Winning the war and losing the future for the Sinhala South
By Kusal Perera
"Wars, conflict, it's all a business.
One murder makes a villain.
Millions, a hero. Numbers sanctify." - Charlie Chaplin
It's all now a talk of living in a country free of "terrorism". The Separatist Tigers are almost eliminated. Driven to the forests of Mullaitivu and restricted to lick their wounds, till they are completely annihilated as promised by the Defence head. Ruthless and merciless as no other armed organization on this planet earth, the LTTE had to be cornered, tamed and eliminated politically, long before. That not done in a pragmatic manner, we are told "a full scale war" is the only option "within our unitary State". The hard and rigid position of claiming a non-compromising unitary State in a Sinhala dominated country, perhaps left no other option but a war for the majority psyche that believes it owns this plot of marooned land.
Yet, at what cost ? In rupees and cents, the total is huge. It was 130 billion rupees in 2007 plus a supplementary budget that enhanced the defence allocation by another 15 per cent, half way through the year. In 2008 it was 166 billion plus another supplementary budget allocation of 28 billion, making it a staggering 194 billion rupees for the war, with 177 billion budgeted for 2009, for now. Cost of war is not only the allocated annual defence budgets. It is also the cost of rebuilding and replacing the massive destruction caused to buildings, roads, bridges, rail tracks, electricity pylons and other infrastructure, after the war. How many billions more would we need for that ? That in rupees or dollars is not the total lost in this war. Add the productive cost of a society, how ever meagre that may be, that was and is being lost over the years due to war.
A very educated professional considered a friend by me, told me, "War has its own cost any where. It takes lives and there is no point in counting them. Its so in Iraq . Its so in Gaza ." Whilst Iraq and Gaza does not justify a weeping and bleeding Vanni, but only makes it two plus one in human tragedy, he and his family are fortunately living in a very secure urban residency in Colombo, 450 km away from all the innocent people who speak a different language to his, who are dying, left destitute and in hunger and pain. With broken and shattered families, politically and ideologically distanced from the Sinhala polity. That cost of war tragedy has no assessment in rupees and cents in a modern civilised world.
Is that all ? No. Count the number of Sinhala youth who are permanently limping around you. Those who have their adult life maimed. Count the number of young widows who are staring blank into the future, with a fatherless infant on her lap. Count the little children who are often used as "exhibits", standing in rows for politicians to grin at them, the children of "war heroes". Make a note of all those teenage village girls who frequent the Anuradhapura town for a living, waiting to be picked up by vacationing young soldiers. They are looked after by organised mafia and the underworld is infested with army deserters in large numbers. Some allegedly used by powerful politicians.
Is that all ? Sorry. There are more. More that goes unaccounted and unaudited socially. The Sinhala society that supports the full scale war has also come under a sledge hammer of a rigidly regimented defence establishment that by now has become an indispensable factor in political decision making. The organised social fabric that defines and decides democratic functioning of the society is shredded. The media had been openly coerced into compromising and to live as told, through threats direct and indirect. With gunmen on motor bikes and white vans. The Sinhala society accepts with glee, the political explanations wrapped in military priorities doled out by this defence establishment in defending all that suppression and also how the democratic structures should behave in its day to day life. The judiciary has been ignored by the Executive to maintain its own indemnified power. The political regime uses all those regimentations in society to live an unchallenged, unquestioned life seeped in corruption, nepotism and political arrogance. Protests are allowed at the expense of protest leaders running the risk of meeting masked armed men on motor bikes and white vans there after, who would never be tracked down. Any dissent in society, any deviation in perceptions thus comes under brutal suppression.
The Sinhala society has been herded into this subordination and this subjugation on the twin slogan of "patriotism against Tiger terrorists" and "supporting the war heroes". What has now emerged is a totalitarian regime on the strength of crushing the LTTE terrorism and accepted and given the honour to be just that by a citizenry that for now wish to live with that euphoria. Like it or not, that's where we have come to in accepting a full scale war against Tiger terrorism and that's from where we would have to wake up, to see what the future holds for us amongst all this debris and human carnage left.
Right now, it's India and the international community that talk loud. The international community that lived to see a bloody human tragedy evolve, issuing diplomatically phrased statements blaming all sides and asking for respect of international law protecting civilian life, from a government they themselves accused of impunity in violating basic human rights, has now hurried to assess the possible rehabilitation of the devastated areas. Yasushi Akashi was around and in Trincomalee, meeting the Eastern Province Chief Minister too, in his 17th visit as a peace envoy to talk about humanity and development, even before the SL military entered Mullaitivu.
India that blundered at a heavy cost trying idiotically to manipulate in teaching the Jayawardne government a lesson by training and teething the armed groups, rushed Pranab Mukherjee, acting PM and Minister for External Affairs, to Colombo when the government was being accused in Tamil Nadu of targeting thousands of displaced and stranded civilians trapped in cross fire, with government forces pushing hard towards Mullaitivu. Indian strategy was always clear with Delhi only worried of Pakistani presence. Given the annihilation of LTTE and Prabhakaran, the armed menace they nurtured and promoted for a long time, Delhi would try to placate Tamil sentiment to the extent it would not embarrass the Rajapaksa government.
