19 March, 2024

Blog

Afghan Refugees Face Jaffna’s Hostility: These Sri Lankans Are Crazy

By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Abbas Ahmadi, an IT specialist, was rather high in the Afghan provincial civil service. He is of Hazara ethnicity and persecuted by the majority Pashtuns who ironically dominate the ruling faction as well as the rebelling Taliban. The Hazaras are in part the descendants of Genghis Khan and therefore are regarded as Asiatic. Says Abbas that they, the Hazaras, have suffered a lot more than the Tamils of Sri Lanka, having lost 80% of their fertile lands.

Abbas was asked three times by the Taliban to resign his position. When an assassination looked imminent, he flew to New Delhi some five years ago with his wife and 4 children and from there applied for an online visa to Colombo where he applied for asylum upon landing. Sri Lanka does not give refugee status. He and his family were given a residence visa because the UNHCR had determined them to be eligible for asylum but this visa was an interim relief while the UNHCR found a third country willing to accept them as refugees. The Sri Lankan visa did not give them the right to work.

Hakkima (30), Fathima (12) and Abbas Ahmadi (33) with Author and Daughter Elilini in their new home in Nallur with floor pockmarked by Sri Lankan shells. Their sons Murtaza (13) Ali Riza (11) and Amir (10) were already in bed after their long journey to Jaffna.

Says Abbas that at long last he was told that the US would accept them as refugees, and they should get the required medical tests done. He did that. But then, in a sudden reversal, he was told that the US would not accept them. This was immediately after Donald Trump’s election. He then appealed and that appeal is ongoing, and the family waited for a response from the US.

Then the Easter Bombings happened on 21 April, 2019. Several refugees like him were attacked by Sinhalese mobs. The frenzied mood of Sri Lankan mobs is best captured by Tarzie Vittachi in his book Emergency ’58. The relevant passage explains to us why the army is unable to stop the mobs today but was able to in 1958:

“The Bren gun was mounted near the gate. At 3.20 p.m. the first wave of goondas advanced towards the police station, with sarongs lifted, shouting obscenities and coarse defiance. They were still confident that Apey Aanduwa would not shoot them down.

“As they came nearer, the Bren fired a burst over their heads to warn them. This had just the opposite effect. They took it as confirmation that the army was only bluffing. The roar of the crowd became louder and the obscenities more defiant. The entire 3,000 now began to swarm towards the barricade. At this point the army unit commander said that he needed authority to open fire. Aluwihare signed the order. The officer put the paper in his pocket and walked out. On came the mob. They were only a few yards away now. One man in front raised his sarong, displaying his genitals in foul defiance of the army. The Bren opened fire and the passionate exhibitionist fell dead. Two of his comrades shared his fate.”

Fortunately, renting in Moratuwa, Abbas did not face such “Saronged Johnnies” who raised their sarongs. But like-minded others threatened his landlord into ejecting him. Several refugees like him were endangered by mobs led by Buddhist priests betraying Buddhism as Harvard’s S.J. Tambiah put it in his book Buddhism Betrayed? Religion, Politics, and Violence in Sri Lanka (University of Chicago Press 1992), a book that was promptly banned in Sri Lanka because it seemed so incontrovertible in the normative traditions of academe.

Today’s refugees were mainly forced into camps and police stations. The irony was that the police who should have opened fire on the mods and rioting monks took the refugees into their police stations where some 700 refugees in one instance are said to have shared two toilets and were being thanked for the help the police had rendered them. Such is the upside down world in which we Sri Lankans admire ourselves for our greatness that we see in our failures.

Abbas says he was rattled by President Maithripala Sirisena saying he cannot defend the refugees and pleading with outside counties to take them away quickly. The UNHCR which had been helpful till then did nothing. Even Christian institutions did not come forward to help after the hostility to the refugees which the President seemed to harbor and National Christian Council’s efforts to settle them in one of their buildings faced mobs led by a monk after the first night and the refugees had to be returned to their camp.

Efforts by the Southern Province and Northern Province Governors to settle refugees in their provinces met with opposition partly because the governors’ authority had been, albeit meaning well, usurped from the expired Provincial Councils to which elections were unlawfully delayed through parliamentary intrigue and inefficiency

Sadly many Tamils saw it as an effort to bring Muslims to Jaffna because the Sinhalese did not want “such dangerous people” in their midst. Tamils could not see the parallels to 2007 when Gotabaya Rajapaksa as defense secretary declared Tamils as dangerous terrorists who had to be shipped out of Colombo to save Colombo from bombs. At the time the courts declared such racial profiling to be discriminatory and violative of rights. The government was forced to return to Colombo the Tamils involuntarily taken to the North.

