Dilrook Kannangara

Whenever the nation faces a dire situation, the majority goes to the forefront to save the nation, put up with inconveniences and difficulties, willingly makes sacrifices and co-operates with the government in power. But the minorities always pull from the foot with petty tribal thinking. Sri Lankan minorities, as a community, have never made sacrifices for any national cause. Most times they behave as if they are guests or parasites to make things even more difficult at dire situations.

Sri Lanka currently treads delicately over many teething issues. Whatever the political views are and whatever the ethnic tribe one belongs to, everybody must cooperate with the government or at the very least not add any more problems.

The Demand to Bury COVID-19 Muslim Dead and Worse

Sections of the Muslim community have demanded that the government allows the burial of COVID-19 dead from the Muslim community. There is sufficient evidence to say dead bodies contaminate ground water for a certain period of time. Further, not many experiments have been done yet to know for sure that burial of Coronavirus victims does not contaminate ground water. Why take the risk? Muslims are not the only people who prefer burial to cremation. Christians and Jews also have the tradition to bury their dead. But they cooperate with the government policy without disrupting as they take a communal view of the matter, not a petty racist and tribal view. Why can’t Muslims do same?

Then it lends to insanity. Sending Muslims corpses to Maldives is a very expensive and needless exercise. It borders insanity.

To make matters worse, a section of Catholic priests staged a silent protest against the decision to cremate all COVID-19 dead. They are fishing in troubled waters.

The Demand to Investigate War Crimes

A section of Tamils notoriously detached from ground realities in the north are gearing up for the UNHRC sessions in March 2021 to bring in war crimes charges against Sri Lanka once again. Is it the most opportune time to do so when the country is battling so many challenging issues that also mean life and death to Tamils like COVID-19 and economic crises? They have cleverly timed their tribal display for 2021 as they know that two pro-Sri Lanka giants, Dr Sarath Weerasekera and Dr Channa Jayasumana will not be going to Geneva this time.

COVID-19 crisis and its response clearly showed the futility of provincial councils and devolution. Had the PCs remained operational, the COVID-19 crisis would have been worse as the central government would have been hands-tight in swiftly dealing with the situation.

The Demand to Increase Wages of Plantation Workers

As if the above two extortion demands are not enough the other minority has also started agitations to increase their already world’s highest tea plantation workers’ wages. If the government gives into their demands the entire industry will collapse as plantation companies cannot afford it. A powerful minister from the Indian Tamil community recently stated that a few dozen factories have closed down in Nuwara Eliya district which has affected the economy of his tribe’s people. Of course! Not only his tribe, all tribes in the island are under severe economic hardships. The solution is not robbing Peter to pay Paul. The solution is a collective economic march forward and sacrifices in the interim.

Minorities Must Count Their Blessings in Comparison

Instead of making extortionist demands just because they can, minorities must count their blessings. Muslims in Sri Lanka are far better off than their relatives in India in terms of economic, political, security and religious advantages. India does not even allow the production of bovine beef and certainly does not allow the interference of Islamic Law with the Indian law. Tamils in Sri Lanka are far better off then Tamils in India and Malaysia in terms of education, business, economic prosperity, rights and privileges and the ability to influence national leaders. Indian Tamils are obviously way better off then their unfortunate counterparts in South India.

Instead of appreciating the better life they all have in Sri Lanka, they have become greedy to grab anything and everything only for their survival to hell with the rest. Tamils and Muslims must thank the Sinhala military for preventing Tamil Eelam. Had Tamils succeeded in creating Tamil Eelam it would have been the poorest nation on earth with no education, no business (other than agriculture, fisheries, human trafficking and sex trade), no healthcare (Sri Lankan government was the sole provider of healthcare even to Tamil terrorists) and no administrative functions (Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils run on subsidized funds from the others). Pushing the limits too much will result in Sinhalese giving up saving minorities from their own minority cannibalistic groups.