By S. I. Keethaponcalan –
Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan
As expected, the government is gearing up to enact a new constitution. In his first policy-statement delivered on August 20, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared that the government would “formulate a new constitution suitable for the country. In this, the priority will be given to the concept of one country, one law for all the people.” The landslide victory in the parliamentary election, the ability to manufacture the two-thirds majority necessary to introduce a new constitution, and the about 60 percent popular support the government currently enjoys have provided the confidence that it could structurally alter the Sri Lankan state and society.
19 First
Government sources have revealed that they would replace the 19th Amendment with a new amendment (20th) before moving on to cancel the existing Constitution. When the present Constitution is canceled, the recent amendment would also be removed. Hence, the idea of replacing the 19th Amendment before introducing the promised new constitution seems illogical. In reality, it is a very savvy move. The 19th Amendment is irritating to the government, and it believes that the Amendment must be removed. That is a priority.
Right now, the government has 148 seats that belong to the SLPP-led coalition. Three additional votes in Parliament would be supplied by the National Congress, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal, and the Our Power of People Party. This would increase the government’s strength in Parliament to 151 seats. Hence, the government has the bare minimum in terms of the capacity to make any changes to the Constitution.
Meanwhile, enacting a new constitution would be a substantial process and might take a long time, perhaps a year. One year is a very long time in politics, and anything could happen in that time. Moreover, since a constitution-making process could generate resentments, any dissent from any faction could derail the entire process. The government is not ready to take that kind of risk. On the other hand, replacing or repealing the 19th Amendment could be quick and easy. Hence, the urge to deal with the 19th Amendment first.
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment created the provincial council system in Sri Lanka. I believe that when a new constitution formulated by the SLPP government becomes a reality, the provincial councils would be fully or partially eliminated. In a recent article entitled, Sri Lanka’s General Election Results: Ready for a Structural Change? I pointed out that “provisions of the 13th Amendment could be dropped in favor of a system based on a Gramarajya concept.”
Some Sri Lankan commentators do not agree that the provincial councils could be abolished. They believe that the 13th Amendment and the provincial councils have become an integral part of the Sri Lankan system; hence they cannot be undone. My argument that the provincial council system would come under severe stress when a new constitution is adopted is based on two primary factors.
One, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been a constant critic of the 13th Amendment and the provincial councils, although for strategic purposes he promised to improve on the powers devolved by the Amendment. During the last phase of the war, the Rajapaksa government talked about a scheme called the “13th Amendment plus,” only to deal with the Indian problem. The promise never materialized. Once the war was won, albeit with Indian assistance, the government moved to dilute the provincial councils’ powers.
In a 2013 tweet, Mahinda Rajapaksa argued that the provincial councils did not help Sri Lanka. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s reservations about the provincial councils are not a secret either. The State Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Government, Sarath Weerasekara, has already declared that “harmful” provisions of the 13th Amendment would be removed. From a nationalist Sinhala point of view, no provision of the 13th Amendment could be useful.
Therefore, ideologically, the present government does not believe in the essence of the 13th Amendment. A new constitution would provide the government an opportunity to undo the provincial council system as part of a “package-drop” where many aspects of the present Constitution will be dismissed. The point is that the government does not need to do anything that it does not like, especially when there is no pressure from a strong Tamil entity or powerful international/regional actors. However, the government may develop an alternative system for devolution of power, most likely a system that operates at the grassroots level and is not defined by ethnic factors.
Two, as almost everyone knows, the Maha Sangha, especially nationalist monks, and nationalist partners of the government, for example, National Freedom Front, are opposed to the 13th Amendment. When the new constitution is enacted, there will be pressure from these groups to drop the Amendment. It will not be easy to ignore allies’ protest mainly because the government has a fragile two-thirds majority. Even if partner parties are handled, the anti-13th Amendment monks could not be overlooked, especially by a government that is more than keen to act on the Maha Sangha’s advice. Doing so would be suicidal. Therefore, a new constitution would most likely undo the 13th Amendment, especially the provincial councils.
The Indian Wall
There has been a school of thought, especially among the Tamil community, which suggests that the government cannot scrap the provincial councils because India will defend it. They rely on the fact that the provincial council system was India’s baby. The recent statement from the Indian High Commission in Colombo suggesting “full implementation” of the 13th Amendment has strengthened their confidence. They most likely are ignorant of the real history of the end of the war in 2009.
Since India and Sri Lanka agreed on the need to terminate the LTTE, the collaboration between them reached the zenith during the last phase of the war. To coordinate their efforts against the LTTE, they set up a committee called the “Troika.” Three high ranking officials from Sri Lanka and India were in the group. Shivsankar Menon, the former Indian Security Advisor, has reportedly claimed that the troika has achieved tasks that were considered impossible. I am sure he meant the defeat of the LTTE. Menon was a member of the troika.
In his book Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy, Menon claimed that India’s concerns about civilian safety in the war zone were regularly conveyed to the Sri Lanka authorities, but in practice, India had very limited options. Hence, it settled for token assurances from the Sri Lankan government. These assurances were essential to deal with the tension created by the war in Tamil Nadu. Currently also, India has very limited options because it needs to be in the good books of Sri Lanka due to regional geopolitical compulsions. In other words, it cannot antagonize the Sri Lankan government due to the China factor. Therefore, again, it will settle for token assurances.
Moreover, the Indo-Lanka Agreement, which provided the 13th Amendment’s foundation, was a product of a different era. It was mooted and constructed by the (Indian National) Congress government. The current BJP led government had nothing to do with it. Hence, my take is that the BJP government would not have the same level of commitment to the Indo-Lanka Agreement and/or the 13th Amendment.
Therefore, when provincial councils are dropped, India will not vigorously fight for it. However, there will be plenty of statements, like the ones recently made by the Indian High Commission. The Tamils who believe that India will defend the 13th Amendment would have to look for New Delhi’s actions rather than statements. Statements are made to appease public opinion, especially in Tamil Nadu. Indian statements on this issue could be deceptive.
