Is a post Eelam Sri Lanka inevitable?
by Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan.
More than one Lankan academic of note dared envision in recent years the more than distinct possibility of a Sri Lanka after the coming of the much contested Eelam – in the North Eastern part of the island where Tamil-speaking people live today under conditions described as "horrible and sub-human" inviting unanimous condemnation of the world community. Tamils have been living in these areas as the majority community for thousands of years - a reality supported by history and archeology.
In the nature of the sharp dispute between the Sinhalese and Tamils that gathered momentum in recent times, even this is disputed for reasons that can only be described as mischievous. While the State of Eelam is yet to emerge formally chances are sooner than later this is inevitable - largely due to the obstinacy and suspect political manouverings of Sinhala politicians. Indiscriminate attacks from the air and sea where thousands of civilians have perished and vital infra-structure including schools, hospitals, places of worship were targeted have hardened the Tamil resolve to secede. The callous rapes of young women, killing of youth suspected to be militants and other genocidal acts continue in gay abandon to the point Tamils want to be left alone. The call for restraint by the international community in the matter was ignored by the armed forces – often believed to be out of the control of the political hierarchy. Gross sub-human treatment of Tamils in the conflict zone subjecting them to de-housing, starvation, shortage of essential medicine, destruction of their sources of livelihood have all contributed to this cumulative demand to go separate ways. Tamils see through a conspiracy to reduce their influence in numbers in the North is now clearly evident where the Eastern political leadership is made a mockery with the Chief Minister claiming "he does not even have the power to appoint a peon". This after loud assurances from the highest levels he will be given almost everything to build the District. The much-heralded transformation of Batticoloa for her people to enjoy the fruits of democracy is clearly a sham – which the Tamil people have not failed to take notice of.
The situation has reached the stage of no-return since Sinhala political rulers at different times and in various ways worked up the Sinhala mind homing on them this was, is and will be the Land of the Sinhalese majority. They rubbed it in by adding "minorities can live only on our magnanimity and pleasure. That too only if they behave" - a refrain eloquently expressed loud and clear by the Army's I-give-a-dam-to-anyone Sarath Fonseka joined by the Defernce Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse " to boot the President" brother.
Different political groupings among the majority and the head of the now politically and numerically powerful army have made clear what is in store for Tamils and the minorities in the future. There is no reason to believe this has not registered in the minds of the targeted audience.. The outside world has found it somewhat puzzling why the virtual Sinhala-only armed forces - now around 300,000; ultra-modern and equipped with sophisticated gear; required such a vast number to battle a rag-tag, shoeless army of LTTE cadres numbering less than 2,000 (Government figures) generally equipped with small firearms. It is curious why even today within the claimed single square mile a militant strength of less than 2,000 has not been hounded out - after weeks of assurances to the people. The bulk of the meager resources of the country that could have gone into useful development projects is deliberately squandered in the purchase of expensive equipment for the (note, not by the) forces – many of which & nbssp; reported to be at highly inflated prices. Much of it predictably siphoned off overseas. That this insensitive claim of Sinhala hegemony was not effectively contested by competing Sinhala political forces in the South is an indication of its unanimous acceptability among the wider Sinhala population.
However, more for cosmetic reasons than objective, the UNP – the Sinhala right-wing party that has been in power several times - lets off a grunt or two in feeble but lackluster opposition to this preposterous claim in what is referred to in the Constitution as a multi-racial, multi-ethnic secular society centered on equality before the law. The Army chief or the Defence Secretary and their fellow-thinkers do not necessarily concur with what the 1978 Constitution lays down. It is now a Buddhist theocratic society run by a Buddhist clergy-lead political grouping that holds more effective power and influence than what the country's ineffective Parliament does. At any rate, the average attendance in Parliament is no more than 15% we are told, with Ministers hardly in their seats to answer questions from the Opposition of which due notice is given several days earlier. That is the plight of governance in Sri Lanka today and for some years now.
The demand of the Tamil people for their rights for language, State employment and for safeguards in higher education for their children that gathered momentum in 1956 were greeted with contempt bordering on mockery. Their sad lot was decades of disappointment and step-motherly treatment. State players and resources, meanwhile, were utilized to weaken the Tamils and their traditional homeland in the North-East Province. Open and surreptitious State-aided colonization in Tamil majority areas in the Eastern Province continued unabated despite strong opposition from the Tamils. Whereas there was already significant land hunger on the part of the Tamil and - to a lesser extent, the Muslim people of the area; Sinhala colonists, mainly from the deep South, many of them hard-core criminals, were settled here with the State lavishly using resources meant for the use of all communities. This calculated move was engineered from the time of the late D.S. Senanayake in the 1950s to rapidly alter the demographic pattern of the district against the Tamils in the area. The population statistics of the area from the 1950s todate will reveal the real story.
