Dr. Sudath Gunasekara. (SLAS) President Senior Citizens Movement. Mahanuwara
This was originally Posted on July 20th, 2009 Writing from USA This. request is made on the request of many readers for republication.
It is usually we the Sinhalese who are blamed by the Tamils and the West for the so-called ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka. But very few people realize that the real cause for this tragedy lies somewhere else. The reason in my opinion, is neither ethnic nor religious. This is the first reality that has to be properly understood by everybody and then defeated, as the first step in order to resolve this problem.
If you carefully analyze the historical back ground of this current so-called ethnic problem in Sri Lanka you will find that it could be directly traced back to colonial conspiracies and myths and fallacies invented by the Tamil politicians and communal minded elements during the recent past. The colonial policy of divide and rule, division of this small Island to provinces based on ethnicity, communal representation introduced under the Colebrook reforms of 1833, importation of indentured labour from India and preferential treatment given to Tamils by the British forms the first part.
Secondly, formation of the Ceylon Tamil Congress in 1921 (by the breakaway group from the Ceylon National Congress led by Arunachalam), 50 X 50 agitation staged by Ponnambalam in early 1930s, establishment of Ilankai Tamill Arasukachchi (Lanka Tamil State Party- fraudulently translated in to English as Federal Party) in 1947 by Chelvanayagam, the anti- Sri movement launched in late 1950s by the Tamil politicians, systematic vandalism directed against Buddhist archaeological sites in the north and the east by Tamil communal elements, the formation of 13 odd EELAM parties by the Tamil politicians geared for separatism , the formation of the LTTE in 1972, the Vadukkodai Declaration of 1977 and the subsequent chain of disinformation against the Sinhala Buddhist deployed all over the world and the heinous crimes committed by the LTTE causing devastation and destruction to person and property over the past 30 years etc. on the part of Tamil communalists and their politicians and above all the illegitimate and persistent intervention by India and also South India (Tamilnadu) (as it had been doing from the dawn of history), could be highlighted as the main causes responsible for this unfortunate crisis. Of cause its deeper roots go back in to antiquity like the eternal conflict between the owl and the crow.
Those governments who ran the country in the post-independent era who did not have the vision and the courage to work out a permanent solution to this problem also cannot be fully absolved from responsibility in their own way for the present crisis.
Today the whole conspiracy appears to be set ablaze with few ambiguous words such as devolution of power, discrimination against the minorities, genocide against the Tamils, majoritarian hegemony of the Sinhalese Buddhists, settling Sinhalese on traditional Tamil Homelands and violation of human rights. The word Tamil Diaspora also been used in this drama, perhaps to give a biblical outlook for their cause and make it high sounding and important.
The coining of these words was mainly done by the anti-Sinhala Buddhist elements, both here and abroad, who claim intellectual superiority over the rural majority as they call them), who in fact who forms the governments in this country. The final geographical and conceptual framework for this conspiracy on ground and the legal background were laid by the British, though the Portuguese and Dutch also had a significant role in its earlier stages. The Dutch imported Malabar labourers to work on the tobacco plantations in the peninsula of Jaffna opened by them. The British in turn firstly imported South Indians to work as labourers on roads and other menial public works and later in mid 1830s through 1910 as indentured labour, which constituted the major segment of Indian migrants in this country, to work on plantations on the central hills. In 1833 they invented the idea of divide and rule by creating four provinces namely the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western. By 1897 they divided the whole Island in to nine provinces thereby laying the permanent foundation for the future ethnic struggle between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. The 1948 constitution made special legal provisions under sec 29 to safeguard the rights of the so-called minorities invented by them.
The main objective of this paper is to dispel the fallacy of some of these commonly used words in this debate as stated above and reiterate the urgency for changing this situation. At the same time, I will also make few comments on the ground realities of the Sri Lankan polity that has to be recognized in formulating a permanent solution to this problem.
Let us start with the concept of devolution of power. This perhaps today is the most controversial and most debated subject. Devolution connotes two things. Firstly, it means the transference or surrender of political power, hitherto exercised by the central government to regional units of governance. In other words, the right and power to make their own laws and implement them, without being subjected to central control. ‚ Secondly it also means the handing back of certain powers previously enjoyed by independent regional states or units of governance, presently vested in the centre subsequent to their annexation. This situation could apply to countries like UK, USA or India which constitute a collection of formally autonomous regional states now functioning as federal or unitary governments with strong federal or semi-federal governments.