Hence, the conclusion is that since there will be no pressure from domestic or regional actors on the government, the 13th Amendment, especially the provincial council system, would go down with the current Constitution. The 13th Amendment also elevated Tamil to the “official language” status. I do not believe that this provision will be dropped in the new Constitution. Perhaps, I am too naive.
leelagemalli / September 2, 2020
Did not Gota s brother Nation’s Mafia Boss think of an offer going beyond 13 and plus ? Why the very same people stay as if they are fed with clay ?
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In a country, if people would become like MERCY cows, what cant go wrong ?
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I have no doubt, Gota has to respond to neigbouring India.
[edited out]
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / September 3, 2020
Will history repeat itself. Their is an orchestrated hue and cry to arrest CVW for sedition for speaking the truth about antiquity of Tamil language in Sri Lanka, which is similar to Amirthalingam being charged for sedition for distributing literature about right to self determination. As Sinhalese will not be able to prove scientifically that they were present in the island before Tamils, they will only make CVW a hero and widely publicize that Tamils being the original inhabitants of the land are facing genocide. In 2016 a burial site was found in Devalapola, Minuwangoda along the road leading to Ananda Maha Vidyalaya, thought to be of 2500 BC vintage. But after initial excavation which recovered few bits of pottery with markings, site has been closed and no further study undertaken probably because it will turn out to show Dravidian civilization.This is how ancient history is being covered up and distorted.
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Eagle Eye / September 4, 2020
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
Are you talking from mouth or from the other end?
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Instead of listening to Pathmanathan who is fabricating nice stories for Viggy, he should read Mahabharata.
Written between 3rd century BCE and 3rd century AD Mahabharata mentions Sinhalas on many occasions. However, there is no mention of Tamils. There is a mention of Dravidians but Tamils are only a fraction of Dravidians.
Dravidians or Tamils are certainly not mentioned in relation to the island of Lanka. Only Sinhalas are mentioned in relation to the island of Lanka.
===
“Their is an orchestrated hue and cry to arrest CVW for sedition for speaking the truth about antiquity of Tamil language in Sri Lanka,”
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / September 4, 2020
Mahindapala, you can only perceive what comes from the other end, so anyone who wants to communicate with you has to do so. Mahabaratha like Ramayana is fiction which cannot be taken seriously. There is no mention of Sri Lanka and that Sinhalas came from there in Mahabaratha and at the time of Mahabaratha, all Dravidians spoke Tamil. First language spoken in Sri Lanka is Veddha dialect, followed by Elu which is considered by linguists as proto-Tamil and then Tamil. So the claim that Tamil was used in Sri Lanka before Sinhala is true. How can Sinhala be the original language when the words are borrowed from Tamil and Sanskrit, grammar adopted from Tamil and script copied from Malayalam. Be proud that original people of Sri Lanka spoke the oldest language of the world. North Indian racists who said that Sanskrit is older than Tamil, are now accepting that Tamil is older than Sanskrit. If extensive and sincere archaeological survey is undertaken in Srilanka, it will prove the claim of Tamils as the original inhabitants. Be ashamed of yourself in fabricating history to suit your racist agenda..
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Eagle Eye / September 4, 2020
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
If Tamil is older than Sanskrit, why Vedas are not in Tamil?
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I am not fabricating history to suit my agenda. I am using prehistory evidences discovered by renowned archeologists. History text books published by the Ministry of Education have been changed based on findings from archeologists. According to findings on prehistory ‘Para’ Demalu have no place in Sinhale. They are in Sinhale because of colonial rulers.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / September 4, 2020
Mahindapala, at the beginning Tamils were natural worshipers of sun, animals, birds, trees etc. All Tamil festivals are related to movements of sun in contrast to north Indian Hindu festival which are related to movements of moon. Then they started Siva worship. Hinduism was brought to India by North Indians. Vishnu and Brahmma are north Indian creations. Vedas which are part of North Indian concepts are naturally in Sanskrit, which were forced on to Tamils as part of Hinduism. In Keeladi excavation, they could not find any religious objects which proved that Tamils did not follow Hinduism at that time. This is the same story in Indus valley, that people lived there did not follow Hinduism. Evidence cited by Sinhala archaeologists can now be challenged especially when in India new discoveries have thrown out old versions of history. Glorious civilization existed on the banks of Aruvi Aru (Malwattu Oya) between Mannar and Anuradhapura before the advent of Sinhalese, which is lying buried. Go ahead and unearth it to reveal the truth about the past.
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SJ / September 5, 2020
GS
This is new and interesting:
“…at the beginning Tamils were natural worshipers of sun, animals, birds, trees etc.”
When was this beginning may I know?
*
I have searched Sangan literature which has no evidence for it.
There was veneration of the dead, especially those associated with heroic deeds.
*
Your “history in a nutshell” raises more questions than they seek to answer and I think that it is wise to leave them aide.
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RAVI PERERA / September 5, 2020
Siva sankaram,
You can write garbage saying tamils were this and that. The embassies in Colombo knows the history. As Eagle eye said you demalu have no place in Sinhale. This is the land of the sinhalese. Your land is Tamil Nadu.
As I mentioned in an earlier article, in another 30 yrs Vanni and batt will be sinhala majority.
Just accept man, you have no roots in this land
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Native Vedda / September 4, 2020
Eagle Brain Dead Blind Eye
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“Instead of listening to Pathmanathan who is fabricating nice stories for Viggy, he should read Mahabharata.”
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As usual you are confused Prof Pathmanathan with Mahanama, Champika Ranawake, Kamalika Pieris, Paranavitana, ………………. Prof Pathmanathan actually studied History, did lot of research, did his PhD at School of Oriental and African studies London where Prof Amaradasa Liyanagamage, Prof R A L H Gunawardana, Prof Siriweera, W. I, Dr De Silva, Chandra Richard, Dr Wijetunga, Wijetunga Mudalige Karunaratna, Prof Indrapala, Karthigesu, Prof De Silva, K. M., Mendis, G. C., … another 100 or more scholars completed their PhDs.