There is room to believe governing sources in the Sinhala south coming from the two major political parties found convergence in this policy as they incorrectly figured, and indeed advised their followers, unless Tamils are rendered unto minority status in the Eastern Province, local Tamils will link with adjoining Tamilnadu in South India and eventually swamp the Sinhalese. This is a falsehood upon which platform many pro-Sinhala nationalist parties have come to power. Though this fear is unthinkable in the modern world, the vast mass of Sinhalese believed or "wanted to be believe" such a theory. It is possible much of the hatred and prejudice against Tamils is based on this delusionary fear.
However, in the final analysis, the coming into two of a hitherto singular political unit (from British times) along language lines – that was right along avoidable - does not necessarily mean the end of the world for both sides.
The writer argues both States can still function within a modified Sri Lanka with necessary political and structural arrangements to follow. There is absolutely no need for a blood-bath reminiscent of that.ignominy that took millions of lives when the Indian sub-continent split into two during 1947/48. Looking at history in sober terms what is being discussed is, in fact, the restoration of the Status Quo that was altered with the coming of the Portugese early in the 17th century - the first colonial power to set foot in the island. The separate Tamil, Kandyan kingdoms and Low Country political reality were unified by the British for reasons of "administrative convenience" when they held sway in the Island.
Tamils in the North-East and Sinhalese in the South were the pre-dominant races until that time which also had a minority of Muslims. Later Tamils of recent origin, who arrived early in the 19th century brought in as workers in the Plantations. They are settled mainly in the Central Hills of the Sinhala South. A rupture of this nature is not new to the region considering Singapore engineered a bloodless divorce from Malaya in 1965. The separation did not see the shedding of blood on a wide scale, loss of assets or properties of the Malays in Singapore or Chinese in Malaysia. In retrospective, it would appear both Singapore and Malaya would have mutually destroyed each other's capacities and future if they allowed their own rocky marriage to continue with the bitter relationship they endured. Today thanks to the resolve, industry and commitment of both Malaysians and Singaporeans both countries have reached NIC level with Singapore in the first world league. The powerful and liquid Tamil diaspora believes though they do not have the right and capacity to get GoSL and her hardline Sinhala leadership to change course at this late hour, they may be in a position to help their Tamil brethren to begin their shattered lives afresh. They have pledged to invest billions of dollars in the new entity purely to enable it to get on its feet. Even amounts of US$10,000 to 50,000 per person per year in the half of a diaspora close to 800,000 this appears sufficient to build a viable new State.
Then there is the possibility of at least 4 successful Tamil billionaires in Malaysia, USA and the UK who have the influences to build valuable infra-structure in the nascent State. Understandably, there will be some hiccups in the initial stages of the estrangement but this will work out gradually. Now that the Buddhist-priest led Sinhala State made the relationship unworkable one hopes the Sinhala side will gain the resolve and the muscle of its own indigenous and diaspora strength to rebuild her own shattered economy. There is no reason at all they cannot. Singapore gets its life-giving water from Malaysia and both countries did not interfere with the free movement of either people to and fro. Both operate on the basis of mutual survival – a philosophy ideal for Sri Lanka and the new State. In the nature of the lawless situation where much of the law and order machinery has been hijacked by criminal and lawless elements here – many of them under State protection - the rupture might not be as smooth as in the Malacca Straits. This is where the international community should step in and ensure a smooth transition.
The convergence of views of Tamilnadu's feuding Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha where both have now openly declared their support for Tamil Eelam coincides with the publication of these views. India and the international community will very likely go along with this option that can put a stop to the long blood-letting and enable GoSL to start afresh - now that they were unwilling or unable to prevent the haemorrage for over 50 years.
23 Comments
From what dream full of mischeif did Mr Ilaya wakeup from
A road and rail bridge connecting the island to India will help a great deal.
As a first step,
we need a Unilaterla Declaration of Independence with Government in Exile.
There are ceratianly few countries those see an Eelam Government Sans Real LTTE, they will back and recognize the state.
State of Palastine was created so does Taiwan and many more with GOvernment in Exile.
What we need is a Unity ( 80% of the Diaspora approval), structure and constituition.
We will talk and see ISS.
So who is this elusive last King of the Tamil Kingdom that ruled the North East at the time of colonial occupation? Care to enlighten us? What is his name? What was the ancestry? What book states this?
Hogwash from a guy trying to rewrite history to justify the racist Tamil Tiger Terrorist atrocities.
The self-serving bias in this article almost does not a warrant a response. But I shall respond in the interest of readers who may be less familiar with the Sri Lankan background.
1. The author’s main point seems to be the seemingly unquestionable truth that Tamils have always lived in the Notheast of Sri Lanka and therefore that part of the island is our god given homeland. Well history is never so convenient. The history of the island is all about ebbs and flows of ethnic groups. Yes we Tamils were at some point as far south as Dambulla and the Sinhala were at certain points in history as far north as Trinco and Jaffna. So if we start wars based on sketchy historical precedence then the Native Americans should fight everybody else living in the US, we Dravidians should fight the Aryans since we lived in North India before them etc.
