India’s anti-Sri Lanka stance is only to garner support from Tamil Nadu parties for its and the current leaders’ survival
Posted on November 3rd, 2012

Asada M Erpini

India keeps on pontificating to Sri Lanka on the importance of devolution of power (to the Tamils of the North) and keeps on harping that it is committed to ensuring that the Tamil people in Sri Lanka secure life with ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dignity, self respect and justiceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Some of these concepts sound impressive and, on the surface, may suggest that the vast Northern neighbour has egalitarianism overflowing in its heart.

It is strange that IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s concern is only for the present day Sri Lanka Tamils who had descended from India, clearly from its southern states. Where did the Sinhala people come from? They did not originate from Europe, Africa, the Americas or the Western Pacific regions: history and archaeology, as well as the legends that have been handed down for generations, tend to indicate that they too came from the same present day India.

While most of the evidence connects the forefathers of the Sinhala people to Orissa and West Bengal, there are a few authors who hold the view that Sinhalas originated from Gujarat. In fact, some in todayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Bangladesh, which was East Pakistan until its independence in 1971 and was India prior to that before the secession of Pakistan, are familiar with the story of a prince from Bangladesh (Vangadese?) who went to Lanka and founded the Sinhala race. This, in fact, seems to be the opposite end of the famous Sinhabahu story.

Kathirgesu Indrapala in his PhD thesis that was submitted to, and who was awarded his doctoral degree by, University of London states that there was no indication of any Tamil settlements in Jaffna before 11th century AD. The Eelamists would naturally challenge the findings of Dr. Indrapala, saying that the Tamils inhabited Jaffna for many centuries or even a millennium prior to that. There are a few in this group who even hold the position that the Tamils were the occupants of the whole of Lanka (Eelam) in days gone by.

The writer brought up the issues of where the Sinhala and the Tamil people came from merely to point out that both groups most likely came from different regions of present day India. Just as Mr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, is concerned about the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dignity, self respect and justiceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Tamils, he has the moral obligation to look after the interests of the Sinhala people as well.

India and its political leaders leaving room to portray the Sinhala ethnic group as one that has deprived the dues from the Tamils is thoroughly unfair. If both the Sinhala and the Tamil people had come from the same country, India should not worry only about the Tamils. The stance adopted by the leaders in Delhi in taking the side of the Tamils clearly indicates that all the noises they make are merely to ensure that Jayalalitha, Karunanidhi, Vaiko and other of their ilk in Tamil Nadu are happy so that they themselves can carry on safely in their current positions of power.

Incidentally, India voting against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council sessions on 22 March is not surprising at all. The action has been cited as an outcome of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-pressure from political parties like the DMK and AIADMKƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, as reported by Times of India. Regional unions such as the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) or ASEAN speak with one voice, yet when it comes to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), India found it proper to throw its friendly neighbour to the wolves and side with the US. That tells a great deal about South Asian regional cooperation!

 

 

10 Responses to “India’s anti-Sri Lanka stance is only to garner support from Tamil Nadu parties for its and the current leaders’ survival”

  1. ranjit Says:

    INDIA IS ANACONDA IN ASIA.

  2. Voice123 Says:

    Get real Jayt, the baboos, Brahmins and politicians of New Delhi enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the West who they treat like masters, ever since the British colonial days. They have no empathy for the poor in their doorstep let alone us “Sri Lankan black buggers” (as some North Indians/Pakistanis/Iranians like to call us!). Related to baboos? Not I!! What planet do you live on?!

  3. Voice123 Says:

    Jayt, I have grown up with North Indian and Pakistani elites children and I too have been subjected to the “black Sri Lankan bugger” taunts from some of them. (Even though our complexions are similar they persist in this madness). Not all are like that. I do not beleive the downtrodden of those regions share those racist attitudes, only the elite that parasite on the vestiges of the British Empire. It doesn’t make a difference if you are Sinhalese or Tamil to them in so far as these attitudes are concerned. (Although Im not Tamil, I am with the Tamil and African brothers in their opposition to this racism). As for Iranians, I have met some of them in California and Australia that are ashamed to call themselves Iranian. Instead they say they are “Greco-Persians” and want Americans to classify them as “white”. They have no affinity or sentiment with us. Unlike most Sri Lankans who may have never left our shores or met so many people I don’t live in a world of historical myths bid a vid India. As for the Sinhalese I don’t know. I am mostly concerned for all Sri Lankans, not just the Sinhalese. As for defence I don’t know the answer. I’m only talking about bad attitudes.

  4. nandi555 Says:

    does it really matter who came to Srilanka first while while supporting a resolution which demands probe on war crimes? Is the author saying Dr Manmohan Singh should have voted against the resolution because according to him Sinhala people are North Indian decedents? even otherwise if neither Sinhalese or tamils are the natives of Srilanka and only decedents, what right does each other have over claiming ownership over land in the Island?

    no one can claim ownership over land. it all belongs to mother nature, we are only allowed to use it while we live.

    influence of Tamil language on Sinhalese

  5. M.S.MUDALI Says:

    Sri Lankan Royals never went beyond Tamil country. Then what is the cock and bull of Pakistan and North India? There is no trace of Sinhala in the North India. Only in Kerala and Tamil nadu we can see the traces of Sinhala.

    Sinhala fools think they are North Indians? hahahaha North Indian will die of laughing!

  6. M.S.MUDALI Says:

    Tamil Nadu has 39 MPs out of the 532. Is this fool Erpini make jokes here? He seems to be a Muslim donkey!

  7. Voice123 Says:

    Asada, your analysis of history excludes the past 1,500 years. Sinhalese are linked to India by legend and antiquity. Even before Vijaya arrived there were indigenous people here, which most likely share ancestry with other indigenous people in the Indian Ocean rim, rather than India. Some anthropologists have shown some affinities with ancient Polynesian seafaring culture. Sri Lanka has been an trading centre and entrepot since ancient Roman times. Since then, people have come and gone and left their mark on the region from various parts of the world. Northern India’s Buddhistic civilization was overrun by colonizing hordes from Persia (Iran), Arabia, Afghanistan (Mogul). For a time, even Hinduism was being suppressed in India. This did not happen in Sri Lanka or the southern tip of India. We had European colonizers who employed significant numbers of Africans, Malays, etc. (Just read on the history of Kompannaveediya alone). In this period also was extensive interaction with southeast Asian countries Burma, Thailand and Cambodia which shared Buddhist culture. Many North Indians take a kind of pride in tracing Mogul and other ancestors from outside of India. Present day India’s “concern” for the Tamils is driven more by morally bankrupt politicians, rousing communal passions for votes.

  8. Lorenzo Says:

    Mu Dalit,

    We know you belong to Tamil Madu.

    Have some dignity and GO THERE before you end up like Isaipiriya.

  9. Voice123 Says:

    Jayt, isnt it far better to judge people by their character than their ethnicity, name, language, etc. Who are “we”? Who is your enemy that you want protection from? Do you expect security from another parippu drop?

  10. Voice123 Says:

    Jayt, to answer your question, I checked my ID card and it says “Sinhala” but I am not descended from Parippuwas. I am descended from Queen Kuveni’s people. So my ancestors were on the Island before your Pakistani ancestors arrived here. I got a question for you. Is Parippu a Sinhala word? If not, do you know what language the word “Parippu” comes from?

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