North for Tamils only when Colombo has only 24 percent Sinhala!
Posted on December 11th, 2012
Asada M ErpiniƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is reported to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-oppose any move to alter the demography in the NorthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, according to a media report on 09 December, attributed to its leader. Ironically, a day later, an English daily quotes the demographic pattern in Colombo city and how it has changed between 1971 and 2012: Tamils from 24.5% to 33%; Muslims from 19% to 40% and Sinhala from 50% to 24%.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The TNA position is not difficult to understand, although to say it is ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ beyond absurd is to put it very mildly. As long as the North is mono-ethnic, inhabited by Tamils, the TNA leader and his colleagues can continue to get elected as MPs of the national government and enjoy life in Colombo plus all the attractive salaries and other benefits provided with the taxes paid by the average citizen, 75% of whom happen to be Sinhala. While the LTTE held sway over the North and East it was easy for the TNA to tow the terrorist line: to oppose in any way would have been disastrous as a few top-rung LTTE leaders such as Mahattaya realised. Now that the military arm of the LTTE is inoperative, the TNA has to make sure that the Sinhala and Muslim people are not allowed to settle legally in the North. The infamous thesavalamai law pertaining to land transaction buttresses the TNA position.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The fact that the Central Government is spending billions of rupees on reconstruction of the infrastructure of the North, which should benefit all Sri Lankans irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliations, is obviously of no consequence to the TNA or other Tamil political groups that cling on to the same stance. If the TNA leaderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement is to be given any credence, the Sinhala and the Muslims who live outside the North have every right to demand of the Central government that the monies allocated to the North should be diverted to the far more underprivileged villages that exist beyond the city limits of Colombo or Kandy.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The TNA seems to have grudgingly admitted that the armed forces can remain in the North. It is not the TNA or any other extremist group that has the right to decide where and in what strength the armed forces ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the valiant soldiers and others in uniform that vanquished the terrorist curse and ushered in peace ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” should be stationed in Sri Lanka. The North is an integral constituent of the sovereign nation of Sri Lanka just as any other province. And, the country has a Minister of Defence and a very capable Secretary of Defence who will decide on the critical security issues. Just like the citizens living in the rest of the country accept the presence of the armed forces in their neighbourhood, it is time that the TNA leader and other of his ilk learn to do the same. The entire land mass is for all Sri Lankans, Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim or other!
December 11th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
As I mentioned in an earlier comment Sri Lanka encourage people to settle in the North and the East. Should also introduce an incentive schemes such as New start allowance, Subsidies for lands ect..
Armed Forces personal stationed in the NORTH and the EAST are Sri Lankan citizens. They work and live there. They should register and vote for all the elections there. So they can be the king makers. Defense ministry should encourage Military families to settle in these areas.
December 12th, 2012 at 2:39 am
If you ask a Tamil to comment on this subject, he will say that Tamils have individually made their way to Colombo for economic reasons and none of them were settled en masse. They would add that if any Sinhalas wanted to move to the North, no Tamils would object to it so long as they do so with individual effort. Tamils only object to enforced settlement. If asked about ‘Thesawalamai’, most Tamils would deny the restrictions of selling land to outsiders in a roundabout way.
Thesawalamai, an Indian Muslim law was codified in to law by the Dutch during their colonial rule in 1707 for the Malabar Inhabitants to encourage them to stay in Jaffna. For that reason the law was applicable mostly for property, inheritance and marriage to Tamil in the North. So, it was a personal law applies to a Jaffna Tamil even if he lives in Colombo or London or Timbuktu for their movable and immovable property situated anywhere in Sri Lanka. With the ‘Bantu’ mindset of Jaffna Tamils armed with a law that prevent Sinhalas buy land in the North, Jaffna population will remain Tamil unless the government settles Sinhalas there in large numbers.
After the Tsunami, five Muslim families were settled in the village where I live (100% of its inhabitants were Sinhala Buddhists) but no villager objected it. Even today they are here. Can Tamils give such examples in the North?
