{"id":116851,"date":"2021-08-06T23:39:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T05:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=116851"},"modified":"2021-08-06T16:33:17","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T23:33:17","slug":"framework-for-a-new-sri-lanka-a-union-of-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/08\/06\/framework-for-a-new-sri-lanka-a-union-of-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"Framework for a new Sri Lanka; a Union of Regions"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Raj Gonsalkorale<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

We\ncannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them<\/em>.\n– Albert Einstein<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is in dire economic strife, its politicians are\na discredited lot, and are produced by a system that perpetuates corruption,\ninefficiency and ineffectiveness. Inter community harmony is as facile as the\ncloak of ritualism that passes as Buddhism. A new governance model is needed\nthat meets the inherent psyche of its people, and which lessens the power of\npoliticians and enhances the real power of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is strongly suggested that the concept of a Union of\nRegions authored by late Dr Neelan Tiruchelvam is given serious consideration.\nDr Tiruchelvam was murdered by the LTTE for bringing forth this proposal, but\nmercifully the murderous LTTE is no more. The climate is right to revisit this\nproposal and build on it to introduce a governance model that can take the\ncountry towards the future and not to its dark past. People are sick and tired\nof the current system and what it produces as politicians. The system has to\nchange if it is to produce the undoubted talent that the country has, and which\nremains and will remain silent on account of the flaws in the current system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamil ethnic conflict<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At the outset, readers could perhaps consider the\npossibility, some might say the reality, that the ethnic issue involving the\nTamil and Sinhala communities in Sri Lanka was created by the leaders of these\ntwo communities, and not by the Sinhala & Tamil communities in the country.\nTrue, they had grievances but at the time of the creation of the contemporary issue,\nwhich one could identify with the British colonial period, they were not unmanageable\nand compared to what it became over time, miniscule in extent and intensity. It\ncould be argued that a mole hill became a mountain over time, and a volcanic\nmountain that that. It erupted in 1983 in the hands of the then government. The\nrest, as they say, is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the best of the writer\u2019s knowledge, Sinhala and Tamil\npeople have not engaged in any major conflict between them even during the\ntimes of Kings and Queens of the country. \nThe island is replete with a history of invasions from India from time\nto time to gain control of local Kingdoms, conquer territory and battles fought\nby the country\u2019s Kings to defeat invaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The population of the country comprises of migrants mainly\nfrom India who arrived at different times throughout history with the\nindigenous people of the country being the Aadi Vasi<\/em> people or the Veddah\u2019s.\n<\/em>In this context, the rest are all occupiers who have made the island their\nhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, has it been the home for Tamils in recent times?\nTheir ethnicity has rendered them targets for violence. State sponsored goons demonstrated\nin 1983 in no uncertain terms that Tamils were not safe in the country, except\nin areas where they were the majority. It also sent rightful signals to the\nTamil community that the State could repeat such inhuman acts whenever and\nwherever they chose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In looking for a solution to the conflict, what perhaps is\nparamount is how Tamils could be safe in their homes and workplaces wherever\nthey live in the country. This has to be the aspiration of all Sri Lankans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils of Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In contemporary Sri Lanka, it needs to be mentioned that\nin any discussion concerning the Tamil ethnic issue in Sri Lanka, there are\ndifferent aspirational dimensions amongst the Tamils that needs to be\nconsidered depending on the Tamil group concerned, that is,  whether it is the group referred to as Sri\nLankan Tamils who are the Tamils from India with a very long history in the\nisland, in particular the Northern part of the island, or the more recent\narrivals from India who are domiciled mostly in the central part of the country,\nwho are also referred to as plantation Tamils. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All are Sri Lankan Tamils now but the ethnic issue that\nhas drained the country for decades concerns the former category, although the\nlatter category too has their grievances and aspirations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka is not a homogenous\ncommunity, although both groups have faced issues in common, primarily with\nregard to their safety and security in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The writer wishes to suggest a discussion on a way forward\nfor all Tamils, and the country as a whole, having regarded some of the reasons\nthat were responsible for creating the problem, and as Einstein said, to\nexplore a way forward with a mindset that the problems cannot be solved with\nthe same thinking that were used to create the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No doubt many people and groups contributed, wittingly or\nunwittingly, to creating the problem beginning with the British Colonialists.\nTamil politicians as well Sinhala politicians too contributed to creating the\nproblem, and some, still continue to do so. One can add sections of the Maha\nSangha too for adding fuel to the fire and from a contemporary perspective,\nthat they still influence the perpetuation of the problem. Then, there is the\npowerful Tamil Diaspora, or at least a section of it, which continues to\nperpetuate the problem. The first point for discussion could be that the\nfactors that contributed, and, used to create the problem, are still being used\nto as the basis to find a solution to the contemporary situation, and whether\nthis is what the country should be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governance models that have failed<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One can argue that the context to the problem creation had\nsome differences during the colonial and post-colonial period, when, during the\ncolonial period, the Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhalese politicians were more\nconcerned about a common enemy, the British colonialists, rather than each\nother, although seeds were being sown towards the creation of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much has been written, still being written, discussed and\ndebated about a solution that the Sri Lankan Tamils in the North and East are seeking\nbased primarily on self-determination for Tamils living in the North and the\nEast, within a merged province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of self-determination for the North and East\nwithin the framework of the political governance model introduced by the\nBritish colonialists, the Westminster model, is a phenomenon that had little\nrelevance prior to that as the governance models that preceded the Westminster\nmodel were decentralised, lose structures. On the whole, for a variety of\nreasons, there were varying degrees of ipso facto self-determination for\nKingdoms and other forms of governance bodies that existed within the\nisland.