12 October, 2024

Blog

Caged Independence

By Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan

Dr. Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan

Introduction

The cherished Maya Angelou wrote once in her famous poem ‘Caged Bird’:

[T]he caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

Freedom. That is what one associates with independence. Freedom from alien subjugation, domination and exploitation. Christian List and Laura Valentini write in a recent paper that freedom must be understood as ‘[i]ndependence. Like republican freedom, it demands the robust absence of relevant constraints on action. Unlike republican, and like liberal freedom, it is not moralized’.

My beloved father remembered very well that he, born in 1943, had to observe the flag ceremony in his early childhood when he went to nursery. He had to sing ‘God Bless the King’ and salute the Union Jack. Sri Lankans sang the British national anthem even after ‘independence’, until it was replaced by a Sinhala text in the 1950s. My father, however, never understood the concept of paying respect to a foreign flag and an old white man who warmed the throne in a distant palace – only then being replaced by a flag that shows a lion holding the sword towards the green and orange stripes (which represent the Tamil and Muslim) minorities and a Sinhala national anthem. Early moments in his childhood and youth determined his fate to become Vannai Ananthan.

I, as his son, gaze at this island now. As Sri Lanka celebrates its 70th Independence Day today, on the 4th of February 2018, I wonder: did the country and its people, however, really attain independence on that day and ever after? Did all the people living in Sri Lanka become truly independent, empowered and sovereign citizens? I will explore and explain here that Sri Lanka gained formalised independence in 1948, only to be the eventual springboard for the elaboration of a Sinhala nation state. The Soulbury Constitution, the country’s first post-colonial constitution with poor human rights protection, was a document drafted by the British to suit the country’s elite.  Dr. Harshan Kumarasingham ascertains:

[I]n contrast to the fissiparous tensions that characterised the colonial experience in India, the small island of Sri Lanka seemed to gently and courteously accomplish its own independence with the minimum of fuss on 4 February 1948. (…) In fact many ‘dignified’ elements of British culture remained. ‘God Save the King’ was retained as the National Anthem, the Union Jack flew next to the Lion flag on public buildings, Imperial Honours were still bestowed, Sri Lankan debutantes were still presented at Buckingham Palace – and there were also key personnel who stayed in their posts and thus ensured a smooth and reassuring transition.

The 4th of February is the enabling moment of Sinhala majoritaranism

D.B.S. Jeyaraj writes that ‘[T]he modern Ceylonese nation itself was a colonial construct. It was the British who integrated different territories under their control into a single entity and set up a unified administration for the country.’ This is indeed true. The Kandyan Convention 1815 laid the groundwork for the country as we know it today. The 4th of February 1948 and the transition of power to the privileged few, however, was an early chapter in the Sinhala nation state creation. D.S. Senanayake became the chosen one to lead the country. He, I argue, is unfairly attributed by Sir Charles Jeffries to be the incomparable statesman and navigator. He wrote in his book ‘Ceylon – the Path to Independence’ that it was the trust the British put in Senanayake to craft a common nation, home to all. This was a naïve, if not a reckless assumption. It was the same the D.S. Senanayake who oversaw the Gal Oya Scheme that initiated the colonization of Tamil lands and it was the same D.S. Senayake who was part of the country’s first inter-ethnic riots between the Sinhala and Muslims in 1915. Dr. Harshan Kumarasingham explains further that:

[S]ri Lanka’s elite operated British institutions in an anachronistic eighteenth-century manner such as in having a patronage based Cabinet dominated by its prime ministerial leader/patron rather than by collegial attitudes or values. The weakness of party institutionalisation and the ambiguity in the constitutional arrangements laid the foundations for future political conflict and marginalisation of segments of society.

