Why a two third Majority, when according to Feizal Samath’s Article “Jaffna Tamils Decry Development Plan of Gov’t†-Part Two.
Posted on May 2nd, 2010
By Charles.S.Perera
The ordinary Tamil people ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ do not hate the majority Sinhala Buddhists. But it is an artificial hatred that has been created by the Tamil politicians, Tamil business community, the Tamil journalists and the Tamil intelligentsia.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is they the Tamil journalists, politicians, and the Tamil intelligentsia who should come forward to bring the communities together, and persuade the Tamil people that it is only by accepting the Sinhala majority as compatriots, and working together with them that their problems could be solved.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is not an aggressive dialogue with the Sinhala majority that willƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ make it possible to end whatever ethnic problems there is between the communities.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is only through peaceful dialogue , toleranceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and compromise, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ all the Communities in Sri Lanka could ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ findƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ solutions to their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ethnicƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ problems.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But what is prevailing is the contrary, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ every Tamil person who has become a sort of a spokes man for the Tamils, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ moving with ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Sinhala peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ start by calling the Sinhala,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ chauvinists and supremacists, and criticises them and all their actions. AllƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ websites run by the Tamils suchƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as the Sri Lanka Guardian, Transcurrent are not in favour ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a friendly coexistence of the Sinhala Buddhists and the Tamils.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They continue to campaign for aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil Eelam separated from the Sinhala majority.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pakiasothy Saravanamuth stated in a recent dialoguer that he would ask the President if he were to meet him ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to work forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ peace , reconciliation and unity.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ButƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ reconciliation and unity are possible only if ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Tamils acceptƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Sinhala as their compatriots without harping on their majority status, and show their willingness ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to work together.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But how could it be possible if ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ educated Tamil people like Narapalasingham wants to rewrite the History of Sri Lanka to prove the existence of an ancient Tamil homeland ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These are the fear mongers, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the dark angels of doom that have become barriers for reconciliation and unity.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is the likes of them that keep the Sinhala and the Tamil people apart.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Why cannot they emulate great people-like Ghandiji,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the past who were prepared to sacrifice their lives to promote unityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ among theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ people, the communities. ?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Anandasangaree in his old ageƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ should come forwardƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to speak to his people for the much needed communal unity, withoutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ disowning their compatriots the Sinhala just because of their numerical majority.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is working together withoutƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ having complexes that we could build our country from being a developing country, to a developed country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is time that Douglas Devananda too speak out for the people as a wholeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ without identifying himself as a Tamil- the leader of the EPDF.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President Mahinda Rajapakse made a start by stating clear and loud that there is no majorityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ or a minority in this country but Sri Lankans who are either bad or good.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Coming back to Feizal SamathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s articleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the Inter Press Service, he quotes Arul who had been invited by the IPS to discuss the future of the high school children, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..
Most of them want to go abroad for studies and live there permanently. “There is no future here. We will always be second-class citizens,” said Arul. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Perhaps Arul thinks that by going abroad he could be a first class citizen somewhere.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ OfƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ course he assumes that the expatriates, who spendƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a lot of money when they come to Sri Lanka, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-fightƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a Tamil Eelam from abroad are already first class citizens in the respective countries where they live.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They never tell the truth that even with qualifications they will never ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be, even second class citizens in those countries as long as their skin isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ black.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Arul probably does not know that the expatriate Tamils want to keep the ethnic problem going in Sri Lanka, so that they can continue to stay in those countries asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ politicalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ refugees.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They are notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ any happier in those countries except that they have no responsibilities, and could ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ educate their children to be people without roots any where.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ArulƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s problem is that in his mind he has made himself a second class citizen in his own motherland.