Ariaratnam Gobikrishna MD
Dear President Disanayake,
Congratulations on your remarkable victory and for defying the odds to reach the highest office in our nation. Your journey from humble beginnings to the presidency, and your commitment to eradicating the deeply entrenched corruption in Sri Lanka, is an inspiration to all of us who believe in the potential of our country to rise above its challenges.
I am writing to you on behalf of the minority communities in Sri Lanka, particularly the Tamil and Muslim communities, to express our hope and to share a vision for a united and prosperous nation. As you work towards building a better future for all Sri Lankans, I urge you to consider the vital role that these communities can play in the economic and social upliftment of our country.
The Tamil population, both within Sri Lanka and the vast diaspora, holds enormous potential to contribute to the nation’s development. Many Tamils who left the country during the civil conflict are now in a position to invest in the redevelopment of the neglected Northern and Eastern regions. However, for this potential to be realized, the political environment must be conducive and stable.
We are not seeking a separate nation or major positions in government. What we desire is the ability to live peacefully, managing our own affairs while preserving our culture, language, and lands without the oppressive presence of the military. By fostering an environment of trust and inclusivity, we can encourage the diaspora to channel their resources and expertise back into their homeland, creating economic opportunities that will benefit the entire nation.
The Tamil population in the upcountry has long been the backbone of Sri Lanka’s tea industry, a key pillar of our export economy. Supporting and uplifting this community is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity. Improved living conditions, educational opportunities, and fair wages for these workers will result in a more robust and sustainable tea industry, which in turn will strengthen the national economy.
Similarly, the Muslim minority, with its strong cultural and familial ties to the Gulf nations, plays a crucial role in maintaining a steady flow of remittances to Sri Lanka. These remittances are a lifeline, especially in times of economic hardship. By recognizing and supporting the contributions of the Muslim community, we can ensure that this vital source of foreign revenue continues to bolster our economy.
Your administration has the unique opportunity to transform Sri Lanka into a nation where all communities feel valued and included. To achieve this, I propose the following initiatives:
1. Political Inclusivity: Encourage and facilitate the participation of minority communities in governance by supporting corruption-free parties that genuinely represent their interests. This will help build trust and ensure that the voices of all communities are heard in the decision-making process.
2. Economic Development: Create targeted economic development programs for the Northern and Eastern provinces, and the upcountry regions, focusing on infrastructure, education, and healthcare. This will enable these areas to become self-sustaining and reduce their reliance on the central government.
3. Reconciliation and Justice: Implement meaningful reconciliation measures to address the grievances of the Tamil community, including the demilitarization of civilian areas and the return of lands taken during the conflict. Establishing a transparent and fair process for addressing wartime abuses will help heal old wounds and promote national unity.
4. Diaspora Engagement: Develop a comprehensive strategy to engage the Tamil diaspora, encouraging them to invest in the development of their homeland. Providing assurances of stability and good governance will be key to unlocking this potential.
5. Supporting the Muslim Community: Recognize and support the vital economic role played by the Muslim community, particularly in maintaining the flow of remittances. Ensuring their security and well-being is crucial for the continued economic stability of our nation.
Mr. President, the challenges before us are immense, but so are the opportunities. By embracing the contributions of all communities and ensuring their active participation in the national development process, we can overcome our current economic difficulties and build a prosperous future for all Sri Lankans.
We stand ready to work with you and your administration in achieving this vision. Together, let us seize this historic opportunity to create a united and thriving Sri Lanka, where every citizen, regardless of ethnicity or religion, can live with dignity and hope.
Yours sincerely,
Ariaratnam Gobikrishna
RBH59 / September 25, 2024
Despite these challenges, the peaceful nature of the elections and the involvement of younger generations in the political process are positive signs. The young can learn valuable lesson about civic engagement and the importance of holding leaders accountable, Ranil however many feel that the new government has not addressed the core issues that sparked the protest such as recovering stolen funds and ensuring economic stability, Mismanagement, corruption and nepotism. We’ve seen mass scale violence targeting Specific communities targeting livelihoods and fundamental rights These situations often stem from deep-rooted ethnic and religious tensions, economic crises, and political instability.
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Ruchira / September 25, 2024
Gobikrishna has published another ChatGTP generated piece with the usual hypocrisy and disingenuity, that he carries on, himself.
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Speaking of the muslim cimmunity he writes:
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“…the Muslim minority, with its strong cultural and familial ties to the Gulf nations, plays a crucial role in maintaining a steady flow of remittances to Sri Lanka. These remittances are a lifeline, especially in times of economic hardship.”
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What does it really means? Is he trying to say majority of remittances are sent to Sri Lanka bt muslim workers in the Gulf?
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Or is he trying to say that Muslims in the Gulf (with whom those in Sri Lanka have familial ties) being the employers of our expat workers in the mid east, mostly house maids, should be recognised for the steady flow of remittances to the country from the Gulf? Thus their counterparts in Sri Lanka?
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TBC
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Ruchira / September 25, 2024
To me it looks like it’s the latter!