Since Sri Lanka has functioned, throughout history, as one single state, this concept is not applicable to our context unless we decide to establish autonomous regional units of governance, either under a federal system or a system of autonomous government in the periphery. Sri Lanka has never been a union of autonomous states or a United Kingdom like UK at any time in known history; though there have been regional viceroys under the command of a King who ruled over the whole Island. So, throughout history, even in the olden days, this has been a centrally administered country under one King and one banner. Devolution as envisaged by the separatists therefore does not arise in our context. Furthermore, any such move will be extremely dangerous for the unity and territorial integrity of the country as we have minority groups strongly bent on separation. Therefore, what one could consider in our context, I think, should be limited only to decentralization of administrative power to suitable units of governance like the district. This becomes more relevant and appropriate in view of the small size and the long-standing separatist tendencies simmering among the extremist Tamil and Muslim communal elements. It also has to be noted that the viability of the province as a suitable unit of governance in this country has ceased to exist since 1955 with the introduction of the district Administration Act, under which the district was accepted as the basic unit of governance in this country. The only devolution we can think of, that is suitable and to the Sri Lankan situation is local government power to village council.
The next question is, in case we decide to devolve power, as to what power we devolve and to whom and to what unit of devolution we devolve. As it had been agitated locally and pressurized internationally it has been said that power has to be devolved to the minority Tamils and that is also on a regional basis carved out on an ethnic basis. Firstly, this raises the question of strong ethnic segregation and discrimination by other communities living in those areas. It also raises the question of special treatment to a particular ethnic group. Although it is true that, by shear historical circumstances, the northern province, has a majority of Tamils at present one also has to understand that these provinces also have a sizable Sinhala and Muslim population whose democratic rights will be in danger under such devolution as the tendency among the Tamil people has been ethnic cleansing all the time, throughout recent history. So, this poses a big danger to these smaller ethnic groups in Tamil dominant areas. The problem will be even more complicated in the eastern province where the ethnic proportion is almost equal. Therefore, devolution on ethnic grounds should never be encouraged.
When we look at what the Tamil agitators want, devolution become even more dangerous. For example, look at what they agitate for in 1985. They were called Thimpu principles of 1985.
Recognition of the Tamils of Sri Lanka as a distinct nationality.
Recognition of an identified homelandfor them in the North and the East
Recognition of the inalienable right of self-determination of the Tamil nation
Recognition to the right of full citizenship and other fundamental democratic rights of all Tamils.
In reality this means a separate Nation and a separate country (EELAM) for Tamils living in the north and east so that they could operate as a separate nation with its own territory independent of the rest of Sri Lanka. I cannot understand what they meant by the last condition as if they were not citizens of this country. I also do not understand what they meant by full citizenship ‚ and other democratic rights of all Tamils. Probably by this they must have meant those Tamils living in the other parts of the country including the estate Tamils. The fact they wanted a separate country for Tamils in the north and the east while they also agitate for equal rights for those who are living in other parts (as if they have them now) clearly shows that what they were asking is some preferential treatment for Tamils over the Sinhalese who constitute 70% of the population of this country. This also means that in case we devolve power to the Tamils as requested they will thereafter bully the government of Sri Lanka for the aspirations and of the Tamils living in the rest of the country the same way India is pestering us at the moment.
‚ Everyone except the extremist Tamils, know the true and historical Tamil Homeland is found in Tamilnadu in South India and all Tamils in Sri Lanka are only immigrants come to this country either as immigrants (both legally and illegally) at different times of history which had been the historically accepted undisputed Homeland of the Sinhala people at least from the sixth century B.C. and they have been the only Nation in this country. They are the architects of the civilization of this country. The Tamils are not accepted as a Nation even in India where they have over 67 million. So how can the 2.4 million out of 20 million Tamils claim to be accepted as a separate nation here? Even out of this 2.4 m more than 60% live outside the north and the east among the Sinhalese in the other parts of the country. Of the balance 40% more than have left the country in search of new pastures in the West and other countries who have accepted them as refugees or citizens. So, it is for the balance .5 million they are asking a separate country comprising 1/3 the area and 2/3 the coastal belt to be carved out of this Island. That is the Tamil Home land or the ELLAM they are asking for. Once that is given, they expect the balance, nearly 19 million people including 1.5 million Tamils to live in the rest of the country. Now you can see how irrational, illogical and impracticable their proposition is?