What more would you expect from a selfish world ? Till the next phase of armed Tamil politics gather its own strength and justification to fight on for yet to be honoured dignity as equal citizens in a shared country, the Rajapaksa government and its extensions would be showered with soft loans and grants for "rehabilitation and reconstruction of devastated life". It would now have the right to continue as it did through war. The carpet of savage suppression doesn't have to be rolled back. The South agreed to have it spread out all these years. Why roll it back now ? All indications are, that "patriotically bloodied" repressive carpet would now be legalised and strengthened for political arrogance to walk on. All indications are, with such change, the military would continue in politics. "Winning the war does not mean I have finished my job." said the Army Commander to the Daily Mirror a fortnight ago. "I have other work. I have to strengthen the army." he said.
It’s a big price the South would have ended up paying to live without Tamil separatism. Without a decent and a sane Opposition that does not know it's in the Opposition to challenge an overstepping government. It's the price of living without its own democratic life for the South.
Bob Dylan's definition of "peace" - the moment when you reload your riffle
14 Comments
As a tamil, my feeling is that the Sinhales must trust the SriLankan tamils and treat them equally to make them feel that they are also citizen of Srilanka. We shouldn't trust anyone outside our country to do anything better for us.
Good article & some very good points!
Very true and thoughtful message from a Singhalese person.
It must be the fate of the Tamils in Sri Lanka to be cursed.
A briiliant analysis.I hope the naive nationalists who contol the arguments in the island read this-- the scurrilous journalists, the racist newspapers amd their columnists.Perhaps they will then temper their comments and feel ashamed of their triumphalist cacophany.
This has now become a never-ending war --war against the Tamils and the Sinhalse waged by lead by fools and fanatics on both sides.
Raj
Kusal's article is excellent - the best I've read so far. It's a brilliant analysis of the real price the south had to pay, and will continue to pay, in return for defeating the Tigers' 'mini-state building" enterprise.
But now what? We know, some 98% of the SL army is now occupying all the major towns in the north & east. And, Tigers are bound to rebounce as a guerrilla force much faster than the JVP did. [Remember, Tamil struggle is a nationalist struggle backed by a powerful Tamil diaspora.] This means, the southern euphoria will evaporate soon, and the military rule in the north and east will have to be extended to the south too -to suppress dissent even harder. Never underestimate the impact the deepening global recession is going to have on Sri Lanka in the present context - social unrest as never before is on the cards.
The war will have a positive effect on the Tigers. Most of them will see the futility of the dead-end politics of separatism. What Sri Lanka needs is an equality-based transformation of the entire political structure. Is Rajapaksa administration capable of doing that? Not in a million years! Its mindset is entrenched with the "Landlord-Tenant" model, as the military chief''s recent interview revealed.
The Tamils' fight for equality should change course. Tigers should come to terms with the Sinhala democratic forces to defeat the rising southern "dictatorship". That'll be the first step towards a Big Change - that'll mark the breakthrough in the 'ideological trap' that bridled the vision of Sinhalas & Tamils alike for so long.
Finally, let me quote a paragraph from a letter I wrote to a friend to answer a question he raised:
"The rights of People in the south also are directly threatened by rising fascist trends: rights for life, speech, media, and so on. [Have a look at the massive, angry demonstrations that hit the streets of Colombo in defiance of all fascist threats when an anti-government, anti-war journalist was killed. They just gave a glimpse of far bigger things yet to come.]
“White vans” come and pick up and kill not just Tamils but Sinhalese and Muslims too. The ‘State within the state’ wants to silence all those who disturb the war. This is why I insist the LTTE should initiate an umbrella Tamil organization – perhaps led by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the parliament - that can link up with the southern movements - the trade unions, political parties, human rights organisations and so on to build a united front under a common banner to fight the growing “fascist threat”. TNA can play a major role in building a southern united front under a common banner to fight state-terror.
In the coming period the global credit crunch will hit hard and many trade unions will be compelled to take action to defend living standards and jobs. The state will see such developments as more dangerous than human rights campaigns – particularly when the army is bogged down in the north & east. And, the fascist gangs will be mobilized to attack pickets, break strikes, and kidnap trade unionists and so on. This means the cream of Sinhala people will be compelled to defend themselves and picket-lines from fascist gangs by forming people’s militias. Not just trade unionists, but human rights activists, anti-war campaigners, left-parties, media institutions, journalists and so on will have no choice but to defend themselves, their organizations and institutions.
With such a perspective in mind, the LTTE should combine guerrilla warfare with new kind of politics aimed at forming the Sinhala-Tamil-Muslim united front under a single banner to beat the growing fascist-terror in the south. TNA should play the main role in this respect. In other words, TNA should have been directly involved in the southern progressive organizations that spontaneously hit the street to burn the President’s effigy and curse the fascists.
