North-East Tamils Selected Racism Instead of Peaceful Cooperation
Posted on July 24th, 2011
– Kumar Moses
North-East Tamils said no to development and cooperation and instead voted for racism. Tamil racist political parties – TNA and TULF won most LG bodies in the north and in all Tamil majority areas in the east where the election was held. TNA canvassed on a platform of ultra Tamil racism and as usual they won the majority vote of Tamils. This is hardly surprising as Tamil racist political parties have regularly won elections in the north since 1947. They even won the most votes at the 2010 April General Election.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Danger signs on the horizon
Danger signs are flashing on the horizon as racism becomes the dominant political ideology in the north once again. Minister Rajitha Senarathne has hailed the scant support UPFA received from Tamil majority areas especially in the north stating that it proves there is a sizable percentage of people in the north who support the UPFA. He is hilariously off the mark. UNP and SLFP combined used to have a certain voters percentage in the north which has drastically reduced this time! He may not remember Alfred Duraiappa and the 2010 Jaffna MC election. By any standard the erosion of multiethnic political parties in the north and in Tamil majority areas in the east is huge and decisive.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The 2012 Northern Provincial Council election result is already certain. TNA is going to sweep the next level election too as they already have won both ends – the national level at the 2010 General Election and the local level which they won in 2010 and 2011. By leveraging their parliamentary majority in the north and the vast number of Pradeshiya Sabhas and other councils in their control they will easily win the NPC election next year.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Both TNA and TULF will make use of these two platforms to advance their racist agenda with renewed vigour. With Tamil ultra Tamil racism at boiling point in Tamil Nadu and TNA sweeping the polls in northern Sri Lanka (closest part to Tamil Nadu), there is a heightened security risk as well. Tamil communal elements on both sides of the narrow divide are already reaching out to one another. Their cooperation which was at an international and parliamentary level can now reach to grassroots level. Though it is not their job, these councils will pass resolutions as the Tamil Nadu assembly did for war crimes investigations and for social agitations. It is the same cycle of racism and violence that is re-emerging once again.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Government and the security establishment must expect combined South Indians and North Sri Lankan agitations for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Tamil NationalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The need to protect the bridges to the north
It is not the physical bridges but political bridges to the north that are most important. The three councils won by multiethnic political parties (including the Jaffna council which was won by UPFA earlier) were won solely thanks to the great efforts of the EPDP. If not for the EPDP even these two would not have been won. It is up to the government to defend and promote the EPDP no matter what. Disarming the EPDP and/or restricting them will only give a free hand to racist politics. Few seats won by the UPFA at the General Election were also due to EPDP efforts. Petty allegations against the EPDP should not be entertained given the wider importance of the outfit to national defence and north-south connection. Whether we like it or not the only north-south political bridge is the EPDP. A certain amount of immunity must be awarded for EPDP activists to be effective. In short some EPDP wrongdoers are essentially more valuable to national peace than TNA unarmed politicians who spread racism and hatred.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ EPDP must be called to play a bigger role to penetrate into the northern society to keep an eye on gathering north-Sri Lanka and South India connections. In the 1970s such connections were secretly building up. When the government came to know of them it was far too late.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now it is even more important for security forces personnel to participate in all social events in the north. Their social contacts are extremely important in a region that is once again gravitating against the rest of the nation towards racist extremism and exclusiveness.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Stop disproportionate northern development investments as they gain nothing
Northern development is sufficient today as signalled by the northern Tamils themselves. It is a complete waste of money to pour state investments in the north any further. Borrowing money abroad to finance northern development which even the northern people have rejected is a total waste. Instead they are better spent in the south.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Instead invest in creating peace villages in the north where people of all races live in harmony. Most Pradeshiya Sabhas could have won easily had there been a few hundred people from non-Tamil backgrounds in each of the council areas. Changing the ethnic composition of the north is a must to stop further erosion of harmony. Permanent housing should be provided to security forces personnel in the north. Even if they donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t opt to live there, it still has many defence and political benefits. Registering them in the northern voters register is a good start. This way, Tamil racist political parties can be easily defeated as SLDF members and their family members can very easily tip the balance against Tamil racist parties.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Keeping an eye on clandestine activities of TNA and TULF controlled PSs is a must. Having UPFA members in all these councils is a very good start. Financing LTTE elements, felicitating Mahaveer families and favouring their family members and protecting subversives in the society are on the cards. Any such acts should be nipped in the bud. Rogue councils should be dissolved and a new interim council must be appointed.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Government-TNA ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”peace talksƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ has yielded nothing as TNA claims their victory is a victory for Tamil nationalism that led the country to war. It is time the government understands that it has gone the wrong way changed its way. TNA ruling the Trincomalee Town and Gravets PS is a grave danger to security. The council can adopt an attitude of non-cooperation towards various security measures and facilitate terror elements to infiltrate into this High Security Zone for which TNA was against all along. LTTE terrorists even posed as road work and site development contractors in the past (2007 Anuradhapura Airbase attack) to gather intelligence for a future attack. Changing the ethnic composition of this area is a must for continued security of the trinco military base which now houses an army base, a navy base and a small air force base.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
July 24th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
They did so thanks to the incompetence of the government.
