The Republic of Angoda
By: Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
The prevailing situation in Sri Lanka is interesting and saddening when viewed against the back drop of our history since 1948. Whether, the story of modern Sri Lanka is destined to be an unending soap-opera centered around the Sinhala- Tamil and Majority- Minority problems, has to be decided by all Sri Lankans- Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim. If there is relative peace and hope in one episode, predictably there will be random violence, chaos and fear during the next episode and overt war, massive blood letting and mindless destruction during the third. This long running soap- opera, has had its moments of foolishness, pride, bigotry, arrogance, hate, insanity, riots, war, perversity, terror, horror, brutality, death, suffering, comedy, quiet, hope, despair, bravery, cowardice, cunning and stubbornness portrayed in equal measure and with unforgettable poignancy throughout, although the actors change. The people of Sri Lanka have also changed, both in attitudes and expectations. Most people have become the benumbed observers of a soap-opera that they rather see end. The unchanging constant in this soap-opera is the political system we have permitted to take root and which is the script writer, producer and director of what is unfolding. According to a recent survey almost 80 % of the Sinhalese want this saga in our lives ended. I am sure, if given the opportunity to express their forthright opinion, 95 % of the Tamils living in Sri Lanka will desire the same. How long can we let a minority among both the Sinhalese and Tamils thriving on a failed political system, hold the whole island to ransom?
What have not been brought into play in this soap-opera until now are reason, vision, maturity, honesty, humanism, pragmatism, realism, forgiveness, intelligence and wisdom- the attributes of a sane and civilized people. Although blessed to have Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, the four great religions of the world, governing the daily lives of our people, we have been singularly incapable of becoming truly human when it comes to dealing with the one issue that has brought ruin and misery to our lives. What is most disturbing is, outsiders who deal with us as a people find us very intelligent, decent, sensitive, cultured, religious and hospitable, irrespective of whether we are Sinhalese, Tamils or Muslims. What is wrong with us? Are we suffering from a national schizophrenia- the split personality syndrome? Is there a ferocious animal lurking under our human skin? Are the lion and tiger emblems we have chosen as symbols of the Sinhala and Tamil identities respectively, a representation of the ‘sub-conscious’ animal within us? Is it time to change these symbols? Independent and secular, but largely Hindu India, chose the ‘Asoka Chakra’- a Buddhist symbol, as her emblem. Where as independent Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist country, chose the ‘Sword holding Lion’ as her emblem. The LTTE has in its turn and as a response, chosen the ‘Growling Tiger’ as its emblem and hopes to make it the national emblem of the ‘Tamil Ealam’ it is trying to establish.
I was witness to a militant Tamil youth trying to rob the Insurance Corporation branch in Jaffna in the late 1970’s using wooden pistol covered with a towel! He was apprehended by the people in the vicinity and handed over to the police. The Tamil militancy, represented by the LTTE, is now boasting of possessing the trappings of a separate state that includes an army, navy and air force! The Tamil militancy has indeed come a long way, bringing about mainly death, ruin and destruction for the Tamils! The Sri Lankan armed forces have also expanded both in numbers and sophistication of hardware deployed to an extent unimaginable four decades back. What were largely ceremonial units have become battle hardened and frequently ruthless entities. Sri Lanka is now the most militarized nation in Asia! Have weapons resolved our problems and made life better for the people, particularly the Tamils? The Tamils are worse off today than they were when ‘Tamil Violence’ raised its head. Tamil Violence no doubt was a reactive response to Sinhala violence. The question to be answered by all Tamils, especially those within the LTTE and those in the Diaspora supporting its cause, is whether Tamil violence has been beneficial to the Tamils or counter- productive, in the long term? The Tamils have been the principle losers in a conflict that was aggravated by Tamil violence. There can be no doubts about this. The Sinhala polity has rather astutely ensured that the violence is largely limited to the areas of traditional Tamil habitation and the Tamils and the Tamil- speaking Muslims are the principal victims. The LTTE in its manifold attempts to take the violence into the predominantly Sinhala areas, has only succeeded in exposing itself as a ruthless and mindless terrorist entity rather than a authentic liberation movement.
