{"id":71234,"date":"2017-11-02T00:35:42","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T06:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=71234"},"modified":"2017-11-01T03:31:41","modified_gmt":"2017-11-01T10:31:41","slug":"99-tamils-want-to-live-in-peace-with-sinhalese-1-tamils-want-a-piece-of-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/11\/02\/99-tamils-want-to-live-in-peace-with-sinhalese-1-tamils-want-a-piece-of-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"99% Tamils want to live in peace with Sinhalese, 1% Tamils want a piece of Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Can you really divide a country and tell a group of people to live on one side and declare the other side newly \u2018independent\u2019? What a preposterous suggestion. Prey tell us how this can be an ideal situation when majority of Tamils are living peacefully among Sinhalese outside of the area that \u2018independence\u2019 is being sought? Are the people living among Sinhalese to be forced to move into this new mono-ethnic enclave? Will they want that? if not what a silly notion to even promote? Have those mavericks promoting these ideas ever wondered what the 99% want or are they only listening to the 1% who simply want to have a means to reign over a small number of people?<\/p>\n

Is there any solution as preposterous as that of creating a line demarcating and dividing it and claim it is out of bounds for x and belonging to only y? This is the crux of the mono-ethnic solution being now promoted completely disregarding the fact that more Tamils are living with and in peace with Sinhalese than the Tamils living among themselves. More importantly it is the Tamils who are not living with the Sinhalese many who are actually domiciled overseas with no intention of ever living in Sri Lanka or a newly created mono-ethnic enclave who are making the demands for self-autonomy. This is the hilarious part of the story.<\/p>\n

There is stoic silence whether these Tamils living with the Sinhalese will have to go and live in this newly created Tamil only area? If that is not part of the solution then why should Sri Lanka agree to creating a mono-ethnic separate area just because a handful of Tamil people are begging for this option while the 99% Tamils are simply asking to lead a peaceful life, educate their children and earn a decent living. None of this 99% want federalism, new constitution, or any of the political solutions now being brought to negotiating tables.<\/p>\n

All of these solutions are simply political solutions meant to benefit the politicians \u2013 those in government or even opposition. None of these political solutions have any relevance to the needs of the people or even the wants of the people. A good example of this was made by Tamil youth in May 2016 We want homes not merging of North-East\u2019<\/strong> Why is the voice of these people being purposely ignored?<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KwzRTTVWQEs<\/a><\/p>\n

TNA is not the voice of the Tamils. With just over 500,000 votes at the 2015 General Elections this is clearly established.<\/p>\n

TNA remains uninvestigated for links to LTTE. Ignoring this means that every Tamil that fell victim to the LTTE are ignored. Lets not forget that regularly there are ammunitions and arms emerging from different places in the North. The arrest of a TNA youth leader Sivakaran is just one reason why police & land powers should never be devolved.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.island.lk\/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=144355<\/a><\/p>\n

The other factor not to be ignored is that people who are supposed to be \u2018missing\u2019 or \u2018dead\u2019 are suddenly appearing very much alive too.<\/p>\n

The most important reason to nullify the self-determination claim is that there is no historical basis for self-determination. The same ethnic group cannot evolve in 2 different countries as Tamil Nadu self-determination began before Sri Lanka and there are 72million Tamils in Tamil Nadu while there are less than 2m Tamils in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

There is no argument that can hold the discrimination by Sinhalese campaign either. Examples of what Tamils enjoy have satisfactorily nullified this bogus claim.<\/p>\n

All of the lies spread through LTTE-oiled propaganda are now falling flat.<\/p>\n

However, the politicians are relentless in their quest using the Tamils as scapegoat.<\/p>\n

When TNA took over the Northern Provincial Council we expected them to put their actions where their mouths were and develop the area from the funding they sought annually from the Centre. But look at the records and they will reveal that the funding allocated is not spent and returns to the Treasury. Wigneswaran became the NPC Chief Minister in 2013<\/p>\n

Of Rs5,831 Million allocated by Govt for North, the TNA Provincial Administration utilised only 25.17% up to Sep 30th 2014. <\/strong>This allocation of Rs.5.831m was the highest allocation of all the provinces in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Rs5.8m allocation to the Northern Province, the GOSL from its national budget has spent<\/p>\n

Rs.89,031m on Jaffna District<\/p>\n

Rs.60,529m on Kilinochchi District<\/p>\n

Rs.34,407m on Mullaitivu District<\/p>\n

Rs.39,500m on Vavuniya District<\/p>\n

Rs.62,804m on Mannar District<\/p>\n

The GOSL has spent from its national budget Rs.290,271 million for the Northern Province alone from 2009 to September 2014.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the TNA and Chief Minister are very busy ranting racism and travelling the world with non-stop complaints. How has the TNA and Chief Minister uplifted the lives of the Tamil people can be revealed by the growing unpopularity of the TNA in the North, the increase in the drug menace and the rise in liquor consumption, domestic abuse and many other social factors plaguing the people of the North none of which blame can be put to the Sinhalese or even the Military though that is the easiest route to take.<\/p>\n

Anyone who has been arguing in favor of devolution must explain what Sri Lanka has achieved in 30 years from the 13a? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Those who say that 13a should be given in full minus police and land powers must be asked where were they living all these years? Do they not know that for 30 years we have been having 13a minus police and land powers and yet it is a complete failure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why are they trying to fool the masses to agree to 13a minus plus and middle path as some smart alecs are now advocating.<\/p>\n

Why is everyone demanding the implementation of 13a (minus\/plus or middle path) only with 2 provinces in mind. Are they pushing for <\/strong>asymmetrical federalism, found in federations\/confederations where different constituent states possess different powers: one or more of the states has considerably more autonomy than the other substates, although they have the same constitutional status. This looks to be the real objective.<\/strong> But why?<\/p>\n

With 36 of the 37 subjects already devolved we should be taking out the performance sheets of all the provinces to see whether they have actually served any purpose. If not, is there any requirement to continue it. Let\u2019s not forget that 13a and the PC system was introduced as a solution to the supposed \u2018ethnic conflict\u2019 with 36 subjects devolved, are those advocating the full implementation of the 13a telling us that the \u2018ethnic conflict\u2019 is not solved because land & police powers have not been given? That is really something to laugh about if so.<\/p>\n

The video clipping of Tamil youth asking for homes and not merger of north-east very clearly brings homes some key facts<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KwzRTTVWQEs<\/a><\/p>\n