all (including Tamils) Buddhists and they shared the same Buddhist temples (Theravada and Mahayana).It was only during the 10th CAD, when the Cholas who were strong Hindus (Saivism) were ruling Sri Lanka, they did everything in their power to destroy Buddhism and they managed to convert many Buddhists into Hindus.*/
I don’t think Tamils embracing Buddism is compatible with historical events. If the Chola who were strong Hindus did anything in their power to destroy Buddhism what chance the same people doing it in reverse?
/*As a result, the Tamils got separated from the others into a well defined and clearly demarcated land area with a separate language, religion and culture. */
That is quite true. The land which was previously occupied by Sinhalese.
78. Athos | February 7th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Dear N,
/*You say that you and others are determined to destroy the LTTE, I heard the same remark about 9 years ago from someone else but it has not happened after many years.*/
I want to destroy LTTE not because of anything else but to restore some resemblance of rule of law and normalcy. Most are simply unable to continue in a state of anarchy and mindless violence. Nothing can justify this level of violence let alone some some crackpot aspirations.
Personally, I always tend to look at the bright side of things. In fact, you may be surprised to know I think LTTE is a blessing in disguise to the Sinhalese and by extension other minorities. The Sinhalase Buddhists were in deep slumber when the Brits left. After centuries of isolation and mistreatment the morale had sunk to very low level. If you look closely, the LTTE has been a catalyst for change. The Sinhalese have gained at the expense of Ceylon Tamils. An absolute beauty is, it was not the Sinhalese who instigated the process. The longer the LTTE lasts, the more it benefits the Sinhalese. I could elaborate, but I really don’t enjoy rubbing salt on wounds.
When you say things haven’t changed after 9 years, I see you as someone who don’t know how to pick trends.
79. Athos | February 7th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Sorry Deva,
#73 is a reply to you.
With regard to Indrapala’s book, read the following observations by Gaston Perera.
Justifying a change of heart
Indrapala’s Evolution of an Ethnic Identity
by Gaston Perera
http://www.island.lk/2008/02/07/features7.html
http://www.island.lk/2008/02/08/features5.html
80. Murugan | February 8th, 2008 at 1:04 am
To me, this is the most important thing to take away from the history of Sri Lanka (in regards to the current war):
Jaffna Tamils believe that Jaffna is their homeland and their soil.
Jaffna Tamils believe that they should be looked upon as equals in the founding of Ceylon.
This is the mindset of the Jaffna Tamil.
And the Vellalas are generally arrogant people who think they are smart and industrious. - so I guess they definitely don’t want to be treated as second class citizens.
This mindset is in direct conflict with the mindset of SOME Sinhalese.
Some Sinhalese believe that the entire of Sri Lanka including Jaffna, is theirs.
Some Sinhalese believe that the Jaffna Tamils are boat people from Tamil Nadu, who should be considered second class to the Sinhalese.
And then this conflict is furthened by the idea that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist nation.
Of course this is minor conflict that a statesman could easily have solved by building the Ceylonese Nationality. Unfortunately the last 60 years has seen the communal politics of Ceylon Spiral into a full secessionist war. The future is vague, nobody knows what the endgame will be.
But one thing we can learn from history is that the Jaffna Tamils whether you agree or not, truly believe that they have a unique Jaffna Tamil identity that is rooted in the legend of Yarlpana in 8th-9th century AD, the Arya Chakravarthi Dynasty established in the 13th century, the King Sangkili who fought off the Portugese in the 16th century, the loss of sovereignty to the Portugese in 1621, the rise of the Vellalas through taking advantage of educational opportunities during British Colonial times, and to the establishment of a multi ethnic Ceylon in which Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan played a huge role. From all this you see, Jaffna Tamils believe they are people from JAffna, and that they played a huge role in the founding and rise of Ceylon. And that they should therefore be treated as equals.
I don’t think debating these issues even matters in todays political climate (with extremists in power), but for what it is worth, i think the general public needs to accept the Jaffna Tamil mindset, if we can even dream of Sri Lanka becoming a strong multi-ethnic unitary centralized country.
I think accepting this mindset is the first step towards defeating the LTTE, which seeks to divide and spread enmity.
Unless we can begin bridging the divide, the LTTE will suceed in its quest to divide Sri Lankans so far apart that we need two countries.
Unfortunately, I feel that as the war continues the divide will only continue to deepen.
81. Para | February 8th, 2008 at 4:58 am
fonseka, fernanado, silva, soyza, peries, perera, gomis, carolis, don juan are all portugese taken taken by the sinhalese to become more aryan.. why do you need to have the same name as your conquerers ?…. they do not have any portugese blood in them.. Like the some blacks in america having the name washington.
82. N | February 8th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Athos the only trend in Sti Lanka has been constant; war and missed opportunities. It is quite naive to think that the LTTE can be merely defeated through military means. Good luck, your going to need it.
83. Vije | February 8th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Athos and other friends who are looking for racial identity,
A brief lesson in Sri Lankan history.
Vijaya the prince was on his rout to Sri Lanka with his 700 unruly friends.
Sri Lanka was inhabited by Kuveni a princes and there was a saint who was able to see with his divine eye the arrival of these 700 men. He was worried by the thought of 700+1 men arriving with only one queen in the island. So he converted 700 animals into beautiful girls. Upon arrival Vijeya married Kuveni and the rest married the other girls who were originally animals. The descendents of the prince were the good Singhalese we find in Sri Lanka. The others were the animal mix. The good and the bad are 1 is to 700.
This is why we see animal sound in Singhala language. Ba Ba, Owe Owe, Na Na.
Human species has evolved and do not want to look back. But in Sri Lanka we are proud to call us Lions & Tigers. Is there some thing wrong?
84. Devinda Fernando | February 8th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
*** fonseka, fernanado, silva, soyza, peries, perera, gomis, carolis, don juan are all portugese taken taken by the sinhalese to become more aryan.. ***
No Para, they were names adopted when the Portuguese FORCIBLY converted Sri Lankans to Cristianity.
Lets look at some Tamil Names shall we?