The only benefit I see is that the ‘Tamil resistance’ which involved violence, has drawn international attention to our cause, where as the previous phase of ‘Peaceful resistance’ only elicited more violence from the Sinhalese and was ignored by the world. Lamentably, both peaceful resistance and violence have elicited only a violent response from the Sinhalese. This was unfortunate and has provided the justification for the continuance of Tamil violence and a vicious militancy. ‘Peaceful Resistance’ failed the Tamils in Sri Lanka, on account of the lack of moral, philosophical and emotional commitment for it, both by their leaders and the Tamils themselves- especially the Jaffna kind. What ever peaceful resistance that was offered was largely symbolic, and frizzled out with the jailing of a few leaders and a police baton-charge. When slapped on one side of the face, the strength must be there in peaceful resistance to present the other side of the face for a second slap. We never had this strength. There was no mass movement of passive resistance as in India. The Federal Party was not the Indian Congress led by Mahatma Gandhi and the other giants associated with him! The only positive achievement of both Tamil violence and Sinhala violence has been the International attention that is being directed towards Sri Lanka and her problems. However, the continuing Tamil violence, which has lost direction and does not have even a context, now, is preventing us from harnessing the International attention and sympathy directed towards our cause, to resolve our problems in our long term interest. It is very likely to alienate International opinion irreversibly, if not curtailed or eliminated.
The Sinhalese in turn have to accept that the ‘Evil’ genie- Tamil violence- they helped release though their violence, cannot be forced back into the bottle with more violence. The evil genie has to be lured back into the bottle through measures to convince the Tamils that Sri Lanka has changed for ever and been set on a radically different course. Tamil and Minority grievances are genuine and deep rooted. These have to be recognized and resolved. Tamil violence has to be deprived of its source of sustenance. Half measures, which will be mere eye wash, such as the district level administrative devolution being contemplated will not solve our problems. This will lead to only the politicization of the district administration system and not address the real grievances of the Tamils and other minorities. The only beneficiaries will be the district politicians who will have greater opportunities for corruption and misuse of powers. Such a devolutionary exercise will signify a ‘Divide and Rule’ ploy directed at the Tamils and Muslims, rather than a genuine attempt to devolve power to the Minorities. Colombo will yet continue to rule the roost, with such small units of devolved power and the devolution exercise itself will be like a crumb offered to a starving man! The LTTE’s quest for a separate state will be vindicated in the eyes of the Tamil people. The Sri Lankan government will lose for ever the co-operation of the Tamil people to bring peace to the island.
Power must be devolved to the minorities in particular and the periphery in general, in a meaningful manner and the power concentrated in Colombo must be severely diluted. Prevarication once again on the issue of devolution, will be a calamity for Sri Lanka. Failure to devolve power as required by current circumstances, will lead to more violence and rejuvenate the LTTE and its avowed cause. Violence will beget more violence. This cycle should be brought to an end, with the help of the International community and the Tamil people themselves. The Tamil support for the LTTE has seriously eroded in recent years because a majority of the Tamils have begun to hope that a new political dispensation which would devolve meaningful power within Sri Lanka was possible, with International support. The mistakes of the LTTE vis-à-vis the Tamil people and its over reliance on mindless violence have also helped to swing Tamil opinion to a considerable extent. This change of hearts among the Tamils should be welcomed, encouraged and supported. There should not be an attempt to take the Tamils for a ride once again. If this opportunity is missed and the Tamils are once again let down as in the past, Sri Lanka will continue on the path of destruction. The LTTE believes time is on its side and is betting that the Sinhalese will not devolve power to the extent expected by the Tamils. Only the Sinhalese would have to take the blame, if Tamil Ealam is born by default. We are on the brink and it is time to reverse course.