Today there are some meagre signs of hope against similar racial profiling of Muslims. The Human Rights Commission has come out against the banning of the Abaya. After the Sri Lanka Institute for Development Administration banned administrators coming to their courses in the Abaya, the Election Commission declared its protest and said we would permit our officers who so choose to go for SLIDA courses wearing the Abaya, and take it up legally if they were obstructed.

At that point Ruki Fernando (a Colombo-based rights activist) and the Ven Fr. Sam Ponniah (the Anglican Archdeacon of Jaffna) joined forces to bring willing refugees to Jaffna. Theirs were individual efforts with no institutional support. Father Ponniah privately asked some Jaffna Anglicans if they would host some refugee families in their homes. A few agreed and the number of families moving to Jaffna became 4 and then 5 and then 6 and so on says Father Ponniah.

Newspapers like the Uthayan had positive comments but not the Valampuri. It is a newspaper whose editor in a University of Jaffna speech declared that all Christians must become Hindu. That communalist newspaper is now threatening those helping the refugees find safety in Jaffna by writing that if any harm befell the refugees in Jaffna, then those bringing them to Jaffna must take the responsibility. Other churches that failed to offer even verbal support for the refugees cautioned Father Ponniah. Neighbours warned those who had volunteered to host the refugees, “The Muslims will come, produce fast and take over Jaffna. That is what the Sinhalese want. Do not give in to that.”

Today 19 May, Ruki Fernando arrived with other volunteers and the Abbas Ahmadis at 3:00 pm. As chief householder I had to go with them to the Police who seemed worried by Muslims coming to Jaffna but finally took my request to register the Ahmadis in my home, promising to send my application to Colombo for approval. The HQI’s worry was that this was the first refugee family settling in Jaffna. Apparently all the other volunteer hosts had backed out for some reason.

There are many ironies in the experience of the Ahmadis. They fled their home in Bamien which I visited and enjoyed during the last elections there. The Buddha statues of Bamien, a world heritage, were destroyed by the Taliban which chased off the Ahmadis. Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka are turning on the Ahmadis and others like him, telling them they cannot live in the Sinhalese areas of Sri Lanka.

The second perhaps greater irony is that on July 23, 2016 two Islamic State suicide bombers blew themselves up during a peaceful protest in Kabul killing 160 and wounded over 200 people as reported by Reuters. The attackers were reportedly from the local affiliate of the so-called Islamic State, known as the “Khurasan Province” (IS-Khurasan). The target was the Ahmadis’ Hazara folk who had been demonstrating against the route of a planned multi-million-dollar power line. And we Sri Lankans think the Abbases are ISIS!

And worse, Tamils think that racial profiling is wrong only if it is applied to Tamils but not when they apply it to Muslims.

To paraphrase Asterix’s inseparable buddy Obelix, “These Sri Lankans are crazy!”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Latest comments

  • 13
    9

    well done Tamils and Sinhalese must learn humanism from Tamils. Now, Sinhalese are barbaric like ISIS.

    • 5
      6

      Thanks Prof. Hoole.
      :
      We are an ungrateful nation. See how they treat those few hundreds of refugees from Afganisthan, Pakistan or any other few countries. Had ours been treated that way, how would our people have been towards the western nations ?
      .:
      Going back to the days of our civil war, at the time, lanken war was at its heights, fleeing lanken refugees ended up in EUROPEAN destinations to the very same manner nowadays the destiny of like minded syrians have been. There entire world welcomed lanken refugees and provided them with the basics. Among them, there had also been a larger portions of forged refugees that sought greener pastures on any of the rich soils.
      :
      Best example for such a pretender can well be considered the case of former defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajaakshe. He had then arrived in the US for refuge, claiming him to have been caught by provable medical reasons. Latter was later found to have been a lie to claim such refuge status, however US gave him asylum until his brother became the president of the country in 2005. Then only the very same man, as if he was born in 2005, became a patriot to save the nation … ha haa… this is the fairy tale being spread by their friendly media units to the very same grass eating folks in the banana republic.

