{"id":98229,"date":"2020-01-24T16:47:04","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T23:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=98229"},"modified":"2020-01-24T16:47:04","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T23:47:04","slug":"misguided-tamils-a-threat-to-national-unity-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/01\/24\/misguided-tamils-a-threat-to-national-unity-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Misguided Tamils: A Threat to National Unity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

History of the Tamil Community of Sri Lanka <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small communities of Tamils and Muslims\nliving in Sri Lanka, amount to about 24% of the island\u2019s total population with\nTamils including Estate Tamils accounting for 15% and Muslims 09%. These\ncommunities are descendants of groups of individuals, exclusively males, who\narrived in this island at different times in the past for various purposes, and\nlater settled down among the indigenous Sinhala people. Tamils came from\nsouthern India and continue to observe the cultural traditions of their\nhomeland which is Tamilnadu, where the Tamil culture including the Tamil\nlanguage originated. Tamils in general, therefore are a settler community in\nthe island with the rights and privileges enjoyed by the indigenous Sinhala\npeople.  However, it is important to note\nthat Tamils are indigenous to the Tamilnadu which is the birth-place of the\nTamil culture and language. For all purposes, the national and cultural\nhomeland of the Tamils is Tamilnadu.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils\narrived in the Jaffna peninsula in the 16th<\/sup> century <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially the Tamils came to the island as\ninvaders and mercenaries. Since the 3rd<\/sup> century BCE, there were\nseventeen Tamil-speaking Dravidian invasions of the Sinhala kingdom when\nAnuradhapura and Polonnaruwa were the Sinhala royal capitals. These invasions\nwere associated with extreme forms of violence and destruction. After defeat\nsome Tamils fled to India while some remained in Sri Lanka with some settling\ndown in the Jaffna peninsula. Historians\nH.W. Codrington, Fr. S.G. Perera, and Mudaliyar C. Rasanayagam mentions clearly\nthat the Jaffna peninsula was peopled by the Sinhala Buddhist community before\nthe sixteenth century. This is confirmed by archeological evidence of the\nremains of stupes and viharas in the peninsula, and by the large number of Tamilized\nSinhala place names in the Jaffna peninsula and in the Northern Eastern region\nof the country where Tamils and Muslims predominate at present. In the 16the\ncentury and thereafter, for many years, the Sinhala Buddhist people in Jaffna\nlived together with Tamil immigrants from South India, in harmony. The famous\nPortuguese historian Fernao De Queyroz\nmentions in his book, that when the Portuguese arrived in the island in early\n16th<\/sup> century, the Jaffna region was, like other 14 regions of the\ncountry at that time, managed by a sub-king, who paid tribute to the Sinhala\nKing (or ‘Emperor’) in Kotte.  Some\nTamils cite the Rama-Ravana story to claim that Tamils were in the island in\nancient times. The eminent historian A.L. Basham has called this Ramayana story as bluff and has\nshown that the Ramayana is a work of fiction by Valmiki, who drew his plot and\ncharacters from the Dasaratha, Jataka and the Valahassa Jataka of the\nBuddhists.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a fact that the Sinhala\npeople, starting with their kings and leaders of the past, have been quite\naccommodative of the Tamils and others who made Sri Lanka their home. Although\nthey came as invaders, mercenaries, merchants, illegal immigrants and so on,\nthey were permitted to settle wherever they pleased and live according to their\ncultural norms without any harassment. They were\/are permitted to move anywhere\nin the country, and be involved in whatever gainful employment they wished\nanywhere in our country. They were\/are allowed to build their Tamil schools,\nHindu kovils and conduct their religious and cultural activities just the way\nthey did in their motherland – Tamilnadu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Privileges\nDuring the British Colonial Period in Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the British colonial period which\nstarted in the 18th<\/sup> century, under the British colonial policy of\ndivide and rule\u201d, massive\nfavoritism was accorded by the British to Tamils, in return for the support of\nTamils as quislings to crush Sinhala resistance to British occupation of the\nisland. To serve their self-interests, the British policy set one community\nagainst the other. The British gave special privileges to the Tamil minority\nand those of the Christian faith. They included better opportunities for\neducation, employment, and government services in general.  Tamils soon became a privileged community. To\ncite one example, in terms of the density of schools per unit area, the Jaffna\ndistrict had the highest density. In 1870 there were\nonly two Buddhist schools left in the country – in Panadura and Dodanduwa as\nagainst 805 Christian Schools. As a result, even in 1956, eight years\nafter Independence, the Tamils, then a mere  \n11% of the population, held 75% of the jobs in the army and 65% of the\njobs in the public service.