SAMUEL JAMES Velupillai Chelvanayakam
ANTON Balasingham
DOUGLAS Devananda
Other Christian Tamil LAST Names :
Joseph
Roystan
Britto
Jerald
Rodriguez
Nelson
Emmanuvel
I can go On and On…. You think Tamils did not change their names? LOL, go pick up a history book Idiot. Many Tamils converted to Christianity to escape the Tamil/Hindu caste system!
85. Suresh M | February 8th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
#74,
Devinda Fernando,
The following statement of yours shows who you are! Son of a fifteen century colonial master!. A true Lankan would have felt for his/her fellow citizen’s lost dearly, regardless whether Sinhalese or Tamil.
Go back to your fartherland.
.
****LOL! And you to yours Suresh…
By arrogantly trying to fight the Sinhalese (who you consider beneath you) and take more than what you deserve, you have lost your lands, your limbs, your friends, your culture, and your minds. You will die in a foreign land alone, haunted by the thousands of young Tamils you have sacrificed for your unattainable goal.
The LTTE is the best thing that happened to F**k up the Tamils in Sri Lanka. And DOnkeys like you support it whoelheartedly****
86. Deva | February 8th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Sorry about the spelling error on my post # 71, Gautam Kumar Kshatriya is a geneologist and not geologist.
87. Deva | February 8th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Reply to post # 73
Devinda Fernando
You are not only ignorant and confused but you seem to have an extreme inferiority complex. It is human nature that every nation, race or religion believes that they are the best and superior to all others. In your case, it is the opposite.
If you had read my last post above to ATOS, you will see that the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan (NE) Tamils are from the same stock, common gene pool. If any Tamil or a Sinhalese thinks that he/she is superior to the other, it is nothing but ignorance.
*****Who’s frustrated here? I find debating you Kotiyas here amusing.*****
Now, what makes you think that I am a Kotiya? If a Tamil speaks about his rights, if he talks about his traditional home land, if he speaks about his past history, he is immediately branded as a Kotiya. More and more Kotiyas are being created day after day by foolish Sinhalese of your type.
*****There was never a Eastern Kingdom do you want to argue that fact?!*****
What you are trying to say is, the East came under the Kandyan (Sinhalese) Kingdom during the rule of the last four Nayakkar (Tamil) Kings who ruled Kandy.
The East coming under the Kandyan (Sinhalese) Kingdom from time to time makes no difference to the Tamil position in regard to their inhabitancy in the East. The Tamils would have had, and yet have no objection to the benevolent and accommodating rule of the Kandyan Kings. Just because the East came under the Kandyan (Sinhalese) Kingdom does not mean that the East was a Sinhala area.
Can you find even one Sinhala person or family that claimed the Eastern province habitancy or origin? All those Sinhalese who live in the Eastern province today are those settled by the DS Senanayake government after the independence (1948) under the colonization scheme. If you ask them, each one of them will say that their grandfather or great grandfather is from down south, where as the Sri Lankan Tamils hail from the Eastern province and proudly proclaim the fact.
*****And How very convenient for you’ You say no Tamils in the North and East were Christian’?*****
Where did I say so? Ofcourse, there are enough Tamil Christains, but that has nothing to do with the colonial rulers. The portuguse did not make the Tamils in NE as Dons or Silvas, Fernandos, and Fonsekas like in the South. The Dutch did not build any Ducth Reformed Churches in the NE like in the South, the English did not build any Church of England the NE like in the South.
In the 19th Century, the American Missinory came to the North, they build schools, churches and hospitals, they taught English to the ordinary people (which helped them later to secure white colar government jobs on merit under the British), and they converted the Hindus into Christains. Unlike in the South, the influence the colonial rulers had in the North in converting the people was very less. It is a very clear fact that the colonial bootlikers or Colonial Lackies were actually the Sinhalese (kalu suddhas) and NOT the Tamils.
*****Look where you are now’Pariahs in Western countries submitting yourselves to Western powers.*****
Why, what about the Sinhalese? You are much worst than that.
Tens of Thousands of young Sri Lankan women (90% SINHALESE) are slaving in the Middle East and they have absolutely no hope of getting back to a better situation in their homeland. So desperate the country is, more and more young Sinhala women are going out to earn by selling their morals and bodies.
Today, the economy (earnings) of our country depends mainly on this slave trade, exporting the Sri Lankan women as Nannies, House Maids and Cleaners to the Arab world, selling them for just a hundred US dollars a month, to be raped and humiliated.
More than 10 lakhs (10,000,000) Sri Lankan women (90 % of them Sinhalese) now work in the Middle East (600,000 in Saudi Arabia alone) as house maids, cleaners and nannies, some of them working 18 hours a day for a mere salary of US$ 100 per month.
In Saudi Arabia, the most common destination, they call Sri Lanka as ‘the Country of Housemaids’. The Kuwaitis have gone to the extent of saying that ‘the Sri Lankan women are born to serve us as nannies and maids’.
If you happen to visit the major cities in the Middle East such as Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, and so on, it can be noticed that in most of the public institutions such as the Airports, Hospitals, etc which are used by multi nationals from all over the world, the toilets and floors are cleaned by none other than the Sri Lankan women.
What a terrible price the country and its majority is paying just because the Sinhala Buddhist extremists and a few modayas like you are determined to keep the minorities as second class citizens.
People like you send your women (Sisters, Wives, daughters, mothers and even grandmothers) as slaves to the Arab countries and come here to talk about the Tamils submitting to the Westerners, what hypocrisy.
We are asking the Sinhalese right from Independence, respect the minorities, respect their language without forcing an alien language down their throats, respect their homeland without forcefully occupying them or looting them, share the political and economic power with them.
*****By the way, do not forget to counter what I said about GG Ponambalan’. I’m still waiting for that rebuttal’.*****
First of all, I have no respect for GGP, he was a hypocrite. Regarding his 50 for Sinhalese and 50 for all other minorities has no logic. What he should have asked for was 50:50 equal rights. On the other hand, just because the Sinhalese are the majority, that does not mean that they should take everything to themselves without sharing it (power and wealth) with the minorities, but unfortunately that is what the Sinhalese have done for the last 60 years.