2. I live in Colombo, I have a house, and a business here. My relatives live here and so do my friends and acquaintances. Now do I drop everything and go running to this Eelam? Well I don’t want to, I like it here! But with the LTTE ethnically cleansing the North and the East can I live here? Will not the Sinhala feel they need to cleanse us out of the south in vengeance? Could you blame them? LTTE never clarified this point! Yes my life here is sometimes a nightmare when I get stopped and checked by teenage soldiers on the roadside but with the LTTE sending suicide bombers to kill us I would rather prefer the checkpoints.
3. and then would a Eelam and Sri Lanka every be able to exist in harmony. Eelam wanted 50% of the land and most of the coastline for 18% of the population (or less if you discount the Tamils living in the South). So you want to pack in the Sinhala, Muslim, Burghers and the remaining Tamils in the south of the country and expect everybody to just get along for ever? Could anybody but an 8th grade school dropout be so naïve?
The reason SL needed a big army is LTTE is not fighting a conventional war, Suicide bombers civilion masacres requires lot of man power to guard the civilion population. You can do whatever in your dreamlands but to implement you will have to come to SL. The SL army will make sure terrorism will not raise it's head again in SL. The growing poulation requires land, What are you saying north and east only for tamils? Now who is the racist here?
Wake up from your day dream and contribute at least with a lunch packet, let alone plans for investing in billions, to the poor chaps who bore the brunt till ltte finds that magic key to your paradise. Many genocidal intended Sinhalees do contribute as much as they can to minimize the suffering. And thamils will have to live on their goodwill for the most of the near future since non of the concerned diaspora will come to assist their day to day needs. Hope the offsprings of the diaspora retain the same thirst in their second and third generation as well, so they can start funding next phase of struggle in 20 years or so.
First let me express my deep regret to your Elam dream. Second we wonder how you find these evidences , suppose creations to prove what is in your dream. We wonder why Pilliyan, Karuna are in political arena now and what is your view on Ananda Sangaree and Douglous Devananda? Who are these people?
Your past is different what we know and try to live in future. We Sinhalese have only one country. We will not allow to break it.
You are a terrorist who is responsible for mass merder of sinhalese as well as tamils. Be careful terroists will be eliminated & no other solution
The author obviously has a very poor grasp of Tamilnadu politics when he concludes that ‘The convergence of views of Tamilnadu's feuding Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha where both have now openly declared their support for Tamil Eelam coincides with the publication of these views.’ No sooner the election is over this view will evaporate into thin air. One or both of them will be back in the hit list of LTTE.
Again when he hopes that ‘India and the international community will very likely go along with this option’ it shows his lack of perception that India will be the last country on earth that will permit a two state solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem because it knows very well that the moment a Tamil Eelam is born the seeds of secession for Tamilnadu will be planted. When pro LTTE Tamil Diaspora demonstrates in the Western countries for the rights of 80 million Tamil people (which include Tamils in Tamilnadu) they are unaware of the fact that this slogan promotes the action of Indian Government for very seriously supporting GOSL for the total annihilation of LTTE and the concept of Tamil Eelam.
It is nothing wrong to dream about a Tamil Eelam that will be offered to Sri Lankan Tamils by India and International Community on a platter but the author and other like minded Tamil Diaspora shall condemn the use of remaining Vanni Tamil civilians in the war zone as pawns for the military shield by LTTE and propaganda purpose by Tamil Diaspora because we need them to live to see the proposed Tamil Eelam.
These guys have got some mental disorder to still dream about a dead utopia based on a non existent historical fantacy.
They should be kept in a permanent asylum if they cannot be woken up to the reality. Otherwise they would be a real danger to the society & regional peace.
The exodus of Tamils from the so called "safe zone" is similar to that what was seen in Rwanda about 15 years ago, when Tutsis faced genocide in the hands of Hutus.
Sinhala soldiers are on a genocidal spree. They have murdered about 1000 Tamil civilians and injured about 2500 by breaching into the "safe zone".
In Sri Lanka(SL), a Tamil is always held as a hostage by the Sinhala state. IDP's are held as hostages in military concentration camps. Others face hostage taking, mostly daily, by the Sinhala soldiers in military check points.
But, Mahinda Rajapakse explained the mass exodus of Tamil civilians from the unsafe "safe zone", because of military firing, as "the largest ever hostage rescue mission in history". Tamil civilian killing is being covered up and Sinhala ego is being boosted by that unreal utterance.
Adolf Hitler also similarly engaged in similar utterances during genocide of Jews. The purpose is definitely to blame others, hoodwink the International community and carry on with the genocide. SL appears to be succeeding in its trickery.
The truth of what happened in the "safe zone" could be discovered easily from spy satelite photos in the area as done in Bosnia.
The UN should start to bring Rajapakse and other war criminals to the war crimes court in the Hague for the UN to justify its existence.
Rwanda is past. Sri Lanka is present. But the UN and the International Community are doing nothing whatsoever to rectify even happenings in the present.
Surely, Tamil Eelam is inevitable.