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All colonial powers of the island, acted\non pure and absolute self-interest\u201d. British occupation of Sri Lanka was one\nof sheer exploitation and devastation. Whatever benefits that were derived by\nlocal inhabitants were merely incidental to their exploitation of the country\u2019s\nnatural and human resources to reap enormous benefits for the British\ngovernment. The vast changes that they brought about in almost all areas of\nlife in the country, led to the disruption of the long-held culture, values,\nand way of life of local Sinhala Buddhists. Under the infamous Waste Lands\nOrdinance\u201d of the British, commercial plantations of coffee, tea and rubber were\nestablished on lands expropriated from the rural Sinhala people, without\ncompensation. The dispossessed Sinhala people were unwilling to work on the\nplantations and in the 19th<\/sup> century and thereafter, the British\nimported Tamil laborers from South India to work as labourers in plantations.\nThese Tamils later became a new element in the demographic composition of the\ncountry. Most of these Tamil labourer community in the highlands of the island,\nstayed behind and most of them were accorded citizenship in later years after\nthe country attained political independence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post- Independence Privileges <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nimportant to note, that even during the post-independence era, the Tamils have\nbeen permitted to move anywhere in the country, and be involved in whatever\ngainful employment they wished anywhere in our country. They were\/are allowed\nto build their Tamil schools, Hindu kovils and conduct their religious and cultural\nactivities just the way they did in their motherland – Tamilnadu. Tamils have\nbeen accorded official recognition by their representation in our national flag\nby means of the orange colour band; Tamil culture is recognized by the State\nand their major cultural days are public holidays; The Tamil language is\nofficially recognized as a national language of the country; Hinduism the main\nreligion of Tamils is recognized by the State and its religious days have been\ndeclared as national holidays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergence of Tamil Racism, Extremism,\nand Separatism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1950s\nand 60s, there were many South Indian Tamil films produced, directed and acted\nby extremist South Indian Tamils that were directly propagating Tamil racism\nand extremism. These films were imported to Sri Lanka and were popularly\nwatched by Sri Lankan Tamils. The directors, script writers and movie stars of\nthese crude films were well known Tamil extremists with political overtures.\nThey soon became leading political figures in the Tamilnadu political scene,\npromoting the so-called Tamil cause and Tamil separatism. Among them were Karunaneedi,\nM.G. Ramachandran, Shivaji Ganeshan and the infamous Jayalalitha. The whole\npurpose of these low-budget films was to generate Tamil racism and a sense of Tamil\nsuperiority. These films were shown widely in Sri Lanka and were quite popular\namong the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The extreme racist attitudes that these films\nand the Tamil media helped to generate at that time, made  Tamils feel elevated and politically\nmotivated to seek special privileges including separatism. The extremist Tamil\nattitude made them want to take control and began talking about Tamil\nnationalism, Tamil national struggle and Tamil homeland and so on. Some\nTamil extremists resorted to dishonesty, falsehood, fabrications and deliberate\nmisinterpretation and distortion of historic facts pertaining to Sri Lanka. Eventually\nthey resorted to terrorism to establish themselves as a force to reckon with\namong the majority Sinhala people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undue Privileges as a Minority <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils – as a small minority community\nenjoy undue privileges that are not enjoyed by the majority Sinhala community\nin the country.  In fact, no other\nminority community in any major country in the world enjoys the privileges that\nthe Sri Lankan Tamils enjoy. Today, and\nfor many years in the past, more than half of the Tamil population of Sri Lanka\nlives among the Sinhala people in predominantly Sinhala areas in the Western,\nSouthern, Central, and Eastern parts of the island. Here, they have\ntheir kovils and festivals, thoosa kades, their Tamil newspapers, magazines,\nvideos, music audios, films and free to intermingle with others in their\nneighborhood without being harassed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils have\nthe opportunity of living and owning property including real estate anywhere in\nthe country. About 31% of all privately-owned land in Sri Lanka belongs to the\n12% Tamil population, compared to the Sinhala who own 51% of land although\nthey are more than about 75% of the population. About 70% of the land, and 85% of the\nbusinesses, in the administrative and residential capital, Colombo, are owned\nby Tamils. The per capita income of\nTamils is far greater than the indigenous Sinhala people (estimated to be twice\nthat of the Sinhala) and the rate of unemployment of Tamils is