What was a simple problem involving very simple issues has been permitted to become progressively complex over time. What could not be resolved in discussions with a ‘Lamb’- Chelvanayagam, has to be now resolved through discussions with a ‘Tiger’- Prabhaharan. The ‘Lion’ which was able to bully and hoodwink the ‘Lamb’ has met its match in the ‘Tiger’. The end of the LTTE and its pernicious ideology, eagerly anticipated by the Sinhalese and desired by all right thinking Tamils will only beget something even worse, if the grievances of the Tamils are not honestly, rationally and seriously addressed. The Tamils have to be ‘TRUSTED’ to be loyal citizens of Sri Lanka, permitted to manage their affairs to the largest extent possible and participate to a greater extent in the general affairs of Sri Lanka, if further tragedy for all peoples in Sri Lanka is to be averted. The Tamils and Muslims must be made to feel they could also aspire to the highest and most influential positions in Sri Lanka. They should be made to feel they are Sri Lankans and not some aliens trying to deprive the Sinhalese of their rightful place in the island. Every Sinhalese , Tamil and Muslim must be made to feel they are first and foremost Sri Lankan. The responsibility for this solely lies with the Sinhalese and a significant change in Sinhala attitudes should be immediately forth coming. This will be a small step for the Sinhalese, but will turn out to be a giant step for ‘ OUR’ country.
Simple solutions that could have resolved simple problems decades back were rejected for the same frivolous reasons that are being adduced now to oppose complex solutions to what have become complex problems. The problems which could have been easily resolved through discussions among a few men at one time, were opportunistically fomented to involve the emotions of the whole nation. What we refused to solve through civilized dialogue amongst us, became big enough to attract India’s attention initially and now a few decades later evolve to involve the International community. Our problems have become the problem of the world now and are evolving to draw in the United Nations too! It is indeed frustrating to realize that we as Sri Lankans are yet not ready to resolve these problems, by ourselves. We have to be dragged, kicking and screaming by the International community for talks to solve our problems! It is a national shame! The time may also come soon when we have to be kicked and bruised by the International community, to make us agree to solutions, because we have become a problem for the world! Despite our claims to a heritage and civilization lost in the mists of history, we have permitted undeserving men and women to take control of our lives and rob us of our humanity. We have been made to become a nation of schizophrenics by our so-called leaders on both sides of the ethnic divide. Our schizophrenia is confusing the world at present and the world is confounded as to how to deal with us. We are mad and we are trying to make the world also mad! Sri Lanka needs to be re-named ‘The Republic of Angoda’, after the largest and oldest mental asylum we have in Angoda! What else could our country be, with a Sinhala polity that is reluctant to share power with fellow citizens who are different and accord them equal rights and opportunities, despite a vicious civil war that has lasted almost thirty years; and a Tamil liberation movement that has transformed itself into a terror outfit and enslaved the very people it once wanted to liberate!
While visiting a patient at the mental asylum a couple of decades back, I conversed with a patient there who was free to roam around. He was continuously swinging a key chain in a clock- wise direction. When I asked why he was doing so, when the normal tendency is to rotate a key chain in an anti-clock wise direction, because of the wrist anatomy, he replied,” The world (meaning other people) goes that way and I go this way”. He was no doubt a very intelligent and philosophical man, who made me realize that the line between sanity and insanity is indeed very thin. Are we Sri Lankans of all kinds like this man, different from the ‘Other’ people in this world, having crossed the thin line separating sanity and insanity?