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…. …. made several presentations at international seminars, has written more than 300 research papers most of them were being peer reviewed, published more than 15 books, taught for 50 years ………………. He is the Chancellor of University of Jaffna, …
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Professor Mahinda Somathileke and Dr N A Wimalasena have published a volume titled Essays on History Culture and Foreign Relations, Festschrift For Professor S Pathmanathan (2016, pages 603, S Godge & Brothers (PVT) Ltd).
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Dumbass Eagle here is an apt quote by Mark Twain:
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt. It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.
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Mallaiyuran / September 5, 2020
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.
For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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Eagle Eye / September 4, 2020
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
After several Demala (Ceylon Tamils after 1911) historians failed to find evidences for history of Demala people in Sinhale within this country, another historian Dr. Murugar Gunasingam went on a world-wide search for evidence of the role played by Tamils in building a truly comprehensive history of the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka. At the end he wrote that “no overall or comprehensive history of the Tamils in Sri Lanka has yet been written.” (p, 25 – Primary Sources For The History Of The Sri Lankan Tamils, World-Wide Search, 2005.).
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Is Pathmanathan attempting to give another try?
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N. Perera / September 3, 2020
Sri Lanka is not under the Indian cows or buffalos. Sri Lankans are Lions, lion land. Buffalos and cows best food for lions
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Native Vedda / September 3, 2020
N. Pererass
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Would you like monkey engineers to cross the Palk strait and burn down lion land or Hanuman to kick your ass?
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When and where did lion live in this land?
You must be hallucinating or mentally impaired.
You should stop smoking and/or consuming cheap Kasippu.
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leelagemalli / September 4, 2020
Unfortunately, today it has turned out to be under dogs, gone were the days we were ruled by stray dogs????????????????
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Rajash / September 2, 2020
Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan- you are making a statement too….lets wait for the action from the govt
there is too much water running under the proverbial 13th and 19th amendment bridges
stuffed animal/short changed/etc etc
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nagalingam ethirveerasingam / September 2, 2020
Realistic analysis and prediction. But India and the International community of concerned nations will encourage a better alternative. The realistic choice for compromise for reconciliation is 13+ or federalism. Alternative is perpetual conflict ad infinitum delaying critical development.
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Native Vedda / September 3, 2020
nagalingam ethirveerasingam
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Please note Eric Solheim has been active in the last few days. Remember when he was very active in the late 2000 he helped to destroy LTTE and the Tamil People’s right to exist.
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Who or what is his his target now?
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If you look at what was happening in the last few years the state, the government, Sinhala/Buddhists, … and the right wing noisy minority has been gradually losing their options, cornered by their own making, ….. Its time the middle class left the country at least they can save their immediate family.
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Gota’s too believes he is strong and clever.
You know VP too believed he was strong and too clever.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / September 3, 2020
13th Amendment was enacted as sequence to Indo-Lanka accord, an agreement between two countries and therefore Sri Lanka cannot change or abrogate it without the consent of India. Even 20th amendment can do nothing about it. Moreover lower level government politicians want them to enjoy pay and perks. What government may do is to truncate powers so that it will be a subservient body under government and will exercise its control through the governor. This is why Milinda Moragoda who wants 13th amendment abolished, and has contacts with Indian establishment is being sent to India as High Commissioner. Cabinet rank is given to him to have a free hand in lobbying Indian policy makers and to have direct dealing with president and prime minister back home. What I heard is that India is going to press for a greater autonomy for Tamils so that they India could take an upper hand in Sri Lanka.
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Atu / September 3, 2020
It is true that 13th Amendment was as a result of an agreement between India and Sri Lanka. That is why SLPP put new constitution as a promise in front of public and asked or 2/3 majority. As public endorsed it, people are supreme as per the constitution of Sri lanka as also confirmed by High Court, abolition of 13th amendment become a public demand. That supersedes international agreements. Any country can abolish an international agreement if parliament approves it. The same thing happened when GR withdrew from UN agreement. UN just issued a statement regretting it but nothing else could be done. Balancing China influence is more important for India than Tamil issue. Tamils will be treated equally as Sinhalese in the new constitution. No special privileges will be given to Tamils only because they are a minority. That is fair for all.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / September 4, 2020
Do not rely too much on India , it has a history of betraying and destroying the Tamils in the island and pandering to Sinhalese racism .. The Sinhalese may despise them , kick them and use them but the Indians or at least their largely anti Tamil ruling classes , never learn their lesson and come back wagging their tails to their Sinhalese masters , who know how to manipulate them, just like the way they manipulated Rajiv and his anti Tamil Malayali/North Indian gang and stupid Pirapakaran. During the later part of the conflict Pirapakaran turned out to be the biggest assets for the Sinhalese and the Rajapakses and the biggest liability to the Eelam Tamils.
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RAVI PERERA / September 5, 2020
“What I heard is that India is going to press for a greater autonomy for Tamils so that they India could take an upper hand in Sri Lanka”
You hear all kinds of delusional things in your twilight years. India Does not need Tamil autonomy for upper hand, they will do it by themselves. Rajivs Ghost will make sure you thalayas are not trusted
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Native Vedda / September 2, 2020
S. I. Keethaponcalan
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“Rajapaksa declared that the government would “formulate a new constitution suitable for the country. In this, the priority will be given to the concept of one country, one law for all the people.”
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People should stop worrying about
one country, sovereignty, separatism, Tamil Eelam, Fear of Chinese invasion, Fear of Western invasion, 13th Amendment, Loan servicing, Budget deficit, Jihad, Port city, War crimes, Genocide, little islanders, Gota, Mahinda, Great mathematician SAngili Karuppan Weerawansa, Sanghas, toy soldiers, …. capital crunch, …….. …
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Let the Hindians do the worrying.
