“Sri Lanka must devolve more powers to Provinces, and by extension to Tamils†says India
Posted on February 27th, 2013
Asada M Erpini
The news item, in a Sri Lankan English journal on Wednesday, 27 February, reporting the statements and the opinions of the External Affairs Minister of India as regards Sri Lanka is full of inaccuracies and downright non-sensical pontifications.
First and foremost, the Indian Minister is under the mistaken belief ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Wake up from your dreams, Sir! ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” that Sri Lanka is one of the states in the Union of States that constitute India. He sure will be surprised if someone were to tell him that Sri Lanka is an independent, sovereign nation, and that it is not a colony of India as when the European colonisers took overƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ vast swathes of land in Asia, Africa and the Americas through brutal military force and controlled the lives of their peoples for half a millenium.
The Minister says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India wanted a united Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. This statement deserves an entry in RipleyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Believe It or Not! From the time of Indira Gandhi and then of her son Rajiv Gandhi, all that India did was to undermine Sri Lanka and strive to break it up to create Eelam, which would occupy over a third of the land mass of Sri Lanka, and the present day Sri Lanka to have whatever that is left of it – for the moment. It trained a rag tag bunch of street thugs, led by a school dropout from Vevetithurai, in its own army facilities and then egged them on to take on the armed forces of Sri Lanka to achieve this goal.
The Indian Minister clearly has no qualms of talking about an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India-sponsored 13th amendment of its (Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s) constitutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The 13th amendment as everyone, except those who refuse to see, knows was a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that was rammed down the throat of the then Sri Lanka President in July 1987 by Rajiv Gandhi. The Sri Lanka President had no alternative other than accepting the amendment when Indian warships lay anchored menacingly off Colombo and IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s fighter jets hovered over Jaffna, violating the airspace of the sovereign nation of Sri Lanka.
The Minister had added, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-we have actually been talking about not the 13th amendment but 13th amendment plusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. As far as the large majority of Sri Lankans is concerned, it is not 13A or 13A plus, but 13A zero, 13A zilch, 13A Cifra, 13A Cyfra, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Meithen, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sifr, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Siffra, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sonne, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ziffer, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nula, 13A Babu, or as the Indian Minister will best understand, 13AƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shunya. Nobody in Sri Lanka ever asked for the 13th Amendment, and all that the amendment has done is to produce outcrops that are eating into the meagre resources of the country, without solving a single problem that it professed to deal with. Just like the days of peace that Sri Lankans are enjoying today, many will be waiting for the moment when the unwanted 13A is scrapped from its constitution.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We want Sri Lanka should become prosperous againƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, is a ludicrous statement. Assuming that it has even a semblance of truth, what India should do is to leave Sri Lanka alone to manage its affairs. After a three-decade old terrorist plague, the poor country is making a serious effort at rebuilding. All the noises that Indian politicians at the highest level make, in New Delhi and at world forums, is to please the Tamil Nadu LTTE supporters, but they certainly will not help to make Sri Lanka prosperous.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Our initiative is to find a solution… go beyond pain and angerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is another foolhardy statement. The pain as well as the anger was spawned by the terrorists who were nurtured by India. Although extremist Tamil politicians in Sri Lanka were clamouring for their slice of the cake since the 1930ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s, there was no open armed hostility and mass killing of the innocents. It was only after India helped create a monster, which for many anti-Sri Lankan foreigners amounted to a parallel government, that the pain started. Today, the pain is no more except for the relatives of the civilians and the armed forces personnel who sacrificed their life and limb.
The Minister does not have to decline responding to queries on IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s stand at the forthcoming UNHRC sessions in Geneva: the whole of Sri Lanka knows that India will vote against Sri Lanka at the behest of the US and the Tamil Nadu politicians, throwing a friendly neighbour and member of SAARC to the wolves.
There are at least two noteworthy aspects in the Indian MinisterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement. One is the reference to Sri Lankan Defence Secretary as saying that the 13th amendment was history. The other is that he could not agree that Sri Lanka is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-an enemy countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the Tamils. As regards the latter, many Sri Lankans may go further and may add, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India is going tooth and nail to prevent peace in Sri Lanka and in the process to be an enemy countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
February 27th, 2013 at 3:54 pm
We want ONLY a UNITARY SL.