Leela
December 12th, 2012 at 4:03 am
Now Sri Lanka is in reconciliation mood. The President had said there are no majorities or minorities. Each for themselves. Sinhalese are generous. The Sinhala have greedy manipulators without love of the community unlike other communities. Sinhala have given up their language , land , and even religious sanctity and compassion, Muslims can kill animals on Poya days the Significane of the poya day has been sold out. The Muslims keep calling every one to pray five times every day. Kovils are renovated. Temples are becoing political centres. Soon the reality of no majority will be achieved. The Sinhala is already a minority in Colombo Sinhala are a minority. Galle fort is tken over by foreigners. In Jaffna Tamils will be the only community. What have we achieved after making a sacrifice of our youth to make Sri Lanka free and peaceful ? TNA has achieved much more than our Sinhala Politicians who are at each others throats.
December 12th, 2012 at 4:56 am
Leela
Please arrange 5 sinhala family to settle in Jaffna , I will sell €1 per acre our family land in Jaffna !
December 12th, 2012 at 6:47 am
Mr. Lingam,
Count me on as 1.
December 12th, 2012 at 6:56 am
Since Sri Lanka is a Democracy, it is would be a Democratic right for others to settle in the North too. The TNA would be transgressing the Democratic Rights of others in Sri Lanka, if they do not allow others (Muslim, Sinhala etc.) to settle down in the North.
December 12th, 2012 at 7:07 am
Fran Diaz
not only TNA even thier father can not stop any Citizon of SL to buy land in any where in SL including Valveddi thurai & Hampandoda !
This hesawalamai , Tamil Jaffna etc etc… all bullshit my chinhala brother !!!
December 12th, 2012 at 7:14 am
Andy,
When the TNA says to keep the North Tamil only, will the Tamils of the North SELL land to others ? Or make others feel accepted & comfortable in the North ?
Apart from the TNA transgressing Democratic norms, they are also preventing Tamil people of the North from integrating into mainstream life in Sri Lanka.
The TNA makes the decisions for Tamils of the North who appear unable to think for themselves.
December 12th, 2012 at 7:14 am
As long as the north is monoethnic, we will have nothing but nothing but trouble.
Jaffna University = LTTE University
Eastern University = LTTE University
South Eastern University = Wahabi University
Why should Sinhala taxpayers fund these racist institutions?
Also kick out the JVP and FUTA from other universities.
Thats the way to save state education!
December 12th, 2012 at 8:04 am
Fran Diaz
TNA says to keep the North Tamil only- TNA never said that if they say any thing like that they will be shoot in the head !!!
TNA is a political party elected by people of NEP like Mrs Maheswaran UNP MP of Jaffna !
If these people find any one better than these cow boys they will send them home in next election !
unfortunatly We have no alternative appart from SLFP liars ( promised 13 plus last election still nothing happining) & EPDP pims women who arrange Tamil womens for Army !
Mjaya
please tell me how many university we have in SL & how many people from all three community studing their !
FYI,Jaffna Uni 37% of students are Sinhalese now!
December 12th, 2012 at 9:01 am
Fran Diaz
preventing Tamil people of the North from integrating into mainstream life in Sri Lanka. -Aggred We Tamils are very selfish busrads, in saying in Tamil
Thavichcha Vaakku Tanni kuddukkatha Sathi , that mean even man in theast they won’t give water until they idendify who is he !
but when I visited first time to Kathirkama Temple Our Van brocken down in middle of sinhala village , I ask a small boy for water ( vaththuru dikka) in my little knowlege of sinhala he run into his house broght a cold water in kuja(pot)!
We are so different community !!! (I am not making up this story)
December 12th, 2012 at 9:55 am
lingamAndy,
At the end of the war some 183 Sinhala families who claim that they lived in the Jaffna Peninsula before 1983 who wanted the authorities to resettle them in their former homesteads.