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka TamilsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unfortunately carry with them the stigma of terrorism, with the expatriate Tamils back in foreign countries keeping terrorismƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ alive, and TNA in Sri Lanka advocatingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ self determination and a Tamil Eelam. Arul if he gets to a Western country, the police of that country will open a file for him from the day he lands in that country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He will like all Tamils, be under constant surveillance toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ see that he is not a terrorist sympathiser.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Norwegian Police recently arrested seven Sri Lanka Tamils as terrorist activists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In France too there are arrests of Tamils and their identity checked .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka Tamils are treated with suspicion in foreign countries.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The following is a quote from a report that appeared in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-hinduonnet.comƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ IN the first week of April, the French law-enforcement authorities conducted a series of well-planned and coordinated actions against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Fourteen Tamils of Sri Lankan origin, suspected of being linked to the organisation, were produced at a special counter-terrorism tribunal in Paris and placed in judicial custody under a preventive detention order on April 5. A special four-member panel of examining magistrates filed preliminary charges and ordered that they be held in detention for 120 days pending further investigation.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Things are not as bad as this in Sri Lanka. So when the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-disappointedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Tamil youths would like to migrate to countries abroad, they shouldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ keep the above matters in mind.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Tamil youth in the North and East are not aware of these.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That is because no one, not even the IPS of Feizal Samath tellsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ these youngsters, that there is no better place anywhereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ else in the world other than where they were born.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TheyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have to give time for development to come to Sri Lanka and there isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a formidable future for the people of Sri Lanka, provided every one is prepared to work with that future in mind.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Even if Arul has no sympathies with the LTTE, once he is abroad, he will be in the clutches of the terrorist sympathising expatriates. Hinduonnet.com in its report mentions, that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-One young Tamil who told a TV interviewer that he was forced into giving money to the LTTE had to go into hiding after that as the Tigers began gunning for him. There is a Tamil restaurant that dissident Tamils often frequent. Its owner, a Tamil film producer, was assaulted twice for letting anti – LTTE people patronise his establishment.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Development has to come to North by way of tourism, infrastructure development, and industrialisation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It need not be repeated that there has to be aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ preparative stage of development when nothing positiveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ would materialise.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Tamils in the North have lived for thirty years in utter misery and it is not understood why this impatience now. It appears they have short memories.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Even before the hotels are being built, they turn out to be extra religious and look for loop holes not to appreciate the development work undertaken by the government, but to blame it.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Feizal SamathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article shows the difficulties the government has to face in its attemptƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to develop the countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to give the people a better living conditions in the future. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The articleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ statesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Few Tamils from Jaffna were invited to the event ( laying of a foundation for a Hotel complex) and all the speeches were delivered in English even if the majority of the 700,000 people speak only Tamil. Furthermore, local residents questioned the location of the hotel as it is close to a sacred Hindu temple, visited by millions of Tamils every year.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
“How can you sell alcohol or meat in a sacred location?” asked Arudpragasam Sivathamby, a taxi driver. Outside the same temple premises, dozens of Sinhala traders are doing business, in some cases displacing the Tamil merchants, causing resentment among the minority ethnic group.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
“This is causing a huge problem,” said Tamil parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the South there are more TamilsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who have set up their commercial enterprises in certain areas , than the Sinhala.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But the Sinhala people do not complain.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore , how could it be a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ different if dozens of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala traders are doing business in Jaffna.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Is this a minority ethnic problem orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a problem the Tamils in Jaffna are trying to create?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The crux of the problem is in the last paragraph of Feizal SamathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article, which reads, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tamils are hoping for a greater role in power sharing. However, Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan, a political scientist from the University of Colombo, said that is not a priority for the government at the moment. “The government won a commanding majority at the recent parliamentary polls, and trying to appease the Tamils is not the biggest priority at the moment,” he declared.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is people like Dr.Keethaponchalam, who have to step in to pacify the people in Jaffna and ask them to be patient and allow the government to proceed with development projects which are in fact meant for the ordinary Tamil people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Power sharing is a big word and it is for the rich and the powerful, which will not help the ordinary people. This goes to show that the educated well to do Tamils are seizing the opportunity to benefit from the situation for their own self aggrandisement, to lord over the less educated and the illiterate.