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the context of this historical perspective, the British\ncolonial masters, and the country\u2019s Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim political elite\nwho worked with them to introduce the Donoughmore constitution followed by the\nSoulbury constitution, removed the inherent, historical nature of governance in\nthe country. Sri Lankans continued on this trajectory when introducing the 1972\nand 1978 constitutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fissures began to appear in these models after\nindependence, and Sinhala, and primarily Buddhist, domination of governance led\nto widening of these fissures. Attempts were made by some political leaders to\naddress these fissures with proposals like regional councils\n(Bandaranaike\/Chelvanayakam Pact), District Councils (Senanayake\/Chelvanayakam\nPact) and the Union of Regions bill (Kumaratunga\/Tiruchelvam proposals) and\nfinally the introduction of Provincial Councils at the behest of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter the LTTE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the absence of an acceptable solution to the conflict, the\nproblem escalated to violent means of achieving a separate State within the\nisland as the solution. While there cannot be any justification for this\nviolence perpetrated by the LTTE, which became the sole armed as well as the\nunarmed political group campaigning for Tamil\u201d demands, the fundamental\naspirational mindset amongst Tamils in the North and East was never understood\nor addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the period of LTTE dominance, efforts were made by\nvarious parties to find a negotiated solution. The most noteworthy of all was\nthe effort by Norway to mediate between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government\nto find such a solution. It failed, and the full scale war between the LTTE and\nthe Sri Lankan government Armed forces saw the military demise of the LTTE in\n2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a very interesting\nand revealing article titled Let Us Be Clear On What We Buried In Nandikadal\nLagoon <\/em>by Sanjeewa Ranaweera published in the Colombo Telegraph on the 26th<\/sup>\nof July 2021 (https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/let-us-be-clear-that-what-we-buried-in-nandikadal-lagoon\/<\/a>), the Norwegian led\npeace process is comprehensively summarised. The role played by Eric Solheim is\nalso examined and an interview with him also included as part of the article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article as well as\nthe Solheim interview portrays the dynamics and thinking of the LTTE leader\nPrabakaran, and the political ideologue and Prabakaran\u2019s adviser and confidante\nAnton Balasingham, and the highlights strategies adopted by Ranil Wickramasinghe,\nthen Prime Minister, to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One is not sure\nwhether these strategies were aimed at finding a solution to the conflict with\nthe LTTE, or whether they were directed towards finding a solution to the\nconflict with the Tamils and their aspirations. The reason for saying this is\nbecause if the objective of the strategy was the latter, then, there would have\nbeen an acceptance that the LTTE was the sole representative of the Tamils as\nno other Tamil political entity from Sri Lanka was associated with the effort\nmade by Prime Minister Wickramasinghe. Such an acceptance would have meant an\nacceptance of the LTTE political philosophy as well as their violent tactics.\nThis is mentioned not as a critique of the effort, but to highlight it as one\nof the many problems that were created in the perpetuation of the ethnic\nconflict. It is also revealing that Anton Balasingham had reportedly been\nconsistently taking the position that a solution had to be found through\nnegotiation and not through violent means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future direction?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Given this backdrop,\nand moving forward to the future rather than looking backwards to the past to\nlook for a solution, and with the benefit of hindsight, a solution has to be\nfound which stands the test of time in a future that will be so different to\nthe past when the problem was created in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future will be one of currently unimaginable\ntechnology, innovation and life styles. Governance models will change and those\ngoverning will have to change. Most of the types currently in political\ngovernance will become Dinosaurs when looking at the future. Some may say they\nalready are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religious traditions, cultural traditions of course will\ncontinue as they have for centuries, albeit perhaps with less conviction as it\nis already happening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In respect of political governance models in Sri Lanka so\nfar, they have fundamentally failed to chart a peaceful, contented path towards\nthe future. There is mistrust and degrees of animosity amongst communities and\na decline in values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The primary community conflict is with the Tamil community\nand this can only be addressed through a governance mechanism that provides a\ndegree of self-determination, not just for its sake, but because the models\nthat does not provide it, but which have been tried and tested, have failed to\nensure the safety and security of the Tamil community and even the Muslim\ncommunity, and affected the country as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, it is strongly suggested that the\nconceptual framework of the Union of Regions model authored by late Dr Neelan\nTiruchelvam is considered as the framework to move onto the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will assist in negating the negatives of the provincial\ncouncil system including ineffective, costly duplication and lessen the\npoliticisation of administrative activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regional governments within the framework of a national\ngovernance model, provided its primary function would be to engage in policy\nsettings to maximise resources in the region both material and human, and to\nensure the safety and security of people in the region, by people from the\nregion, would address the issue of self-determination substantially, and assist\nin decentralising governance power far more effectively than the current model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personality centric, highly centralised models will not\nwork and Sri Lanka will be saddled with all associated drawbacks in its attempt\nto move onto the future. Hopefully, it will dawn on the current set of\npoliticians that the model in operation has been diminished because of them, and\nby them, and the model has precluded efficient, honest and credible persons\nfrom participating in the model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new model based on the framework of a Union of Regions\nshould not replicate the negatives of the current system. The thinking should\nbe directed to the future and not the baggage of the past or even the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courtesy Island newspaper, Sri Lanka<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Raj Gonsalkorale We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein Sri Lanka is in dire economic strife, its politicians are a discredited lot, and are produced by a system that perpetuates corruption, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Inter community harmony is as facile as the cloak […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-raj-gonsalkorale"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116851\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}