In October 10, 2010, Sunday times reported as Jaffna District Secretary Emelda Sukumar said “these families did not have documents to prove land ownership. Hence, she was taking up the matter with the Presidential Secretariat while the families comprising about 500 people are staying in the Jaffna railway station area.”
The President of the Association of Sinhala Displaced Persons Mrs. Kumari Sakunthala said that they will not leave the Jaffna station until the government mediates and finds a solution for them. Minister Devananda visited the families to discuss their troubles and promised to provide food and other basic needs until they were resettled. But a source close to the Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda says that these Sinhala families seeking residency in Jaffna do not have deeds or any other legal documents to establish that they are the owners of the homes they previously lived in at Jaffna.
After two years, ‘Sri Lanka Watch’ reported on 12/12/12, today that the land owned by 193 Sinhala families who were chased away from Jaffna in 1983, have been distributed among the Martyrs families by the LTTE. Some of these families have met the Jaffna GA Ms. Sukumar and asked her to give their land back and now investigations are under way about the real ownership of these lands. It has now been discovered that the Tigers have distributed this land as well as land belonging to Tamils who have gone abroad, by issuing invalid deeds of their own.
The President of the Association of Sinhala Displaced Persons Mrs. Kumari Sakunthala said that they will not leave the Jaffna station until the government mediates and finds a solution for them.
In the name of racial harmony Mr. lingamAndy has now offered one acre of his land to five families. If he kindly send me the full details of his said land and copies of the deeds together your e-mail address through lankaweb, I shall forward it to Mrs. Kumari Sakunthala who would arrange Mr. lingamAndy’s one acre land among the land lost refuges. Once again thank you so much to Mr. lingamAndy in advance.
Leela
December 13th, 2012 at 6:59 am
Hi Andy,
Don’t you read the news ? The TNA says :
” Sri Lanka Tamil party OPPOSES any move to ALTER demographic pattern in the North
Sun, Dec 9, 2012, 08:54 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says the party is opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern in the North.
TNA Leader R. Sampanthan has said that the Tamil people in the North wanted to re-commence their agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and other industrial activities in the area and that the military is engaged in cultivating large areas of land in the North especially in areas such as Iranamadu and Keravil.
“There are military cantonments being set up. We are opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern of these areas,” he has observed.
However, he has added that the TNA only wanted the armed forces to be present in these areas without any adverse impact on the day to day lives of the civilians in the North.
“We don’t want the armed forces stationed there to subjugate the Tamil people, to make them feel they are not equal citizens of this country. We don’t want the armed forces to make our people feel inferior. Our people want to live with self-respect and dignity. That is all,” the TNA leader said.
“We are not demanding the total withdrawal of the armed forces. They should be there as they are in any other part of the country,” Sampanthan has said, adding that they can maintain their intelligence and carry out surveillance since it is their legitimate duty”.
The general attitude of the TNA is : “what’s ours is ours, and what’s yours is also ours”. Also, “spend taxpayers money on our Tamil people by educating them free of charge and free health care, and we will return the compliment by spreading lies, cheat & deceit abroad to form a separate Tamil only state called Eelam”.
By the way, the latest figures (2012 Census) has Tamils of Sri Lanka at 12% plus 4% Upcountry Tamils.
(2) Also, see below the latest DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERN FOR TAMILS OF SRI LANKA IN THE 2012 CENSUS. Adding up the N&E Tamils (11.2% to the Upcountry Tamils (4.2%) we arrive at a total of 15.4% Tamil in Sri Lanka. Some people wrote to this website not long ago saying the Tamil population is only about 4% in Sri Lanka !! Time to quit living in dreamland and face hard facts.
“Ethnicity
The Sinhalese, make up 74.9% of the population (according to 2012 census) and are concentrated in the densely populated south-west and central parts of the Island. The Sri Lanka Tamils, live predominantly in the north-east of the island forming the largest minority group at 11.2% (according to the 2012 census) of the population.
