When Will They Ever Learn
Posted on September 1st, 2010
Upali SƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ USA
The TAMILS wherever they are, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, to name three countries where they live in substantial numbers are not a happy race.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They have never been and they never will be. They do not realize nor admit that they are a minority in all three of these countries.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Since Sri Lanka was more tolerant than the others and the Sinhalese majority of Sri Lanka have been more gentle and kind to their somewhat noisy but hardworkingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ neighbors from South India for almost 1500 years as well as to Portuguese, Dutch and the British who invaded Sri Lanka with guns and weapons hidden behind their trade ships and religious cloaks and who broughtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamils from South India to do their labor work during their colonial rule, everyone has been taking an easy ride. The majority people, our forefathersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ did not mind the gradual Christianization of the Island from 1595 onwards by these later invaders nor when they built educational establishments to educate those Tamils with western education, and built the best schools around north, east and later the hill country. The Tamils benefited the most and armed with the new knowledge gained and the sympathy from their colonial masters they took it for granted to grab Sri Lanka for themselves.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What was started in 1930’s by those early Christian educated Tamils who by then felt far superior to the rest of the islandsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ inhabitants, spear-headed to break the country up on at least a 50-50 basis, of course but with the hopeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of having it all for Tamils years later.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thanks to Mr. S W R D Bandaranayaka who himself not a Sinhalese Buddhist scholar but a Christian at that, who had his college education in Britain, took it upon himself to arrest the disastrous situation and change the destiny of Sri Lanka. It was a great loss for Sri Lanka to lose him so young. However what he started at that time was a timely revolution for all Sri Lankans.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 20 years later the uprising led by the near illiterateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Prabhakaran and by his band of killers that started with the cold blooded murder of Alfred Duraiappa was put down 38 years later, after the death of aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ hundred thousand innocent Sri Lankans, billions of dollars worth of property damage and a completely traumatized Sri Lankan population who lived with terror and fear for almost 4 decades.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the beginning the educated Tamils welcomed and harbored Prabhakaran and his killers butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it was a monster that the Tamil intellects and politicians created that turned against them and eliminated almost every educated Tamil in the island (except for those who were fortunate enough to take refuge in foreign lands and for those who toed the lines laid down by Prabhakaran).
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The end result was PrabhakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s experiment to grab Sri Lanka with the support of LTTE sympathizers in South India, Malaysia and all over the worldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ took the Tamils in Sri Lanka back to more than a 1500 years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now they are crying foul and are at the whim of the majority which according to any sensible Sri Lankan the rightful place for a minority. No special treatments, no forceful dividing of the country but living in harmony as a Sri Lankan with the rest of the Sri Lankans.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What was started 54 years ago by Mr. Bandaranayaka finally evolved to what it is today and the present President of the republic is the only leader who could carry forwardƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fair andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ balanced governance in Sri Lanka where everyone is treated fairly but at the same time maintain the countries historical balances.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TNA, the Diaspora LTTE lovers, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Navi Pillay, Jehan Peran, Brian Seneviratne, Desmond Tutu,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Professor Boyle, Tamilnet, the Gnanakones, – you name it you have it are just part of the band wagon that are just the disgruntled noisy minority and could be compared to dogs having funƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ – barking at the moon and at shadows.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ During the five hundred years of colonial occupation little Sri Lanka suffered damage to its culture, to its religion and almost the core of its very existence. The past 60 years after independence was the most crucial.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What one sees today are the growing pains of Sri Lanka and a very courageous president putting it all together.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is not the 1950ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s where the likes of Lee Qwan Yew of Singapore could bully and have his own way and later boats about what he has done with little Singapore. One does appreciate what Lee Qwan Yew did with Singapore but that does not give him a carte blanche to criticize Sri Lanka and its President.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am sure Mr. Yew realizes that one has a differentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kettle of Fish in todayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s art of governance.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ At the end of it all Sri Lanka will emerge as that little Pearl of the Indian Ocean loved by every peace loving citizen of this world that still has most of its natural beauty intact. The minorities of course will in time to come learn the fact that being a minority does not mean you are a second class citizen. You should take that minority phobia chip off your shoulder andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rise above and beyond the hatred sown by the myth of searching for an elusive Eelam in the Republic of Sri Lanka that is for all of us.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Upali SƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ USA
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:17 am
There are millions of Tamils in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa to name few countries. Tamils have a Language, Culture, Habits but NO COUNTRY of their own. Like Jews Tamils wants to create a country. They failed in Sri Lanka now go back to India and create your dream Eelam in Tamil Nadu if possible. Tamils can fight another 30 – to 40 years with India to get their Eelam in south India. Until Tamils realized and admit that they are a minority in all these countries they can keep fighting same as Jews for ever.Diaspora LTTE lovers know its a multi Million Dollar collection business and keep on fighting.