I am convinced Sri Lanka is the Lanka described in the Ramayana. A beautiful and bountiful country ruled by a King (Ravana, aka: Ravaneswaran) blessed by Lord Siva, himself, but led to total destruction by passion, stupidity, and stubbornness. We in Sri Lanka are pursuing the same course. King Ravana, could not see reason consumed as he was by his passion for Sitha. He allowed passion -a normal human emotion- to become a madness that clouded his sense of reason (‘Mathi’ in Tamil). Our modern day equivalents are displaying the same tendency consumed by their respective passions for a Sinhala Lanka and an independent Tamil Ealam. If Ravana had freed Sitha, when advised by Hanuman (Rama’s messenger), he would have lived, his family would have lived, the beautiful capital of Lanka would have escaped arson and Lanka continued to prosper. According to legend the capital of Ravana’s Lanka was planned by Viswakarma, the architect to the Gods, himself! If Ravana had listened to his youngest brother Vibhishana, he, his family and the rest of Lanka, would have been saved. Vibhishana is worshipped to this day by Sinhala Buddhists as ‘Saman Deviyo’. If Ravana had at least listened to his other brother Kumbakarna- the slumbering giant, he would have lived, and a large part of Lanka could have been saved. Ravana lost his family, destroyed his country and died in disgrace because of his passion for Sitha and the refusal to listen to sane and wise advice. Ravana was a great man, a brave man, a cultured man and an extremely religious man, but had lost his sense of reason on account of his passion for Sitha. He is the first man recorded to have flown a plane! He is the hero of the Ramayana to many even today. Is history repeating itself in modern day Sri Lanka, due to the same inability to listen to sane and wise counsel by our modern day Ravanas? Have we also lost our sense of reason? The Ramayana is not just a collection of mythical stories, as some are bound to contend. It is an epic depicting all aspects of human behaviour with a beauty and depth, modern classics cannot match.
Let us as a people reflect on the following situations in other parts of the world in recent times and compare our impressions and opinions, with our thoughts on the events in Sri Lanka:
1.Pol Pot and the effects of his movement in Cambodia.
2.Taliban and its workings in Afghanistan
3.Lords Resistance Army and its legacy in Uganda.
4.Events in the former Yugoslavia and its eventual break-up.
5.Saddam Hussein’s campaign against the Kurdish people in Iraq.
6.The special status the French Canadians enjoy in Quebec, within the Canadian federation.
7.The results of the failure to permit Kashmir to have a special status within India as initially agreed.
8.The events in Aceh in Indonesia and the peace deal
9.ETA and the Basque region in Spain.
10.IRA and the situation in Northern Ireland.
What was madness and what was sense? What did madness ultimately lead to? Are there lessons to be learnt? I hope we can reach the right conclusions.
“Keduwaan Kerdu Ninnaipaan” – Tamil proverb
‘The one who thinks of harming others is bound to be ruined himself’-translation
Nathan Canada :
September 30, 2006 @ 9:35 am
The writer forgot to include Montenegro, the newest nation soon to become a member of the UN, 5414 Sq Miles in extent ( Sri Lanka is 25,000 Sq Miles ) & a population of 630,000, which came into being on June 3 2006.
The problem is that the sinhala majority is unwilling to allow tamils to manage their own affairs themselves, through fear that they will soon become prosperous, much more than the majority community.
Mustafa :
September 30, 2006 @ 11:10 pm
The vaddukoddai convention that decided the type of governance tamils needed was clear and they allowed tamils to form their own separate entity away from sinhala hegimony. This is well before the militancy was even born. If tamils after a prolonged fight for self-rule like that of a federal formation with the tamil arasu kaddchy better known as federal party under chelvanayagam and his ahimsa democratic protesets would have only produced mayhem and destruction for tamils’cause why on earth should tamils trust the sinhala leaders any more. The LTTE is born out of youth frustration due to fundamental rights being denied to the tamils in every field of their lives. Governments used force on peaceful protesters injuring and brutally assaulting and dragged them along to frighten tamils and to subdue them. Can the sinhala polity be trusted any longer . A mode of communication or language is a fundamental human right to communicate with people and the people mostly colonise the lands according to languages spoken and thus civilization brought out nations. As much as sinhala people are a nation with a language,culture and religion so are the tamils who are a nation with a language ,culture and their religion. Tamils as a nation have every right to be a separate entity and they by all human right laws are deemed to choose what type of government ad governance they want. The sinhala deception will not give any rights even the fundamental rights being denied and now tamils are starving to death by a sinhala government that calls itself as a sovereign government and are in the process of genocide of tamils and how on earth can any one expects tamils to stay put under such tyranny.Tigers have the answer for the prolonged tragedy of tamils and tamils are totally dependant on the freedom fighters to achieve what they can never get from the sinhala polity and chauvinism.
