Strengthen Tamils’ new sense of togetherness
By K.Arvind
In the post-Portuguese period and before Sri Lankan Tamils have earned a name as a cultured and peaceful people tolerant of others and their views. Mr. Sellathurai’s laborious analysis should be studied carefully and in perspective.
Tamils and Sinhalese must live together in the future.
It is an undeniable fact though all Sri Lankand Tamils feels strongly for their language and culture many of the supposed 50%+ Tamils living in Sri Lanka outside the North and the East fear to settle in the Tamil homelands after the coming of peace. The LTTE has to accept responsibility for this change of mind-set. Many talented and educated Tamil leaders have been killed senselessly and brutally.
This was not necessary. Thousands of LTTE youth, originally inspired by Prabhakaran and his commitment, have laid their young lives for the Tamil cause. They died so that other Tamils may live. We will never forget them. But we must not be prisoners of the past. We must work to create conditions for a united and peaceful Sri Lanka where Tamils can again live freely and peacefully.
It is Sinhala chauvinism of the post-1948 period that gradually brought the country to this pathetic level. Was there LTTE terror in Galoya in 1957 when innocent Tamils were chased out - many killed? Sinhalese must hold themselves responsible for the creation of the LTTE - many of their academics in fact do. We have all lost so far - Sinhala, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers in the country turning out to be a battlefield .
The International community will discourage a fascist State headed by a demi-god and the LTTE because of the strategic location of Sri Lanka in that vital commercial sea-route that feeds Europe with meat and wheat from Australia/New Zealand. The same sea-route carries life giving oil from the Middle East to Industrial giants Japan, Korea and other Asian Tigers. This is the reality. The IC carries very little for Sri Lanka, India or the LTTE. They care only for their self-interest.
But this is the real world. The I/C will not allow a cult-leader to be on their way. The foundations for peace to come must emerge from the Sinhala polity because it is they who destroyed the tranquility of our Society and State.
Mahinda Rajapakse must go beyond his rhetoric to give the Tamil people “maximum devolution” that he tells the I/C he has. Similar promises were made by other Sinhala leaders before e.g. Premadasa who promised “give up Ealam and I shall gladly give you ELLAM”.
In the future Tamil configuration India must be involved but it is not necessary for us to be dependent on them. Many educated Tamils feels Prabhakaran will not give up his impossible goal of Tamil Eelam because he wrongly thinks feels he will become part of South Asian history and “the greatest Tamil of all time”
To achieve this objective, he risks the interests of all Sri Lankan Tamils of the present and the future. There is no place for Prabhakaran and fascism in a future peaceful Sri Lanka.
In fairness to the LTTE, it must be said, in respecting the wishes of the IC, he came down from “Ealam or nothing” to “a viable alternative” - the practical demand of the moderate Tamil leaders of the 70s-80s. Once again it was the Buddhist priests and the Sinhala chauvinists who failed to use their enormous influence with GoSLs in power grasp this opportunity.
Now, at this very late hour, the Sinhalese must unite and provide the conditions to the Tamils - whom the LTTE claims they represent and lead - to remain part of a future undivided Sri Lanka. It is estimated 65% of the destruction in the Tsunami took place in the shores of the North- East. But the Tamils and the Muslims got little from the massive rehabilitation funds that came in. This is the generosity of the Sinhalese which Gunadasa Amarasekera, Nalin de Silva, SL Gunasekera, the High Priests of Kandy are speaking about.
Even the Supreme Court was obliquely invoked to deny Tamils justice and due compensation - on a mere legal technicality. Is this Justice? Surely there is such a thing as natural law and the guiding principle in the in the dispensation of justice is that it should have an element of mercy.
So let us not denigrate learned men like Mr. Sellathurai amongst us. We might not agree with him on issues but we must not belittle men like him.
Tamils have immensely suffered in the past 50 years but our collective suffering has brought us a new sense of togetherness and energy. I have felt this wherever I traveled - in Europe, in Australia, in Canada and elsewhere. Let us strengthen this.
The time will soon come when Tamils will once again find their peace and place in society; the opportunities to display their traditional strength and culture by which all of Sri Lanka will also gain.
Scene at Mullaithivu Coast, Dec 2004 [HA]
Rasu & Malaysia :
June 30, 2006 @ 7:24 am
Firstly, Tamil Eelam was already formed back in 2002 - Partially.