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RAVI PERERA / September 3, 2020
Great entertainment
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Native Vedda / September 3, 2020
RAVI PERERA the Sinhala Speaking Demela
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Its free, have a good time, eat, drink and party while it last.
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Nathan / September 2, 2020
S. I. Keethaponcalan,
You say that the Rajapaksa government talked about a scheme called the “13th Amendment plus,” but only to deal with the Indian problem. You also tell us that India would not be that interested in 13A any more because it was construct of the Congress government and the present BJP would not have the same level of commitment to that 13th Amendment.
You seem to say that the foreign policy of India fluctuates with the government in place.
That is simply irrational. Further BJP will not offend Sonia Gandhi for a multitude of reasons.
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Nathan / September 2, 2020
was construct ought to read was a construct. Sorry for the oversight.
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GATAM / September 3, 2020
In India, all national decisions are made by native Hindi speakers. In Malaysia by Malays. In Sri Lanka by Sinhalese.
What did Tamils gain from 13 Amendment? Nothing!
It is time to have a realistic approach instead of begging and begging.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / September 4, 2020
There you go again with your racist utterances . Malays are indigenous to Malaysia but in Sri Lanka or former Ceylon there were two indigenous nations the Sinhalese and the Eelam Tamils. The Sinhalese indigenous to the south and the Eelam Tamil to the NE. This means both people have a right to decide on their fate in their own regions , not just the Sinhalese only just because they obtained power thanks to the British and being a majority. Even in Britain which created all this mess and still supports these Sinhalese racists , the
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / September 4, 2020
Scotts and the Welsh now have the power to decide their own affairs in their own lands not the English.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / September 4, 2020
GATAM, what did Sinhalese gain by independence?. Nothing.
They are economically bankrupt and politically confused.
It is time to have a realistic approach instead of begging and begging.
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Agnos / September 4, 2020
GATAM,
India has quasi-federalist states and the states enjoy much better rights than the PCs in SL. There have been national leaders from TN/Andhra, like Rajaji, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, V.V. Giri, and those holding key ministries like finance, defense and external affairs. At the moment, the finance minister, Nirmala Sitaraman, and external affairs minister, S.Jaishankar, are Tamils, though the latter was born and raised in Delhi.
Indian Tamils are doing fine though some do want even better rights. It is only in SL they have to face many abuses, pogroms, etc. Malaysian Tamils are relatively recent immigrants ( during the British colonial period) so the comparison is absurd. But even they don’t face the kind of state-sponsored pogroms that Tamils had to face in SL.
In the U.S., there are four Indian origin Congressmen and one senator, and the five together are called the Samosa caucus. That senator, Kamala Harris, is now the VP candidate for the Democrats. And out of the 4 Congressmen, 2 are from Tamil Nadu: Raja Krishnamoorthi from Chicago and Pramila Jayapal from Seattle. The latter is a progressive who advocates human rights broadly and has harshly criticized Modi’s actions in Kashmir. That led to an interesting situation where Jaishankar refused to meet Jayapal officially.
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Native Vedda / September 5, 2020
GATAM
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“It is time to have a realistic approach instead of begging and begging.”
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Begging is best done by the leaders of this island since 1948.
Recently Gota and Mahinda went to Hindia to beg. A picture of Begging Bowl should be added to the national flag.
Don’t get confused by the statue of Parakramabahu I near Potgul Vehera in Polonnaruwa.
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“What did Tamils gain from 13 Amendment? Nothing!”
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There may be some truth in what you type.
However what did the country gain by the constitutions of 1948, 1972, 1978, ….. or importantly by CHAPTER II, BUDDHISM
“The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the
foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State
to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all
religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e). “
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Every patriotic crook, war criminal, racists, thief, rapist, politician, Nazi sympathisers, …… takes refuge in Chapter II.
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Agnos / September 3, 2020
If the 13th is rolled back without anything better to take its place, that will take away whatever little that the Tamil struggle for justice, at the cost of so much blood and treasure, was able to produce. It will put the Tamils in a worse position than in the 1970’s when the conditions gave rise to Tamil militancy.
What could lead to a society that was willing to elect CBK on a push for peace even as the LTTE was on the ascendant and was calling for complete separation, to make all sorts of over the top denunciations of the Tamil people and at a time when the LTTE is no more, with no violence whatsoever for over a decade, and
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Lankan / September 4, 2020
The 20th amendment will help the country to move forward quickly. It had made possible to take decisions quickly. The new amendment has given more power and control to the President, so he can make it happen quickly. The 19th amendment gave power widely and decision could not be made quickly. The Easter Sunday bombings couldn’t be stopped, because too many people had power which made difficult to come up with a quick decision, but created unnecessary rifts. The 20th amendment also gives opportunity for dual citizens to get involved to develop the country. This is a right direction to deal with the brain drain. Overall I am happy with the 20th amendment. Therefore, I would support it.
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Agnos / September 3, 2020
[Contd…]
And such denunciations of the Tamil people and their leaders are coming even from the main opposition party, at a time when Tamils as a whole have stopped advocating for separation, demanding only something that comes close to federalism, which they call ‘internal self-determination, and there is no real threat?
It is simply that without any countervailing forces, mass opinion is easily
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Agnos / September 3, 2020
[Contd..] manipulated by nationalistic politicians. The outbidding between the two major parties to claim the mantle of ‘protector’ of Sinhala-Buddhism is such that even those who once strongly supported devolution but failed to get elected, are blaming a weakened Tamil polity’s “over-assertiveness” for their electoral failures.
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sbarrkum / September 4, 2020
Agnos,
Here is another prediction for you.
Violence and Riots after Trumps win at elections.
You said
You fail to recognize that the anger even in the center-left against Trump is so high that many of us feel like physically beating up any Trump supporter we come across. Imagine the energy on the far left then.