88. Deva | February 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Reply to post # 77
Athos
*****you make the assertion there was no Sinhala settlements in the north. What were Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms if there were no Sinhala settlements in the north?*****
The Anuradapura kingdom was known as Rajarata, similarly the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. It was ruled throughout history by the Sinhala Dynasty, Chola Dynasty, Pandaya Dynasty, the Naga kings, the Kalinga kings and so on. Where on earth is it said that the Anuradapura kingdom or the Polonnaruwa Kingdom was known as the Sinhala Kingdom? Could you please tell me where, in which ancient writing?
There were many different ethnic groups, there were Sinhalese speaking people but there were no Sinhalese as an ethnic group during that peroid. The country was multi ethnic and there were neither Tamil only nor Sinhala only settlements.
Also please read my post #25 above to Anonymous.
*****Typicall each invader came with an army of 25-30 thousand. Then each soldier brought their immediate family. Then they ruled for many years with constant trickle of Tamils landing on our shores.******
If the above had happened starting from the so called Chola invader Elara (205-161 BC) to at least up to the so called Pandya invader Parakrama Pandu (1198-1201 AD), the Tamils would have become the majority in Sri Lanka.
*****Please read the link I have given above viz-a-vis Kalinga-Magha invasion.*****
You need to learn a lot, the ancient Kalinga is the present Orissa, in South-East India. The Kalingas.are NOT Tamils. Prince Vijaya is believed to have come from Sinhapura in Kalinga (Lala country).
****I don’t think Tamils embracing Buddism is compatible with historical events.****
Once again, you need to learn a lot about Tamil Buddhism. During the ancient period, there were Tamil Buddhists not only in Sri Lanka but also in Tamil Nadu. Let me post to you a separate writing on Tamil Buddhism below.
89. Deva | February 8th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Reply to ATOS on,
TAMIL BUDDHISM
During the period from 3rd Century AD to 6th Century AD, Buddhism had spread widely in Tamil Nadu and won the patronage of the rulers.
The major urban centers of Kanchi, Kaveripattinam, Uraiyur, and Madurai were centers of Buddhism and Jainism. These were also important centers of Pali learning.
The Tamil Buddhist monks of South India used Pali languages in preference to Tamil in their writings. This is because the Buddha spoke in Magadi Prakrit (Pali) which was considered to be the sacred language of the Buddhists.
It was at this time that Tamil Nadu gave some of its greatest scholars (both Theravada and Mahayana) to the Buddhist world.
Three of the greatest Pali scholars of this period were Buddhaghosa, Buddhadatta, and Dhammapala and all three of them were associated with Buddhist establishments in the Tamil kingdoms. Two of them, Buddhadatta, and Dhammapala were Tamils. The third and the most celebrated, Buddhaghosa is one about whom reliable biographical details are not available but a large number of Pali works are attributed to him.
Buddhadatta was a senior contemporary of Buddhaghosa. He was born in the Cola kingdom and lived in the 5th Century AD. Among his best known Pali writings are the VINAYA-VINICCHAYA, the UTTARA-VINICCHAYA and the JINALANKARA-KAVYA. Among the commentaries written by him are the MADHURATTHA-VILASINI and the ABHIDHAMMAVATARA. The author of NETTIPAKARANA is another Dhammapala who was a resident of a monastery in Nagapattinam.
One more example is the Cola monk Kassapa, in his Pali work, VIMATTI-VINODANI, this Tamil monk provides interesting information about the rise of heretical views in the Cola Sangha and the consequent purification that took place.
There are so many other Tamil monks who are attributed to the Pali works some of them were resident at Mayura-rupa-pattana (Mylapore, Madras) along with Buddhagosha. The well known Tamil Buddhist epics on the other hand were MANIMEKALAI and KUNDALAKESI.
As Buddhism was one of the dominant religions in both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka during the ancient period, naturally there were very close relations between the two regions. The monks from Sri Lanka too, went across to the Tamil kingdom and stayed in the monasteries.
As Dr. Leslie Gunawardana says, ‘The co-operation between the Buddhist Sangha of South India and Sri Lanka produced important results which are evident in the Pali works of this period’. He also says that the Tamil Buddhist monks were more orthodox than their counterparts in Sri Lanka.
Indeed, the relations between the Tamil and Sinhala Buddhist monks were so close that the latter sought the assistance of the former in political turmoil.
In Sri Lanka, the Tamil Buddhists who followed Theravada Buddhism shared the common places of worship with the Sinhalese but there were also Tamil Buddhists who were following the Mahayana Buddhism and they had there own Mahayana temples.
There are still some Tamil Mahayana Buddhist establishments (Palli) in the east and possibly in the Jaffna peninsula. The best known was Velgam Vehera (see details below), which was renamed Rajaraja-perumpalli after the Cola emperor. Another was the Vikkirama-calamekan-perumpalli.
Some ten miles northwest of Trincomalee off the Trincomalee - Horowupothana road is an ancient Buddhist shrine with origins dating back to the years before the second century. It is a historical fact that among the many ancient Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka Velgam Vehera which was renamed Rajaraja-perumpalli, also called Natanar Kovil by the present day Tamils stands out as the only known example of a ‘Tamil Vihare or Buddhist Palli’ or as the late Dr. Senerath Paranavithana described it in his book ‘Glimpses of Ceylon’s Past’ as an ‘Ancient Buddhist shrine of the Tamil people’. Some of the Tamil inscriptions found at the site record donations to this shrine and are dated in the reigns of the Chola Kings, Rajaraja and Rajendradeva. It was his view that the date of the original foundation of the vihare was no doubt considerably earlier than the reign of King Bhatika Tissa II.
The situation in Tamil Nadu, however, began to change towards the beginning of the 7th Century AD when the rise of Vaishnavism and Saivism posed a serious challenge to Buddhism and Jainism. There was a significant increase in Brahmanical influence and soon the worship of Siva and Visnu began to gain prominence.
The Buddhist and Jaina institutions in Tamil Nadu came under attack when they began to loose popular support and the patronage from the rulers. One result of this was the migration of Buddhist and Jaina monks and devoted lay members to kingdoms where they could find refuge. While the Jainas were able to go to Kannada and Telugu regions, the Buddhists turned to Sri Lanka and assimilated with the local Buddhist population.