This is only matter of declaration. The ground reality,
LTTE is preparing to avoid border wars for the future generation.
Shyam, USA :
June 30, 2006 @ 7:47 am
Let us assume it is true that the LTTE has some fascist tend encies and cult-like following. But despite that recognition, the Sinhala polity has not been able to come up with even the pseudo-Federalism prevalent in India, where the central government can dismiss a state government for the flimsiest of reasons. The Sinhala polity is deeply wedded to its mythical superiority and primacy…as even the UTHR made it clear, the Sinhala hoodlum aided by the Armed forces in Trinco said that “Ape Rata Sinhala Rata,” a view so plainly shared by the Rajapakse gang. So entrenched is this idea in the Sinhala psyche that there is no way Sinhalese will agree to any meaningful power sharing with the Tamils. This fact has been shown repeatedly and I am tired of having to bring it up.
In this scenario, Tamils have no choice but to rely on the military and organizational prowess of the LTTE, fascist or cultist they may be, to force the South to come to an agreement on Tamil homeland…this cannot be mere Federalism, but must come close to a Confederation as the Boston Globe editorial says today–only such a solution can give a measure of protection to the Tamils.
Critics of the LTTE are right to point out numerous problems with the LTTE–the top-down structure with Prabhakaran making all the decisions, while others simply follow the ‘Thalaivar’ with no independent policy view or choice of their own, making the LTTE dictatorial; their intolerance of any dissent; the history of assassinating politicians, etc. But the way to challenge the LTTE on such issues is not to align with the racist regime and aid the enemy, as the Tamil quislings are doing. These groups, all of whom have “Eelam” in their name, have found their own version of ‘Eelam’ inside SL Army camps in the North East or bunkers in Colombo. Therefore, such quislings should be shown no mercy.
The critics and challengers of the LTTE , if their views are to be taken seriously, should
1. Have the Tamil people’s welfare as their sole motivation and not undermine the Tamil struggle.
2. Stay committed to the ideals of Tamil nationalism which they themselves championed once and work to change the LTTE in the right direction.
3. Be fiercely independent and have absolutely no contact with the murderous SL regime and its armed forces.
It is then possible for them to work within the Tamil community to cause a transformation of Tamil society’s views and by extension, the LTTE’s behavior. It will be a long, hard slog, but there is no alternative. Simply dismissing the Tigers as cultists or fascists and trusting the Sinhala polity to ’solve’ the issues after all these years of struggle, shows mind-boggling idiocy.
Sellam in UK :
June 30, 2006 @ 8:19 am
Sri Lanka is like Singapore or Malaysia but not India. One cannot compare Sri Lanka with India. The problem lies with TAmil Nadu and the Sinhalese fear it.
No one so far had indicated what the Tamils want and what they were deprived of. why do the Tamils want devolution of power. Why cannot the Tamils and Sinhalese work together in a united Sri Lanka. Divison and devolution will bring more probelms for both communities. Of course the majaority Sinhalese should be more magnanimous towards the minorities by giving more oportunities. The provincial councils set up in the Sri-Lanka - India peace accord is a just solution which Prabaharan, initially accepted and later rejected it.
The Tamils should not and cannot entrust their future with deadly cult organaisation. The Tamils would be better off with the Sinhalese as the Sinhalese politiicians have learnt bitter lessons.
Nath -Canada :
June 30, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
ITotally agree with you.
Being a Tamil and not a so called Jaffna Tamil, I always feel that there was injustice done to Tamil people in Sri Lanka. But Sinhalese accept the truth but not prepared to do anything about it. Instead, get all the help from where ever it possible including some Tamils and suppress their desire for an independent living.
IC always exerts pressure on Tamils but not on the other side who holds entire nation for their own political survival. If IC exert pressure equally on both parties the problem wouldn’t last very long.
I have lived, worked with Sinhalese and never felt that, I was different from them but anytime the politician opens their mouth everything changes.
Hope, in the most historic year , Buddha Jayanthi 2550, Sinhalese will be delivered from their bondage and uphold the value of the religion and preaching of Lord Buddha’s.
I want to come back to Sri Lanks to live an independent life, the way I did 20 years ago.