Proves my prediction. You types incite other carry out violence.
Good luck with peace in the US with ‘Holier than thou” guys like you.
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Agnos / September 4, 2020
Hello Sbarr,
“Proves my prediction. You types incite other carry out violence.”
Don’t flatter yourself. You got lucky with your dart-throwing 4 years ago, but I will go by polls, and a week after the Republican convention–a carnival of lies and deception–the Biden-Harris ticket still has 70% or better chance of winning.
As for inciting violence, I do nothing of that sort. But if you can’t realize that Trump is the epitome of evil–the personal depravity, malignant narcissism, lying thousands of times, snake-oil salesmanship, absence of any conscience, dog whistles to white nationalists, racism, business corruption, bankruptcies, cheating on his SAT, despised even by his sister and niece as pathetic, utter hypocrisy–then I don’t care what your educational background is, you are just a complete Mokku ( ask the Tamil side of your family tree what that means) who doesn’t deserve my time.
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sbarrkum / September 4, 2020
Agnos
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You seem to think I really care if it is Trump or Biden. All these prediction stuff is just an intellectual game for me, as I see no real difference between the Trump and Biden.
My opinion on the other hand would be different if Tulsi Gabbard had been nominated.
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Anyway, for a dart thrower I got it right last time, including predicting better numbers from Latinos, Af Ams and no change among women.
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This time my prediction Af Ams and Hispanic Democratsare not going to the polls
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Of course you predict based on polls and your 3 star generals that you high five at the Pentagon. My predictions are based on very close and dear Af Am freinds opinions and other alternate media I read.
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My suggestion would be for you to chat to the gas station attendant, plumber, mechanic, the grocery store clerk and gauge their opinion. You know that they are people too and vote.
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Back to the violence /riots i.e. a color revolution after Trump wins.
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First what you, Agnos said
against Trump is so high that many of us feel like physically beating up any Trump supporter we come across.
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To quote David Brooks from NY Times
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sbarrkum / September 4, 2020
To quote David Brooks from NY Times.
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It turns out, amid the existential crisis, there really is a group of sober people who are militant about America, who can see reality unblinkered by the lens of partisanship, and who are finally compelled to organize.
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If Trump claims a victory that is not rightly his, a few marches in the streets will not be an adequate response. There may have to be a sustained campaign of civic action, as in Hong Kong and Belarus, to rally the majority that wants to preserve democracy, that isolates those who would undo it.
You Agnos said
Against Trump is so high that many of us feel like physically beating up any Trump supporter we come across.
If those are not enticements to violence, I dont know what is.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/opinion/trump-election-2020.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
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sbarrkum / September 6, 2020
Agnos
I am quoting you in many places.
Sri Lankan who works in the Pentagon inciting violence against Trump supporters.
cheers
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Agnos / September 6, 2020
I said that in the context of how energized voters on the left are. It has been said that ‘angry white nationalists’ were energized to vote for Trump closer to the last election. I was saying that in this election, the other side will get angrier, and that will lead to high turnout, regardless of what your few friends tell you. Only morons would think that is incitement to violence.
Steve Bannon has been indicted and shown to be a grifter. Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife have been shown to be perverts in addition to being grifters. Showing the quality of people whom Trump has surrounded himself with. The Military Times polls show that Biden has a large lead among the men and women of the military, who have traditionally been Republicans. And that was before the latest expose of Trump calling those who join the military, including those who die in combat, ‘losers’ and ‘suckers.’ Only morons continue to think Biden and Trump are the same.
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Mallaiyuran / September 3, 2020
“The recent statement from the Indian High Commission in Colombo suggesting “full implementation” of the 13th Amendment has strengthened their confidence. They most likely are ignorant of the real history of the end of the war in 2009. “
In CT, we have couple of clowns frequently argue, catching on the matters of missing or extra negation, a word like “Prey” going in as “Pray” by autocorrect or something like that, ridiculing that the writer was a flaw soul by life. That is negligible in commenting, because few only try to gear the debate on positive forward, but a lot write to earn fame while being absolute chaffs. But this cannot be ignored in an essay which resting on that flaw assumption to build the topic’s point. Geethaponkalan, a trained conflict resolution specialist, is depending on Indian embassy statement saying 13A is fully implemented. He is not willing to have context connected with the statement and have the meaning adjusted. Then there is an additional hypocrisy, he immediately turned around and wiped his words with another line “Statements Don’t Count, only action”. Then what is the point in author bringing the Indian embassy’s statement? In his previous essay, author did not know how many MPs the Slap Party was having and if that was 2/3.
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a14455 / September 3, 2020
lol I thought the tamils did not want the 13th ?
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Native Vedda / September 3, 2020
a14455 a1aass
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“lol I thought the tamils did not want the 13th ?”
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When and how did Tamils express their general will against 13th Amendment? Please cite references.
JVP opposed it with arms later accepted, contested and took up seats in provincial councils and enjoyed all the benefits.
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What’s your problem?
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Mahinda opposed war crimes during 1987/91 period while his brother running dead squads, then commanded his armed forces which committed war crimes and crimes against humanity along with his brother.
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You haven’t questioned them anyway.
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Mallaiyuran / September 3, 2020
So he wrote Royal would go for Donkey Trading. This time he has caught up a lot but not sure if that will do to deal with the, current urgent hard pressing 20A’s need. There is no point in taking the whole article point by point, because it is self-contradictory, hypocrisy & attempting to mathematically extrapolate or intraplate the evets, but not discussing on political dimension. For example he is saying India is in Amnesia on the matter of 13A, but he not willing to think then would India may like to bring a new 14A. Neither, he has seen any reason why Rajeev’s consultants would want 13A but not Mr. Modi’s consultants. Rajeev time China- Lankawe crush was not an issue, but now it is. So, for the question of why would author spending his precise time & travel on a pointless path like this, the answer would be : “Self-Satisfaction on making TN looks pity, irrelevant of whether there is evidence or not to decide what is going to happen to 13A.”