Harry Raja London :
October 1, 2006 @ 5:47 am
The writer has completely ignored the Buddhist Monks. They are one of the stubborn blocks in this Sri Lankan tragedy.
De Silva _ London :
October 1, 2006 @ 6:38 am
Jaffana is probably the most militarised zone in the whole world.
For every 50 yards there is one soldier in the streets of Jaffana.
There are 50,000 soldiers for a population of about 500,000 tamils, consisting mainly, children, women and old people. Who rely mainly relying on trade , farming and fishing for their existence.
That is 1 soldier for every 50 Tamil civilian!!
If you add to this the LTTE Fighters in the LTTE controlled area, The combined military P
presence would make Tamil Eelam the most militarised nationhood in the world.
Why is the GOSL holding on to Jaffana? Is there natural deposits? is it insudtrialised? is there any a strategic importance?
No just blind Sinhala Pride!
Bavani :
October 2, 2006 @ 11:46 am
UNICEF has proved beyond any doubt that tamil children if bombed and killed by the GOSL is acceptable and if only tamil children are recruited into LTTE cadres it is a violation of human rights and a wrongdoing. The award given to Anadasangaree a tamil traitor and giving the most prestigious job of Director general for south east asia to Chandrika by UNICEF is a blatant provocation to make the tamils worlwide to honestly feel that UNICEF is a biased entity who supports sinhala chauvinism. The credibility of UNICEF is totally under suspicion by the sixty million tamils worldwide and may also make UN as a mockery when it only warns tigers but not the government when mistakes are made by the GOSL. This is a double standard and sometimes it makes tamils to feel that UN and UNICEF are supporters of GOSL and would be enemies of tamils world wide.
De Silva _ London :
October 2, 2006 @ 1:15 pm
Bavani
You are absolutely right. UN and UNCIEF and associated organisations are there to pay lip service to US.
There is an interesting article in the Sunday Times Magazine about UN a nd Kofi Annan. It says “A Million people died while this man stood by and Vacillated. Goes on to say he is rewarded with a peace prize and a lavish farewell party, instead of being sent to trial.
Amila-Melbourne :
October 3, 2006 @ 1:27 am
We are greatful to dr. Rajasingham for having balanced opinion about the ongoing problem.But i must let the Ravana’s who made the comments above know that opinions they carry goes towards more violence.
The country is for everyone any one can live anywhere.. NO seperate.. estates or any thing MORE for any one… All are Sri lankans.
Yes there were mistakes and consequences in the past…for all…even sinhalease…remember how the JVP was?
put aside the past … look at the singapore and other countries.
Learn something and refrain from bieng partial to violance …
URGE ,,everyone who invoved in violance to come to democracy…
Then this will end ….. Otherwise….MORE VIOLANCE!
N :
October 3, 2006 @ 5:57 am
While not condoning violence itself, we must not forget that any “Tamil violence” is a reaction to Sinhala-Buddhist extremism.
It is also not fair to say that “The Tamil militancy has indeed come a long way, bringing about mainly death, ruin and destruction for the Tamils!” The ruin and destruction is also causally due to Sinhala-Buddhist extremism.
It is a common belief that Ravana had only one weakness (Sita) and that destroyed him and Lanka. But if you look deeply into the story, you will see that Ravana had a much greater and massive weakness: the weakness of ego and power craving. Everything Ravana did was to serve his ego, and he did become great in terms of ego. Even his craving for Sita was at its root an ego and power craving. He could have simply raped Sita but his ego was so great that he wanted Sita to willingly submit to him. Ravana was inadvisable therefore war and its consequences followed.
The ‘Sinhala-Buddhist extremist craving is also an ego craving that wants Tamils to submit and it will not rest even if there are military and political wins. The idea of an honourable and equitable peace with the Tamils is not there in the extremist mindset: to the extremists that is like an insult, (because it their own Sri Lanka and how dare anyone think about being equal).
If ‘Sinhala-Buddhist extremism is destroyed then there would be no need to worry about Tamil violence.