February 27th, 2013 at 6:12 pm
In my opinion, the stupidity and lack of foresight and consistency of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has led to lot of misery. The country is so over politicized that almost no branch of the government services can run their affairs without political interference. In addition, politicians seek foreign interference within SL as there has not been any adverse consequence to such actions. India has continued to dictate terms to Sri Lanka and the government seems to yield to all such pressures with no resistence.
If the Mahinda Rajapaksa governemnt is serious about the autonomy of Sri Lanka, then it should decide once and for all that as the government voted to power by the people of Sri Lanka, it should have a clear vision based on its own accord and free will and not dictated by India or the US.
In my opinion, as a first step, it should get rid of the 13A imposed on SL by the Indians. Even though US is harping on the “human rights” issues, it is the worst country in the world as far as their illegal and underhad activities through the CIA and other agents. Even though it is a toll order for a small country like SL, perhaps it should take the US to the international human rights tribunal for their human rights violations record with regard to Afganistan, drone attacks on soverign nations killing innocent people, Bin Laden assassination in Pakistan, acts of supporting terrorism in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Iran etc.
February 27th, 2013 at 8:58 pm
India should take back all the indians brought here by British as laboures.
we dont need them. why should we keep them here . WHY NOT INDIA LOOK AFTER THEM
February 28th, 2013 at 6:03 am
Senevirath
WHY NOT INDIA LOOK AFTER THEM- “Sri Lanka must devolve more powers to Provinces, and by extension to Tamils”
Do not you thing so is this India looking after themself ?
February 28th, 2013 at 7:26 am
INDIA LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES. THAT IS WHY THEY DIDNOT WANT PRABHAKARAN”S MOTHER TO COME TO INDIA WE HAD TO LOOK AFTER T. HAT POOR WOMAN. NO “helaya” ASKED TO KILL HER
HELAYA KNOWS WHAT “”sin”” IS AND WHAT MERIT IS
February 28th, 2013 at 10:54 am
India look after Tamils Not Sri Lankan Tamil !!!
Hela Nation need to look after Hela people ( Hela meaning in Tamil EELAM) whether they speck Chinhalam or Demila !
March 1st, 2013 at 3:07 pm
India wants to bully Sri Lanka for sake of Tamil votes in Tamil Nadu. By the way Nadu means Country in Tamil. By bullying Sri Lanka, they lost the control of the region to the Chinese. What India should have done was, explain to the Tamil Nadu voters, there was no Tamil kingdom in Sri Lanka ever and they are getting more than the fair share of the cake. They were just making noises because they were never content with what they have. They want more all the time. There was no Tamil Kingdoms in Sri Lanka’s north or east. Only mythical ones. Don’t have to check history books for proof. The simple reason was there was no rivers, no lakes in the north or east. No plenty of water, no civilisation. The tap water had not been invented by then. Simple. We don’t see any remains of ancient buildings. Simply there was no Anuradhapuras, no Polonnaruwas. It is only a myth. Mythical kingdoms. Poor Mother Lanka gave FREE education, FREE medication to educate and make you healthy. Even the richest country on this planet won’t give its citizens those. But poor Mother Lanka did. If you can’t show some gratitude for all that, at least keep quiet. She made you doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessmen, etc. etc. Your parents didn’t have to fund your university education. It was all FREE. Aren’t you ashamed? You escaped LTTE forced conscription and went to all the countries with your sob stories, skipping the safety of neighbouring India where Tamil Country (Tamil Nadu) is just 16 miles across the waters. In the 1960s, people from Tamil Country swam these waters to reach pastures green in Sri Lanka to eascpae famine in the South of India. Sri Lanka gave them all the citizenship. Being a Buddhist majority country, they were compassionate. But no gratitude as usual. Now these ‘persecuted guys’ settled down, visas secured, still want to slag the country fed them, gave FREE education, gave FREE medicine. They proudly pronounce I’m Canadian, I’m American, etc. etc. never mention the poor country which did so much for them; which made them what they are today. But they have have no gratitude; no conscience. Poor Mother Lanka never learn. She still does this to the two minorities, neglecting her own children. Maybe poor Mother Lanka is stupid; maybe she is too compassionate. It remind me of the old saying ‘hitha honda geni hamadama badin’. Poor Mother Lanka badly need a leader who can understand her own children’s needs and wants. Sri Lanka is a tiny country. We don’t want these devolving power, provincial councils, this and that. You can easily managed from Colombo. 300 miles by 150 miles. It’s not USA, it’s not USSR. We managed all these years. We carry on that way. You look after your interests. We look after ours. We don’t advise how to run your countries. So stay away please!