Do you know that Tamils are also living in the Central Part of Sri Lanka?The strange thing is that know one is talking about them.They are talking about the rights of the tamil speaking MUSLIMS.But do not bother about the tamils in Up Country.Why that?I think if there is a discrimination to certain community in Sri Lanka ,it has happened to tamils in central part Sri lanka and has done by the Sinhalese,Muslims and Eelam Tamils
Nation States were neither designed nor defined when big bang occurred billions of years ago. Nation state is new phenomenon in the world's history. it is result of economic,political, cultural, and social conditions that prevailed at the time of its creation.Prevailing economic, social, cultural and political conditions during the 1948-pre-conflict period forced the progressive thinking Tamils to seek independent state where We,as Tamils can constitute new progressive, just and fair political structure to advance just,fair and progressive economic,social and cultural structure to uplift welfare of the people that reside in North and East regions of Sri Lankan state. A man and woman who resides under just, fair and progressive conditions is more productive and joyful than a system where unjust, unfair and repressive conditions are prevailing. No material incentive (money and material things) or social status can be factors for joyfulness if adverse conditions exist in the society. A Joyful person can exist only in the just, fair and progressive where there is neither exploitation nor oppression. We can't construct system without dedicated, determined armed fighting cadres, when creation of new system is confronted by hostile forces that is hell bent on preventing new system taking place, for their own interests and glorification of their dominant status.
Please ask ourselves, how and why we have come to this pathetic situation, I, as a human being and internationalist, believe in just society for all of us who inhabit this planet. I strongly believe that without just ,socially progressive political structure, any attempts to have just society will be doomed, therefore I suggest, we first have a just political structure in order to safeguard social, economic, cultural structures of the society. By changing puppets time to time will not solve the problems that we are facing collectively today in Sri Lanka. Since we gained independence from Great Britain, we have have not attempted to solve the problems faced by majority of Sri Lankans. Only constructive, fair, just political system will lead our people to get out of poverty in which we have mired for so long. We need to have progressive thoughts to solve the social problems. I honestly believe that constructing socially progressive economic system to fulfill the social needs of the populace. Without structuring sound political system, we will never have progressive and socially oriented economic system. our society, both Tamils and Sinhalese have to rectify some of our social ills we carry with us for so long, such as, traditions, customs , ie excessive linguistic and religious fanaticism , get rich quick, materialistic approach to everything in life, social status etc. We can't solve these ills and within current political structure, we need to rejuvenate the society with new structure. Only just political structure can be stepping stone towards a fair and just society. There are no excuses to justify our current state of political, economic and social ills, only blame , I can think of, is our political system that we inherited from Great Britain. The elite who were given the reins of this new state have been at each others throat for their own interests.. I certainly believe that viable, socially progressive sustainable economic system where we can utilize scare natural resources( ie Land and water) excess manpower(physical and brain ) to deliver social goods on which every man and woman depends on every single day. I am firm believer of the system where priority is given to social products and small portion of economic resources are allocated to intermediate goods that necessary for production of social goods.
Poverty is major breeding ground to cause revolution and crimes in a society unless causes of poverty are properly addressed by government. We need to tackle the problems of poverty to mitigate social tensions that have permeated every level of the society. We need social conscience and social awareness. We, as citizens of the state, need to create socially conscious administrators of economic, social, political and cultural spheres, otherwise we can only dream of solving our everyday problem. each and everyone of the society be given opportunity to fulfill his or her every day's needs, he alone is responsible for his or her well being unless he or she is unfit or unable to work as other adult citizen. State must make conducive atmosphere where citizen can invest his or her labor for wages to sustain his well being as well as his or her family members who depend on his or her earnings for their survival.
I believe that we as social animals can have meaningful life if we create political, economic,social and cultural system where we can utilize our resources to produce , distribute and consume social goods. I don't find wasting our resources to produce exchangeable goods,( space rockets, tobacco, alcohol they have no social values but their production creates and gives purchasing power to production forces who owned and operate these facilities. Most of exchangeable goods are produced by tiny elite all around the world.. palaces, jumbo jets mansions hummer jewelry art collections) Their production takes away the natural resources destined for production of social goods.
In order to have change in our society, we need to revolutionary minded , armed people to fulfill our social needs. Westminster parliamentary system thus far failed us miserably as a viable, system to serve our primary political needs. We need unselfish servants of populace to nourish healthy environment for a just society, Only primary goals of administrators is serving people whom they represent. I don't trust politicians to safeguard the interests of populace. The politicians have their own self interests in their political participation.
Only LTTE has capabilities and capacity to provide and protect new political system. Tiger cadres are, not only trained for battlefield but also trained for to administer political, economic, social and cultural system. They have popular support inside Northeastern province also outside among diaspora. sad part of current status that prevailing in Sri Lanka is, majority of Sinhala people still trust and has given reins of powers (political,economic, social and cultural) to elite of their linguistic race. Elites, wherever they live, they always promote and protect their own interests. They are tiny minority around the world, but they always claim that they promote and protect welfare of whole peoples around the world, but they are just hypocrites. We Tamils have lost hope that any change in current governing and ruling elite, it will continue for considerable period in the future. Therefore, we Tamils, considerable population in the regions of North and eastern provinces , need to create better system to uplift the welfare of people that reside in Northeastern region.