The question is, is that good destruction possible before complete destruction of any remaining good.
Muththu :
October 3, 2006 @ 11:06 am
The Sinhala Baudha extremism is the cause for all the evil that is reigning in srilanka. Are the sinhalese willing to root it out and will they respect all others as their equals. As long as sinhala extremism remains in tact the ethnic problem will not go away. The burgher community was chased out and before that was the Indian estate tamils were chased out in millions and now the tamils more than three millions are presumably being chased out to make srilanka a sinhala baudha ratta and this perhaps is going to remain the sinhala misery for ages to come. If sinhalese have inalienable rights and would want to make srilanka their own why they insist that tamils should not separate and form their own separate formations instead of remaining as seconclass under the sinhala domination. Freedom fight of tamils is the right way to go with unyeilding sinhala hegemony. If the sinhala wants no separation let them put forward the trojan horse that still not shown it’s face of peace package that still is not forth coming. The sinhalese will never grant any solution to the tamils’cause but will want to kill all tamils eventually including the traitors who are sticking to them for now.
De Silva _ London :
October 3, 2006 @ 12:53 pm
Mutthu
They are using the traintors to kill the traitors enemy, when that is over, they will go after the traitors.
Unfortunately the traintors don’t know that.
They blame LTTE for the killing of Kadirgamar amd Kethheesh. But it is well known that the blood is in Sinhala hand. They mad use of these two tamils and eliminated them for the sinhala political expidiency.
Harry_Raja :
October 3, 2006 @ 1:21 pm
Letter from Human Rights Watch
Philip Alston Esq
Special Rapporteur
Extra Judicial Killings
Office of High Commission of Human Rights
Palace Wilson
Geneva
Under the present situation in Sri Lanka, especially the question of extra judicial killings has increased tremendously after the new president Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa has assumed duties as president in November 2005.
Parliament members, ex-parliamentarians, journalists, priests, students, peace activists NGO workers and civilians have fallen prey to the extra judicial killings. There is no Law and Order in the state. Under the pretext of emergency rule and war against rebels (civil war) the extra judicial killings are carried out by three parties. By LTTE, the rebel group targeted many intelligence gathering officers in the army, high ranking officers of the army and leaders of the Para-military groups that are supporting the armed forces and Sri Lanka Government.
The Governments on the other hand are extra judicially killing active supporters of LTTE, civilians and children. The Para-military group (Karuna group) break away group from LTTE is extra judicially killing LTTE members as well as sympathizers. The EPDP another militant Tamil group that is supporting government is also killing Tamil civilians who are sympathetic towards the cause of LTTE. The PLOTE another Para-military group is also involved in extra judicial killings. Many civilians who are innocent of any crime or illegal act are also done to death.
Massacres and mass murders have became day today happening in Sri Lanka.
As you are some one who knows the struggle / problem in Sri Lanka from 1983, I need not explain to you in detail the problem facing Sri Lanka.
I am attaching a list of some of those who had been extra judicially killed. More than 1000 people most from civilians and students had been extra judicially killed. Details with affidavits will follow.
Though the international community is well aware of these awful incidents they are silent because of misinformation and political propaganda directed against the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
HHR will greatly appreciate if you may institute serious investigation in to the matter of growing extra judicial killings in Sri Lanka.
HHR will earnestly appeal to you to take this matter in the forthcoming Human Rights Council.
Donald Jay - New York :
October 3, 2006 @ 1:34 pm
It would seem that the 15 or so million Sinhala-speaking poulation in this world might prefer to do business with the 75 or so million Tamil-speaking population. We used to say: “make love, not war”. This still makes sense to me! I completely agree, that Sri Lanka, a place I love, is suicidal. On contemplating the current situation, one is tempted to prescribe either anti-depressants or pentathol (”truth serum”)
Najaf :
October 3, 2006 @ 2:07 pm
Mahinda Rajapakse was elected to his his position as president in acceptance of his manifesto of no CFA no Homeland No tamil self-rule and others that are contrary to the CFA signed between UNP and LTTE. The moment he was elected president by the predominantly sinhala votes the tamils’ cause has been put into jeopardy by the sinhala populous and Mahinda cannot be held accountable for the people’s choice. The CFA is totally in effective as far as Mahinda is concerned and therefore he doesn’t have to give a damn about CFA. The LTTE and the tamils are left with no choice other than to accept the people’s verdict or on the contrary fight back the Mahinda regime to make another CFA if he wants it that way or fight till their aspirations are attained in a fierce battle for survival of the fittest.