    • 3
      1

      Let me explain it using the wording of the speech of Martin Luther
      .
      I have a dream that one day our nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

      I have a dream that one day on the nothern areas, the sons of tamil slankens and the sons of sinhala srilankens will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

      I have a dream that one day even the provinces of north and east, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

      I have a dream that my own sinhala little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the race and religion but by the content of their character.

      Desperate Sinhalaya, Berlin Charite Hospital
      Germany

  • 13
    5

    Shame on all Sri Lankans who ill- treat these helpless refugees who are fleeing violence in their country. Tamils should not forget their diaspora is all over the world because other nations took them in as refugees when they were fleeing the violence at home. Even some Sinhalese people took advantage of that and went over to western countries claiming THEY were being discriminated. What a bunch of hypocrites.
    Show some compassion and not act like dogs in a manger.
    Whatever happened to Sri Lanka being a hospitable nation? Is that for rich tourists only? We cannot absorb a large number of refugees, but surely a small number would be okay? Have pity on this family, give them a chance, and let their children live with hope for their future.

  • 8
    4

    This is a shame for Sri Lankans at large.
    I live in Hong Kong and there are few thousands of refugees from India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka here and Sri Lankan number is around 1000.

    They are here for years and they gets the govt allowances and live a life without any security issues until there papers are reviewed by UNHCR to find them a permanent place like Canada or Australia.

    First it was the Sinhala mobs that hit them and now after the Easter attacks, they were unwelcome in the North too.. just imagine how many thousands are there in other countries as Tamil refugees ?

  • 18
    22

    People like Hoole are spreading communal hatred by living in a fairytale. He mentions this family flew in to India before landing in Sri Lanka. Why didn’t they seek asylum in India? Every Tom Dick and Harry who are rejected in their own countries end up in Sri Lanka and expect to be treated fair. That is the same way the first Muslim settlers arrived in Sri Lanka and now everyone can see what it has grown in to. They have colonized areas and doesn’t give a hoot about the rest of Sri Lankans or the law. These so called “innocent Asylum seekers” in time get radicalized then turn against the very same people who helped them when they fled their home countries. Hoole also tries to paint a bad picture against the Sinhalese by stating tamils are experiencing the same. Mate have you watched the video of Muttiah Muralidaran? If you haven’t go watch it. Stop preaching hatred because it will only bring more hatred.

    • 4
      8

      You moron: Muslims never came as refugees or invaders to Sri Lanka,like Vijaya or Chola. you better understand/study the Sri Lankan history first. Sri Lankan Muslims are not arrived on Ship loads, most of the Muslims are either converts of locals or born to the mothers of Sinhalese and Tamils.

      You can observe the Tamils ,they are living in the north as majority were brought by Portuguese,while east and central province are dominated by recent arrivals of Indian koolis-Tamils,who were brought by British.
      Muslims never came as koolis or as invaders.

      • 5
        2

        Muslims in Srilanka are under the false assumption that they are descendants of the dirty and cunning Arabian traders. Most of them are converts from low caste Tamils mainly in the east. Now the ISIS wants to conquer and convert the entire Srilanka. It is time that both Sinhalese and Tamil be aware of the impending danger.

        • 0
          3

          While you spew your hate and racism, Muslims in Sri Lanka come from many other nations, and are fully aware of their ancestry.
          Please give us a credible source where ISIS has stated they want to “conquer and convert” others. You are not only ignorant, but spreading fake news.

      • 3
        0

        Muslims came to Sri lanka came to this country with help of small wooden boats (Tamil meaning MARAKALAM) . That is why Muslims in Srilanka called `MARAKALAYAS`. You iqnorant if you do not know history do not utter rubbish here.