half that of the\nSinhala. More than 30% of professional and managerial jobs are held by this\nless than 12% minority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Tamils are either businessmen or\nprofessionals and are dependent on the Sinhala people for their business and\nprofessional success. They earn their living using the Sinhala market, Sinhala\nclients or Sinhala people. Sinhala employers hire Tamils as employees. However,\nit is well evident that Tamil employers rarely if at all, employ Sinhala people\nin their establishments. Some of the largest wholesale and retail businesses in\nColombo are owned and run by Tamils. Most jewelry establishments, travel agencies,\ntelecommunications outlets are owned and operated by them. The rich Tamils in\nColombo and other urban areas in Sinhala areas are owners of the high-priced\nproperty including land and houses and expensive vehicles. In fact, the\nchildren of these well-to-do urban Tamils attend leading schools in the\ncountry, including expensive international schools.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No comparable minorities (including\nIndians, Pakistanis, Sinhalas, and Tamils etc. in the UK) in any major country\nhave been given such preposterous benefits and opportunities, which are not\nrights but ridiculously high privileges. Since the privileges of one person can\nonly be had at the expense of the rights of another, this shows that, in fact,\nit is the indigenous Sinhala\u2019s 75% of the population, who are discriminated\nagainst. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamil\nTerrorism and its Subjugation   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terror in its worst forms never known in our\nland was experienced during the invasion and rule of the Dravidian Kalinga\nMagha (and in more recent years under the Tamil terrorist Prabakaran). The\ncrime-prone rule of Kalinga Magha prevailed for 21 years. The Tamil Pandyan and\nTamil Nayakka intrusion into Sinhala royal families led to the Sinhala royalty\ngoing into disarray after the 13th<\/sup> century, and the eventual decline\nof the stability and magnanimity of the Sinhala Buddhist nation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a good part of the past four decades,\nTamil terrorists of the LTTE, took away from the indigenous Sinhala majority,\nwhat they valued and cherished most as a nation \u2013 their freedom and peaceful\nlife. During this time, most Tamils living within and outside Sri Lanka were\nopenly or discreetly supportive of terrorism and separatism propagated by the\nracist LTTE terrorists under Prabakaran, their ruthless leader. The\noverwhelming majority of Sri Lankan Tamils living overseas, were helping,\nboth directly and indirectly, often using deceitful means to the Tamil terror\nmovement in Sri Lanka thereby promoting gruesome, hideous, and horrifying terrorist\nactivities against the nation, its Sinhala leaders, Bhikkhus, military and\npolice personnel. They helped bomb and destroy reputed historically significant\nBuddhist monuments and sites in our country, and other public property of value\nand took action to disrepute and undermine the legitimately elected government\nof our country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sinhala nation is eternally grateful to\nthe Ranaviru Sinhala sons and daughters for eliminating from our nation, this\ntreacherous racist terrorist menace in the year 2009. Sinhala leaders at the\ntime understood that for the emancipation of our nation, there can be no\ncompromise with terrorists and their cohorts both local and foreign. The\nterritorial integrity and sovereignty of our motherland is of fundamental\nimportance to us, and the nation is ever grateful to those who led our military\nforces to eradicate Tamil terrorism and for restoring our nation for the\npresent and future generations. Thousands of true sons of the soil sacrificed\ntheir precious lives while serving in the military forces. The nation is grateful\nforever for the sacrifices they made to bring peace to our people<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our heroic military personnel who were making untold\nsacrifices to protect our people and the territorial integrity of our country\nwere subject to extreme forms of indignity, insult, and disgrace by these\nTamils, especially during the period of conflict, using most deceitful and\ndishonest accusations. Our illustrious national culture and our Buddhist Sangha\ncommunity responsible for nurturing, promoting, and uplifting our outstanding\nnational culture for some two thousand three hundred years, were subject to\ndebase and disrespect by these treacherous Tamil racists and extremists. Buying\nover and using the international media and other means, these overseas Tamil\nextremists were involved openly in a widespread campaign, using the basest\nforms of falsehoods and blatant lies of unimaginable proportions, to demean,\ndiscredit and destroy the good image of our country<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many remnants of these ruthless LTTE\nterrorists, especially those living overseas, continue to subscribe to the\nvicious extremist attitudes of the defunct Tamil LTTE. They continue to\npropagate extreme forms of deceitful and divisive propaganda against Sri Lanka.