While agreeing mostly with you, I disagree on some points.
The main reason for the defeat of the UPFA is the incompetent reconciliation advisor of the government who messed up the whole reconciliation process. Northern Tamils badly need and want reconciliation. But the current reconciliation model is a total failure. People rejected it.
By holding secret talks with the TNA alone, the government gave the impression that TNA is the sole representative of Tamils. TULF, UNP, SLMC, JVP also won seats in the north and the east. They too must participate in any talks.
Previous governments had round table discussions, all party conferences and even this government had the APRC (All Party Representative Committee) until this joke started recently. Even media was kept out of the secret talks. A total disaster.
At least now the government must replace this joke with a competent individual, preferably a Tamil.
July 24th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
It appears the Government is going ” Bananas ” trying to appease the ungrateful Tamils, with massive development plans for the North and the East. It is OK. Development of the Country is for All SRI LANKANS.
After the Elections, THE RACIST, UNGRATEFUL, TAMIL MINDSET is very clear. It is crystal clear that this depraved mind disease is malignant. SO,
There is only one remedy. MAKE THE ENTIRE NORTH AND EAST MULTI ETHNIC. Let there be a proportionate mix of SINHALESE, TAMILS, MUSLIMS, and possibly other ethnicities. Time for the Government to go ” BANANAS ” on this issue concurrently. Make no mistake. Opportunities often do not repeat.
July 24th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
The crux of Kumar’s argument is embedded in the following line: Changing the ethnic composition of the north is a must. This message stated and restated in these columns and everywhere else must reverberate through the corridors of presidentail power.It is not only written in ink and other print, but preponderantly in RED, in the blood-soaked soil of the whole country, especially the north. There the flower of our youth laid down their lives so that this nation be given a long, inalienable and irrevocable lease of life. In their death throes the sons and daughters of Mother Lanka cried out their last will and testament: Sri Lanka is the homeland of ALL. No more mono-ethnic enclaves. No more…never more. These dying depositions of thousands were read out in parliament by the President when he echoed those very same words: Sri Lanka-the traditional homeland of all. Sri Lanka is multi-ethnic and multi-religious. No one can grab land as being their private homelands. Changing the ethnic composition of the North and East, is the sacred duty of this government, in the name of the living and of the beloved and honoured dead youth. It is for this that they fought and died.
Calling the results of the Northern elections ‘democratic’ is a joke. Democracy can only be exercised by FREE minds. How can those people living like frogs in a well be free? Their minds are blinded by tribalism, caste-ism and clan and family psyche. In that ‘mono-ethinc well’ it is just that enclosure that counts and matters. The ‘outside’ is also out-of-sight. In that ‘well’ they were murdered ‘well’, pillaged ‘well’, robbed and stripped (‘well’) of everything by murderers and assassins of their own race, their tribes, their clans, their families and their castes , but their choices must invariably fall over and over again on the inhabitants of the same well, the same assassin-tigers with white-washed stripes. The walls of that well must now be broken and flattened. These unfortunate people must be educated and brought up to live with others; other ethnic groups and religions. Otherwise the one-eyed will lead them and the country to another ethnic war.This cannot go unheeded, because the writing is already on the wall.
If M.R.is elected and re-elected over and over again by ever bigger majorities it is PRINCIPALLY because he vanquished the Terrorists Tamils and reunited the Island under the banner: ‘Sri Lanka-multi-cultural and multi-ethnic’. All other parties, especially after the infamous ‘Peace Accord’ have lost credibility on this issue. If M.R.has the confidence of the nation, it is because of the inherent belief of the vast majority of our citizens that the ‘white nations’and their lackeys will not prevail over him as they could well do over the opposition parties. The mandate is given to him sealed in the blood of those who died for the unity, integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. That mono-ethnic enclave was and always remains the sole threat to that ideal. The solution is clear as the midday sun: major Sinhalese and Muslim settlements in the North. This is the one solution, the only viable solution. Indeed there is NO OTHER. Time as always is the essence of everything, and the nature of time is to ‘run out.’Mr.President, you have to do this…and soon.