March 1st, 2013 at 3:17 pm
PALI WORD SEEHALA –IN SANKRIT SINHALAHOR SINHALAN
YAMILS WROTE IT AS EELAVAR— OR EELAM
CHOLA KING RAJARAJA MENTIONED IT AS EELA MANDALAM
SINGALAM ENRADU EELANAATAI ANDO ENRADU SINGALAM CHOL—–in nannul grammer——. THEY CALLED EELA DESHA FOR SINHALE
TOLAMI PRONOUNCED IT AS SALIKE
March 1st, 2013 at 4:16 pm
KALINGATHTHUPPARANI- A TAMIL BOOK SAYS THAT THEY CALL SINHALA PEOPLE AS SINGALAR—–“”- singalar vankalar”””
king raja raja chola written—–MURATTOLIL SINGALAM EELAMANDALAMUM
“”””SINGALAVAN PESUVADU SINGALAM”””””- THE LANGUAGE WHICH SINHALA PEOPLE SPEAK IS SINHALA——VEERASOLIUM GRAMMER BOOK—–
CHINESE PRONOUNSED AS SEN KIYALA
ARABIANS….. AS SARANDIB… SINGAL DIB
“””” THE WORD “”” SEEHALA SANGHA””IS MENTIONED I N 4TH CENTURY IN INDIA –NAAGARJUNA KONDA INSCRIPTION…
THE WORD “”sainhalaka”””IS MENTIONED DURING KING SAMUDRA GUPATHA TIME(
4th century)
PEOPLE PRONOUNCE OTHER LANGUAGES IN DEFFERENT WAYS. LISTEN TO AN INDIAN WHEN THEY SPEAK ENGLISH.
chinese and arabians never owned sinhale
March 2nd, 2013 at 12:56 am
Lingam,
SriLankan Tamils , if any, are now called “Tamil Tigers”.
March 3rd, 2013 at 5:54 pm
I accept to every one’s view on how India should mind its own job when it comes to Sri Lanka.
I wonder how Srilankan army/government managed to wipe out LTTE without the help/support of India and other countries.
Srilanka is fighting against LTTE for almost 30 years and why did not they wipe out LTTE all these years on their own. They needed money and weapons from other countries to fight against LTTE.
If Srilanka need all the money and weapons from other countries, they should also respect other counties views/opinions.
You guys need to understand that India is not asking for a seperate country. But for a better Srilanka where every one is treated equally along with the Sinhalese. Afterall everyone is a citizen of your country.
India has every right to say that as Indian government gives crores of Indian rupees to Srilanka for the welfare of Tamils who were affected by the war.
Now, India can look like a enemy country to you guys. India has never looted the wealth of Srilanka. Now the chinese have stepped in to Srilanka.
Lets wait and watch what is going to happen in the coming years.
March 6th, 2013 at 10:16 am
K S. U all have human rights . for human rights we dont have to give provincial councils with land and police powers. u were jolly well happy under the british flag because u all–(4- 6%) were given all the arms and amunition to suppress sinhala majority -75%. and encouraged to ask 50-50.
poor tamils were cheated and forced to support selfish vellala power hungry politicians. if u all could learn english and talk in english why cant u learn sinhala and talk in sinhala.