  • 11
    4

    Jeevan,
    .
    Truly pathetic! Nothing more than an effort to broadcast your “altruistic” side!! Given your previous pleas for $15 per month driver allowance and $100 batta, I guess the compulsive need to wash that ugly record is not surprising.
    .
    Why is it relevant to compare “Hazaras have suffered a lot more than the Tamils of Sri Lanka, having lost 80% of their fertile lands.”? Try telling that to the thousands of Tamil mothers who lost 90% or more of their families, never mind the lands!
    .
    Why is it important to point out “Valampuri… is a newspaper whose editor in a University of Jaffna speech declared that all Christians must become Hindu.” Why use one person’s stupidity to provoke a religious discord? Where were you when a compatriot of yours stupidly declared in these columns that what Jaffna needs is a solely Christian University?
    .
    Remember your unreserved support to Pottinger’s efforts to get Rajapaksa the Oxford platform to celebrate “war victory” against Tamil terrorism. Did you see Mahinda’s article today boasting “Tenth Anniversary Of A Sri Lankan Victory” as he desperately tries to distance opposition’s involvement in the Easter Day massacre? How proud are you of your past undeniable quid-pro-quo collaboration with Mahinda?
    .
    Mahinda (Dayan) says “The Republican administration in the USA at the time, helped Sri Lanka.” Even the highest of the US officials including Collin Powell regret and admit the tragically flawed US intelligence that lead to the Iraq war. How accurate were the relatively meager US intelligence efforts on Sri Lanka affairs, especially conditioned by the million-dollar-a-month intrusion by the Pottingers? Do you have any thoughts on Mahinda’s article today? Of course not! Just like that explanation on your quid-pro-quo that is shamelessly hiding under some expansive skirt!

  • 7
    8

    Dear Sir

    Why didn’t the elections commission, of which you are part, act upon information given to arrest one of the suicide bombers?

    Does islamic militarism help your Tamil ealam project?

    Remember your hatred for the average sinhalese does not bring you or anyone else any peace. Hatred begets hatred.

    Please stop blaming the sinhalese for all your ills, and those you perceive and work with us to make this island a safe and peaceful place.

    Peace.

  • 3
    9

    As usual a tamil writing an article and whining about ” muh freedom, muh tamils, rape, murder genocide Blah blah blah”.

  • 5
    1

    Speaking on behalf of the voiceless is a noble quality.

    As a Sri Lankan when looking back at history I think we Sri Lankans are capable of being really nasty as well as really really nice.

    I think that this is the time to be nice and to keep it that way for ever.

  • 9
    2

    It is an excellent gesture by the author to accommodate a refugee family in his house. But it is wrong of him to accuse the jaffna tamils of racial profiling. Where is the racial profiling in this case, are the jaffna tamils saying no to the muslim refugees to be settled in Jaffna ? Individuals are not prepared to accommodate the refugees not because they are muslims but because they haven’t got any space in their houses. Most of the people in jaffna are poor and are leading a hand to mouth existence, many of them depend on the remittances from their relatives overseas. The author seems confused or just want a headline for his article. He must be real idiot to compare the refusal of Jaffna residents to accommodate refugees in their houses with hardly any space with racial profiling carried out by Gotabaya . No wonder why he was not selected as Vuce Chancellor fo the University of Jaffna a few years back.

  • 4
    8

    As usual it ends with tamil grieving. Pathetic.

  • 3
    1

    It is very much possible that MS staged the pogrom at Kuliyapitiya Minuwangoda against the minorities. World should boycott Sri Lankan politicians. Citizens should vote them out.

  • 3
    0

    “The Hazaras are in part the descendants of Genghis Khan and therefore are regarded as Asiatic.”

    They are the descendants of Genghis Khan. When Genghis Khan left Afghanistan in the 1300’s, he left behind 1000 of his people (the Hazara). Note that Afghanistan has been subject to numerous invasions; after the Mongols, the British and Russians came, now the Americans are there. The Pashtuns (about 50% of the population) are not fond of outsiders. Also, the Hazara are Shia, while the Pashtun are mostly Sunni, so this conflict is also there.

    • 3
      0

      Lester

      One in every 200 men alive today is a relative of Genghis Khan. An international team of geneticists has made the astonishing discovery that more than 16 million men in central Asia have the same male Y chromosome as the great Mongol leader. (Please read: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/mar/02/science.research)

      You maybe one of the his descendant.
      Please give these people shelter.

  • 7
    1

    Thank you for your well detailed article.

    No one ever should be in the situation of the Ahmedya Muslims .
    My heart goes out for these poor souls.

    The problem is they have been somuch demonized ,there is no one willing to listen to them.Why can’t Talk to Chatura of Ade Derana be a bit more unbiased and offer some generosity to this suffering Ahmedya muslims and invite the Ahmedya Spiritual head from Negombo Ahmedya Mosque to tell his side of the story ?
    Where is humanity ?