The Moors, who descend from Arab traders that settled in Sri Lanka, form the third largest ethnic group at 9.2% of the population. They are mostly concentrated in urban areas in the southern parts of the island with substantial populations in the Central and Eastern provinces. During times of Portuguese colonization, Moors were persecuted, and many forced to retreat to the central highlands and the eastern coast.
There are also Indian Tamils who form distinct ethnic group which comprises 4.2% of the population. The British brought them to Sri Lanka in the 19th century as tea and rubber plantation workers, and they remain concentrated in the “tea country” of south-central Sri Lanka. In accordance with a 1964 agreement with India, Sri Lanka granted citizenship to 230,000 “stateless” Indian Tamils in 1988. Under the pact, India granted citizenship to the remainder, some 200,000 of whom now live in India. Another 75,000 Indian Tamils, who themselves or whose parents once applied for Indian citizenship, now wish to remain in Sri Lanka. The government has stated these Tamils will not be forced to return to India, although they are not technically citizens of Sri Lanka.
Smaller minorities include the Malays who descent from South East Asian settlers, and the Burghers, who are descendants of Europeancolonists, principally from Portugal, the Netherlands and the UK”.
(3) Andy, it’s time your Tamil people are taught basic decent manners like giving water to a thirsty stranger. Among human beings it’s considered strong to be kind. It’s time the Tamil people integrated into mainstream life styles in Sri Lanka and thought themselves to be Sri Lankan first.
December 13th, 2012 at 8:15 am
Fran Diaz
basic decent manners like giving water to a thirsty stranger- You are expecting too much from your Demila brothers mate!
TNA) says the party is opposed to any move to alter the demographic pattern in the North- TNA means they against Govt sponser colanasation in NEP ( like President DS done it in Manal Aaru ( now this place call Weli ooya) !
they are not against Chinhala brother Lokku Banda open his his sinhala bakey in Chunnaka Santhai (market) ! & bring his family to settle there !
Leela
my email andylingam@yahoo.com
I’ve plan to travel mother lanka in April 2013, will sort it out all paper work !
December 13th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
No, Andy, you got it wrong. TNA means DO NOT ALTER THE DEMOGRAPHICS in any way.
December 14th, 2012 at 1:03 am
Fran Diaz
you got it wrong. TNA means DO NOT ALTER THE DEMOGRAPHICS in any way-No
like leela said above We Tamil against (TNA) Govt sponcer alteration in NEP.wE
We came to wellawarha (colombo) by ourself , so same to you sinalese & muslim no more LTTE in Jaffna come & live together !
December 14th, 2012 at 6:49 am
Andy,
Look at the TNA statement logically :
(1) If any Others (Sinhala, Muslim) come and settle down in Jaffna, it will alter the Demographics of the North. And that is what the TNA does not want. If otherwise, the TNA has to alter its stance and STATE SO CLEARLY in a Press release.
What sort of basic Democratic policies will be followed by the Northern Tamils toward any Others who may settle down
there ? The vestiges of the ltte are still evident there via virtually mono-ethnic Universities as seen in November this year.
(2) Nobody wants to “Colonise” the North. Just the right to live anywhere in Sri Lanka is what is asked for, and to be treated in a decent way, anywhere in Lanka, including being “given a little water if thirsty”. It is a sad day for a person who cannot give a little water to a thirsty person, or even to an animal. In Sri Lanka we judge people by their ACTIONS, and not by birth. In Sri Lanka, a person is “high born or low born” according to ACTIONS. NO Caste based rubbish in Sri Lanka. Tamils as human beings have the Divine Heart within too, and they will give water to a thirsty stranger, if the TNA allows/encourages them to do so. It is the sense of control/compelled obedience demanded by the Tamil leaders that causes problems for ordinary Tamils. Left o their own devices, TAmil people everywhere will integrate into mainstream life quite happily.