Globalization has permeated all parts of the planet without consideration for national boundaries nor for sovereignty of independent states. Global capitalism promote , project and safeguard the interests of Global elite. This global elites have formed and functioning global cartel(cabal) All of elite are interconnected for disparate goals. ie wealthy elite, political, military, cultural and religious. Majority of populace is not belong to this group but are subjected to decisions made by these cabals. Capitalist market system has been decorations peoples' psyche with new financial words and never ending numbers. Mass media has become mouth piece of global capitalism( ie Majority of mass media is owned by global companies) We peoples who reside in developing countries must not trust these fancy words and promises disseminated by these groups. Every single specie is territorial, it will defend and protect its territory of habitat to survive, thus we ,human, as one of the specie would defend and protect our habitat to survive, therefore, defense for self-government for the Northeastern regions, is justified by law of nature. Peoples know very well how to utilize resources they posses in the area of habitat thus they are the best administrators of resources to uplift and protect welfare of the population.
International trade, that promoted by Transnational companies, is not helping to promote better living conditions for majority of peoples around the world. We need not to engaged in production of non-social goods, ie arms, tobacco, pornography to purchase social goods, elimination of non-social goods would leave us with plenty of resources for that are needed for social production. Every human has limited life span thus we need not to waste our precious time to engaged in production of non-social goods that are not essential for our well being. We need to understand that this Elite and institutions that are promoting capitalist and market concepts will not be affected if those concepts failed to materialized. beneficiaries of Global system are very tiny group who are in reality, stock market hedge fund
managers, commodity speculators, currency speculators. when countries trade more finished goods or commodities speculations are the only ones benefit from international trade. neither workers benefit, by earning highers wages nor consumers benefit, by paying less for goods. When goods are produced for exchange locally prices reflect real value of that is determined by values of inputs.(labor and raw materials) When goods are made for export , prices become irrelevant or not reflective of input values. Most goods will be higher by adding advertisement, insurance, transportation costs etc. Speculation play very large part in determination of prices traded goods and commodities.
I have devoted so much for economics and international trade because of, Sri lanka is subject to international trade and finance thus stakeholders of international trade and finance will do everything at their disposal protect their interests in Srilanka. These interest groups will always prevent new political system taking place .They will prevent a new state by Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Look response from sinhala people, total ignorence. Do they know whats really happening in tamil areas or how their sinhala brutal racist force behaving. Do they know how many masscars done by sinhala forces. They only know Ltte atrocites nothing else(they never going agree). Upto now sinhala forces killed more tamils than any one else. Pirabakaran monster created by sinhala barbaric politicians who denied rights of the tamil people since independence.
god bless tamils.
AGAIN TAMILS BETTER OFF THEIR OWN TAMIL EALAM STATE.
Senguttuvan,
I have just about had enough of your nonsensical rhetoric. Let me do you the courtesy of being blunt as I think you are wasting your time rephrasing and re-writing the same Gibberish over and over again.
TAMIL EELAM IS DEAD. It does not matter how many BILLIONAIRE TAMILS there are in the world, it does not matter how supposedly politically "Powerful" the Tamil Diaspora are (which they are NOT,.. as clearly demonstrated in their Lack of ability to achieve a single sanction against Sri Lanka in the past few months), it does not matter what Tamil Nadu thinks or empathizes with... and it certainly does not matter what Tamil Nationalist Racists like you may think individually or as a collective.
You are in Sri Lanka... a country that contains an OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Sinhalese people, so whether you think you, as a minority, will be able to convince us to split the country by Hook, Crook, or International Lawbook,... the fact remains that you will have to FIGHT US to win...
You have tried your Secessionist Nonsense for 30 odd years now and look at the Tatters it has left you in. I mean, I'm not usually one to gloat, but we Whooped your Sorry Backsides REAL GOOD! I mean really? We Hands Down gave you Terror-Coddling Communalists a CLASS A SMACK DOWN! That is what we did, and you know it.
Normal, Sensible Tamils (not people like you) will return to Sri Lanka, most will be relieved that this Eelam Fantasy is over. Only Delusional Ideologists like you will continue to Live in the little castles you built inside your own mind about this Eelam Fantasy land, the rest of the Sri Lankan Tamils will want to enjoy some sort of normalcy and peace in their lifetime. Its vicious, bitter people like you and Velupillai Prabhakaran who hijacked the ethnic problems during the birth and infancy of our nation and poisoned it and mutated it into your Eelam Homeland Fantasy. You have only yourselves to blame for this mess, we are tired of hearing you Harp on about a NON-EXISTENT GENOCIDE, and Cry Crocodile Tears for Victims of a War you created and perpetuated. We don't care about your Past So-Called Grievances which have been addressed and rectified decades ago, there is no sympathy left from the Sinhalese side,.. we are not swayed by your Half-Truths, Lies, and Rhetoric. You are TIRESOME PARROTS. You simply bore us.