    • 2
      2

      There are far too many articles for me to read at this moment. I’ve taken a very quick look. Thanks, Prof. Hoole, for keeping human values going.
      .
      I have something very different to tell you. Ten days ago, when I was near Colombo, I received, via WhatsApp, a gory ISIS video showing them beheading about 15 captives who started off in a cage. It had originated its journey to me from a source in Bandarawela connected in some way to the S. Thomas’ School here. I sent it with a strong protest to the Head of the school (an Anglican Priest) and all members of the Executive Committee. They were doing precious little, so yesterday I reported it to the Bandarawela Police. It may be that tomorrow the actual complaint by me will be recorded.
      .
      The response so far has been lukewarm. I will try to get more concern shown tomorrow.
      .
      We must somehow save our country from racists. Got some news suggesting that Ranil W. may not contest the Presidency. He may put forward Dhammika Perera for President with a team including Sarath Fonseka, Nagananda Kodituwakku, and Rohan Pallewatte. Much better prospect than Gota!
      .
      But do remember to cast three preferences, starting with honest persons whom you personally respect, but who will drop out of contention after the first count. Your third preference for the UNP candidate. That won’t harm his prospects at all. THINK it out, please!

  • 5
    5

    The writer of this article seems trying to mislead readers over the current situation in the country by putting falls and fabricated facts filled with hate towards Sinhalese Buddhists. It should say that there were no organized Sinhalese mobs but a group patronaged by the governing UNP- TNA led government. The writer is citing a few ill-fated books written by authors on the same caliber. It can measure how much anger on him towards Sinhalese, he expects the security forces should order to kill Singhalese. This pro-LTTE ( A virtual Terrorist) is one-way shedding crocodile tears on refugees trying to put the blame on the attack of Muslim terrorists (influenced by LTTE tactics) on the peace loving Sinhalese. This was the same person who went to the court by violating ethical codes of his position as a member of the Election Committee to support the UNP and TNA when the prime minister was sacked on November 2018. But this gentleman still fails to go to courts for unethical postponing of elections by UNP. So it must say that all readers must be very cautious on articles like these, where the muppets with malicious political and social agenda are pouring tears on Muslims while spreading falls information among the readers.

    • 3
      0

      Ananda sangari
      You are off your track. Frustration due to you being ignored is surfacing. Your comments has no bearing, as usual, to what Prof. Hoole has written. I agree that Hoole has written utter rubbish but your comment is worse than his. My suggestion to you is to retire from politics and enjoy the rest of your life. Think of the good old days when you were able to fool the Tamils, now that they have understood you and have REJECTED you. It is better to withdraw yourself from public with whatever respect you have.

  • 6
    5

    Mr. Hoole does not talk as a Fool. We have still thousand of Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu. They can’t return to thie own land occupied by Army. So you are promoting Afghan refugee to occupy lands in North and East Why can the Singhla government which supported the US in the Afgan war against Taliban, US helped Sri Lank in Eelam war to kill thousands of Tamils. So the Sinhala government should find a place in the south for Afghan refugee and NOT in North and east

    • 2
      0

      We have to get back the Tamils who wish to come back
      This has to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

  • 8
    0

    Dr. Hoole,

    Ruki Fernando was among the very few Sinhalese rights activists who spoke out in support of Tamil victims during the war, and faced the wrath of the GoSL on account of it. Jaffna Tamils will be deemed ingrates if they don’t support his efforts now.

    I have Ahmadiya colleagues from Pakistan in the US. I am well aware of the discrimination faced by them in Pakistan. I am also aware of how Pakistan didn’t do much to recognize Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam because he was an Ahmadi.

    While I support a solution to settle these refugees in the North-East, where they will be settled, how they will adjust to the local culture, whether they have any questionable past association with ISIS/Taliban, etc.,. need to be carefully thought out in view of the current ethnic sensitivities involved.
    Sometimes they may want to mingle with the larger community rather than stay in Muslim enclaves, and that can play a secularizing influence on them, which to me is a good thing.

  • 7
    3

    Well done Hoole. That is humanity and value people as humans and not as race. At least someone has to spread this sacred message in SL.

  • 9
    10

    Dr .Hoole has behaved as a true Christian. He is an example to the practitioners of Sinhala Buddhism and some other Christian clergy who limit their compassion to words.

  • 9
    3

    Thank you for stepping forward to give accommodation to these poor people. It is terrible how they have been caught up in this turmoil, fleeing from hate in their own country only to face fear and hostility here. And so shocking is the President’s rejection of any responsibility for them, any feeling of compassion. What leadership!
    —-
    Praise be to people like Ruki Fernando & others who have come forward to help these doubly displaced people.

