By Charles S.Perera

The Tamils in Australia have announcedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a weekend referendum ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in support of the Vaddukodai ResolutionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  which is for a separate Eelam State in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Do these Tamils hold an allegiance to the land in which they were bornƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Certainly not if they have, they will make the end of terrorism to helpƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka, and their Tamil compatriots who suffered for nearly thirty years underƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ruthless terrorism.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The cause that led to that suffering of the Tamils living in Sri Lanka was the idiosyncrasy of a mad man a terrorist to separate a part of Sri Lanka for an Eelam State.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These Tamils in Australia is trying to perpetrate theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  hallucination of that mad man.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These reminded me of the Biblical story in which ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the wise King SolomonƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  made a strange judgment to see who was really the motherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of a disputed baby.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Two women were fighting over a baby.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  One said the child was hers and begged the other woman to give it back.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The other woman claimed that the baby was hers and refused to give the baby.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  To settle the right of ownership of the baby the two women went to the wise king Solomon.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then the wise King Solomon having heard the two women asked the woman who had the baby to keep it on the table .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Then the king proposed that the baby should be split into two and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the women share the parts.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  One woman agreed with the kingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s decision, while theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  other wailed out not to splitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the baby, and that she was willing the other woman keep it, despite the fact that the baby was hers. The King thus knew the real mother of the baby, and handed it over to the wailing woman who was willing to give the baby ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rather than having it split before her eyes.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This Biblical story, could be applied to the case of Sri Lanka where the Tamils askƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that the motherland be divided and give a part of it to them to set up a Tamil Eelam, and the Sinhala Buddhists,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  though not wishing to accede, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are willingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to shareƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  their motherland with all Communities without ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ splitting it to please the less than 13 percent of Tamil minority who show no patriotic love to Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Do the Tamils claiming separation really love ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-a motherlandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is not their call for separation motivated by a strong desire to deprive the Sinhala of their birth right which they have preserved unto this date making sacrifices of their brave children ? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What sacrifice have the Tamils madeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to keep this land intactƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  from conquerors or terrorists ?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What love have the Tamils of th diaspora living in their cosy comfort or RobertƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢BlakeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  who careless whether Sri Lanka is split into two or three ?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are now the Tamil National Interest being publicised by the Sri Lanka Guardian.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They want to even change the history books of Sri Lanka to claim a fictitious interest in the country. What we want in Sri Lanka whether they be Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim are people who genuinely promote unity and selfless integration with the inhabitants and love the motherland as their own.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is not setting up an All Party Conference for devolution of Power to the Tamils that will solve the national problem.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is accepting the ground situation and changing Tamil attitude to be one with the majority and work together for the progressive development of Sri Lanka hand in hand with its inhabitants alone, that will solve what ever ethnic problem they claim we have.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What after all is patriotism ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Patriotism is not only the love for the country in which one was born, but also accepting ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with respect its natural, human and cultural environment , whether it is racially mixed, religiously divided or politically corrupted.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To be a patriot it should not be a necessary requirement that each community claims a right to its own language, religion or culture. Be it D.B.S.Jeryaraj, Douglas Devananda, Pakiasoth Saravanamuttu, Kumar David or Ananda Sangaree, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if they were to claimƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a patriotic affection to this country in which they were born, they should encourageƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the members of their communitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to integrate into the existing social fabric without making selfish demands to identify one community differently from the other.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That is how communities have evolved in the Western Countries, if we were to take America of Robert O Blake for an example.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is not the monopoly of the rich countries to evolve as a Nation without devolution of political power to minority communities, insisting as in France that those of the minority communities seeking citizenship should learn the language and adhere to cultural norms of the country.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ From the time the Colonialists made their way into our countries, they messed up our societies, introducing their religion bringing along with them their missionaries, introducing their way of life, and forcing their language.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  TodayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  divided and separated it is still the Catholic Church that plays aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  role ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to keep the people separated, and the foreign NGOs thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  sow the seeds of hatred., while the Tamil intelligentsiaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  perpetuateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  separation making monsters of the majority Sinhala that make much of the sacrifice to keep them well and happy, whether they live in Colombo or the North or East..

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was the Secret Police of India RAW that took over the Tamil youth and trained them as terrorists and let them loose in the country creating an artificial hatred towards the Sinhala by getting 13 Sinhala Policemen Killed in the north.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This resulted in the unfortunate 1983 racial riots. That was how Indian RAWƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  planned the beginning of terrorismƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  through a handful of selected Tamil youth, creating in the minds of the Tamils that the Sinhala are their enemies.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Douglas Devanandas, Wickramabahus, indoctrinatedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  through Marxism and selfish Tamil Politicians seeking their personal aggrandisement among the poor Tamil people are the sentinels of communal dissidence andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  social mayhem.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  How can they ever claim patriotism to mother Lanka ?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If the government were to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  give into pressure by the inadequately informed International Community who lord over the developing countries, and seek to find solutions to please the Tamil politicians, it will only be treating the symptoms ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the so called ethnic problem.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The cause of the problemƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is in the minds of the Tamil people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Unless they understand the problem and try to come to terms with the Sinhala majority the ethnic problem will continue to the detriment of both the Tamils and the country at large. It may not then possible to completely uproot terrorist tendenciesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  arisingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  from within the Tamil people, in the future.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Because hatred breeds hatred, and in that environment there would be no place for peacefulƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  coexistence.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Where do the interest of the Tamil people lie.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is it in their own personal well being or being a part of a nation to see the progress and development of that motherland.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Tamils of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamilnadu are no patriotic Indians. So are the Tamils of Malaysia, Sri Lanka , Australia, Canada or UK ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if they seek a separate Eelam in Sri Lanka, they have no patriotic allegiance to any country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is time the Tamil peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  accept to be the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ patriots of the country in which they were born.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That would be the only way to end suffering as aliens living in a foreign country hoping one day, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to divide the motherland of their ancestors ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to have a separate Eelam.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We cannot split the babyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in the face of real love, and so it is with Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This country is not to be split to please OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢Blake and his expatriate cohorts, orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  please the Tamil politicians and elitists to enhance their personal ego as Tamils.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, there is much to be done by the Tamil media, Tamil Bloggers, and Websites such as the Sri Lanka Guardian, Trance CurrentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  etc. to sponsor unity among the peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  without creating dissention and separation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Peace and happiness lie in unity and in love for one another.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala Budhhists have no sense of vengeance.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They always extended their hand of friendship to all communities. It is the Sinhala who call for Communal Unity while the Tamils refuse the extended hands of friendship of the Sinhala and stand aloof, seeking separation from unity , seeking hatred from friendship.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Please wake up Tamils to unite, and build our motherland Sri Lanka to be a great Nation second to none.