\nThey resort to dishonesty, deliberate misinterpretation and distortion of\nhistoric facts pertaining to our country. These are people who were, at one\nstage, actively involved in criminal activities and atrocities of the murderous\nLTTE. By such actions they display their treachery, deceit, and gruesome\nanti-national attitudes towards a nation that did much for their benefit.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nBest of Both Worlds   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is noteworthy, that throughout the period of\nconflict and thereafter, more than half the Tamil population of Sri Lanka were\nliving in predominantly Sinhala areas, among the Sinhala people without any\nharassment.  Since the end of the\nconflict in 2009, the number living in Sinhala areas of the south have shown a\nstriking increase. Most of them are either businessmen or professionals, some\nworking for the government and others lucratively self-employed. The Sinhala\npeople of the south have been their growing clientele and patrons. Most Tamil\nbusinesses are primarily dependent on the Sinhala market for their survival. In\nother words, they earn their living using Sinhala hospitality and Sinhala\nclients. However, despite this accommodative spirit of the Sinhala people, what\nis clear is the fact that the Tamil employers rarely employ Sinhala employees\nin their establishments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the largest wholesale and retail businesses\nin Colombo are owned and operated by Tamils. Most jewelry establishments,\ntravel agencies, telecommunications outlets are owned and operated by them. The\nrich Tamils in Colombo and other urban areas in Sinhala areas are owners of\nhigh-valued property including land, houses, vehicles, and other luxuries. They\nare constantly involved international travel. \nThey have their religious and cultural organizations, their \u2018kovils\u2019 and\nrelated activities with no restrictions placed on them by the Sinhala\ncommunity. The Sinhala community heavily patronizes the Tamil food outlets such\nas the \u2018thoosa kade\u2019. In addition, they have their Tamil newspapers, magazines,\nvideos, music audios, films and are free to intermingle with others in Sinhala\nneighborhoods without being harassed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threat to the National Unity and Territorial Integrity                                         <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the\nTamil extremists either fail to understand or wish to overlook the true reasons\nfor or circumstances surrounding the racist Tamil terrorist menace in our motherland.  It appears that Tamil extremists do not want\nto accept the fact that, all along, he biggest impediment to overall progress\nof our country and the well-deserved well-being of our people at large has been\nthis savage Tamil extremism and terrorism. \nIt is well-known that it was this racist Tamil terrorism that has\nbrutalized and stunted our nation during the past few decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From their attitude and actions, it is well evident that the Tamil community\nin the country has posed a threat to national unity and territorial integrity\nof the country. They have resorted to actions that undermine the way of life of\nother communities, and in a covert manner to democratic principles and rule of\nlaw of the country. They rarely if at all participate in national events. They\ndo not participate in the singing of the National Anthem in public events. Recently\na Tamil Minister who was the Chief Guest in a public function, refused to hoist\nthe National flag. The polarization tendency and divisive spirit of the Tamil community\nis self-imposed and not because they are marginalized. The long-term\nimplications of these separatist -extremist trends are highly undesirable for\nthe unity and the maintenance of peace and stability in the country. One should\nnot overlook the fact and take for granted the long-standing opportunity for\npeaceful cohabitation of different communities, provided by the traditional\ncultural foundation established by the Sinhala people of this nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Culture <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All salient aspects\nof our national culture \u2013 tangible and intangible, either grew or evolved\nwithin the borders of our country. Sinhala language and literature originated\nin Sri Lanka. Sinhala language in fact is the most important defining element\nof our nation\u2019s culture and heritage, from historic times. The Sinhala language\ngrew out of
\nIndo-Aryan dialects and exists only in Sri Lanka and has its own distinguished\nliterary tradition. Sinhala is one of the world\u2019s oldest living\nlanguages.  There have been a wide range of languages in the world,\nparticularly in Asia which lived and died without leaving
\nevidence of their existence, because they were never written down. This is not\nthe case with the Sinhala language. All other languages used in Sri Lanka\noriginated in other countries.  It is significant to note that the\noverwhelming majority of people of Sri Lanka are distinguished by their\nlanguage \u2013 Sinhala, which even today has a strong unifying effect in our\nmotherland helping to reinforce the solidarity of our people as a unique\ncultural entity in the world. Almost all place names of the country from\nhistoric times, are in the Sinhala language \u2013 in the North, South, East, West\nand Central regions.