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No mention of hardships that the women who go to middle east as house maids endure, living in a foreign land away from loved ones, often getting exploited, including sexually, at times subjected to brutal physical abuses. Not to mention the consequences to the children that these young mothers leave behind. I wonder if Gobikrishna knows that physical stunting due to emoional neglect is common among the children of mothers who have left them during their prepubertal years to work abroad. No amount of remittances could replace the lack of mothers’ love that these children experience. Problems in this particular comunity are a plenty. But no mention of them, even in passing.
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TBC
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Ruchira / September 25, 2024
Now compare this with his characterisation of estate workers, the up country Tamils quoted below:
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“The Tamil population in the upcountry has long been the backbone of Sri Lanka’s tea industry, a key pillar of our export economy. Supporting and uplifting this community is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity. Improved living conditions, educational opportunities, and fair….. blah blah blah….” it goes on.
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So when it comes to house maids sweating out in the mid east to send remittances to the country, the credit goes to their muslim employers.
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But when it comes to the plantation sector, it’s not the planters that are credited but the estate workers highlighting their contribution to the economy.
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TBC
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Ruchira / September 25, 2024
Yet he thinks something called reconciliation is possible.
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Is NOT this hypocrisy and disingenuity of Tamil Speaking Citizens, that first lead to the rivalry between Sinhalese and Tamils, when G. G. Ponnambalam wanted 50% of the seats of the legislature to the minorities by default, a demand that even the Brits thought was an attempt to make a mockery out of democracy? Then culminated in several militant movements and finally a thirty year old war?
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Rohan25 / September 26, 2024
Do not blame GG Ponnambalam for state sponsored Sinhalese racism against the island’s Tamils, that started from independence. He only reacted to this. 50% was too ambitious but 40% for all minorities, would have been reasonable. As at that time the Sinhalese percentage was 66% and the rest 34%. Tamils 26% and Muslim Tamils 7% total 33% and the others 1%. Therefore, wanting 40% for the minorities is very reasonable as in all democratic countries, the minority representation is higher than their actual percentage, to protect them from majority tyranny. In Sri Lanka it was the opposite. The majority not only through its racist policies reduced the percentage of Tamils on the island from 26% to 15% and increased theirs from 66% to 75% but took everything for themselves. So do not post rubbish. This racist rubbish coming from a so-called Sinhalese of recent South Indian Tamil origin immigrant descent, is really very distasteful, just like the way you indecently abusing other bloggers with whom you did not agree, in another thread.
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Rohan25 / September 26, 2024
As for the Muslims, due to their religion, they may have some cultural threads with the Arabian Gulf but even this only has been recently created and deliberately. Previously it was a South Asian form of Islam and culture and not desert Arab. Their familial connections are not with the Arabian Gulf but with South India and this is rubbish, as genetics and DNA studies have conclusively proved. Even the Gulf Arabs know this and have stated this, that the Sri Lankan Muslims, hardly have any Arab in them but are South Asian converts to Islam, meaning Tamils who converted to Islam. The author is incorrect in this matter.
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Ruchira / September 26, 2024
“Therefore, wanting 40% for the minorities is very reasonable as in all democratic countries, the minority representation is higher than their actual percentage, to protect them from majority tyranny.”
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To beging with GGP wanted 50% not 40%. So your argument is pointless to begin with.
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Lets here what are these countries that have given higher percentage of seats in the legilature to minorities, to prevent them from tyranny?
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Rohan25 / September 27, 2024
Stop trying to conveniently blame and scape goat the victim and GG Ponnambalam for the state sponsored Sinhalese racism, marginalization, on the island’s Tamils and the war crimes and structural genocide committed on them since independence. This was and still a planned exercise still being executed efficiently by all Sinhalese led governments, politicians, elite and the clergy since the so-called independence, most probably secretly planned by all of them long before independence. GG Ponambalam’s demand for fifty fifty came long after that and was a knee jerk reaction to protect the Tamil minorities. Like I stated before 40% reserved for all minorities, who then made up 34% of the population is a reasonable request and should have been implemented.
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Rohan25 / September 27, 2024
Trying the justify the killings, marginalization and war crimes and structural genocide on the island’s Tamils stating this was the result of Poanambalams’s demand by Sinhalese, is the most absurd and ridiculous statement I have ever heard of. What sort of idiotic reasoning is this? The Sinhalese wanted everything for themselves from the very beginning and unfairly used their majority in a unitary form of government to obtain this. Not even 1% is given to the Tamil minorities and this is their land too not just Sinhalese land. The worst are these recently Sinhalized South Indian Tamil immigrants, both low and high born. You are good example.
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Mahila / September 28, 2024
“To begin with GGP wanted 50% not 40%. So your argument is pointless to begin with.”
Regrettably, your statement doesn’t align with historical facts!?
‘To begin with’, THE “BEGINNING” OF THIS DASTARDLY EPISODE started presumably much earlier, 1930’s Era of the POST-DONOUGHMORE COMMISSION, Political reform recommendations and consequent ELECTIONS TO STATE COUNCIL, thereof!!??
