Tamils have no voice in Sri Lanka
Posted on April 26th, 2010
Vajeera Warnakulasuriya, Melbourne,
Referring to the Sydney Morning Herald News Item on Monday, 26 April 2010, under the above heading I wish to posit my response.
The success of referendum by Australian Tamil Diaspora or Tamil Diaspora elsewhere in the Globe, almost unanimous or even totally unanimous, has no relevance back in Sri Lanka, as itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s administration led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has rightfully articulated that the country has no different ethnicities now, except those who love the country and those who donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ NGOƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s on the pay packet of the anti Sri Lankan countries and the Traitors who betray the sovereigntyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of their country of birth being the latter.
Since the defeat of LTTE, and subsequently, the overwhelmingly voting in President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a strong Government led by his party in the recent elections has now given him the confidence to govern the entire country without any preferential treatment or discrimination to Sri Lankans. It is sad to see these disgruntled expatriate Tamil Diaspora still looks at themselves as a different race, whose ultimate aim is to carve a slice of a common Motherland to create an Ealaam state. I think itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s time for them to grow up and accept realities, being in the twenty first century!
The present position of the Tamils, and the Peace and Harmony prevailing in the country can only be verified by the Australian Ambassador in Sri Lanka. Surely she is a very lucky woman who has enough time at her disposal to take a walk around the Colombo Metropolitan area and see the amount of Tamil businesses in the Capital and how these businesses are thriving.
The exuberantƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ enjoyment of recent Sinhala and Hindu New Year celebrations, after three decades of insecurity, for anyone to participate in traditional customs were seen right across the country. The smiles, relaxed attitude and the oneness in the participation of Tamils in activities at the IDP camps during the festivities was an emotional scene to witness. The participation of all communities in these activities bears the testimony to the Peace and Harmony prevailing in the country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The rulers of Sri Lanka need no advice from any outside administration, as they are quite competent to find solutions for any problems for the satisfaction of all. It is up to the administration of those countries where the disgruntled Tamil Diaspora lives to be mindful not to encourage or stimulate the notion that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s right for them to keep hope alive to carve an Eelaam state ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ONEDAYƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚!
If only these countries pay a little attention to think why millions of Tamils in Indian refugee camps are clamouring to cross over to Sri Lanka these days, they have to rethink the absurdity of the boat people that arrive at Australian shores as grossly on economic migration! Unfortunately, there are local ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-mushroom journalistsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka, who are on the payroll of the LTTE agents in Western countries, who would write any report that justifies the fleeing attributing to fear of persecution, genocide, torture etc.
Same is true with some academics in Australia, who in gratitude for indulging in a palatable sumptuous feast or a handsome payout; tend to repay the generosity, writing favorable reports using unsubstantiated accusations supplied by the hosts to denigrate Sri Lanka! The main purposes of these news items are just to support the validity of the claims to consider the refugee status favorably. I am confident that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and assessors of the Department of Immigration are intelligent enough to see through these tactics!
The Tamils in the country have now realized that the President is genuinely committed to dispel any doubts of inequality believed to be meted against them. Considering the recent talks by the Tamil parties with the government, and their willingness to abandon any push for a separate Tamil state opens a new chapter. They have disassociated with the main opposition party and are now ready to work with the Rajapaksa government to make the country economically sound and to live in Peace with the rest of the country!
The suggestion that Tamils have no voice in Sri Lanka is a figment of imagination of the Tamil Diaspora, for the first time in three decades Tamils in North and east have participated in the general elections and voted in fourteen Tamil members to the new Parliament.
These are stark facts, Sri Lanka is open for anyone to visit and be satisfied with the changes that are taking place for all inhabitants in the country without propagating falsehood merely to hoodwink the Department of Immigration.
I trust your patronage will be fortunate enough to get another point of view to ponder upon, as oppose to one-sided Sri Lanka bashing by those who have never set foot on this Island for donkeyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s years!
Yours Sincerely,
Vajeera Warnakulasuriya,
Melbourne, 98088763
April 26th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
The original article was written by a guy who is a public relations consultant to LTTE.
Tamils of Srilanka is not a monolithic group.
Tamils for LTTE supporters are just Jaffna tamils.
According to my observation and experience hanging around with my tamil friends
following are a nonexhaustive list of tamil subsets.
1. Jaffna
2. Baticaloa
3. Trincomalie
4.Muslim Tamils’
5. Thivu tamils – different island inhabitants.
6. Estate or Indian Tamils.
7. Wellawathe Tamils.
8. Chettiyar tamils.
Non of these groups would like to intermarry, or do business together.
Isreal wants that country to be an Jewish state, yet a sizable number of Arabs still live there.
Israeli Arabs are not allowed to study in their language, Israel judiciary functions and all government affairs are conducted solely in Hebrew ( the revived dead language of the jews) .
Most expat Srilankan tamils got there education in Srilankan public schools.
They went to Universities all paid for by Srilankan government.
They got free heath care just like the rest of Srilankans.