\n<\/strong>Indigenous national sovereignty of a country is an inalienable right\nbased on profound justice. Sovereign national rights of Sri Lanka rests with\nthe Sinhala people who are indigenous to this country, forming its dominant\nmajority community for over 2500 years. Sri Lanka is the only national\nsovereign motherland of the Sinhala people. Their culture, way of life and\ntheir Sinhala language originated and developed in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conforming to National Cultural Norms and Values <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The non-indigenous settler communities such as\nthe Tamils and Muslims are expected to conform to the norms and values of the Sinhala\nNation to which they belong today. They may have brought various ethnic, cultural,\nand religious customs, traditions, traits and values from their original nation\nand homelands where their cultures evolved and consolidated. They are free to\nmaintain these cultural norms if they do not conflict with the norms and\npractices of the Sinhala Nation of which they are now a part. Once the\nnon-indigenous persons become a part of the Sinhala Nation it not only becomes\ntheir national obligation, but more importantly, it is to their advantage to\nbecome a part of the nation by learning and understanding the norms of the\nSinhala nation where they now belong, and where they have been accepted as\nnon-indigenous nationals by the indigenous Sinhala people. When a foreigner or\na person not indigenous to a country migrates into the country, and decides to\nmake it his home, it is incumbent on that person to learn about the history,\nnorms and traits of the new country and its people. The new immigrant is\nexpected to acknowledge, subscribe to, and integrate into the new nation of\nwhich he now is a part. The same applies to all descendants of non-indigenous\nimmigrants, who may have been born and raised in the new nation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Rights and Individual Rights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous Sinhala nationals or the Sinhala\npeople are the founders of the Sinhala or Hela Nation, and are entitled to\nspecial national rights. Important in this regard is the promotion, protection\nand preservation of their culture, language, social system, and values that\ncharacterize their Sinhala Nation. \nSinhala should be restored as the sole national and official language of\nthe country.  Promotion and preservation\nof the Sinhala Buddhist culture as the national culture, should receive\npriority attention. It should be made a mandatory subject in the school\ncurriculum.  The national anthem of the\ncountry is sung in the Sinhala language. The minority communities are not\nentitled to such special privileges, because the Sinhala nation was founded by\nthe Sinhala people and is the legitimate home of the Sinhala people. Sinhale is\nnot the home of other cultures and languages. These cultures and languages did\nnot originate or evolve in this land unlike the case with the Sinhala culture\nand Sinhala language. Therefore, the cultures and languages of minority\ncommunities cannot and are not entitled legitimately to be accorded national or\nofficial recognition at par with the Sinhala culture and language. However,\nthese communities are free to observe and preserve their cultural activities\nand their languages within their communities. As far as ordinary human rights\nare concerned, members of minority settler communities are entitled to the same\nhuman rights as those enjoyed by members of the mainstream Sinhala community.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a nation with a\nhistoric cultural tradition that extends to over 2200 years, where the founding\nprinciples have been freedom, compassion, tolerance, and accommodation of\npeople of all faiths and ethnicities, it is necessary that the true patriots of\nSinhale, the Sinhala nation, get to the forefront, mobilize themselves and take\nlegitimate actions to protect and uphold these wholesome cultural traditions,\nand thereby reinforce the Sinhala nation – Sinhale.  All\ncitizens of the country who subscribe to the Sinhale Nation and respect the\ncultural norms and values that characterize this nation, will find acceptance\nas members of the Sinhale nation, irrespective of their ethnic and religious\naffiliations and differences. The Sinhale Nation incorporates the tremendous\ncultural wealth of the Sinhala people recognized the world over for its\nrichness and uniqueness. This should be preserved and promoted for posterity.\nThose who undermine the nation\u2019s cultural heritage, sovereignty and territorial\nintegrity are enemies of the nation and should be confronted and subdued\nforthwith, for the welfare of the nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strengthen and Revitalize the Sinhala Nation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the patriotic and caring nationals of this\nisland, especially those of the Sinhala community, irrespective of their\nreligious affiliations, there is one moral law that stands above everything\nelse, and that is to do everything possible to strengthen their Sinhala Nation\nand to curb the efforts of anti-national elements both local and foreign, engaged\nin violating and undermining Sinhala Buddhist national interests. It was with\nsuch an attitude and approach that enabled our valiant Sinhala soldiers to wipe\nout anti-national, separatist Tamil terrorists who were hell-bent on destroying\nthe integrity of this nation.