(3) Also, what help is the TNA giving the Sinhala people holed up near the Railway Station in Jaffna (Leela’s note) to reclaim their land and settle down ? If the TNA is sincere about Others coming to Jaffna without govt. help, then the TNA ought to be proactive in re-settling the Sinhala people who lived there earlier and help them recover their land, and also restore the land belonging to Tamils abroad. I remember a note in the media of a Tamil man from Canada being killed in Jaffna when he came to reclaim his land there.
Andy, you came to Wellawatte on your own because you all are safe there now. The same cannot be said for Others going to Jaffna.
Also, re your statement : “Leela
Please arrange 5 sinhala family to settle in Jaffna , I will sell €1 per acre our family land in Jaffna !” (Do you mean One Euro per acre, as you have put the Euro Dollar sign there ?)
If you really do this, as a help to those who lost their land up North, then hats off to you !
Remember: IGNORANCE of our divine nature is the real enemy.
December 14th, 2012 at 10:29 am
Fran Diaz
1) it will alter the Demographics of the North- Agrred TNA can get Tamil votes by these rasict unrest in NEP., They are winning , latest incident
eg: 21 Women jointed (unwilling?) Army forces admted in killinochchi hospital for (Evil? Raped?) reatment!
2)“given a little water if thirsty”.- this is too much you are ask from your Demila sakotharaya ,if you ask them they may give up their Thamil Eela dearm , but not in their life time give a little water to thirsty man !
3)TNA is sincere about Others coming to Jaffna without govt- TNA ( TC/ ITAK/ TULF) never sincere to even Tamils how come your expecting them to sincere to Sinhalase !
If they are real sincere to Tamil people they will ask from SL Govt thousand of Sinhala /Bhuddist Teacher for NEP not Tamil Eelam!
December 14th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
ok, Andy, you have said it all. You are saying, in other words, that the TNA is a useless bunch of crooks and they ought not to be listened to. But, officially they are the leaders of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka. So, we have to go with that designation they have and ask the TNA to do the needful if the North is to grow and prosper.
Re point #1, I have no idea what you are talking about. Some Tamil women are famous for crying ‘rape’ for attention or because they were told to say so. Or, politicos will invent ‘rape stories’ on behalf of these women, to get international attention, now that the UN team is in Sri Lanka. There was one true case of rape (Krishanthi Coomaraswamy) in the North, but that was swiftly dealt with and punishment meted out to the guilty party.
Andy, what hopes for a community that will “not give water to thirsty stranger ???”
I close my case, and shall leave the “Tamil Problem” to the concerned & right thinking Tamils to bring good sense to the whole of the Tamil community of Sri Lanka. I still think that most of the Tamil people are good at Heart.
December 14th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Fran Diaz
TNA is a useless bunch of crooks -Aggred also They are well educated? who know very well how to manipulate innecent Tamil people forever ! no way out !
Re point #1, I have no idea what you are talking about- latest news in all Tamil web side now – about 112? Tamil women jointed SL army last week , about 21 of them admited in Killinochchi hospital for retment (Army said they have evil touch).
I still think that most of the Tamil people are good at Heart- I am not disaggred with you but We Tamils never had genivine leder who can think rightway! only hope We Tamil have if a genivine Sinhala leder who can kid right way !
personaly I have big hope with MR , He will solve our ethenic problm forever before he finish his political carrier !
December 15th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Andy,
Tamilnet news is like the TNA – not trustworthy. If the Tamil people turn to to Tamilnet & TNA for moral support and information, it is a foregone conclusion that they are finished.
Turn to the truth of any matter. Double check everything you hear. That is what we do.
Also turn to the Great Teacher within yourself, Truth/God/Allah, through Meditation. There is no other way, for anyone, Tamil or otherwise.
Again, please listen to talks at website http://www.wopg.org for more clarity.
Good luck to you all !
December 15th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Re the above website I mentioned, for free programs, please go to “Watch on Line” at bottom of page and click on “watch or listen” for videos on programs from all over the world.
December 17th, 2012 at 6:57 am
Thanks Fran Diaz