Sri Lanka is marching into the future of multi-culturalism, progress, and prosperity,… It’s a BRAVE NEW WORLD….. and unless you plan on coming back in another life, I would give you the sound advice of getting on the “Train”, and leave your Antiquated, Idiotic Backwards Communalistic and Tribalistic Mentality behind…. Or else… you should probably dust off your passport and go apply for a Refugee Visa to one of these Western countries. After all, if you can’t get what you want Self-Exile into the IMMIGRANT CLASS of White countries seems to be a good fall back for you people. (at least I have not heard any of you complain about it yet…?)
ISS
You are showing your true colours.You are nothing but an ealamist.You try your best to hide your colours by your varying comments to diffferent articles.But you can not hide it any more.
Although it is important to highlight the human rights abuses and massacres committed by the GOSL, no sensible person can brush aside the allegations against the LTTE. If it is undoubtedly proven that the LTTE has callously utilized Tamil civilians, whom they are morally and perhaps legally obligated to protect, the global Tamil community will certainly need to rethink their position towards this organization. Moreover, the actions of Tamil leaders has inevitably lead to the present situation. No self-respecting Tamil should ever forget the actions of Tamil Nadu "joker" politicians and self-serving Sri Lankan Tamil leaders. It is not "Rajapaksas" who have lead Vanni civilians to this utterly hopeless fate. It is our own, whom shamelessly sacrifice innocent civilians for their own survival. Millions of Tamils just miles away from the cries of Tamil civilians, yet they do absolutely nothing. Why expect the world to assist Tamil civilians, when we refuse to help ourselves?
“People who value democracy, equality and equity, needs to pressure the Sri Lankan state to take immediate action towards a meaningful and just power sharing arrangement. That is the only way to ensure security and the dignity of the peoples of Sri Lanka.
If peaceful coexistence through power sharing is not achievable, the only other solution that would be available will be secession” so said Mr. Lionel Bopage, former Secretary of the JVP.
There is a vast difference in the policy of the ORIGINAL JVP to which Mr.Lionel Bopage belongs and the policy of the present JVP.
A new concept outlined below is towards a meaningful and just power-sharing arrangement and is a very great deviation from normal thinking of the word “devolution”.
Many, who call themselves as ‘moderates’, are not willing to consider this concept which gives a certain degree of ‘power’ with ‘responsibility’ to everyone including the poor and voiceless silent majority in the country and not excluding the so-called “minorities”.
Now, one word, for those who are actually and sincerely interested in fostering a united country by supporting “devolution” as a means to achieve sustainable peace, please avoid thinking in terms of “devolution” and instead please try to think in terms of “sharing” of powers, rights, duties and responsibilities that cannot be taken back at any time by any government or individual by any method.
The best political solution would be to DILUTE the powers of all elected representatives by separating the various powers of the Parliament and empowering different sets of people’s representatives elected on different area basis to administer the different sets of separated powers.
It has to be devolution HORIZONTALLY where every set of representatives would be equal and in par and NOT VERTICALLY where one set of representatives would be above the other, which is the normal adopted practice when talking of devolution, in this power-hungry world. It is because of “devolution” being evolved “vertically”, we have all the trouble in this power-hungry world.
So, for sustainable peace it should not be the present form of “devolution” but “dilution of powers” or “sharing of powers” in such a way that no single or set of peoples representatives - other than the common people themselves - is superior to another. This system would eradicate injustice, discrimination, bribery and corruption - the four pillars of an evil society - and establish the “Rule of Law” and “Rule by ALL” for sustainable peace, tranquility and prosperity and a pleasant living with dignity and respect for all inhabitants in the country. Everyone must have “equal” powers, rights, duties and responsibilities and most importantly everyone should be deemed “equal” before the law not only on paper but also practically – be it the Head of State, The Chief Justice or the voiceless poor of the poorest.
A detailed version of the concept, which is quite long is available for discussion by interested individuals with an aim to change the hearts not just a change of mind of the citizens of this country with the aim of preserving a UNITARY form of Government with every section of people from every part of the country PARTICIPATING in the GOVERNANCE OF THE COUNTRY in a practical and meaningful way. In a way it may be termed “participatory democracy”. In this system the country is NOT DIVIDED but the “powers of governance’ of the Parliament is separated and administered COLLECTIVELY by different sets of peoples representatives.
Dev:
If your wish is to learn and with an unbiased and clear mind please go to Wikipedia/British Encyclopedia to learn of the rulers of the Kingdom that prevailed in today’s Jaffna - from ancient times. Prof Kingsley de Silva might throw some light here and so will Prof Pathmanathan. If Jaffna is open again to the public do go to the Nallur Temple and read of the antiquity of the Temple. You could have had better material that was in the archives of the Jaffna Library until it was torched. One of the heroes of that arson who took dozens
of criminals from Kelaniya at the behest of his then boss Cyril Mathew is now a Cabinet Minister – messing up the Ministry in his charge. On your way, do visit the Thiruketeeswaram Temple in Mannar, which the Sinhala Scholar Sir Paul Peiris confirmed could be as old as 4,000 years. But if your source is Nalin de Silva and fellow travellers in the Buddhist supremacist cabal then your
academic quest will be a non-starter. Because NdeS, said to be a Professor (Maths, I think) is trying hard to distort history by influencing the re-writing of Sinhala school books to defraud the younger generation of a students by misleading Tamils in Jaffna came from India 4 centuries ago brought in by the Dutch for Tobacco cultivation.