Mario Perera, Kadawata
July 24th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Mario_Perera’s short and sweet response is better than Kumar’s original article.
As he says the problem is democracy. Others are all symptoms. Look at all the true democratic countries. They are all free from ethnicity when it comes to elections. People don’t see beyong the mono ethnic well in north. Everything ethnic. Every demand, aspiration, power sharing, problem, solution is ethnic. Its the well they are in. How sad.
Security, EPDP, Tamil Nadu stories are just symptoms. We have to look at the totality not at individual parts.
Well said MP.
July 25th, 2011 at 3:07 am
This is their first election after decades of violence and therefore, they are still apprehensive whether the Tigers are still around to support the TNA. After all the Tigers chopped off the hand of the first voter at the last elections held during the time they were terrorising these people. Secondly, many of the voters were born during the conflict and they hardly heard anything other than the call by the LTTE to hate the sinhalese and muslims. Even at these elections TNA had gone around to remote areas claiming statues of Tamil leaders would be replaced with statues of buddhist monks, Tamil properties would be given to sinhalese from the south etc etc. Thirdly, some of the voters could even be those South Indian Tamils brought by the LTTE to populate these areas and naturally they may fear deportation if found out. All these groups would play safe and seek refuge under a TNA regime and if they really do not want the TNA then, they would refrain from voting. We know around 50% did not vote and TNA cant be happy about that, when considering the extreme importance of their issue calling for an autonomous state. Yes this 50% and those who voted against the TNA denied the TNA the strength to campaign for autonomy.
By the time the next elections are held, the Tamil voters would be better informed will be in a position to evaluate what the TNA councils were able to do for them socially and economically.
July 25th, 2011 at 4:31 am
Kumar Moses
Ref: North-East Tamils Selected Racism Instead of Peaceful Cooperation
Our motherlanka called Sociel Democaratc Republic of Srilanka (in passport )
Also Puli passichchalum pulai thinnathu ( Even staving tiger won’t eat grass ) !
Ref:Opportunities often do not repeat.
Agreed ,We have strong Head of State & govt with 2/3 majority , this a best opportunity to bring to the end a long unresolved Tamil problem
Forget these sort sight ideas ( proportionate mix) Our head of state DSS to MP tried & failed !
Once peace in North & East People mix themself !!!!
July 25th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Mario Perera is absolutely right – the North & the whole of the East must be multi-ethnic. There is no other way.
However, in all fairness to the Northern Tamils, 2 yrs is a short time to recover after 30 yrs of war and intimidation mainly by the ltte. The Fear Factor (FF) may be still strong among some of the Tamil people. To get rid of the FF, multi-ethnicity is the answer, or else the North & parts of the East will become more and more insular with more of the FF and vested interests poking in there to make matters much worse.
July 25th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Kumar Moses of Jewish(sic) Sri Lankan extraction who wrote in this very blog/website that Maldivians should be given a safe home in Sri Lanka in the North and East of SL to colonise the tamils with Muslim Maldivians
LOL!
Who are you trying to kid?
July 25th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Why everyone concentrating only on north and east?
How about the other parts of the country?
Ranil and his homosexual band of losers have done it again. Bravo.
July 26th, 2011 at 3:37 am
Nobody should fear or have second thoughts about anything just try to live a normal life with all communities hand in hand as we all have peace now to live a happy life. Every country have terrorists,muggers,thieves,murderers etc so nothing new in our homeland for us to talk about much. Those defeated opposition goons from UNP.JVP,SAMASAMAJA or anyone dont have any backing from our society.We saw it in every elections so pointless talking about them. People in all walks of life needs to have a good life with good jobs,good food,good housing,good schools for their children and so on. This Government is providing what ever they can in the best interest of our peoples from North to South,East to West. We can see the difference then and now without any argument.Whether the Tamils like or not we do as we want there wont be any powers given to Tamils to run the country as they want or like. Evrything is run by the central Government led by the President. He is not a fool to give police and land powers to only Tamil Areas? What about the rest of the country? We cannot allow anything like that to happen again after we saw what happened to our Motherland for thirty long years.This is our country and as President says Sinhalese Tamils Muslims,Burgers and Malays are all our citizens has to respect and live under one flag and one Government.Period.