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present generation of Sinhala nationals\nhas a moral obligation to protect, preserve and promote the greatest of their\ninheritance, their unique nation, for the survival of their Buddhist cultural\nheritage and for the benefit of future generations. Concerned Sinhala nationals\nwill under no circumstances allow the sovereignty, the distinct territorial\nintegrity and the all-pervasive Sinhala Buddhist cultural character of the\nisland be subject to any form of disarray or disintegration. They will not\npermit any force, internal or external, ethnic, or religious, to subjugate or\nundermine the integrity of the Sinhala Buddhist culture of this island nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala history is replete with valor and\ncourage in battles against overly superior forces. The struggle against\nextremism and the looming division of this Sinhala island nation of ours\ndemands our full national strength. Let all Sinhala nationalists rise to the\noccasion, forgetting for a moment their \u2018other\u2019 differences, and swear allegiance\nto the unity of this country by giving unswerving support to those commendable\norganizations that have emerged in recent times to save the nation from\nundesirable elements. The renewed loyalty that is fast emerging among the\nSinhala nationals, particularly among the contemporary youth, is most\nencouraging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violation of Sovereignty and National Integrity  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent times, movements and organizations have sprung up\nunder the initiative of some concerned Bhikkhus and members of the Sinhala\ncommunity across the country, with an increasingly large following of the\nnation\u2019s youth, to highlight and draw attention to the vital and pressing need\nfor necessary action to restore, protect and uphold the legitimate national\nrights and privileges of the Sinhala people and the traditionally and\nconstitutionally accorded foremost place to Buddhism, which in recent times\nappear to be subject to threats and challenges from both local and foreign\nsources. There is evidence of attempts both direct and indirect, overt, and\ncovert, to undermine these legitimate rights and privileges by extremist\nelements, especially of the minority communities evidently with the involvement\nof extremist, racist, uncaring, and unpatriotic politicians with their own\nvested interests and ulterior motives.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala nationals should not tolerate any\nindividual or community who, whilst living in the Sinhala Nation and\nconsidering it their home, deliberately misusing such a privilege by scheming\nand adopting extreme means or contributing to such actions, in violation of the\nsovereignty and territorial integrity of this only nation of ours. This\nincludes both direct and indirect efforts on the part of these extremist\nelements to carve out ethnic and religious enclaves within our country, merely\nbecause some of them had lived in specific places for extended periods of time.\nThese extremist elements with self-serving attitudes and objectives should be\nconsidered as traitors or enemies of the nation and should be dealt with accordingly.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Rights are not\nindividuals rights, they are the collective rights of a Nation. Each Nation can\nexercise their National Rights only in their motherland where that nation’s\nindigenous culture originates. Non-indigenous ethnic minorities such as the\nTamils living in the island are free to claim National Rights of the Tamil\nNation only in Tamil Nadu – the motherland of the Tamil Nation, but NOT in Sri\nLanka. To do so in this country or elsewhere, is to grossly violate the\nNational Rights of other Nations. It is time the Tamils, Muslims, Moors and\nother members of minority communities understand this clearly, so that all can\nlive peacefully and collectively enrich our lives in this glorious island\nnation of ours. The average Sinhala\nperson has nothing against anyone who wishes to shed extremist feelings and\njoining them to build a nation that is peaceful and prosperous, a nation which\nshuns extremism and terrorism. The Sinhala people want all\nother communities to join them, just the way how minority communities are\nexpected to do in other countries of the world, especially Canada, Australia,\nNorway, USA, and UK.  The Sinhala people\nwant others who live among them to help build the country as one nation, a\nnation founded on the noble principles of non-violence,\ntolerance, compassion, where peaceful co-habitation has been the\ncornerstone from historic times. Forgiving and forgetting\u201d has been\nthe attitude of the Sinhala people, even to those who have harmed them\nrepeatedly from historic times, because they know that eventually justice and\ntruth will prevail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane History of the Tamil Community of Sri Lanka The small communities of Tamils and Muslims living in Sri Lanka, amount to about 24% of the island\u2019s total population with Tamils including Estate Tamils accounting for 15% and Muslims 09%. These communities are descendants of groups of individuals, exclusively males, who arrived in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98229","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=98229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98229\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}