Devinda,
I love you too – just as much.
To the others // Prof Sumanasiri Liyanage is just one of the many from the Sinhala academic side who addressed his mind to a Sri Lanka of the immediate future that has to live with a Tamil Eelam - with or without VP/Tigers. Neither he nor I enjoy the possibility. As far as I know most Tamils in the NEP dread this possibility. But the Sinhala polity has pushed the Tamils into this
choice. You will have to use your influences with those priests in Kandy, the Rasputins of the JHU and those opportunistic turncoats of the JVP, MEP to turn the tide - if that is possible at all at this late juncture.
Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan
Illaya Seran
The belief that there was a tamil kingdom has been one reason for tamils to ask for an ealam.
However,as much as we know there was a kingdom for a very short period when the south kings were fighiting with each other and hence lost control of the entire country.But what has been said in Yalpana vipavamalei has been strongly rejected by Pro.K.Indrapala who is a renowned and respected historian.
As historians we also feel that it is full of fabrications which can not be substantiated.No archiological evidence can be found.No inscriptions.
We can give you many facts against this.
We feel sorry for your references.Any body can update wikipidiea.They do not take the responsibility for that.(I do not know what is there in encyclopedia)
On the contrary the facts in Mahawansa has been proved beyond doubt substantially by myriads of archi.sites,inscriptions and living monuments.
Of course it contains some unbelievable things.But compared to your sources,it is far more acceptable.
If you claim that your history books were destroyed in Jaff.lib.fire,you try to fool many people.There is something called National Archieves in Colombo which preserve all important documents of the country.This is the national back up so if you lost any thing in Jaf.lib,it should be here.
My honest openion is if you drag this history issue tamils will loose more than the LTTE loss.
If you are interested you can contact the leading historians from Sinhala side and independant historians to arrange a public debate with you and your historians in any place of the world.Then the truth will come out which will lead to the national unity by exposing the false info you are spreading.On the other hand if it was proved there was a longterm tamil kingdom then sinhalese will agree for a greater devolution.
I think you can do this as you have mentioned in your many comments that you were an renowned and acceptable person in Sri Lanka sometime back when you were living there.
Hope you will do that.
Thanks
Histo
Histo,
You are trying somewhat poorly to hide your background as someone with the orientation of a Historian. Much of the rest of your comments lack firm grounding as well. It is a poor indictment of our times and our division when even those with an initiated background talk in terms of “Sinhala” and “Tamil” historians. I do not know why you take the position Tamils should not claim there was a kingdom in their areas only, as you propose, to curry favours with the present Sinhalese. You, of course, admit there were some but “for short periods” My friend, surely Kingdoms are not like brief stays in star-hotels for short periods. If one King goes another takes his place as it is true of both Sinhala and Tamil kingdoms. I am afraid Prof Indrapala/palan has damaged his neutrality a great deal and is generally considered neither here nor there. Prof Sudarshan Seneviratne and Dr. Shiran Deraniyagala are two gentlemen whom the academic world hold in high esteem. As far as I know, both do not distort history to suit the agenda of people in power at a particular time of history – just to get a favour here and there. But one notices they are extra-careful, notably in the past few years, in pronouncing their judgements do not tread on sensitive areas. This is sadly a poor comment on our culture of free of speech and expression – but there it is. Yet, in lectures both here, India and elsewhere in recent times - with experts present in the audience- both these internationally acclaimed archeologists, with strong inclination to anthropology, have confirmed the continued presence of Tamils in the island. The period around when Mahawamsa was written was one in which Tamil presence was ubiquitous and very strong. You might know that Sothisena (426 a.d.) had a Tamil mother. And so it was among many nobles of the time who inter-married - and this went on for centuries. I do not want to say something controversial particularly at these times. Of course, you will not deny the many critical comments on Bhikku Mahanama’s creation. Even the opening paragraphs, the creators of the Buddhist Commission Report use from the Mahawamsa, have been questioned. These have a slant to create hatred and division between communities. Also, you will not deny why that great Lankan academic Dr. Senerat Paranavitana came under wide criticism from the Buddhist religious hierarchy for recognising the past in terms of his enormous learning and research. The mistake he made was that he did not “doctor” the past to suit the whims and fancies of some of our politikkas. Wikipedia, by the way, is a source relied upon by multi-millions of teachers and students throughout the world and is updated almost daily through reliable academic sources on the ground. On and off, there are minor inaccuracies but these are more in the nature of omission than deliberate commission, I must add. You deny knowledge of the British Encyclopedia in a strange way – and I will let that be as it is. We all live to learn – as Socrates would say. If you believe Govt Archives contain a copy of everything that was in the Jaffna Library, I am not going to argue with you except to state the antiquity of ancient Tamil history and the millennia presence of Tamils in the island needs no marketing or propaganda even through powerful and costly Washington Lobbyists which MR’s GoSL is now forced to run to save