If more than 1.5 million Tamils live among the Sinhalese, own properties in those areas, do business and jobs in those areas and hold positions both in the public and private (in all professions) without any problem. They intermarry with the Sinhalese and sometimes even Muslim. To that extent they even eat and sleep together and they enjoy equal rights with others how can anyone say that there is discrimination, leaving aside genocide against them? Those who talk about majority hegemony point out that there are more Sinhalese in all sectors compared with the Tamils. Naturally it has to be so. Because 75 % of the population in this country is still Sinhalese and 70% are Buddhists. So one should not expect to have more or equal number of Tamils in these places, in any case. The problem here is they have lost the privilege of holding most of the positions in the public s and discriminated. Here what has really happened is the pre-colonial gross discrimination against the main community has been removed and justice restored by them. So how can you call it discrimination?
The allegation of were and are its citizens. It is true that Tamils have been trying to carve out a separate section for decades employing various legal and political devices like the Thesavalamei Law, ethnic cleansing and naked discrimination against the Sinhalese and Muslims who were living in those areas. But no one can demarcate parts of this country and claim exclusive propriety on bogus histories invented by them as they wish calling it, their aspirations. Everybody has aspirations and anyone is entitled to have have aspirations. There is no debate about it. But everyone should remember such aspirations always have a definite limit as aspirations of others come in conflict with them. Merely because you have some made set of aspirations, like what the Tamils of Sri Lanka have, they cannot try to conquer someone else country by force. The vast expanse of barren jungles in the Dry Zone stretching from Hambantota in the South to Kurunegala through Polonnaruwa-Anuradhpura- Vaunya and Mannar are the lands of the ancient Sinhala Kingdom that were invaded by the jungle tide after the Magha devastation of the 12th century. The lands on which Sinhala peasants were and are being settled therefore belong to the government of Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is only a rectification of a historical injustice brutally inflicted upon them at a given period of history they are being re-settled now. Unfortunately, the word colonization ‘which has a derogatory meaning has been used by the settlement planners. Had they used the word re-settlement this problem would not have arisen? As such we don’t need to get permission from the Tamils to settle Sinhala peasants on these lands that belonged to their own ancestors who were chased out by Magha invaders in the 12th century (the ancestors of the very present-day Tamils). ‚ They also should understand that this land does not belong to South India either.
Coming on to the subject of Tamil Diaspora it has to be clearly stated that none of the Tamils who have gone out of Sri Lanka and living abroad could be classified as a Firstly they are only the repatriates who have gone out to other countries in search of better prospects under the guise of political refugees or people who have left to escape from LTTE atrocities. Secondly, they also did not have a ƒ…-Tamil Homeland in Sri Lanka or anywhere else for that matter, like the Jews who were dispersed from their motherland-Israel. They were the only people who were called -Diaspora in world history. Because they were chased out from their Homeland and they got dispersed all over the world, more particularly in the West. None of these Tamils were chased out by the Sinhalese like that, although the Tamils not only chased out Sinhalese from the north and the east but they also killed thousands of Sinhalese in the process. These so-called Diaspora also can come back to Sri Lanka at any time if they wish to do so. Of ecause they have to first renounce the concept of EELAM and then are prepared to live amicably with the other communities. If they still refuse to do so then they can jolly well go to South India and start agitating for their Promised Land. Because, both historically and logically, there cannot be a better place on earth than South India, for their imaginary utopia of EELAM. I suggest the so-called Tamil Diaspora, particularly living in countries like Canada, USA, UK, Norway and Australia work towards this end so that then they can also get down their innocent and suffering brethren in Sri Lanka who are faced with genocide by the Sinhala Buddhist majority. Once that happen, both the South Indian political lunatics like Vico and Nedumaran and the friends in the central government in the north can wash their hands off from the Sri Lanka issue. Thereafter I do not think the Indian government will have to bother any more saying “that the way Sri Lanka deals with the Tamil issues have a bearing on the island’s relations with the regional power. (Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh). Mr. Prime Minister it is true we are not a regional power as you said. But please do not forget we are also an independent country as much as you are. Only the size is different. If you also can appreciate this reality, I think we could be better friends in future.
The following extract by one observer clearly tells the story of South Indian intervention.
I think Sri Lanka would have a lot less problems regarding ethnicity, if not for the Tamil Nadu people trying to put their two cents in everything which Sri Lanka does. Yes, the Tamils were bought from India for agricultural purposes. They have been living here for sometimes now. But now Singhalese person discriminated them. Perfect example is Colombo where everyone is living in harmony without any racial tension. The best part is that, Majority of the people living? In the first place India as a whole or Tamil Nadu has no right to tell us how to govern our country and what to do. Do you see Sri Lanka telling India what they should do about the Mao rebels or the Kashmiri issue? So they should just keep their mouths shut
It should be now more than evident from this analysis that the Sri Lankan ethnic Crisis is a direct product of colonial conspiracies and political myths and fallacies invented by the Tamils and the final solution lies with rectifying the blunders done by the British (which they continue to do even now) and completely defeating the myths and fallacies invented, hatched and propagated by the Tamil extremists.