Shyam, USA :
June 30, 2006 @ 6:52 pm
To Mr. K. Arvind:
Let us assume it is true that the LTTE has some fascist tendencies and cult-like following. But despite that recognition, the Sinhala polity has not been able to come up with even the pseudo-Federalism prevalent in India, where the central government can dismiss a state government for the flimsiest of reasons. The Sinhala polity is deeply wedded to its mythical superiority and primacy…as even the UTHR made it clear, the Sinhala hoodlum aided by the Armed forces in Trinco said that “Ape Rata Sinhala Rata”, a view so plainly shared by the Rajapakse gang.
So entrenched is this idea in the Sinhala psyche that there is no way Sinhalese will agree to any meaningful power sharing with the Tamils. This fact has been shown repeatedly and I am tired of having to bring it up.
In this scenario, Tamils have no choice but to rely on the military and organizational prowess of the LTTE, fascist or cultist they may be, to force the South to come to an agreement on Tamil homeland…this cannot be mere Federalism, but must come close to a Confederation as the Boston Globe editorial says today–only such a solution can give a measure of protection to the Tamils.
Critics of the LTTE are right to point out numerous problems with the LTTE–the top-down structure with Prabhakaran making all the decisions, while others simply follow the ‘Thalaivar’ with no independent view or choice of their own; it makes the LTTE dictatorial; their intolernace of any dissent; the history of assassinating politicians, etc.
But the way to challenge the LTTE on such issues is not to align with the racist regime and aid the enemy, as the Tamil quislings are doing. These groups, all of whom have “Eelam” in their name, have found their own version of ‘Eelam’ inside SL Army camps in the North East or bunkers in Colombo. Therefore, such quislings should be shown no mercy.
The critics and challengers of the LTTE , if their views are to be taken seriously, should
1. Have the Tamil people’s welfare as their sole motivation and not undermine the Tamil struggle.
2. Stay committed to the ideals of Tamil nationalism which they themselves championed once, and work to change the LTTE in the right direction.
3. Be fiercely independent and have absolutely no contact with the murderous SL regime and its armed forces.
It is then possible for them to work within the Tamil community to cause a transformation of Tamil society’s views and by extension, the LTTE’s behavior. It will be a long, hard slog, but there is no alternative. Simply dismissing the Tigers as cultists or fascists and trusting the Sinhala polity to ’solve’ the issues after all these years of struggle, shows a mind-boggling idiocy.
Jamal :
July 1, 2006 @ 9:56 pm
The six rounds of talks during the UNP government days between the GOSL and LTTE did not produce any tangible solution and since the GOSL couldn’t come up with an acceptable federal structure the LTTE had to come up with their own ISGA formula which was about to be accepted then the president Chandrika sacked three most important cabinet ministers and made the UNP regime to collapse. The sinhala chauvinism will never permit any feasible self-rule the tamils are longing for through peace talks . The six decades of tamils’ struggle in srilanka has not brought out any sinhala leader to consider granting the tamils their desire for self-rule. Even after USA is supportive of a loose confederation with strong powers at the provincial levels for two governments vis-avis Sinhala govenment and Tamil government and have a less powered central government and still the government and it’s all party planners cannot arrive at any feasible formula by listening to the IC or even on their own. This is a clear indication the sinhala polity will never want to share power with tamils instead they want tamils to stay enslaved for ever.
Canaga Willeton :
July 2, 2006 @ 10:00 am
Jamla,
You are absolutely right.
SJV Chelva’s Nonviolence has not worked.
Negotiated and signed agreementS have been torn apart.
what is the alternative the Tamils have?
Athos, Australia :
July 5, 2006 @ 11:43 am
Jamal,
Did you say UNP government days between the GOSL and LTTE did not produce any tangible solution? Have you forgotten so soon it was LTTE who suspended talks giving flimsy excuses? Remmember it was Karuna after he broke away claimed VP did not pay any attention to talks. In fact, when Karuna wanted advise how to approach talks, VP just nodded and gave him a list of weapons to pass onto a KP associate in Thailand. Didn’t you listen to your leader’s speech last year? Let me refresh your mind. He said ‘we only enage in talks to ‘internationalise’ our struggle’. What more do you want? Also remmember the backdown of the famous ‘Oslo decleration’ by Bala? Why do you think he backed down after going that far? He was only told by VP never to agree to a fixed solution. Bala since the only one with an education foresaw VPs folly. He will die soon, with him will die the only rational mind inside the organisation.