During the 9th Century AD, when the Cholas who were strong Hindus (Saivism) were ruling Sri Lanka, they did everything in their power to destroy Buddhism and they managed to convert many Buddhists (Tamils and Sinhalese) into Tamil Hindus (Saivism). These Tamil Hindus later settled from Anuradapuram to Jaffna.
Now, let us ask why is Sri Lanka’s Past Hidden from its Own People? Today there are no Tamil Buddhists in Sri Lanka. It is monopolized by the Sinhalese and they call it Sinhala Buddhism. The Maha Sangha will not accept any Tamil Buddhist monks.
Since the Cholas were Tamils, most of the Sinhalese, due to their ignorance, still believe that the Tamils attacked the Sinhalese religious sites. Actually, the Cholas attacked and damaged the Buddhist sites which belonged to both Sinhalese and the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
90. Deva | February 8th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Sorry about the typo, it should read as Athos and not Atos.
91. mahin | February 8th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Welcome Fernando or Silva in disguise as Murugan.
92. QSS | February 9th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Hey you crazy nuts! you’ll seem to be writing pamphlets, novels and mini-books of vituperation and hate here based more on ignorance, prejudice and what may have been and what really ain’t so. The ignorant may learn but the prejudiced and miseducated in their false beleifs have no hope at all. As it’s harder if not well neigh impossible to unlearn rather than learn.
The question is what is the way forward or is there a way forward at untill both parties where themselves out? Do ponder on the following pearls of wisdom of the wise and put an an end to all these silly futile muck rakings that do no good but only exacerbate the problems at hand.
If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos Martin Luther King, Jr
The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.
-George Orwell
Before we set our hearts too much on anything, let us examine how happy are those who already possess it. Frans, Duc de La Rochefoucauld.
There are really only three fundamental ways to break the Law: harm someone; damage anothers property or use fraud or mischief in your contracts. All things under statutes rest upon a foundation of consent or agreement and thus are violations of a societal contract.
To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Lifes good comes not from others gift, nor ill
Mans pains and pains relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !.
-Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C
The nature of the universe is such that ends can never justify the means. On the contrary, the means always determine the end. (Aldous Huxley).
93. Athos | February 9th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Deva,
/*
There were many different ethnic groups, there were Sinhalese speaking people but there were no Sinhalese as an ethnic group during that peroid. The country was multi ethnic and there were neither Tamil only nor Sinhala only settlements.
*/
If these areas were ‘Multicultural’, where does ‘Tamil Homeland’ fit into the equation?
94. sinhalaya | February 9th, 2008 at 9:53 am
tamils are simply t6amils.they are not
buddhist converts.
tamils are the original people here
95. Deva | February 9th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Athos
*****If these areas were ‘Multicultural’, where does ‘Tamil Homeland’ fit into the equation? *****
You will find a clear answer to the above if you read my post # 43 (above) to Villa Anand.
96. Deva | February 9th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Suresh
*****Deva, You should have mentioned that what geneologist Gautam Kumar Kshatriya did not find. 70% of Fernando’s gene is traced back to Portugal. *****
That was a good observation, it did not click me, the most hilarious part is, these are the people who pretend to be more Sinhala (Patriots) than the original Sinhalese.
At least Devinda F should be commended for not hiding behind a false name. Here you find Sinhalese with Tamil names and Tamils with Sinhala names and most of them are simply jokers.
97. Suresh M | February 10th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
# 89.
Deva,
Really a good piece, even high priest from Thailand had questioned MahaSanga why there is no Tamil Buddhist in Lanka. There was a silence reply he got from Sanganayaka or High priest.
In the name of a peace full religion, many practice the opposite. I have been to Vilgam Viharai (or Rajaraja Palli).
Also, to add to your writing I would like to mention in the process of destroying Buddhism, and Jainism to promote Saivism, in tenth century, a Chola King had hanged seventy thousand Janis at Thiru-Kalu-Kunram. This was a black mark on Saivism.
D. Fernando doesn’t care anyway as he was puzzled of his own origin.
98. Raj | February 11th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Tamils have home land in Tamil Nadu, unfortunately it is under the heel of the Northern Brahmins, Tamils in Sri Lanka and are now trying to carve out a nation in Sri Lanka to compensate shame on you.
yes us sinhalese are simple and dumb and poor and what other disparriging remarks you may come up with so please let us live peacfully without blowing us up, we can try to facilitate some power sharing with the Brahmins India so you Tamils can get back some self dignity and who know in due course Tamil Nadu can even become indpendant from India.
99. Gamini | February 11th, 2008 at 1:24 am
Suresh et al
Yes of course Sinhalese are the result of the primordial genetic soup while Tamils are ethnically pure super race that developed independantly without mixing with any of the races around it, the Tamil civilisation must have just sprung up from fresh air in southern India unlike other civilisations.
What a stunning revelation I look forward to reading the full theory in the journal Nature or some othe distinguished publication.
100. Selva | February 11th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
DNA blue print is accepted even in the courts. If we could capture the whole country and form an Interim government I think we will be able to send the70% Tamils back to Tamilnadu like Madam Srimao Bandaranayake did. When the Tutsis of Ruwanda came back from Uganda and captured the whole country and formed an Interim government it had been approved by the UN. So If LTTE capture the whole country their Interim government could produce the DNA proof to Dr.Manmohan Singh and negotiate to send the 70% Tamils back to Tamilnadu. But unfortunately LTTE won’t do it because they have 55% Sinhalese blood….thats why they always indirectly help them.
101. N | February 11th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Raj I wonder why you are disgracing your own ethnic group by saying such things. The Sinhalese are no less to Tamils they to are an ancient people who have much to be proud of, the same can be said about tamils. Whether you like it or not SL Tamils are from the NE, stop posting such hypocritical remarks; all Sri Lankans originate from India. And for your remark about blowing things up, I also kindly ask you to call off the SL Air Force which also likes to blow things up indiscriminately.