  • 11
    4

    Professor,
    whether one believes in the theory of evolution or creationism – human behavior will make members of the animal kingdom stop and say, “these humans are crazy” (with apologies to Obelix).

    Living in Jaffna during my middle and high school days, I have seen first hand the cruelty of people towards their fellow human beings. We didn’t need Sinhala chauvinism or military occupation to make us suffer. We did a pretty good job ourselves treating our fellow citizens with cruelty.

    Anyone of Indian origin – was the ‘vadakaththayan”- to be ridiculed. Reference to anyone else who didn’t belong to one’s own tribe was labeled with derogatory labels. “Avar vetham” (he’s Christian), “avan Nalavan, pallan, karayan” – a whole host of caste-related labels were embedded and became common parlance in day to day communication.

    It is not your average common man who held these views and beliefs in Jaffna – You know about Professor C. Suntheralingam. The Mathematics scholar from Oxford and first Chair of the mathematics department at the University of Ceylon.

    During my time in Jaffna, the famous Maviddapuram Kandasamy Temple was openly discriminating worshippers from ‘lower castes’ from entering the temple. Members of these group held a peaceful sit-in and on the last day of the protest tried to enter the temple. Professor Suntheralingam was in the forefront along with his band of ‘high caste’ Hindus barricaded the protesters from entering the temple.
    With his double degree in mathematics, he thought it fit to give fellow citizens of Jaffna the third degree.

    With all the theories in mathematics he excelled in – that made him occupy a high position in the University of Ceylon – he had not evolved to a human level.

    That is the curse of the Jaffna man.

    “Jaffna man is crazy”

    • 6
      7

      Well said Ugly American. Even now, Wellala Demalu oppress low caste people. After the defeat of LTTE, the number of schools with the label ‘ONLY FOR WELLALA’ are on the rise. Wellala Demalu still use ‘Thesawalamei’ which is a Malabari customary law to prevent land passing on to the hands of low caste people.

      These Wellala elite politicians who live in Colombo amongst Sinhalayo keep on shouting ‘Sinhalayo are discriminating Tamils’ to grab more power to themselves.

    • 4
      1

      Your views on C Suntharalingam are incorrect. I too was living in Jaffna during Maviddapuram incident. Suntha do not oppose temple entry of Dalits . Do you know that he was leading the Dalits into Nallur Kandasami temple. In the same way he would have gone into Maviddapuram temple with Dalits, but the involvement of outside forces such as leftists and politicians from south who wanted to gain for themselves out of this matter, pushed him to the opposite and that brought him a bad name. . Suntha was against the interference of outsiders or the government in the affairs of hindu temples. Had there been no interference Suntha and Dalits would have entered into Maviddapuram temple, as he did it in Nallur. I request you to read more about Suntha, his books and articles, Radhika Coomaraswami’s review of Grandfather’s letters book appearing in DBS Jeyaraj.com, before you write about him next time.

      • 2
        1

        Dear Peacelover,

        My intention is not to muddy the good name of Professor C. Suntharalingam.

        I salute his brilliance in Mathematics and the accolades he earned in his career as a mathematician, lawyer and a politician.

        The fact that he is Radhika Coomaraswami’s grandfather is of no consequence to me.

        I remember vividly the Maviddapuram temple incident in 1968, my last year in Jaffna before I left for Colombo for my higher education.

        It is sad that you are admonishing me for writing about an incident that I am personally familiar with, without verifying the facts yourself.

        Professor Suntheralingam was charged under The Prevention of Social Disabilities Act of 1957 – a law that was enacted for the very purpose of denying entry into places of worship on grounds of caste, an offence.
        He was fined Rs.50 by the Supreme Court.

        I have done my research. What I have stated are the facts.

    • 4
      0

      C,Suntharalingam’s objection was not about so called low caste devotees entering the Temple. He was protesting against the Social Disabilities Act passed about the time which discriminated against Hindu Temples only.

      • 0
        0

        B** S***
        He even went to court. That had nothing to do with the Act.
        He was ridiculed in plays staged by anti-discrimination campaigners at the time. He was referred to as the ‘monkey playing pranks in Maviddapuram’ (the place where the confrontation occurred).
        *
        Caste discrimination was practiced only in Hindu temples especially in the North.