That would be just the starting point. Both sides will eventually learn to act in unexpected ways as partners of a common goal in time to come. Above all, an ideological block seems to prevent this happening. Once that is broken creative thinking will flow."
Good luck......Vasantha
v.raja@btinternet.com
I will comment on the last 2 paras.Yes. The army will play a greater role - like in Pakistan - and it well may be evetually India will probably be the only of the major countries in the region not taken over by the army. While the Govt and the Army have claimed victory over the LTTE from early Nov 2008 it is curious the Army Commander should ask for 100,000 more to his already bloated ranks. For what? Is he planning to attack India? Why did the President order army men to be included as
candidates in all future Local and Parliamentary elections? Is a military dictatorship in the offing?
ISS
It’s a big price the South would have ended up paying to live without Tamil separatism.
SO DO YOU THINK THAT TAMIL SEPARATISTS WILL GIVE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT TO THE SINHALESE IN NORTH AND EAST.
AT least the military has control of the whole country.
It is better than armed thugs having control of the whole country.
Of course, when these governments do not do what the majority of people in the country wants THEY WILL BE KICKED out....
But for today for the today's situation this is the best government that we could have and the best personnel....
If in 1983 - 87 we had these people in control this would not have gone so far....for 30 years
Kusal Perera has written a well argumented article to see where Sri Lanka and it peopl are heading towards. There are few who are crowing about winning but under the seemingly shallow waters lies the dangerous traps and turns.
Will Sri Lanka will ever recover from economical and social mess it has created to suppress the Tamil people?
Will Sri Lanka ever become a democratic country where people can vote with confidence and without intimidation?
Will there be a military which will listen to the Government?
Will there be many Sri Lankans who are willing to invest or live in that country?
Will Tamil people ever consider or considered equals knowing that it will be a safer place?
Well perhaps in about 2-3 years we will have some answers I hope.
Kusal Perera is obviously a rare Sinhala light.
Unless he is based abroad, he is also very brave.
I qoute from N2's post of Jan 30th on Kusal Perera's article:
"Unless he is based abroad, he is also very brave"
What a wonderfully succint comment on the situation in our country!
Good Fortune to Mr.Perera.
ON N2's comment about me. Well, I am still living in SL and in Bellanwila. But I do not know whether I am brave or foolish to write what I see around me.
In fact I was editing the website www.lankadissent.com till the assassination of Lasantha W. when we decided to put down the shutters. There are still men and women here in SL who want a democratic and a pluralistic society capable of looking to the future.
It is in that context, we try to see and understand the developments here.
And the developments are, as Rajan Karalasingham has deduced, N2's comments do capture everything one could say about our country in just 10 words.
The military dictatorship is inevitable at this point. As J. Perera said, Rapakse's war required the support of the Sinhalese extremists. However, the continued existance of the Rajapakse dynasty, and by extension, the existance of the various entities that have sprung up under that umbrella, also require the patronage of these same extremists. What better way to flatter the extremists than by allowing the military to play a significant role in political affairs. Ultimately, it is far "simpler" to deal with every Tamil issue by suppressing it at the point of a gun. This is the only "solution" for Tamil "grievances" which Sinhalese extremists are comfortable with. Any other solution that even remotely resembles power-sharing with the Tamils is, in the extremist mindset, equivalent to seperatism.
Good to hear from Kusal Perera. People who blame Tamils for letting Rajapaksas should now realise that this state of political affairs is exclusively Sinhalese, which has been festering for long and has now come to the fore. Why was it festering? Perhaps, we are all attempting to reassert our identity after nearly 500 years of colonial subjugation which reduced us to subject people. Again, for the same reason we did forfeited our right to govern ourselves - something that we had to relearn ourselves. Our pathetic state is exacerbated by selfish political class. That is what we have to fight.
This is why a two state solution is mandatory in the island, which will immediately puncture the excuse that only Deshapremis have the right to govern, as they have the duty to put down Tamil rebellion. Besides, LTTE is politically responsible organisation despite people criticising it. No other party can match the ability of LTTE to govern politically. A Tamil polity in the island being governed by such a strong and able political force would definitely provide encouragement for the Sinhala progressives too. Muslims too would find an opportunity to define themselves clearly as a community and live harmoniously than other would be possible. If the LTTE is wiped out you can forget all that. The carpet of savage suppression would never be rolled back by the government - it is the people that will have to roll it back.
You are right to put up shutters for now and be there when an opportunity arises to exploit it. Take good care of yourself.
Kusal has a far reaching mind and I know there are thousands of souls like him in Sri Lanka (not only Sinhalese but also among Tamils or Muslims)who are dreaded of what future has to offer them. When truth dawns, there will be more and more Kusals. I am optimistic. Please Kusal, keep on your good work because we need a lot of rational minds!