Harry_Raja :
October 3, 2006 @ 4:48 pm
Najaf:
Mahinda was elected by the Tamils by abstaining to vote. So your theory is flawed.
Further majority of ordinary Sinhala people dont want war and a negotiated settlement. To be honest ordinary sinhala people dont give a hoot if Tamils get Tamil Elam.
The sad fact as Donald Jay from NY has implied Sri Lanka is on a suicidal course.
Since 1959 , the first riots against Tamils, the politicians have not learnt any thing.
Mahinda is parading Douglas Devananda, a pariah dog, on to the world stage, while killing Tamils systematically, and the international community think that Tamils have power share.
What we need to understand why such a beautiful country is going down the suicidal path.
Why is Sri Lanka a killing field!
The answer is simple.Nnaked Budhhist Monks, thier robes stripped off blowing punches during a peace march, is a true reflection of the Sinhala masses!
Stephen Jones - Sri Lanka :
October 4, 2006 @ 6:07 am
——-”The vaddukoddai convention that decided the type of governance tamils needed was clear and they allowed tamils to form their own separate entity away from sinhala hegimony.”——-
The vaddukoddai convention was 1976. VP had carried out his first murderm that of the ex-mayor of Jaffna in 1975.
The Vaddukoddai resolution rested on two falsehoods. The first was that the TULF represented the “Tamil speaking peoples”, when it soon became clear that the Muslims wished to have nothing to do with them. The second was to use the 1833 British formed administrative provinces as the territorial unit for the Tamil homelands when the whole of the Eastern province had been officially part of the Kandyan Kingdom and the hinterland basically uninhabited scrub jungle homeland not to Tamils or Sinhalese but to the anopholes mosquito.
Major :
October 4, 2006 @ 10:08 am
The sinhala chauvinism with it’s deceptive politics and governance has been the root for tamils seeking their own governance. The sinhalese have no right to tell the tamils how they must live under sinhala hegemony by force. Tamils do not want to be a subjective race but would want to live as a separate tamil nation within a tamil speaking governance. Tamils and muslims who cherish tamil as their mother tongue would want a tamil government to be established within their perimeters wherein they have lived for centuries. If the sinhala race who are userps of lands,and homes of tamils and muslims are telling the world that srilanka is a sole property of their forefathers only and who by compassion only allowed tamils to live with them are a total lie. This is a myth. The sinhalese are in the habit of re-naming tamil areas with sinhala names and to add insult to injury would want to erect buddha statue to prove that they are all formerly a part of their kandyan kingdom. They hardly realise that tamils had their own kingdom too. This type of sinhala false hood and treachery and teaching sinhala children lies from their birth would only produce monsters out of children and not human beings. The type of animal slayings that are done on tamils prove that buddhism has not taught the difference between animals and humans to the sinhalese and thereby buddhists are mainly taught to kill tamils. The industrious tamil man is plundered to make a living for the sinhala thugs and bold headed monsters in their thousands to have a living out of plundered properties and monies of hard earned tamils’ wealths. Sinhala man is lazy to that extent he never wanted to earn a decent living but want to live a life to plunder others and make a lively hoods.