In political we all wants to see all the possible direction answered in the matters in consideration or review. So there is no question on the need of Analysts seriously discussing on what is going to be the fate of 13A. During Indian invasion only a few believed Rajeev’s object was getting 13A (a solution) for Tamil.
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Mallaiyuran / September 3, 2020
So it was well ok for Rajeev, JR’s hanky, panky 13A until his matters were fully settled to deal with JR.JR’s MPs highly protested on 13A. TULF, the TNA’s forefather expressed disappointment on India. Satyendra even wrote a booklet about how damaging the 13A was. But so many things happened following that, which nobody forecasted. Tigers colluded with Vaalaiththodam SR and forced Rajeev to pull back. It costed him election and his life. So the 13A which Rajeev’s wanted as barking guard dog only in Lankawe, because of the events followed it, it became a still born pub. Old King did notice there no election need to be conducted for PCs and it can be well run with a cooly governor. He fired CJ Shiranee for not cooperating with him to violate 13A. He was looking for opportunity to remove it during the Chitanta time. But now, again things changed.
In 2015 election Old King pledged his constitutional change. Yahapalanaya had promised for one. TNA wanted Secret Solution. JVP wanted the EP system dismantled. So, later Sumanthiran explained that 99.8 percent of the voters wanted a constitutional change during Yahapalanaya time. But Royals broke every promise, every pledge, and every line in manifestos of the election. Ranil moved the pawns very diligently. He brought in19A and secured his PM position, first.
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Mallaiyuran / September 3, 2020
Ranil then cooked up some techniques to do away with old PR system for LG election. But he left the 3rd promise, a solution for Tamils by changing the constitution”, up in the air. So the promised Secret Solution was not even in draft for four years. In the meantime, Joint Comedy Club ploughed everything upside down. By the LG time they very strongly opposed any constitutional change; especially on the proposed Federal element, which they interpreted as a separate country. Communist Danish, Communist Pakkaya, Lemon Puff Weeraya, Ganapathipillai, Rambo… lead the anti-Tamil campaigns of the Joint Comedy club. Again, so many unexpected evets, NCM, October revolution Easter attack……… The Yahapalanaya time of 5 years was spent like watching a Hollywood thriller. King stood for the EP election and with Ranil’s blessing, earned an easy victory. Yet there was no talk of a new constitution, but changes to 19A. During 2020 election, Royals brought back the constitutional change as a pledge, which they highly opposed during LG election, just 2 years ago. We have no good clue to establish the sudden need of new constitution for Royals. The most accepted view in CT is to plunge the country into autocratic mode. Well knowingly Prof. Kumar, Tissaranee Gunasekara like writers reinforced this view in CT readers mind.
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Mallaiyuran / September 3, 2020
We have taken a complete circle, because we want to see, earnestly, what is going to be the fate of 13A. At the end of 2014 Old Royals were looking for opportunity to remove 13A. Tamils like Northern MP CV, the 13A has no teeth and no use. But Sampanthar said 13A need to be strengthened, cannot be given up even for a precursor for new devolution. Yet neither Tamils nor Sinhalese like the 13A. A procedurally made new constitution will automatically wipe out 13A, because 13A is only an amendment to the current constitution. There is a requirement that any changes to 13A have to be approved by all 9 provinces. That is a block to change the constitution. If the changes in the constitution are in favor of Tamils, Southern provinces will not consent. If it is the other way, North will not consent. Ranil has dismissed all PCs. They have no voice at this time. Like Divineguma, Government will have the governors to act for the missing CMs and will have written all what it wants. Further government didn’t mind the S 29 of Soulbury constitution and illegally did the change it wanted. But here Government may have capacity to change, but still we have no prove that it will change 13A at this lime of life, and may get away with it, like that time.
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Mallaiyuran / September 3, 2020
Though 13A no body’s favorable, and in its weakest time of its short history. Even that is not telling it can be got rid just like that. Sinhalese will not have the stomach to do that; Tamils may not let it go without a fights; India, even in any dormant state, will not sleep over 13A. Many authors argued in CT that this new thirst for a constitutional change for Royal is because to go for dictator ship; then 13A is a stone in the path and certainly needs to be removed. But dictatorship will be biggest challenge to Lankawe deal with India & West. In 2015 regime change was imposed by India & West. The 2018 Coup was reversed by India & West. They refused to recognize the 52 days government. During government planned 4/21 all democratic nations were wondering what was Lankawe up to. More than 6 nations forcefully sent their intelligence services to investigate the incident. If Lankawe abolish 13A and declare dictatorship, I do not believe things will be as easy as author is dreaming. Royal family who has already ran out of Temple Tree House, too well aware of it.
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rj1952 / September 3, 2020
This much talked of the accord has been dully happily signed for 33 years which on the 5th September 1987.
The successive Yakko government just did not have the balls in them to be bold enough to honour the said agreement which prevented the takeover militarily by the Indian armed forces.
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Between 1987 to 2020 Mahimdspuka Alibaba Rajapuk’s has been glowingly squatting on the royal latrine from 994 till 2015 and then from November 2016 till to date.
22 Years in all.
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He the undisputed ALIBABA of the world has had many an opportunity of honouring the said gentlemen’s agreement the 2 neighbours and close buddies – amba-yalluwa’s.
A few years ago if my memory serves me right he told the current Indian Prime Minister that he’s prepared to go further than the much talked about only all fart and no shit dropping’s 13th amendment which has been only a boru show from the part of the now might-less bankrupt beggar Yakko’s.
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Mahindapuk’s human beast has no respect for himself has made many a rash promise in his nearly 80-year-old sad sadistic life on this planet, when he opens his cesspit lies through his false teeth.
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rj1952 / September 3, 2020
If the present rulers cull away the gentleman’s agreement into the thrash bin the world, especially India, have no other option but to blackball the beggar colony use military force take over the island and hand it over to the Tamil’s/Muslim’s whom I can safely say will run all the aspects of the taken over island in a much more honest dedicated manner which will give prosperity to all the now starving poverty-stricken citizens.
