Dilrook Kannangara

A number of good hearted Samaritans have started reconciliation groups across the world in a move to engage the Tamil Diaspora. It is a good move. Few friendly meetings with good food and good fun took place already. At the end of these cordial meetings, participants resolve to further advance their informal groups. The idea is to engage not isolate the Tamil Diaspora. An unconditional friendship making has entirely nothing wrong. It is a must in expatriate Sri Lankan communities. However, hiding behind these good spirited moves is a sinister plan of sections of the Tamil Diaspora to abuse the unsuspecting good Samaritans to get their racist demands.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What Sri Lankans need is not reconciliation but integration and consolidation!

Reconciliation is the buzz word in Sri Lankan circles. But what is the origin of this word in the context of post-war Sri Lanka? A careful look at where and when this word came from reveals its ugly source. It was the West that imposed this word on Sri Lanka in late 2009 and it is not an indigenous creation. The English word means to become friendly with someone after estrangement or to reestablish friendly relations. Another meaning is to make apparently two or more conflicting things compatible with each other. This is not what Sri Lanka needs. What Sri Lanka needs is integration into one unitary nation and consolidation of peace won through war.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Reconciliation essentially involves a process of investigation into war to find and punish ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-wrongdoersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The punishment of wrongdoers and elimination of them from the society helps reconciliation. There are no wrongdoers in the Sri Lankan camp and hence there is no need for any investigations in to the war. There are sufficient laws in place to track down any wrongdoer. And all such wrongdoers have been dealt with already.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Integration into one unitary nation is the need of the hour. If a certain group of people are unhappy with the unitary status that is too bad. It is better to keep them out in any matter concerning Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ No to a United Sri Lanka; Yes to a Unitary Sri Lanka where people are united

There are other groups that promote the concept of United Sri Lanka. Politicians talking about a united Sri Lanka is understandable as they habitually mince words. However, what we need is not a united Sri Lanka. Absolutely not! We need a unitary Sri Lanka where people are united. If unitary cannot unite a group of people, tough luck. They are best kept out no matter how costly it is to keep them out of Sri Lankan affairs.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Unitary means unity or the purest and highest form of unity. Unity is what Sri Lanka needs most.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ On the other hand, united means the act of coming together of various groups for a purpose that are essentially divided. If in their opinion this purpose is not achieved, they can resort not to remain united.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If moving towards more and more unity, any divided nation should move towards a united nation; a united nation should move towards a unitary nation and a unitary nation should further strengthen its unity. Going backwards is not an option for unity building.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, when most people mention united, they actually mean a place where people are united. Still it must be emphasized that whenever one refers to united in the context of Sri Lanka, he/she must add unitary. The desired outcome is a unitary Sri Lanka where people are united. If anyone or a group cannot put up with a unitary Sri Lanka, they must be left out. It is impossible to satisfy everyone. There are enough people in Sri Lanka without them!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While valuing efforts to build harmony among any group anywhere in the world, there are unavoidable signs that these reconciliation efforts have absolutely no benefit to Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Telltale Signs

One main telltale sign of their intention is the total indifference to their kith and kin in Sri Lanka. At no time did these engaging sections of the Tamil Diaspora donate anything for the benefit of Tamils and others in Sri Lanka suffering due to war or natural disasters. This ruthless attitude is akin to the LTTE that sent their own children to the gallows for no apparent reason. No one in the Tamil Diaspora made anything against LTTE child soldiers despite the obvious danger to the survival of the Tamil community.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Another telltale sign is the superficial engagement in activities. Moving forward has been painstakingly slow. There is nothing Sri Lanka would lose from the collapse of reconciliation merrymaking meetings. On the other hand, since there is no benefit whatsoever to Sri Lanka from these groups, these groups should branch out to other groups of people in the vicinity as well. For instance there is nothing harmful in getting Russian, Chinese, various African, Arabic, etc., people also in to these meetings.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Proposals for political solutions to the government is the worst thing they can doƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Going by past events, Tamil Diaspora groups have exploited unassuming others to craftily manipulate and push their demands to the government. No political solution proposal should go from mushroomed reconciliation groups without filtering them through established pro-Sri Lankan groups. What seems innocent on the face may hide nasty evils beneath aimed at causing disruptions and disrepute. Sri Lankans of all ethnicities lived in perfect harmony for millennia without any race-centred bargaining. As such any demand stemming from matters concerning a single race apart from strictly cultural affairs needs to be looked at very carefully.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil Diaspora is in utter desperation. All their major campaigns against Sri Lanka have failed. Now they try the back door to get their demands by fooling the gullible in the guise of reconciliation when Sri Lanka needs not reconciliation but integration!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The best the sane sections of the Tamil Diaspora can do is to organize themselves into groups that challenge the insanity of ultra racist groups. If they cannot challenge and question their own community first, there is little hope they will do any good with the others. The war created two types of terrorists operating in unison. They pretended not to know one another but acted in perfect synchronization. One group would unleash violence and terrify the people and the leaders while the other pretending not to associate the first group would meekly approach the unsuspecting people and offer false hope. In return they have to give their demands which are almost similar to what the armed group demands. The May 2009 victory dismantled both these groups in Sri Lanka. Now they are only active abroad.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nothing in this should be taken to mean merrymaking with people of various races of Sri Lankan origin and others is bad. On the contrary, it is well and good as long as they donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t make suggestions, proposals and sugarcoated demands. Those who associate the Tamil Diaspora in good faith over reconciliation must be reminded about the plight of the goat in AesopƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s tales which jumped into the well at the insistence of the fox only to be used as a stepping stone by the fox to escape the well, leaving the stupid goat to repent.