Under white mans rule they had privileged positions.
My tamil friends have told me how Their relatives used to cheat in university entrance exams.
They call it ” Kuthira otta” means- get somebody else to appear for the examination on ones behalf.
Sometimes they had one appearing for Physics and another for chemistry etc.
That was widely practiced in Jaffna.
Also when GCE A/L reqired practical examinations , Tamil professors always gave failing grade to any sinhalese they examined.
They one old Professor of Physics , now with a sinhalese son in law confessed to me that he had done that.
All these happened in the past.
Now We need to rebuild the country . We need to reconcile, move on.
Forget and forgive.
Our sinhalese countrymen should embrace Tamils more and more.
April 26th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Australian aboriginals are a dravidan group.
Tamils who want a tamil homeland have some anthropology based claim to ask for a tamil eelam or tamil kolam
in Australia.
April 26th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
There is a good deal of truth in what Mr Warnakulasuriya writes, but we can’t be certain how the present scenario will unfold.
It is true that that the vast majority of Sri Lankans have spoken clearly against the surfeit of tolerance and liberalism, and a corresponding inefficiency and lack of focus, that we have had in our society. Much is made of the the high rate of abstention at the April polls; but in the Sri Lankan context, this indicates the lack of commitment to affairs in the country that is displayed by those who are still comfortably placed owing to links abroad. I am different from Mr Warnakulasuriya in that I’ve never sought to live abroad. So, I voted against the march towards “Rajapaksa-conformity”, but also chose to vote, in Colombo, for candidates other than Ranil Wickremasinghe. This was because I realise that Ranil, personally, will pick up almost no votes outside Colombo. The U.N.P. must re-organise so that it understands the aspirations of the less privileged and not only those of the more privileged minority persons.
There was a recent article by D.S.B. Jeyaraj in which he bemoaned the non-election of sufficient Minority members outside the North and East. This recent result is fine for those who CAN integrate because they have sufficient education. But what happens to the yet under-educated – e.g. the estate Tamils. For the time being they may even rejoice that their earlier corrupt Tamil representatives are no more. I’m thinking mainly of the Uva Province. But knowing only the Tamil language how can they communicate effectively with any legislator so that the next generation can emerge from their ghettos?
Also, while I’m happy for the present, equating those “who love the country” with parroting this personalised and simplistic outlook known as “Mahinda Chintanaya”, could result in extreme intolerance of personal liberties in areas which should not concern the State. It looks as though leaders as sophisticated as Prof. G.L. Peiris will decide to act against their better judgement so as to conform and survive. Such people may delude themselves that it’s best for them to survive, so as to moderate the “Chintanaya” excesses and protect the privileges of coteries.
“Coteries” do not deserve to be protected. Let’s hope a more effective “opposition” emerges. Yes, although we do need more homogeneity in our society to move forward, we do need more responsible and serious debate in Parliament from those who represent the less privileged. As it is, Ranil’s U.N.P speaks only for Colombo. The less said about Fonseka-centred tomfoolery the better – although we must be grateful to the military machine that ended the civil war.
April 26th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Tamil representtion or Sinhala representation is not the issue now. Both Tamils and Sinhalese need a FRESH start towards a new future for their next generation.
Those left the country and found a better life, have no interest in the welfare of the people remained in Sri lanka. But still they try to make troubles in the name of language.
The Government must implement the OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ACT of 1956. That mean all the state correspondences from Public Enterprises must be in Sinhala and Tamil. That is the essence of the Officiala Language Act of 1956. If the state cannot implement the ACT letter to letter, the Tamils will have more room to make more noise.
The Tamil citizens have the rights to get letters in TAMIL because Tamil is also an Official Language of Sri Lanka!
There is no need of TAMIL MPs to be elected in the name of TAMIL only.
April 26th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
M.S.MUdali – You are absolutely correct. Its the Dawn of a New Era. President Rajapaksa has demonstrated that he is a Good Father of the Nation.
The MPs, as Mr. MUdali points out, should be addressed as MPs, but not as a Sinhala MP or a Tamil MP. Of course they may be put into the Party baskets!
As in Singapore, there are three Official Languages, English, Chinese Mandarin, Tamil. However the Operative Language is English.
Sri Lanka should consider English as the Preferred Operative Language for the good of all citizens, mainly of the future citizens.
Actually, Tamils do have a powerful Voice in Sri Lanka. More than 50% of the small enterprises are run by Tamils and at least 30-40% of the Corporates are owned by Tamils. Furthermore, they kept fueling the LTTE for over 30 years.
April 27th, 2010 at 12:47 am
MSMUdali,
I would disagree with you that those who have left Sri Lanka in search of a better life have no interest in the welfare of those remaining in the island. Most of them, very sincerely, do.
But I agree with you fully that Tamil citizens have the right, when dealing with the government departments and agencies, to write in Tamil and expect to receive a reply in the same language. You are also right when you say that “There is no need of TAMIL MPs to be elected in the name of TAMIL only”.