102. Selva | February 11th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Only in Batticaloa the Potugese Burgers live in an area as one community. Unfortunately some of them died in the last tsunami. Most of the Sinhalese Burgers has already left the country and mostly settled in Australia. It is very hard to see a Burger in Colombo now a days.The Sinhalese with portugeese names are not having portugeese genes. Even the Sinhalese bhudists have Portugees names. But the Don was bought for 100 cronos. Even the Tamils bought it but only the person who bought it used it not his whole generation.Almost 100% of Sinhalese Catholics are Tamils and even the Salagama cast ( Cinnamon peelers) too are pure Tamils. Only the Govio cast people you can say have more Singa genes. Sinha is the real name of the clan. Sinhala is the Tamil verson Singa.
103. Devinda Fernando | February 12th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Deva,
***It is human nature that every nation, race or religion believes that they are the best and superior to all others. In your case, it is the opposite. ***
Obviously you have no idea what ‘Sarcasm’ is…I guess Eelamists don’t have that word in their Dictionary…?
***Now, what makes you think that I am a Kotiya? If a Tamil speaks about his rights, if he talks about his traditional home land, if he speaks about his past history, he is immediately branded as a Kotiya. More and more Kotiyas are being created day after day by foolish Sinhalese of your type.***
No, you don’t just speak about your so-called rights, you speak of separation, you encourage the LTTE and their killing sprees then simultaneously put on the Supreme suffering show to the IC to further your agenda. The fact being that Equal rights (as in most countries) can be addressed by peaceful means but you enjoy the fact that an armed resistance gives the Sinhalese hell and then you tell them that the only way out is for Sri Lanka to give them what they want. You are Hypocrites and Racists of the worse kind.
****Just because the East came under the Kandyan (Sinhalese) Kingdom does not mean that the East was a Sinhala area. ***
Therefore you agree with me…. It does not make it a “Tamil Area” either,…I am not the one claiming exclusivity for Sinhalese, I say All Sri Lankans should be allowed to go anywhere, live anywhere, etc,…. yet you are doing that for Tamils…. But it is LTTE apologists and Tamil Nationalists like you who try to claim it as a Tamil Homeland to further your Separatist agenda… Pick a side, one or the other,… you cant have it both ways.
*** Can you find even one Sinhala person or family that claimed the Eastern province habitancy or origin? All those Sinhalese who live in the Eastern province today are those settled by the DS Senanayake government after the independence (1948) under the colonization scheme. ***
Colonization? The country was united, therefore any one as a Sri Lankan citizen was allowed to go there… Colonization? This is precisely when people like you use these stigmatized words to imply sinister motives and spread Separatism and racial divides. Pathetic! Absolutely Pathetic! So then what were Indian Tamils doing in the Center? Colonizing? Tamils moving to the South…IS THAT COLONIZATION? Oh no, we Sinhalese don’t seem to mind Tamils making the most of the Island, but for Sinhalese to do the same is “COLONIZATION” Do you even realize what a Donkey you sound like using that word Colonization?
.***It is a very clear fact that the colonial bootlikers or Colonial Lackies were actually the Sinhalese (kalu suddhas) and NOT the Tamils.***
??? And yet you parrot that “Tamils were more Hard Working than the Sinhalese?” phrase…. So are you saying you people were genetically superior to us? Or is it that the reason the British favored you with the Government Jobs and as a Minority was because you liked to brown nose their white buttocks? Which is it? Again its one or the other…..
***Tens of Thousands of young Sri Lankan women (90% SINHALESE) are slaving in the Middle East and they have absolutely no hope of getting back to a better situation in their homeland. So desperate the country is, more and more young Sinhala women are going out to earn by selling their morals and bodies. ***
LOL! You have no idea what is going on in the Wanni….? You think it is some Paradise Utopian society? Who is suffering more as a percentage of their ethnic group? You think grandmothers doing weapons drills and children learning to lay mines is your path to success for Tamils? You think forced Conscription, taxation without representation and brutal fascism without hope for ever leaving? Even with the Tamils getting the majority of the Refugee visas how can they escape the LTTE controlled areas? Sinhalese maids going to the Middle East to earn money is bad, granted, but the best any of you Tamils in the North can hope for is to Eascape the LTTE control and come to the south…LOL! once again who is the more pathetic here I ask you?
*** Today, the economy (earnings) of our country depends mainly on this slave trade, exporting the Sri Lankan women as Nannies, House Maids and Cleaners to the Arab world, selling them for just a hundred US dollars a month, to be raped and humiliated. ***
Rhetoric and baseless facts… You know it and I know. Show me figures otherwise please keep your stupid mouth shut, as you are removing all doubt as to your credibility.
***We are asking the Sinhalese right from Independence, respect the minorities, respect their language without forcing an alien language down their throats, ***
What? What nonsense… is the Tamil Language not part of the constitution? Is it not taught in Schools? On the Money and passports…you ungrateful scum.
***First of all, I have no respect for GGP, he was a hypocrite. Regarding his 50 for Sinhalese and 50 for all other minorities has no logic. What he should have asked for was 50:50 equal rights. ***
Power sharing? What do you mean? Can a Tamil not do anything a Sinhalese can in Sri Lanka? Like Ponambalam you are asking for more than your share of power.
104. Thusha ranavakka | February 12th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
(Anonymous is a stupid unlearned sinhalese.)
(Did sinhalese born to a lion and a woman?)
I like to indicate an important point. Sinhalese people have ruling power a nation. Tamils don’t have. Tamils don’t have power to make an own government. Tamils can live everywhere in this world but Sinhalese not like that.
More than half Tamils left form Sri Lanka. Tamils who lives in Sri Lanka now, they don’t have money and chance to leave from Sri Lanka. If they have an opportunity to leave form Sri Lanka, they will leave certainly, can anyone disagree this point?
Why?
The reason is Sri Lanka not a home land for Tamils.
Human developed from monkey. We don’t care about lion involved in History because we are not animals as you.
How many militant groups in Tamils? Thousand of them killed each other like
animals. Can you disagree?
You have ugly cast system, those are the ruling power of you. That’s enough for
you. Don’t dream more.
We are great race and we have great religion . I don’t hate Tamils but Tamils need
to know about the reality. We are all Sri Lankan anyway.