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:20 am
Good question, Upali – When will they ever learn?!- Sadly the answer appears to ne NEVER because the Tamils do not wish for selfish reasons (and not ignorance) to show out in the open they have learnt the Truth. While many including myself have said in these columns and elsewhere over and over again, if the Tamils want a separate state because of their “Tamilness” that place is absolutely nowhere else but the place of origin of the Tamil (Dravidian) race – TAMIL NADU. Well, the Tamils jolly well know this but they also know that it is tough to get it. And of the countries quoted above, Sri Lanka was thought to be the likely place for success using bogus manufactured history and claims of discrimination and denial of basic human rights – until MR came along!
The ‘real’ thorn that is pricking the Tamils is the fact that they lost privilege after the British left SL. Unfortunately no one will listen to them in 2010 if they scream of ‘loss of privilege’ so they cunningly converted and packaged the loss of privilege into loss of basic ‘human rights’ and expected the gullible West to do the rest for them. While anybody with a single brain cell between the ears, including the Tamils, will know (but not show) that Tamil Nadu is the homeland of the Tamils and if they want a separate state that is the place for them, any democratically elected SL government has a problem in openly canvassing this point because that will be immediately construed by India as SL encouraging sedition in India. But in a democracy there is nothing to prevent others OUTSIDE the SL government from making this very point extremely vigorously. Unfortunately I have yet not seen this point being driven to the intensity that I would like to see. For those who want and believe in separate states, it is Scotland for the Scots, Wales for the Welsh, Ireland for the Irish, Palestine for the Palestinians and Tamil Nadu for the Tamils!!– S de Silva -London
September 2nd, 2010 at 4:24 am
Great article Mr. Upali S – USA. You have put it in simple terms for anybody to undestand. I like the comments of Mr. dhane and Mr. S de Silva. They are very pertinent. What the Tamils decide to do should be their problem and they are free to act as they please where ever they reside, as long as they do not come back to Sri Lanka and create problems. Now we have a great and patriotic President who will safeguard the country from the Western hypocrites with the help of his brothers and the party. He does not have absolute power like Lee Qwan Yew of Singapore as he has to stand for elections and be voted every six years to the Presidency. If he does not perform, the constituency can always vote him out, so we have a check and balance. The change in the constitution does not give him Presidency for a lifetime, but he has to earn it on his perfrmance. It only removes term limits.
September 2nd, 2010 at 5:35 am
Siri has pointed out a very valid point ‘The change in the constitution does not give him Presidency for a lifetime, but he has to earn it on his perfrmance. It only removes term limits’. Another good outcome from the changes in constitution will be the complete anihilation of the sinhala terrorists JVP.
September 2nd, 2010 at 6:52 am
Dear Siri – Thanks for your comment. I just need to point out that even if the ‘Tamils do not come back to SL’ they do constitute a problem in the short term while abroad, as we can see right now – eg. attempts at Trade sanctions, blocking off loans, bogus HR investigations, general denigration of SL to the rest of the Word etc, etc to help them have their way using the endless LTTE’s financial resources. So we need a very efficient arm of the SL government and supporting organisations to deal with all the black Tamil propaganda. Unfortunately this is yet to happen to a meaningful extent. In the meanwhile, having lost the war, what the Tamils now want is for the Sinhalas to go sleep and into a new dream world – ‘ah now we have won, let’s have some Tele Natya, play cricket and do nothing else!!’ So, the COUNTER publicity by the Sinhalas must continue without giving any respite to the Tamils. We do not need bogus propaganda like the Tamils, just the publication of the plain truth on how false the Tamil claims are…. that will in the end bury the bogus Tamil propaganda. In the end truth will always win. – S de Silva -London
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Upali is absolutely right. Tamils are a confused bunch of hate filled people looking to find a place called hme.
After 38 years their much loved Moses, killer Velapullai, was rightfully exterminated. Their second in command KP handedover all the ill gotten billions to MR & Co to spare his sordid life.
Only those hiding under the skirt of Moon and Pillai are crying foul like a bunch of filthy cocroaches.
Sorry that all mighty God has dealt you Tamils a band hand. You can always try for a piece of Africa like Somalia..