    • 1
      0

      Ugly American
      When High caste Hindus with Prof.Suntharalingam prevented protesters whom they considered ‘lower caste’ from entering the said temple at KKS, did you join the protesters?
      Had you done that you wouldn’t have been able to regard yourself as UA because the leading protesters were Communists.

  • 0
    0

    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

  • 4
    12

    Demalu who blame Sinhala Buddhist Fascists that they discriminate against minorities can demonstrate that they are very kind hearted people who do not discriminate others by allowing all the Muslim refugees to settle down in Yapanaya.

    Make sure that LTTE cadres do not use them as human bombs.

    • 9
      0

      CT moderators,

      Please warn Mahindapala aka EAGLE EYE not to use the term ” DEMALU” again on this platform.

      You guys should be very cautious with the kind of elderly personalities, that seem to be spreading their racism based aggression on this platform on and on.
      How dare a man in early 80tes be possible to behave so even if we REGULAR CT viewers warn him to millionth times ?
      :
      He can have different thoughts, but that can still be formulated in a decent language.
      If we attack them ” demalu and thambis”; we should be born sakkiliyas to do so right ?

      • 5
        0

        I agree. How would EE feel if he is called ‘Hingalaya’?

        • 1
          1

          Thanks Edwin you as senior citizens should come forward and teach the elderly of EE aka Mahindalpala help understanding the ground realities. If we as the majoritarian community in SL cant maintain to use proper wording, how could they the minoritarian communities behave better. Sofar, I have never seen that Tamil or Muslims behave the way EE or the like have been. If they are filled with that aggressions, they should better go to Gyms to work out. Really disgusting this guy Evil Eye. How dare he repeats it this many times ? ALBEIT repeated warnings.

          The kind of Bondige puthas are the HINGALAYAS of our nation.

      • 1
        3

        Bunjappu,
        Demala is an officially accepted term to refer to Dravidians who settled down in Sinhale. Even the President use that term when he address the nation. He says ‘Sinhala, Demala, Muslim, Malay, Burgher janathawa’. Sadly, he forgets to include Vedda/Adiwasi. Amarasiri and Native Vedda should protest.

        Demalu is the plural of Demala

        • 1
          0

          Come on Evil Eagle Eye:
          :
          I know very well the very difference between ” Demala ” and ” Demalu”.
          :
          Both Demalu and Marakkalu are both derogatory terms in sinahala vernacular.
          :
          Besides, none of us should follow unedcuated President. He starts every meeting by calling ” wandaneeya puujaneeya maha sangarathanaya, and ape hamuduruwane”; but his true behaviour is against ethics and morals.
          All these should be clear to you too, though in later day life. I have no fears to call a spade a spade regarding the true nature of PRESIDENT Sirisena.
          He is uneducated not even being able to understand good sinhala discussions. But his terms being used in his public speeches are just long known texts.
          We must not take him as an example whatever being compared in today s context.

          Anyways, we thank you for your response and wish you all the best as an elderly person !
          What matters is not the race but your charactor, is not that so Mr Egle Eye ?

        • 1
          0

          It’s very insulting.
          No one appreciates these insults.

    • 3
      0

      There is no reason to use ugly racist names in making your point. It gives you no credibility, and shows you are no decent human being.
      Bad upbringing I suppose.

  • 9
    0

    Ratnajeevan ,

    Afghan Refugees Face Jaffna’s Hostility: These Sri Lankans Are Crazy

    Abbas Ahmadi, an IT specialist, was rather high in the Afghan provincial civil service. He is of Hazara ethnicity and persecuted by the majority Pashtuns who ironically dominate the ruling faction as well as the rebelling Taliban. The Hazaras are in part the descendants of Genghis Khan and therefore are regarded as Asiatic. Says Abbas that they, the Hazaras, have suffered a lot more than the Tamils of Sri Lanka, having lost 80% of their fertile lands.

    Then the Easter Bombings happened on 21 April, 2019. Several refugees like him were attacked by Sinhalese mobs. The frenzied mood of Sri Lankan mobs is best captured by Tarzie Vittachi in his book Emergency ’58. The relevant passage explains to us why the army is unable to stop the mobs today but was able to in 1958:

    *** Can you explain whether these refugees were attacked in Nallur. I ddnt know that Jaffna has been completely coloninised and that there were 3000 marauding Sinhalese on the loose to attack.
    You are utterly wrong to say that the 1958 riots was contained by the Army. I lost my uncle in Galle and it was contained only after a warning from Prime Minister Nehru. Next time please get your facts right.You caim to be a Proff like Sarath who is economical with the truth. It doesnt do any good for your reputation.