Ranil & Chandrika can cry loud in front of our enemies telling them to give powers to Tamils if we want to live in peace bullshit these two Bonny & Clyde should be ashamed to talk about all this after allowing those ruthless murderers to destroy our land and people for so long. Why didnt they do it when they were in power? They should not talk anything about our country except go and stay with their white forfathers somewhere else not in our homeland. Our President have a vision and he knows what is best for our country as he is the only one we can trust nobody else so lets hope he will do the right thing. Tamils dont day dream because you have only 17 % and thank the President for saving you from darkness and appreciate what Sinhalese have done to you.Dont be blind and go after TNA LTTE proxies and ruined your lives again. Live as citizens of MotherLanka and take the benefits from it and live a good life without breaking the peace.
July 26th, 2011 at 5:55 am
Dear susanta,
An honest independent retired Canadian military officer told me this. quote: “Any country’s problem come from your own traitors. It does not matter how many spies work against your country, you can win any spies direct war if your country have backbone to stand and destroy any agreement impose on you or annul it by using all tricks you can come up with, it is sole responsibility of your community to destroy anything that is imposed on you by foreigners to take land by willful mean (he referred to Indian created provincial system)
Unquote: So, how many Sinhalese and how many million time they asked Sri lanka politicians in last 30 years to annul provincial system and go by districts system? The result is useless.
July 26th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Well, Tamils are the worst racists in the world. With their cries for ‘missing children”, ‘minority illtreatments” they show that they will never support or work with SL government. They still have the dream of having ‘A SEPARATE TAMIL STATE” in Sri Lanka. Since the terrorists are re-grouping in Tamil Nadu, and in some European countries who are sypathizing their cause, SL should be very careful!! With the election results, they showed that they are totally against SL government even though the Govt. did a lot for North after war. They are not displaced because SL, but because of LTTE TERRORISTS, and SL is not responsible for their own coverted reasons.
As Mr. Ranjit said, if we don’t allow popularization of Sinhalese in the North, so that Tamils, Muslims, Sinhalese all live in a mixed society, tamils will start their tantrums again. They are so ungrateful because all the Tamils abroad ‘CRYING CROCODILE TEARS”, got free education in Sri Lanka in English, started playing the minority card, found santuaries abroad, then started pointing fingers at SL!! SL should not trust them. (There is a saying “believe the dead, the unborn or the one in the picture”, because non of them can do any harm.)
Where ever the tamils are, they are disgracing SL and its people to the best of their ability. There were Tamil mothers crying for their missing children in Colombo!!, Well, they have forgotton that LTTE terrorists took their childen by-force to fight the war and most of them lost their lives because of LTTE.!! These people are snakes with two heads, and keep on changing their stories.!!
SL need not worry about North, as what ever or how much the SL Government do, these people will never be happy or have any appreciation for what they are getting. We must develop the southern part and other parts of our country and help Sinhalese first, because helping ungrateful Tamils in the North won’t take us anywhere!!
It was they who wanted a separate state and they who supported LTTE TERRORISTS, whole heartedly. I saw a video, how a TAMIL TERRORIST WOMAN, who was working in the paddy fields and when she saw our Sinhalese soliders, she said SINHALA PUNDA IS COMING”, bent down and took a gun to kill them. Most of them are WOLVES UNDER SHEEP SKINS, so stop helping these ruthless and ungrateful people, let their own help them.!!
We dont want these unhappy, ungrateful Tamil people in our country as we dont want another war!! If they are not happy, they can go to TAMIL NADU, where racism is very high or look for a country where they can have their own state, NOT IN SRI LANKA.!
July 27th, 2011 at 12:48 am
I wholeheartedly agree with Dayani.The Tamils are the most ungreatful and unsupportive people in my country. They should not be given all the facililities they demand at once. What this Government is doing to other areas of the country should be done to all areas alike.Because of outside pressure we should not give special treatment to North and East as they are not interested in development but in seperation same like their terrorists brothers and sisters who were in hell now. We must be vigilant and alert of all times now more than before as thousands of LTTE caders are on loose after they were released from prison. Although we think that they will chose the right path and move forward as good citizens we cannot trust them. Snake is a snake they wait for sometime to take revenge so better watch out.
We have to settle down other races in the North and East to balance the power where no one can demand unneccessary demands. This is our land to live as one but if some chose the other way we must be ready to fight to the end. Our gallant worriors must be given special training in all fields of warfare and better equiped with the latest to deal with any kind of emergency tp protect our land and it’s citizens. All Sinhalese,Tamils,Muslims and others who loves our Motherland should be united as one at this moment to counter any threat to our nation.We have to support our President with one voice. Let him handle as he is the only person we can trust at the moment. I say to Tamils dont be stupid and do stupid things again and ruin your beautiful lives.