Thusha
Origin of the Sinhala race
Daily News-Wed Oct 29 2003
I refer to the several letters appearing in your columns on the above subject. According to late Gamini Iriyagolla, (Civil Servant, scholar, Lawyer, Patriot and one who was deeply involved in the so-called “ethnic issue†and presented irrefutable historical facts and startling arguments to explode, among others, the myth of the ‘traditional Tamil homelandmconcept), ‘There is a history but not of the Tamils…. Even C. Rasanayagam, in his heavily Tamil-biased ‘Ancient Jaffna’ (1926), admits, ‘that Jaffna was occupied by the Sinhalese earlier than by the Tamils is seen not only in the place names of Jaffna but also is some of the habits and customs of the people’
According to H.W. Codrington, in his book ‘Ancient Land Tenure and Land Revenue in Ceylon-1938, ‘The colonization of Jaffna by the Tamils cannot be of extreme antiquity.’ Such place names as exist, and they are not a few, are not pre-medieval,… records the presence of Sinhalese in the peninsula in the 15th century.
In the several letters and the subsequent booklet he (Mr. Iriyagolla) had published on this issue, he says that the Tamils who are mostly descendants of Malayalese, is a racial group composed of different ethnic entities and speaking a common language, such as Tamils from Coromandel coast, Paravars who came during the Portuguese and Dutch periods as pearl divers, soldiers and fishermen, Kalingas from Orissa and Anthra Pradesh, Mukkuwas from Malabar coast, Arabs and other Muslims from South India and Portuguese who were given land grants and settled in Jaffna between 1619 and 1658. To this list must be added Tamils brought by the Dutch for tobacco cultivation in Jaffna. Such a diverse group, though welded together by a common religion and language, has no ‘historic’ or ‘Traditional homelands’
To get over this embarrassing impasse, the crafty Tamil leaders struggling for top places in Sri Lanka had to invent a spurious claim to convince their followers. Hence the blatant falsification of historical facts, which, alack and alas, received State support when the teaching of our glorious history was treacherously withdrawn.
If in deed the Tamils had a “glorious pastâ€, as proclaimed by racist Tamils, they should be able to produce proof at least of one single irrigation system they had built in or outside Jaffna; not the ones their invading brethren had destroyed from time to time.
And, if in fact Tamils were the original inhabitants, how come they all chose to live in a barren, harsh and inhospitable area, leaving the fertile land to ‘Sinhala Kallathonis’?
105. N | February 12th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Thusha ranavakka it is quite hypocritical when you call tamils slaves, what do you call all the Sinhalese who serve abusive rich Arabs in the middle east? Do not take about shirt stains before realizing that you have holes in your shirts.
106. Deva | February 13th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Devinda Fernando
*****Obviously you have no idea what Sarcasm is guess Eelamists don’t have that word in their Dictionary?*****
Don’t you think, being sarcastic is better than being a low life scavenger who uses third grade language in a public forum?
*****Colonization? The country was united, therefore any one as a Sri Lankan citizen was allowed to go there Colonization? This is precisely when people like you use these stigmatized words to imply sinister motives and spread Separatism and racial divides.*****
Are you pretending not to know the difference between a large scale government sponsored colonization of Sinhalese in Tamil lands and Tamils settling in the South by purchasing lands/houses with their hard earned money?
*****Tamils moving to the South, IS THAT COLONIZATION? Oh no, we Sinhalese don’t seem to mind Tamils making the most of the Island, but for Sinhalese to do the same is COLONIZATION.*****
Due to the Centralized Unitary constitution, Tamils have no alternative but to come to Colombo for employment. If it was a Decentralized Federal constitution like in countries with a civilized majority, the Tamils need not come to the South.
The Tamils were not colonized in the South by any Government, they bought lands and settled.
*****Pathetic! Absolutely Pathetic! So then what were Indian Tamils doing in the Center? Colonizing? *****
The British colonized Indian Tamils in the Center (Tea estates) because the Sinhalese were lazy, they were not willing to work hard in those estates.
*****So are you saying you people were genetically superior to us? *****
When and where did I say that? No, I am not saying so.
*****Or is it that the reason the British favored you with the Government Jobs and as a Minority was because you liked to brown nose their white buttocks? Which is it? Again its one or the other*****
Since you continue to harp on this colonial issue even after I explained in full, let’s revisit again in more details.
Let’s begin with the Portuguese. When they entered the Jaffna Kingdom, SANKILI KUMARAN II (1617-1619), the King of Jaffna fought against them, he even killed those Tamils who got converted to Christianity , finally the Portuguese captured and killed him.
In the South, some Sinhalese (kondae bandapu moda Appuhamys), who were chewing bulath (betal) and spitting all over the country side, totally uneducated and uncivilized helped the Portuguese and gave their women. The Portuguese gave surnames to the illegitimate children born to those Sinhalese women as Fernando, Perera, Silva, Fonseka, etc and established schools for these children. Due to that all those illegitimate children born to these Sinhalese women got educated, but unfortunately, even today, they do not seem to be civilized. You are the best example.
I have clearly mentioned in my previous posts, who collaborated and bootlicked the British.
Even though there were some Tamils who got converted to Christianity such as SJV Chelva, we lost our Tamil state to the Singalayas at Independence because we Tamils did not have Kalu Suddhas like DS, SWRD, JR, etc who could do to the British what you have said above, poking the nose.
*****And yet you parrot that Tamils were more Hard Working than the Sinhalese?*****
Even after the Sinhalese doing so much to the Portuguese, they clearly identified you people. Think why they did not say, Demalaa Modaya, Kavum Kanna Yodaya?
The Tamils learned English not due to British but due to the arrival of American Missionary to Jaffna. The British did not favor the Tamils, they gave jobs on merit, since the Tamils were well educated, fluent in English and hard working, they got the most.
*****Sinhalese maids going to the Middle East to earn money is bad, granted, but the best any of you Tamils in the North can hope for is to Eascape the LTTE control and come to the south…LOL! once again who is the more pathetic here I ask you?*****
So, according to you, the Arabs exploiting your women, raping and humiliating them is better than the Tamils living under the LTTE control. My foot!