Bean :
October 4, 2006 @ 5:44 pm
The communal minded saffron clad power thirsty buddhist monk Medhananda Thera is propagating a violence gospel to unite the entire sinhala forces to wipe out the separatists who seek self-rule and calls self-rule as terrorism. Internationally accepted priciple of democracy is by the people for the people and of the people according to his clarification doesn’t apply to tamil people. If tamils seeking self rule is terrorism how is the sinhala attrocities,genocides and annihilation of tamils and their homes and lands defined by this buddhist hypocritical monk. This monk has been in the background for the eighty three massacre of tamils in colombo and he being a terrorist trying to paint the tigers seeking self-rule as terrorism has not learnt what democracy means. The sinhala perspective of srilanka being their own and everybody other than the sinhala buddhists are intruders is a nasty picture he has been taught by misguided twisted sinhala buddhist society. Buddha even at this stage were to appear to tell this monk his wrong doing he may reject his teachings and cling on to his chauvinism of calling tamils as separatists.Tamils have to decide their future of separation or self rule or whatever they want and not this bold headed monster for that matter.
Harry_Raja :
October 5, 2006 @ 5:00 am
In the name of LTTE
Clad the saffron robe
Incite Racial Hatred
Carry out indiscriminate Killing
Exterminate your enemies
Norman :
October 5, 2006 @ 11:10 am
If Buddha were ever to be re-born in srilanka his followers who are destroying buddhism and the land will want him to follow their model of buddhism and perhaps will teach him how to kill tamils and make a living in this beautiful island. The teachings of compassion,maithree karunava and the noble sayings are of no value to the monks who call themselves teachers and followers of buddha. Forceful erection of buddha sttues will never make buddhism to thrive but instead make buddha a monter in the eyes of the tamils who despise these cowardly cruel act of buddhist tyranny. Buddhism has become a mockery to srilanka and is the opium of the masses who are mislead into believing to the killing of tamils’aspirations as buddha’s teachings. The people very close to attaining Nibana among the staunch buddhists are people like Rambukwela and a host of others like Wicremanayake. These two are very close to attaining Nibbana. The poisionous snakes under the name of buddhist followers are bent on killing of tamils and say that’s what buddha wants them to do and pass the blame to the tigers.
Kanagaratnam Vasudevan :
October 6, 2006 @ 4:53 am
Whatever you write whatever LTTE do even if they stand upside down there won’t be any Ellam in this earth life time and it’s a dream of destruction of tamil’s life and properties. Until the SL tamil accept this no solution just spilling of blood. Dr Rajasingham is quite right thinker in this context I think. I tamils are watching the LTTE hollywood war film. Nothing useful won’t happen except LTTE leaders(until their life time)
Harry_Raja :
October 6, 2006 @ 9:31 am
The LTTE is doing more than just “stand upside down”
Selva_London :
October 6, 2006 @ 4:14 pm
Sri Lankan Tamils have a fundamental problem. That is of a selfish and divisive nature. We could have achieved Tamil Eelam long ago if not for this trait.
We all want to rule our selves. We cant accept leadership, we all want to be leaders.
This individualism is the main reason why Tamils as individuals are doing well in all walks of life , all over the world in all nature of economy.
But when it comes to a collective forum, organisation, political party, freedom movement we all fail miserably.
Even in simple forum such as old boys associations of various schools, there are splinter groups, and sub splinter groups.
Hindu Temples is another example, there are hundreds of Hindu temples set up by Tamil diaspora. Not because to serve god, but each of us want to be trustees of our own temples.
We simply cannot accept subordination whether to the Sinhala man or to another tamil.
This why in the modern time we have Karuna faction, Douglas Devananda faction, Uma Maheswara faction, Prabaharan faction, Mahtahya faction so on and so on.
Prior to the modern time we had Amirthalingam Faction, GG faction, Selva faction etc etc.
Then of course we have Eastern Tamil Faction, Jaffana Tamil faction, Colombo Tamil Faction. Within Colombo Tamil faction there is Wellawetta faction and Colmbo & faction
etc etc etc
This indvidualism is a positive thing in a way but when it comes to survival of the race Tamils are blind to the concept of Tamil race. What matters is a short term glory and for that we are willing to become traitors of our own race.
For this reason Sri Lankan Tamils as a collective group will never achieve a self respecting palce in the world.
As individuals we will survive.