  • 4
    2

    Thank you Professor.Hoole.
    What they must feel,chased from place to place- along with their little ones.
    If we were in their place, we would want to be accepted,treated with kindness and generosity..
    ” I was a stranger..and you did not take Me in . Inas much as you did not do it it to the least of these,you did not do to Me”.( Matthew.25).
    As Christians,we don’t want to hear this rebuke from our Lord.
    Any suggestions how the Church can help?
    ‘From each,according to his ability.’

  • 4
    2

    if hazare’s are descendents of mongols,then they should just renounce their faith and become christians or bhuddhists without clinging onto a religion that does not want them and persecutes them.They have to make a decision for their future generations.If they love Allah then so be it.

    ps.Another alternative is to say no religion.In the west about a quarter are like this.I too am moving most reluctantly towards this because the more i see of how man made religions behave the more i love my dog.

    • 0
      0

      Utter bull S. No one expects or wants anyone to give up their religion. You are showing your ignorance and hatred. You are no Islamic scholar, so your comment is lame.

      • 4
        0

        shantha

        do you know that SWRD and JRJ gave up their religion.Do you know that 52% of chinese have no religion.In the EU 7% are atheist and 16% are agnostic.In the US 23% have no religion.In germany 37% have no religion.Do you think these people are from dumb countries.Those who make a big racket and noise about religion are the dumb and dumber and backward races.Having no religion does not mean you do not believe in god.It is just that you do not need such man made stuff as a staff to get through your life.If you are strong enough you can live the way god has wanted you to live without any religion to support you and without praying to god.

        ps.In this case the hazare are shittes.The pashtuns are sunnis.Both believe that allah is the one and only god and call themselves muslims.However all over the world sunnis and shittes they are trying to kill each other.Is it worth clinging onto such religions?isn’t it better to say i have no religion,but i believe in god?

        You accuse me of hatred.Can;t you see the hatred generated by man made religions.Go back a few centuries and see how catholics and protestants went at each others throats in the power struggle between pope and kings.

        The seeds of hatred are sowed by religions,not by me.Religions are tools for power.

        • 0
          0

          “Having no religion does not mean you do not believe in God’.
          Exactly.
          Why would God believe in any religion!
          In my view religion is a human frailty.

  • 2
    1

    The solution is to create a separate Homeland for all Tamils ( Tamil speaking people irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival) scattered across the island.

    Soma

    • 1
      0

      somass

      “The solution is to create a separate Homeland for all Tamils”

      How do you propose to deal with Maldivians, Rohingyas, Hazaras, Malays, Sinhala/Buddhists, ……………………. East Coast Burgers, Muslamists, ….. Pakistani illegals, ….. Iranians, Iraqis, ….. ?

  • 2
    0

    CT, do not allow people to use this platform to spread racial hatred. If you do, you too will loose credibility soon.

  • 2
    1

    Any helpless family who knocks on my door will be offered food and shelter for THREE days. That’s all I can afford. Someone must take over – I don’t know who. If alternative shelter could be found I am willing to provide food for further THREE weeks. That too is limited to ONE family. Hope God will forgive me.

    Soma

    • 2
      0

      somass

      “Any helpless family who knocks on my door will be offered food and shelter for THREE days.”

      And then rob them of all their valuables, gang rape the men and women, …….. produce them to the police/army. Then of course Taraki, ……………. and other do gooders will rescue them from you,

  • 2
    1

    “No child left behind”is an educational policy. These kids cant go from sinhalese schools to Tamil schools inJaffna or even no school if they are not permitted to stay their sojourn in Jaffna too.

    The Afghanistan embassy must be involved in their education.

    The monks have homes and very good food and all the comfort without working for it. How can they prevent other hope_less human beings and even small children from getting basic human needs?

    The monks should be the first to share their biryani. If not let them not stop so vehemently what the church is trying to do

  • 2
    0

    Nice to see Elini Hoole. I was her class mate in Gateway College Kandy year 2002. Wish her to be successful as her father.

    Nahfees

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.