*****Rhetoric and baseless facts… You know it and I know. Show me figures otherwise please keep your stupid mouth shut, as you are removing all doubt as to your credibility.*****
By the way where are you living? Not in this world? The facts and figures are everywhere on the net, there were many TV documentaries as well on Al Jaseera and BBC. Have you not gone to the Dubai or Doha city, go to a Public Toilet in the Airport, the cleaning woman most probably may even be one of your relatives.
*****What? What nonsense… is the Tamil Language not part of the constitution? Is it not taught in Schools? On the Money and passports…you ungrateful scum.*****
Do you frequently have selective amnesia? Have you heard of something called ‘SINHALA ONLY’? Why does the government send appointment letters to Jaffna in Sinhala?
*****Power sharing? What do you mean? Can a Tamil not do anything a Sinhalese can in Sri Lanka? Like Ponambalam you are asking for more than your share of power.*****
Again selective amnesia?
Ever since Sri Lanka gained independence the Sinhala Buddhist majority governments oppressed the Tamil minority by discriminating them on language rights, education, employment, and state sponsored colonization.
To understand the meaning of sharing, just education is not enough, you need to get civilized.
*****No, you don’t just speak about your so-called rights, you speak of separation, you encourage the LTTE and their killing sprees then simultaneously put on the Supreme suffering show to the IC to further your agenda. The fact being that Equal rights (as in most countries) can be addressed by peaceful means but you enjoy the fact that an armed resistance gives the Sinhalese hell and then you tell them that the only way out is for Sri Lanka to give them what they want. You are Hypocrites and Racists of the worse kind.*****
Do you accept that the GOSL is a state terrorist not now but right from 1958, they sponsored each and every anti Tamil riots to suppress the Tamils from peaceful Gandhian style protests?
Of course, I do agree with you that the LTTE is a bunch of terrorists and their terrorist acts such as killing innocent civilians should be condemned.
But who created these so called ‘Terrorists’?
The innocent Tamils were always at the receiving end, being attacked many times from ‘56 till ‘83 and the Sinhalese called them ‘cowards’.
The day the Tamils retaliated, the term ‘cowards’ changed into ‘Terrorists’.
Take for example the Jaffna Public Library, consisting of ninety odd thousand volumes was burned down nearly twenty five years ago, on the night of 1st June 1981 by the Sinhalese goons, inspired by the presence in Jaffna of two Sinhalese cabinet ministers of the Sri Lanka government.
Then again, the International Tamil Student Consortium building containing a well equipped library and a Computer lab were set on fire with the support of the state sponsored terrorists, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers.
Burning of libraries, newspaper offices and bookshops belonging to Tamils (not to mention burning of Tamil humans in the Sinhala riots of 1958 and 1983) has become an interesting pastime for the GOSL.
Where else in this ‘globalizing world’ are libraries put on fire?
What do we call that?
Terrorism or self defense?
A soldier is suppose to protect the country and its nation but not to harass, detain, torture, rape, kill, bombard and destroy a section of the country and its own nation just because a small part of them turned into terrorists.
The soldiers in Sri Lanka are a special breed, extremely racist, highly undisciplined, and non Tamil speaking (Sinhala) armed forces forcefully occupying the traditional Tamil areas.
Let me ask you,
Will you be happy if an extremely racist, highly undisciplined, and non Sinhala speaking group of soldiers armed to the teeth roam around in your village/home town and harass, detain, torture, rape and kill your people.
How long will it take for the Sinhalese youth to take up arms to fight them?
The enormous degree of immunity granted to the Sri Lankan armed forces by the GOSL has led to harassment, illegal detention, torture, disappearances, extra judicial killings, and rape of innocent Tamils forcing more and more young Tamils to take up arms for a liberation struggle.
Remember,
The LTTE is the direct consequence of the Sinhala Buddhist policy to refuse to share the wealth/political power, and instead suppress legitimate Tamil rights by violent means.
107. Devinda Fernando | February 13th, 2008 at 10:04 am
*** I like to indicate an important point. Sinhalese people have ruling power a nation. Tamils don’t have. Tamils don’t have power to make an own government. Tamils can live everywhere in this world but Sinhalese not like that. ***
LOL! Is there some International Law that entitles All Ethnic Groups to have their own country? If so someone forgot to tell the Palestinians, the American Indians, the Aboriginees, the Kurds, the many thousands of African ehtnic groups… the Eskimo Indians in Canada, etc etc etc…..
Of course not! It is unfortunate that Tamils dont have their own country, but that fact simply does nto justify taking Sri Lanka,..why dont you go get your own country in Tamil Nadu,…? there are more Tamils there, we are not going to let you take Sri Lanka, and I would have hoped 25 years of fighting has demonstrated our resolve….
108. villa anand | February 13th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Deva
I enjoy reading your comments and analysis of history. One distinction we should make in studying history is between dynasties and people. Mahavamsa and most historians look at history as the story of dynasties and not the cultural and economical development of the people. This is why wars and success of the kings are glorified ignoring the sufferings of the ordinary people either that of conquered or conquerors.
The fight between Elara and Dutu Gamunu is written as Singhala Tamil war, even though soldiers of both ethnicities fought on both sides irrespective of which race their kings were. Srilankan historians refer to any invasion from Pandian dynasty as friendly intervention and treat invasion by Chola dynasty as hostile. It was also known that Pandian mercenaries called Velakara padayhal were used by Singhalese kings as their body guards.
All these points to the fact that historical enmity is not racial, but clashes of dynasties. Shifting from feudal command to a representative authority through parliament required political parties to clash by ideology, race and any other division that one can find. So they made such divisions that were only among dynasties transferred to the people. Now we are looking for an identity in history which is not only unnecessary but also a hindrance for economic growth and prosperity.
109. Deva | February 14th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Dear Folks,
With reference to the post #104 above, the part written by Thusha ranavakka is nothing but bull crap. For example, he/she says, the Tamils do not have ruling power. What nonsense. From the known (written) history itself, we know the number of Tamil Kings who ruled not to mention the last four Kings of Kandy were Tamils from the Nayakkar family in Madurai.