Sri Lanka’s name at the world stage. Tamil claims in the island has been, is and will be unambiguous and real in the eyes of the world. That is a world free of jaundiced history and engineered distortion. Incidentally, there is much concern in scholarly circles recently inducted ministerial sources influencr, through selected cohorts, “historical distortions” in sensitive records in the Archives in Colombo. You are, of course, aware there has been, in recent years, several moves in the country to change history books of students in the lower classes to gradually obliterate the Tamil presence in the Island. This was denied in Parliament by Education Minister Susil Premjayanth himself - rather weakly. You write again in an unacceptable patronising manner when you suggest Tamils can have more than what they lost through the LTTE if they give up their historical claim to Tamil lands in the island. I don’t think Tamils will agree to such a “deal” to sell their precious heritage. As to your veiled threat, in issues like this, both sides can lose much more than they bargain for if they do not learn from the lessons of history. Also, please remind yourself that the LTTE and the Tamils are two different entities while the Govt and the armed forces often punish one for the other. I must also add, like many Tamils, I am pleased to see many Sinhala army men and women treating with concern and kindness many Tamil children, sick women coming out from the clutches of the LTTE in the War Zone. I suppose the milk of human kindness, though dried, has not entirely vanished. As to the Public Debate you propose, you seem not to know this has been going in the eyes of the world for a long time – including now. Justice to Tamils is on the way – though slowly earlier. The reluctant granting of recognition to the Tamil language was one and the restoration of franchise to a million Ceylonese - arbitrarily withdrawn in 1948 – is another. It shall not be long before the legitimate rights of the Tamils to run their future in their Homeland could will be conceded soon – obstinately denying which caused the virtual destruction of this once lovely land and people. Anyone reading through your comments will note you are yourself cònfused when you concede “if it is proved there was a long term Tamil Kingdom, Sinhalese will agree on for a greater freedom” Sir, you cannot expect an entire people to suffer for decades until another community take their own time to learn their history and come to their senses. The proof has been right along there but you chose not to see. Heard of the Sinhala saying “You can wake up a sleeping man but you cannot wake up a man pretending to be sleeping” My friend, for all this you call me “a false propagandist” and worse. I have never claimed, as you mistakenly suggest “to be a renowned and acceptable person”`(whatever that is, because clearly you have some difficulty in expressing yourself coherently in what could well be your 2nd language) But if people in the higher echelons of the government and the polity personally know me, for God`s sake, don`t hold that against me. If you ask me what I wish to see, I might say a united, racially and linguistic plural country run by a truly representative Parliament and Cabinet (of the 1948-1956 vintage) in its fullest democratic essence under a Constitution framed and approved by all the people in an environment free of majoritarian pressures and coercion. In this set-up there shall be no room for pressure and conspiracy by religious hierarchies. This should also be a system in which the excessive powers of the Politician – now unquestioned King in all that he surveys – is substantially curtailed. It is you in the Sinhala side who must take the lead here to restore the health of the land. Because, as you will soon see in the WP and Colombo City, when the goons who had engineered their victory through thuggery and armed intimidation, take over the reins of government all people – Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and others - will suffer. Are you with me, good Sir?
Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan
Mr.ISS
I respect your views.I would appreciate if you could please seperate paragraphs in you comments to make reading easy.
What I say is there are evidence of a tamil kingdom but it was short lived and under the Sinhala kingdom at many times operating as a sub kingdom like other sub kingdoms in the country.
My openion is if there was a longterm kingdom there should be enough archi.evidence throughout NE as proof.But what we see is only buddhist ruines throughout NE.Now you will say you were buddhits in those times.But one wonders how you swithched back to hinduism.
Also my openion is that shortlived kingdom was limited to Jaffna penninsular.Never it was extended to present day Eastern province or major part of Vanni. If you know about the Vallipuram bronze plate,that is the oldest proof for the sinhala rule over Jaffna.Also the Vanni was a part of Kandyan Kingdom when british took over.
Do you know there is a stone inscription in Kytes by King Parakramabahu to convey oprders terms of trade with indian traders,which is in Tamil?
There are so many I can quote.
My friend we can not deny the fact that Tamils have a long presense in Sri Lanka for at least 500 years as a seperate community.The people who came before that whould have mingled with Sinhalese.
But you have not taken my challenge and have written some irrelavent things.
I guess you are living in Canada.Being a prominent citizen of SL(may be in the past)you can contact your historian friends in SL and arrange a conference to sort out this matter whether the Eastern province and the Vanni a part of Jaffna Kingdom.
I am only yet a final year student of a SL university in history.