By Charles S.Perera

Jeremy Page for the Times on Line, Charles Haviland for the BBC, Bryson Hull for the Reuters, Lydia Polgreen for the New York Times, among other ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- enlightenedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ anti Sri Lanka foreign media stalwarts have come out in force to raise a fear psychosis around the creation of a Rajapakse family dynasty. The Rajapakses for them are a greater menace to Sri Lankan Democracy than the late Prabhakaran the hero they ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-worshippedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ , for some unknown reason.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ordinary Sri Lankans who matter, other than those who have been brain washed by the political enemies of Sri Lanka, and do not suspect the manipulations of the West against developing countries, thank the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-starsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for having given them at last a different dynasty who they can trust to usher in happiness and prosperity after having for the first time after 30 years saved the country from the menace of terrorism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Robert O Blake the former USA Ambassador to Sri Lanka turned into an Assistant Secretary of State has come out to support his pro terrorists Tamil expatriates in America, repeating his same old harangue ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..I think it is important for the administration of President Rajapaksa to reach out to the TamilsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ It is important that they feel that they are going to be able to live a future of hope and of opportunity, that the internally displaced people that are now in campsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ be allowed to go back to their homes.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It has to be said even though it is unpalatable, that this man Blake is the most unintelligent of diplomats and a hopeless Assistant Secretary to make statements without understanding the damage he may cause to a people of another country who think differently than him.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What Sri Lanka or as a matter of fact, any progressive multi racial country needs to day is to forget the age old communal differences to be united together into being a Nation. If Blake cannot think of a successful unity of communities that finally allowed a Black man to become the President of a White Majority State, he is really ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dumbƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If Blake had told the American Presidents to reach out to the American Blacks to give them a separate identity , and as he had continued to pontificate to the Government of Sri Lanka, that the solution to the ethnic problem in America is a political settlement for a separate Black State (an Eelam), Barrack Obama would never have been the President of America.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore if Blake could shut his mouth, that speaks before he thinks, he may understand by beginning to exercise his brain cells, that the ethnic problem between the Sinhala and the Tamil Speaking Communities in Sri Lanka should be settled not by separating the Tamil Speaking people in Sri Lanka into a Eelam Ghetto, but by bringing them into the Sinhala Majority Environment to make them a part and parcel of the Majority. That would eliminate the Sinhala Tamil Difference to make them partners of a great nation, and one day raise an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ from among them.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That the West be they the supposedly intelligent Politicians, or wealth seeking media operators will never understand. Because they speak to please some groups for their own personal gain, and do not take time to think that people of another culture, will not think and take decisions like them who are of another culture. But that is how they work to earn a living, and those matters beyond their petty interests are no concern of theirs.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That unfortunately is how they are being informed by local people like Kumar Davids, Jehan Pereras, Pakiasothy Saravanamuttus and others who are invited to Embassy Parties and cocktails to rub shoulders with the high and mighty, and while warming their whiskies, talk of the plight of the poor Tamil people whose political rights have been denied to them by an egoistic, selfish Sinhala majority.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These creators of the ethnic problem in the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-simpleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ minds of the International Community on the one hand, and among the poor Tamil people on the other hand are aiming to build their own position according to their, caste, class and professional standing to lord over the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-poor TamilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ population if things go the way they want. They do not think beyond their own immediate gain, to have long term views of building a Sri Lankan Nation where every one can have a say in its progress and development.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Just before the General Elections of the 8 th April, I had no doubt about the UPFA victory, but the greatest event of importance that took place then was the break up of the TNA and the three of its members joining the UPFA, seeking at last to bring about a viable unity among the Sinhala and the Tamils. I was hoping with all my heart that the Tamil people in the North and the East will understand the importance of the situation and vote for the candidates of the UPFA.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But alas ! Tamils of the Kankasenturai, Kayts, Point Pedro, Chavakachcheri, Vaddukoddai, Udupiddy, Manipe , Kopay and Jaffna did not see, the light at the end of the tunnel for the end of Sinhala Tamil ethnic rivalry, to build new bonds of unity.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But yet there is still hope if the Old Sampanthan and TNA could understand the reality of the action of the Thangeswari Kadirgamar, S. Krishore , and Sathasivam Kanagaratnam in contesting under the UPFA ticket, and put their weight along with them to strengthen the hand of the President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is finally the hope for the National Unity.