It is ONLY after the British unified Sri Lanka (1833) into one state and handed it over to the majority, the Tamils lost their ruling power.
*****If they have an opportunity to leave form Sri Lanka, they will leave certainly, can anyone disagree this point? *****
If the Sinhalese have the same opportunity to leave Sri Lanka to a developed country, not even one will stay back. Tens of thousands of Sinhalese women are going to Mid-east as slaves; just imagine if they get to go to a developed country to settle down?
*****We don’t care about lion involved in History because we are not animals as you. We are great race and we have great religion. *****
OK, let’s forget this animal (half Lion) story and see the other side which this person is saying.
Two thousand five hundred years ago a group of around 700 convicts (criminals and thugs) including their leader Vijay (the founder/forefather of Sinhalese) from the city of Sinhapura in Bengal, India were exiled from that country by loading them in a boat. These boat people (Kallathonis) landed in the Island Lanka which was already populated by people. These thugs and criminals, as soon as they landed (invaded) Lanka, they forcefully occupied the land which belonged to those innocent people who were living there.
Even today they have not changed, they are doing exactly what they did when they arrived 2500 years ago. The Sinhala thugs and criminals have not only forcefully occupied the Tamil land (Northeast) but they were also plundering, looting, raping, and killing (burning alive) the Tamils right from 1956, just 8 years after the so called independence.
But our majority brother/sister Thusha ranavakka says, they are not animals, they are a GREAT race with a great religion.
Let me comment on what Gamini Iriyagolla says.
Regarding his credentials, Civil Servant, scholar, Lawyer, Patriot, etc in my opinion he was an Educated Fool, a Pseudo-Scholar, and a Charlatan.
What Thusha ranavakka has cut and pasted from the Daily News article here are arguments (or opinions) that have been analyzed, dissected and nullified by so many people in the past on numerous occasions. By moronically repeating those arguments which passed their use by dates ages ago, he/she becomes a laughing stock.
Let me take the last part as an example.
*****And, if in fact Tamils were the original inhabitants, how come they all chose to live in a barren, harsh and inhospitable area, leaving the fertile land to ‘Sinhala Kallathonis’? *****
What an idiotic statement the above is. During the ancient period, the civilization in Sri Lanka took place in the North and North-central (Anuradapura) region. The so called fertile land in the South was a thick jungle. The Tamils occupied areas North and East starting from Anuradapura which was the country’s first civilization and they were also closer to the land which shares the same culture, language and religion.
In the 17th centuries, when Robert Knox, the English prisoner in the Kingdom of Kandy made his escape through Anuradhapura into the Dutch occupied Northwest, he found that, fluent though he was in Sinhala, he could not converse with the inhabitants of the Anuradhapura region as the people there spoke a different language (Tamil).
Even today, there are Tamil sounding names (villages and zones) in Anuradhapura district.
110. A PROUD Eela Tamilan | February 18th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Deva, good job.
They are lot of ignorants commenting here. Tamils as Sinhalas, but Sinhalas are the most racist no doubt when reading this discussion.
Yes Sinhalas are indigenious, like Tamils and Veddhas.
But Sinhalas under the influence of Vijaya and Thero Mahinda, adopted a Pali based Indo-European language that is unique and only exist in Sri Lanka, but Sinhalas are not ‘Aryans’ at all.
And Sinhala language borrowed lot of Tamil words, at least 4000, thats well known. Sinhala language is a mixture as the Sinhala people are. More than 65% of Sinhala gene pool is South Indian Tamil. I wonder why.. This is a fact and is the total reflection of the royal lineage link between Sinhala and South Indian. Vijaya, a Bengali and the first Sinhala, married a Tamil princess from Madurai. Lot of Sinhala Kings married South Indian princess.
But if we stick to the Mahawamsa, when Vijaya arrived, there was two ethnic people on the island, respectively Nagas and Yakkas. I identify the Nagas as Tamils and the Yakkas as Veddhas. The Greeks on their maps clearly show temples that are now identified as the five Hindu Eeshwarams existing when Vijaya came.
Simply as the fact show, Tamils and Veddhas are the most ancient people of the island, Sinhala became an ethnic community only after 200-300 CE as the Sinhala language was borning and being created trough a long process of assimilation.
Who can deny it ?
The Sinhala racists/ignorants.
This morning i read a hilarious article on the washingtontimes , an article written by the Sri Lankan Ambassador, a Sinhala. He stated that there was not a Tamil traditional homeland in Sri Lanka, but that Sri Lanka was a 2500 years old civilization (referring to the so-called Sinhala civilization)… This is the type of misinformation and brainwashing that western newspapers are allowing for their own purpose.
Also please note that however Sinhalas are indigenious and unique to Sri Lanka, but often greedy and racist denying the harmonic relationship between ancient Sinhala Kings and Tamils. SL Tamils are indigenious and unique to Sri Lanka. The spoken Tamil in Sri Lanka and India are different. The food are different. SL Tamils and Sinhalas share 55% of common gene.
Only racists will deny that there was a good relationship between Sinhalas and Tamils in ancient time. When the racist and greedy Western people put their stinking a55 on our soil, it changed, they divided us and made us FOOLS and STUPIDS.
Thanks, with love for all Sri Lankans, a Eela Tamilan.
111. Raj | February 18th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
#110 Eela Tamilan
Yes, the old Aryan chestnut that seems to drive the tamil commenters wild. My advise to you is dont bring it up it is a non issue as far as Sinhelese are concerned. Unfortunately it gets dragged up by the Tamil commenters at every chance. We are first to concede that Sinhalese have different origins to the Tamils they come from different parts of India just let it be.
BTW where is Eela Tamilan, is is some where in Tamil Nadu because there is no place like that in Sri Lanka.
112. A PROUD Eela Tamilan | February 20th, 2008 at 10:38 am
@111 Raj,
Eela Tamilans live in Eelam and are Tamilans.
Eelam is not a recent invention, as you may think. It is an ancient Tamil word to refer to the island known as Sri Lanka today.
Yes Sinhalas are multi-ethnic, our Devinda Ferrnando is a proof, he is Portuguese.
Cheers.
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