Prior to 1956 the said Tamil’s/Muslim’s kept the wheels well greased/oiled and
Ceylon was one of the success stories in
Asia.
Cull, a cull should be the words that India and the world should add to their vocabulary to mete out fairness to all the suffering folks in this ‘ A ‘ grade beggar colony.
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N. Perera / September 3, 2020
13A, Vaddukoddai Resolution, Peelam all gone with the wind. The year 2009 May, completely wiped out LTTE and LTTE leadership also. There is no national problem in Sinhalese Aryans country now. The Only problem for Tamils (78 million) in the world there is no Nation for them.
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Native Vedda / September 4, 2020
N. Pererass
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“The Only problem for Tamils (78 million) in the world there is no Nation for them.”
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What is Tamil Nadu then you dumbass?
Careful, don’t urge them (1.3 Billion) to p**s facing South all at the same time.
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chiv / September 3, 2020
Keetha, did you actually expect it to be fully implemented. I did not. Rajapaksas or for that matter anyone else , does not have the intentions to do it. It was just a ploy for government to exploit, buy time and votes. If 13 goes 14th will replace , for the same reason and will never be implemented. We need to give due credit to our leaders who could change such adversities to their advantage. As you say, “enacting a constitution is a substantial process and might take a long time “. Yes, only if it is meaningful one(if it is to get rid of the current one) but for Rajapaksas takes very little time. I am told our constipation , sorry, constitution expert GLP had one ready even before presidential elections, so that no time is wasted. Our constitution is not worth the paper it is written and only good enough to pack lunch parcels.
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RohanaW / September 3, 2020
It has been proved that PCs have not done anything special to the country than wasting money which could have spent on eliminating countrwide poverty . Even the Northern PC did not raise the standard of living of its people. Vigneswaran too failed to do anything worthwhile. Whole country will be benefited administratively and financially if this White Elephant is killed.
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Mallaiyuran / September 4, 2020
RohanaW,
You are right; not just PCs created with 3A from 1987, but even the Aanduwa created with Soulbury constitution from 1948 didn’t do any developments to the country. Only one did any development to the country in education, democracy, economy, communal harmony………. is Kandyan Accord of 1813. While reversing 13A, Lankawe should reverse Soulbury constitution and return the country to Britain back again under Kandyan Accord. (If your brain has shut off, just for that pls, don’t write Moda conclusion)
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Kanapathy Varunan / September 3, 2020
Does it appear to be an unlucky ’13’?
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Rajash / September 3, 2020
13th Amendment is doomed?
19th Amendment is doomed
The country is doomed with the Rajapakses grip on the country
Gota’s recent appeal to the country
Please do not invite me to grace your private functions.!
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Stanley / September 3, 2020
Apart from ditching 13A, the draft of 20A shows sweeping new powers for the President.
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Dual citizens can now stand for Parliament. The minimum age has been reduced from 35 to 30. The limit of 30 for the number of ministries has been scrapped. The President can now dissolve Parliament in a year instead of four years. He can also fire the PM.
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The only thing he cannot do is to turn a man into a woman. Not even JR managed that. Sorry Mangala.
https://cdn.newsfirst.lk/english-uploads/2020/09/f7c3abd7-pl-011963-gazette-supplement-e.pdf
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umberto / September 4, 2020
Stanley you wrote “The only thing he cannot do is to turn a man into a woman.”
Sorry mate you are wrong. Gota can do that in a flick of a second. Do you want him to try on you???
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Stanley / September 4, 2020
Ms Umberto, I hope your operation wasn’t too painful.
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umberto / September 5, 2020
stanley
it still hurts , even after 11 years
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srikrish / September 3, 2020
Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan-
13A made Tamil also an official language, but 16A had made Tamil languages as the sole of Administration and Language of Courts in the Northern and Eastern provinces while allowing Sinhala as the sole Language of Administration and Language of Courts.
16A provided minority status to Sinhala in the two provinces and Tamil in the other seven provinces.
It was a satisfactory arrangement and language problem was settled once and for all.
16 A was also enacted on the initiative of India in 1988 in terms of Indo- Sri lanka accord, almost unanimously passed in the then Parliament.
India could claim parentage to both 13A and 16A.
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nancytwins17 / September 4, 2020
Nobody should be surprised of this. This was Gota’s rallying cry since he became the secretary of defense. 13th amendment was enacted primarily by the Indians to address the LTTE terrorism, with the intention that when given power to rule the areas concerned, the discontent would be addressed. It was not to be. IT SHOULD BE SCRAPPED. The Prov. Councils are infested with cronies and thugs of the influential politicians of the day. This is a colossal waste of tax payer funds for the benefit of the Parliamentarians.
We should go back to the old GA & DRO system, when the managers were at least qualified to do the tasks involved as opposed to the political thugs as of today. I sure hope 20A would accomplish this. We have ‘too many chiefs, but not many Indians’.
The problem arose with the 24hour Sinhala manthra of SWRD. Sinhala is not THE official language of SL since 1988 Premadasa amendment. Tamil speakers in SL are not treated as second class citizens. After all ‘Viggy’ rose up to the bench of the supreme court. Kadiragarmar should have been the PM, sad.
If the Tamil speakers feel inferior, that is their problem. Most of them are living with a greater evil of oppression under the Vellalar caste.
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Lankan / September 4, 2020
The 20th amendment will help the country to move forward quickly. It had made possible to take decisions quickly. The new amendment has given more power and control to the President, so he can make it happen quickly. The 19th amendment gave power widely and decision could not be made quickly. The Easter Sunday bombings couldn’t be stopped, because too many people had power which made difficult to come up with a quick decision, but created unnecessary rifts. The 20th amendment also gives opportunity for dual citizens to get involved to develop the country. This is a right direction to deal with the brain drain. Overall I am happy with the 20th amendment. Therefore, I would support it.