May 2nd, 2010 at 8:22 pm
These are serious issues that the current Government has to deal with. Firstly, counter propaganda to tell the world that the Tamils live in other part of Sri Lanka and not only in North and East. In other parts of Sri Lanka they share the resources with all others. Then, that the Tamils must come to live with the idea of sharing North and East with all Sri Lankans; Sinhalese Muslim, Malay, Burgers and other minorities who are all Sri Lankans. Thirdly, that Tamils must come to accept that they would never have a separate home land in Sri Lanka.
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:18 am
“The ordinary Tamil people do not hate the majority Sinhala Buddhists. But it is an artificial hatred that has been created by the Tamil politicians, Tamil business community, the Tamil journalists and the Tamil intelligentsia.”
When the statement is made that there are “Tamil people” in SL, it literally means there is a nation of Tamil people. Within the Sri Lankan paradigm it further enhances this fact by the official recognition of Tamils , their language and culture. The very acceptance of “Tamil” as a separate entity means they are a separate nation. There cannot be two nations in one country or has the right of nationhood to another, ONLY if they are INDIGENOUS, in which case they qualify to carve out a separate country eventually. But in the case of incorrectly named SL, it is a self-evident fact that it is the Sovereign Country of the Indigenous Hela/Sinhela Nation, which was Heladiva at the outset and most appropriate for today. The self-evident fact of Tamil Nadu (Tamil Country) with 70 million Tamil nation as the indigenous Tamil country is abundantly clear.
However, as long as the SL paradigm or artificial Sri Lankan nation exists, the SL-Tamils think they also should be a nation having the right to self determination or separation. In this utter confusion, the most confused are the Hela/Sinhela Nation of people for no fault of theirs but due to pseudo-national rulers’ systematic brainwashing of the Hela Nation. Thus, it is constantly demonstrated by calling ourselves a “community” or “majority” when we are the Nation’ INCLUSIVE of all non indigenous minorities. No brainer words of this sort sans our right of Nationhood, continues to encourage the Hela-Tamils (SL-Tamils) to push for Tamil Nationalism is no big surprise. Taking France as an example, with many settler minorities, they never refer to themselves as “community” or “majority” but always the French Nation, maintaining their National Sovereignty and ownership to the country as a whole.
Before further delay it is time for the Hela Nation to have a major re-think of SOVEREIGN NATIONHOOD.
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:17 am
Dear Anura,
In Switzerland there are French speaking people and there are German speaking people. In USA, Australia there are many ethnic groups and journalists often use the term “whites”, “blacks” etc. In Singapore, ID cards categorize people as Chinese, Malay and Indian.
Therefore, Tamils must be referred to as Tamils and Sinhalese as “Sinhala”. What is the big fuss about “Hela”?. All are going to die and next birth Tamils will become Sinhala and Sinhala will become Tamil. If Buddhists do not live like Buddhist but nevertheless spend a normal life without doing animal things and devilish things they may be born as how they lived this very life, may be born to families who follow other faiths. Just be realistic and concentrate on developing the country normally live with compassion to fellow citizens.
In Buddha’s time Hindus killed millions of animals in mass sacrifices to Gods. So what’s the fuss ? Are they following the Buddha now ? If Tamils cannot live with Singalam they should migrate to a better place for them. Similarly if Sinhalese cannot live with Tamils then they must run to USA and Aus and or any other place and try living with whites and blacks. This is a Global world now.
Sri Lanka has evolved and no need to be extremists. All should live according to the rules of Sri Lanka. Rules can be changed democratically and all citizens are required to follow.
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:42 am
the so called HOTEL complex was planned on the place where the palace of Jaffna Kings existed. Further the Jaffna King Sri Sangabodhi Buvanekabahu, later King of Kotte, ruled and built the famouse HINDU Temple. Now an Aglican church stands on the place of the temple. Dutch allowed the Hindus to build the temple at the current place which was donated by the Muslims. There is a SAMADHI or TOMB of a Muslim still exist inside the Temple.
This Hotel project is a plan by Catholic/Christian gangs to destroy the remaining heritage of Jaffna Hindus. The Catholic Church is a partner of LTTE all the time. But these Catholics have more influence with the Government anytime!
Further HELA is the parent language of all South Indian languages including Sinhala!