Until and unless the Tamils and Muslims (whom I would like to call our brethrens rather than calling them by the much-abused derogatory term minorities) fully realize this reality and change their attitude radically, I don t think, they will ever be accepted as an inseparable part of the Sri Lankan family.
Sri Lankans should have retained their friendly, childlike nature and combined it with the inventiveness of their European conquerors. Sri Lankans inherited the power lust of their European colonisers, but none of their vision. Sri Lankans also inherited Portuguese lethargy, Dutch hedonism and British snobbery.The British left no room for the leadership to emerge from the truly indigenous people.
The Portuguese who arrived in 1505 with a gun in one hand and the bible in the other, occupied the coastal areas and soon became a constant source of aggression, annoyance and terror to the large mass of people. In the coastal areas that they occupied, almost all Viharayas and Privenas were destroyed, including the Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya, the famous Totagamuwe Vijayaba Pirvena, Padmavathi Pirivena of Keragala and Sunethra Devi Pirivena of Pepiliyana.
The Dutch who ousted the Portuguese in 1640 and were instrumental in destroying temples, monasteries including the royal palace at Hanguranketa.
The British who ousted the Dutch in 1796 had a well-planned program of activities, for a continuous period of about 150 years, led to the greatest damage to the country’s culture, social cohesion, unity and dignity.
All colonial powers acted on pure and absolute self-interest”. British occupation of Sri Lanka was one of sheer exploitation and devastation. Whatever benefits that were derived by local inhabitants were merely incidental to their exploitation of the country’s natural and human resources in order to reap enormous benefits for the British government. The vast changes that they brought about in almost all areas of life in the country, led to the disruption of the long-held culture, values and way of life of local inhabitants, particularly those of the main stream community the Sinhala Buddhists.
To serve their self-interests the British practiced the divide and rule” policy by setting communities against each other. The British gave special privileges to the Tamil minority and those of the Christian faith, by providing with better opportunities for education, employment and other government services to became privileged communities. Jaffna district had the highest density of schools per unit area. In 1870 there were only two Buddhist schools left in Sri Lanka – in Panadura and Dodanduwa, with an attendance of 246 children as against 805 Christian Schools with an attendance of 78,086 children. Several people went after the British and then started to follow their religion and culture in order to gain various positions and other material benefits.
Colombo assumed prominence as the commercial centre and also the center of learning and opportunities for better employment and better amenities for living. This created an outer-oriented, English-speaking urban sub-culture consisting mostly of Christians, with attitudes and behavior patterns seemingly akin to that of the British. Most of the outer-oriented urban elite which included the so-called Sri Lankan leaders, held to half-baked foreign values, superficialities and strange ways of living. They were barely conversant with the plight of the majority of the ordinary people. They were not representative of the large mass of people, but they were the ones who became the trusted servants of the British administration. Almost all of the qualified professionals belonged to or subscribed to this sub-culture. The excessively poor living conditions of the large mass of rural youth led to migration to Colombo and other big towns. Some were subjected to the influence of the extremes forms of undesirable urban culture including alcohol abuse, crime and underworld activities that was gaining ground in urban areas.To make matters worse, power -political, administrative, and economic was inherited by those belonging to the westernized Colombo sub-culture.
Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy urged Sri Lankans to develop a sense of their own traditions and national culture. He challenged the intrusion on eastern values by the expansion of western society. Besides, he was one of the world’s greatest exponents of oriental art, comparative religion and aesthetics.
There were also fearless Buddhist monks who openly spoke out against British rule and the colonial mentality of our so-called leaders. Prominent among them was Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera whose Panadura debate with the missionaries in August 1873 was a remarkable event in the country’s history.
Great Patriot Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) spoke of the superficiality of the lives of those of the Colombo sub culture who have joined up with the colonialists to run the country.
On February 4, 1948 we obtained the so-called Dominion Status with the Queen of England as the Head of State and with the British maintaining military bases in Katunayake and Trincomalee. Aging Englishmen became our first Governor Generals, whereas India became a free republic with an outstanding Indian Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its first President. It was in 1956 through the initiative of Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike that these British bases were taken over by the Sri Lankan government.
