The Right Way Forward!
Posted on July 29th, 2011
Janaka Yagirala
The problem is the lack of loyalty of a significant proportion of Tamils born in Sri Lanka to their nation of birth. The recently concluded Local Government Elections results speak volumes. Regardless of the taxpayers money invested in developing the north, the vote goes to the TNA and TULF who preach federalism and secession. Indeed we have nothing to be surprised about the Tamil Diaspora acting against Sri Lanka, the country that nourished them and provided free education.
The talk is still about ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-reconciliationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ about the atrocities done in July 1983. Indeed what happened in July 1983 was vile and despicable. However, is there any gratitude to the Sinhalese people who risked their own lives to save innocent Tamil people from the murderous mobs? Is there any mention about the very fact that the Police Chief at the time was Rudra Rajasingham (a Tamil)? It is indeed the time to see through the deception of the portrayal of July 1983. Reconciliation is also about the cold blooded murders of Kent and Dollar farm, Aranthalawa all the way to the bus bombing of Kebithigollewa.
There is a reason why the first victim of the LTTE was Alfred Doraiappa. It was the same reason why the great people like Lakshman Kadiragamar and Jeyraj Fernandopulle where murdered. For them, their nation came first before their ethnicity.
More needs to be done to eliminate Tamil racism from our soil for good. Foremost is to reduce ethnic homogeneity. This has to be done by abolishing the current provincial and district borders created by the British. The best solution would be to merge the Northern province with the North Central province and rename it ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-RajarataƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The sparsely districts of the north also should be suitably merged. The Eastern Province can be dissolved and merged with the Southern, Uva and Central provinces. Many have suggested renaming the new provinces according to their historical names. That is indeed a good thing.
There are numerous landless families in the south and ample bare land in the north. Hence, it is necessary to settle such families in the north. It makes economic sense to do so for it will boost our agricultural production and food security. It will also help create employment.
We should be aware that Tamil racism has already made Kotahena Kotta-chenei and Bambalapitiya Bambalapiddi. These do sound extremely familiar. Places like Vellankulam, Chunnakam, Kanthalai and Verugal are nothing more than the Tamilized forms of the historical Sinhalese names of Bellanwewa, Hunugama, Ganthalawa and Veheragala. Restoring these Sinhalese names should also be done. The objective of deliberate Tamilization is to create the feeling of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tamil regionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in order to cement the Tamil homeland myth.
Last but not least the government requirement that all government employees should be proficient in both Sinhalese and Tamil should also be abolished. This act brought by defunct dinosaur Marxists (who always get into parliament thanks to the national list instead of popular vote) is another ploy of Tamil racism to ensure minority over-representation in the government service. It is a yearn to regain the colonial favoritism they received.
It hardly makes sense to get 85% of the population to learn the language of 15%, it is absolutely ludicrous. Instead having all citizens learn a common language is the key to integration and long term stability. All citizens in Germany are required to learn German, regardless of whether you are a Turk, Wend or Frisian. The same is true for Italy where Lombards and Sardinians are required to learn Italian. In France, whether you are a Breton, Alsatian or Basque (or tourist!!) learning French is a must. Similarly minority Okinawans and Ainu of Japan have to learn Japanese. If the Tamil Diaspora has absolutely no problem learning German, Norwegian or French why not learn Sinhalese in Sri Lanka?
It is high time that fairness and equality should be restored in Sri Lanka. This should be done by ensuring that every citizen born in our great nation gets what he or she deserves based upon two things, need and merit. Reducing the number of parliamentary seats of the Jaffna District from 10 to 6 is a positive step in order to end gaining undue privileges from ethnocentric bargaining.
July 29th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
During the July83 incidents, not only the IGP, but also several DIGs were Tamils!
July 29th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Janaka ! You have said a mouthful of home truths. Let me please highlight a few.
A) THE GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENT THAT ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE PROFICIENT IN BOTH SINHALESE AND TAMIL SHOULD ALSO BE ABOLISHED. THIS SHOULD BE DONE RIGHT AWAY.
This is going to retard the promotions of the Majority Sinhalese, and help the small percentage of Tamils to get on fine. The Rule will have an adverse effect on the large majority, Sinhalese. This is done in the name of appeasing a handful of Tamils.
B) There should be a proportionate mix of SINHALESE, TAMILS, MUSLIMS, and other ethnicities in the NORTH and also in the EAST.
This will create harmony and friendship amongst all, and the myth of Tamil Homeland, and Tamil dominated areas will be wiped out. It appears the Government is Pussy-footing on this issue. The vindictive nature of the Tamils still persists on this subject, and they are still trying to realise their day dream. Dr. Noel Nadesan spoke to the Tamil people to drop this cynical dream. The Tamil thoughts are very clear, when they assaulted the Uthayan Jounalist with IRON RODS to send him to the Intensive Care Unit. Yes, it is high time that FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY should be restored in SRI LANKA.
July 29th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Sri Lanka is a small country the size Tasmania and a population the size of Australia! We need land to settle and cultivate to achieve self sufficiency in our food supplies. These are lands genocidally depopulated during colonial times. Sinhalese must move back to their historical lands. Rajarata that include the North and East is where the Sinhalese lived and created the great hydraulic civilization. Tamils have nothing to show for their occupancy of these lands.
Currently we are heavily dependent on India for most of our essential foods. This situation must change soon there must be a movement to the North and East to grow more food. Our country is too small to be parceled out on an ethnic basis for a mainly coastal population, majority of whom are historically recently settled South Indian Tamils, brought to tend Tobacco plantations of the Portuguese initially and then the Dutch. They are no different from the Indian Tamils who were brought to tend the tea plantations by the British.
Any further attempt to carve out a land for Tamils alone will end up in further blood shed, more Nanthi Kadals and defeat for the perpetrators.
It is up to the Tamils now in Sri Lanka to voice out their so called grievances and aspirations so that we know whether they are very different from those of the rest of the country. Tamil economic migrants and now called the Tamil Diaspora shouldn’t have any say in the internal matters of Sri Lanka. It is up to the Tamils in Sri Lanka to become Sri Lankans and work for the prosperity of all.
July 30th, 2011 at 3:36 am
Janaka it was a great article. Short and simple. If Government can listen to those like Janaka and the rest who loves our Motherland then we all can have real peace and happiness through out our lives as Sri Lankans. We are the majorirty and we should not give so much concessions to 17% of our population to please the evil empires or any Diaspora’s. There should be no special treatments to only Tamils.What the rest of the country gets from the Government should be same to all areas in the land.Sinhalese,Muslims should be given land and assistance from the Government to settle down in any part of the island nation. We have to continue what D.S did in his time and make our homeland of Sri Lankans not Sinhales,Tamils or Muslims areas.
We have to renovate and build buddhist historical places in those areas and have more temples and buddhist shrines around the country. We are a Buddhist nation and we should have the right to built what ever neccessary to uplift our religion in all places. I wholeheartedly agree with Susantha’s comments.It’s high time we all act like Sri Lankans to save our Motherland without worry about Tamils all the time. If they love our country and wants to live as Sri Lankans they should follow the rest of the country and live peacefully with the majority.