Your attempt TO CLAIM THAT THE BEGINNING was with GGP’s 50/50 demand is likened to the “PUMPKIN THIEF’S” ATTEMPT, TRYING TO HIDE THE STOLEN, ‘WHOLE PUMPKIN IN A PLATE OF RICE’!!?? FUTILE! To say the least it is EQUAL IN ALL IT’S, ELEMENTS!??
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old codger / September 26, 2024
People should have voting rights according to their contribution to the economy.
The up-country Tamils contribution is about 30 %, therefore it is only fair that 30% of seats in Parliament should be reserved for them. Another 30% should be reserved for housemaids.
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Mahila / September 28, 2024
So when it comes to house maids sweating out in the mid-east to send remittances to the country,’ THE CREDIT GOES TO THEIR MUSLIM EMPLOYERS’!
Why?? Why not SWEATING AND TOILING HOUSEMAIDS??? Cynicism!!?? Skewed-Up reasoning due to ‘Bigotry Maximum’!!?? As much as contribution of Tea exports the credit goes to the Plantation workers!!??
The Planters manage the estate but don’t contribute the hard work – daily chores!?TWISTING FACTS TO CONENIENTLY TO SIUT ONE’S PURPOSE!!??
TRADITIONAL CUNNINGNESS MAXIMA!!?? I DIDN’T; ROBERT KNOX DID!?
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SJ / September 26, 2024
So the Muslims are the problem?
Shades of the criminal thero.
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Rohan25 / September 27, 2024
Why did I ever mention anywhere of Muslims being a problem? Most probably for you that is why as usual you are twisting what I commented and implying that they are a problem, as they may be for you. I only stated historically and scientifically proven fact that their culture, origins and ties are not with the Arabian Gulf, Western Asia or North Africa but with South India and this is a fact not fiction. Fiction and fairy tale is their culture, and ties are with western Asia, just because for perceived political and economic benefits, this immigrant converted South Indian origin Tamil Muslims, in the past 35 years have pathetically and comically started imitating the Gulf Arabs in every way and claiming a blanket Arab origin for the entire community, which DNA has proved that only a very small minority only partially have and even these people of predominant Dravidian Tamil heritage. Why stating the truth is a problem to you, as you like to perpetuate myths and create problems?
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SJ / September 27, 2024
“Why did I ever mention anywhere of Muslims being a problem?”
Thank you for the admission
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Rohan25 / September 28, 2024
May be in your warped self-hating anti Tamil mind. You really area treat in your endeavour to rundown and divide your own people and support Sinhalese Buddhist Chauvinism.
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Ajith / September 25, 2024
A reasonably well attempted summary of the needs of the Tamil speaking people of this island. I do not want to call these Tamil groups as minorities. They are the citizens of this island but living as a group in different regions of this island. As a President of this island, Anura/NPP should respect the individuality of this groups and make sure that these groups are getting their rights and needs equally and securely.
At this point, I also would like to express my thoughts towards Tamil Politicians that most of you have not connected to the People and the needs of the people where you represent. Some of you have good at speaking at parliament only, some are good at making friendship with rulers and get ministerial posts by collaborating the wrongs of the rulers but very poor against helping the people who really need help. Of Course, JVP did the same in the past. What the people wants now to see the change of attitude and please give chance to another generation who are capable to make changes to the political culture.
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SJ / September 26, 2024
“I do not want to call these Tamil groups as minorities. “
What are they then? The majority?
What is wrong in calling a minority group a minority. It means no offence but a recognition of reality. Does one suffer some sort of complex?
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Not calling them a minority will change nothing, until the minorities cease to feel that they are treated ufavourably, as in the case of the black people of Cuba for instance
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Mani / September 25, 2024
Excellent letter, Dr. Gobikrishna! Hope you will be heard.
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SJ / September 26, 2024
“The Tamil population, both within Sri Lanka and the vast diaspora, holds enormous potential to contribute to the nation’s development. “
The best thing that the Tamil diaspora could do to Tamils and the rest of the people here is not to mess around by promoting sectarian mischief makers.
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chiv / September 26, 2024
SJ , I agree. To be fair the Diaspora should do both, not to mess and invest their abundant resources, knowledge and experience in developing N & E. This has never been a priority of any previous governments All that AKD has to do is to, provide a military free safe environment for the Diaspora to invest. It’s a win win situation where the region as well Lanka’s economy will improve. Will AKD do ?
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SJ / September 27, 2024
c
I know some academics who volunteered to help in the past two decades, but more as a way of spending a short vacation here. There has been no follow up or sustained interest.
A serious investor is most welcome, but the level of motivation is far less than it was in the 1980s and even 90s.
Let us see if the government could motivate some fair minded people.
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Ajith / September 27, 2024
SJ,
“The best thing that the Tamil diaspora could do to Tamils and the rest of the people here is not to mess around by promoting sectarian mischief makers.”
What do you mean by sectarian mischief makers?
You were part and partial of Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalist policy which used racism and Buddhist Fundamentalism against Tamils for the past failed 75 years politics. You have to give up your mentality of the past 75 years before dividing Tamils.
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