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Lanka Canuck / September 4, 2020
Let me reproduce an article written in 2012 by one Naganathan,
Tamils, it’s time to wake up!
by C. Naganathan
( May 29, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka) Before the LTTE evolved into a militant force, the peaceful struggle for devolution by the Tamil leaders (front of old Parliament and Galle face green) were attacked by the Sinhala government sponsored mob. During that time the Tamil problem was known as a domestic issue and the outside world did not bother, but today the situation is totally different, the entire world is involved.
In his keynote address by Mr. R Sampanthan the leader of the main Tamil parliamentary party at the recent congress of that organization provides a glimpse of their future tactics.
In his speech Mr. Sampanthan also says,
“…Our patience however, will not be everlasting. Our patience too, has its limits. Once we have reached that limit, we will move onto the stage of our effort. We will not hesitate to gather our people together and with the support of progressive forces in our country, and the international community, even engage in a non-violent struggle. We will decide on specific deadlines and when the time comes for such action, we will act…”
Continued…
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Lanka Canuck / September 4, 2020
When it comes to non-violent campaigns, the Non-Violent Direct Action exemplified several decades ago by the Civil Rights Movement under Martin Luther King in the USA is a very practical alternative technique to militancy-cum-terrorism. There are several features in this strategy which are positive and relevant to the Tamil people everywhere.
Firstly, it will involve large masses, if not all, of the Tamil people. Secondly, it will preclude the enormous waste of resources in the purchase of arms, which could be far better spent in rehabilitating the North and East, presently lying in ruins. It also provides a less unethical, less immoral and certainly less mortal route to the same experience of involvement – and it is open to every Tamil.
All Tamil parties should establish their permanent headquarters in the North and the East, so also the Tamil social service organizations or humanitarian agencies. The Hindu cultural and religious organizations should follow suit. The Tamil people everywhere else should consider it their bounden duty to look after their less-fortunate brethren in the North and East as a priority, live soberly, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that they take their responsibilities as a people, seriously and ethically.
Continued…
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Lanka Canuck / September 4, 2020
Non-violence with Direct Action is not naive, but a rough factor for real politic based on careful study of human psychology. It will enable the Tamils and the parties to appeal with confidence to the conscience of the international community, as expressed in international law, world opinion and international institutions. It will realistically facilitate an UN-sponsored armistice and UN-supervised referendum that will hand back the traditional Tamil lands to the Tamil people.
It is for the Tamil people in the North and East to decide how they wish to settle the Tamil question, let the people have their say. It is time that Tamil people everywhere, whether in the Tamil speaking areas, or in the rest of the country, or abroad, demand their right to an open forum in which to have their say. Create the conditions for the Tamil people to exercise their right to enter the debate and negotiate the final answer to the Tamil question that concerns them most?
Continued…
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Lanka Canuck / September 4, 2020
Every opportunity should be grasped by the Tamil people, parties and organizations alike to establish links with the International community (including India) and also with groups of enlightened Sinhalese opinion that perceive the good of all implicit in breaking the hold of the present Sinhala ruling class over the affairs of the country, defeating majoritarianism and replacing the present Unitarianism and centrist structure of government by a new confederative structure or consociation of nationalities. This, in a plural society such as ours, is the only suitable vehicle for democracy, according parity, equality and tolerance at all levels of government and society and culture and liberating the down-trodden and oppressed, whether Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher or other, so that they may live in peace, dignity and concord, without either class or ethnic bias and where there is scope for all without the one subsuming the other.
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N. Perera / September 6, 2020
Self-determination, Genocide, homeland, PEE-LAM all bullshit. Sri Lanka is not ruling according to the International Community. The last Presidential and General Elections proved to the world, Sri Lanka (Heladiva) full of a fledge democratic country, whereas Ballot Papers more powerful than bullets. The majority of the people are refusing to engage in a non-violent struggle. People want a peaceful life, not war.
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Plato / September 5, 2020
13th Amendment doomed?
Just have a look at those who have been appointed to draft a yet another New Constitution .
Romesh de Silva P.C. Manohara de Silva P.C. et al……….
Surely, they will not Zoom the 13th Amendment!
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ShanR / September 6, 2020
GP’s hypotheses on scrapping the constitution and implementing new constitution is thought provoking and important. Scrapping the constitution will do away with the 13+ amendment. These are serious matters and will be closely scrutinised by many parties. The government comprises many experienced politicians and is well aware of the pitfalls and difficulties involved in scrapping the existing constitution. There are also lessons to be learned from the ‘shoot from the hip’ policies of J R Jayawardena who had similar large majority in the parliament. Current constitution is his brainchild. Other point to note is that the civilised western countries are now ignoring the Westphalian concept of exclusive sovereignty. There are political reasons. The philosophical reason is that the heightened ethnonationalism of ruling Now that amendment no 20 had been gazetted we ought to
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ShanR / September 6, 2020
Continued
Previously India had a powerful role in moulding the opinion of civilised west. India’s opinion will be questioned this time.
Now that the 20th amendment to the constitution has been gazetted we ought to discuss the merits of this amendment urgently. In this regard my advise to TNA is not to review It as members of UNP or SJB, but from the Tamil point of view. In this regard the role of CWV and GK can only be good to ‘keep the bast++dis honest’(Ensure that politicians behave fairly and openly). I expect people like Angajan and Douglas with their good relationship with government and as popularly elected MPs to play a much more useful role.
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N. Perera / September 6, 2020
Self-determination, Genocide, homeland, PEE-LAM all bullshit. Sri Lanka is not ruling according to the International Community. The last Presidential and General Elections proved to the world, Sri Lanka (Heladiva) full of a fledge democratic country, whereas Ballot Papers more powerful than bullets. The majority of the people are refusing to engage in a non-violent struggle. People want a peaceful life, not war.
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