However, I argue that the 4th of February was only the springboard to build a Sinhala-Buddhist ethnocratic nation state order. Sri Lanka’s process of becoming a Sinhala nation state was a process in the making, starting with the Citzenship Act 1948, rendering Indian Tamils stateless. The previous constitutions of the country, in particular the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission and the Donoughmore Constitution (despite all their progressive facets) formalised identities and entrenched suspicion among communal lines. Sinhala-Buddhism ideology was exploited for the furtherance and entrenchment of political power. As Kumari Jayawardena asserts:

[T]he differing ethnic and religious groups, composed of persons who had made their pile and were in search of ‘identity’ emerged to assert their superiority, exclusiveness and a right to a place in the sun. The most assertive was the majority Sinhala community, which developed a consciousness of beings ‘sons of the soil’, positioning itself against minorities (regarded as ‘aliens’) and more importantly, making claims to represent the ‘nation,’ while critically commenting on foreign rule.

The election victory of SWRD Bandaranaike on the 10th of April 1956, who had readily understood and exploited the growing Sinhala-Buddhist revivalism in the country, provided the groundwork for the adoption of the First Republican Constitution in 1972 (and later the Second Republican Constitution in 1978). To this end, the 10th of April 1956 was the harbinger of the 22nd of May 1972, the true independence of Sinhala nation state with its first autochthonous prime document that crowned the Sinhala-Buddhist as -self-perceived- heirs and sons-of soil of Sri Lanka. Meanwhile it was the day of continued marginalization of the minority communities, being doomed to be second-class citizens.

Colonial domination was replaced by majoritarian hegemony

The minorities in the country, never attained true freedom – their subjugation to an external ruler was only replaced by an internal ruler who validated his legitimacy by an ancient myth, the Mahavamsa. The election victory in 1956 that I had referred to in the previous section resumed a train events, which had started with the Citizenship Act: the ‘Pro Sinhala Act’, the 1956 inter-ethnic riots, the 1958 inter-ethnic riots. The list can be continued to elucidate the growing display of Michel Foucault’s ‘biopower’: he held the view that -in biopolitics- the social body must ensure the maintenance of its survival and for this reason was entitled to kill others and wars were carried out to ensure the existence of the social body as such.

Sinhala-Buddhism as a state ideology is a continuous force that underpins rule – the First and Second Republican Constitutions were, as the late Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam formulated, ‘[instrumental] constitutions’, entrenching a majoritarian hegemony. Both constitutions stipulated and gave validity to the overarching narrative of the Sinhala-Buddhists, with the minorities being the inferior citizens in a virtual dominance of the majority. The events from Black July 1983 are a constant reminder of our darkest past. Sriskanda Rajah accurately sums up:

[T]o sum up, the use of the terror of ‘lawlessness’ in July 1983 paved the way for the state to not only assert the Mahavamsa based all-island sovereignty claim of the Sinhala Buddhist people and the power of death that they had over the Tamils, but also produced three effects of battle: the elimination of a section of the ‘enemy’ race; destruction and possession of parts of their properties; and the expulsion of a section of them from the Sinhala areas, and to an extent from the island’s shores.

The victory of the Sri Lankan army over the ferocious Tamil Tigers in 2009, bringing an end to the civil war of over 26 years was a catharsis moment for the Sinhala majority: the invocation of Duthugemmenu’s victory and, perhaps, the reclaiming of the desired land. Perhaps, the 18th of May 2009 was the renewal of the Sinhala independence of the 22nd of May 1972.  Telling enough are the scenes of triumphant celebrations in Colombo in the aftermath of the victory. It was not only the celebration of war victory, it was the renaissance of the Sinhala-Buddhist nation state.

A home for many, but one nation to none

The current Sri Lankan President, Mr. Maithripala Sirisena is correct in one of his early presidential speeches that post-colonial constitutions have never unified the different ethnic communities. The Sri Lanka state is a violent Leviathan, using the powers vested in him to spread fear. In fear, there is no freedom. The existing emergency regulations permeate a continuing status quo, where suspicion towards any non-Sinhala-Buddhist is paramount (one may also think of the continued military presence in the public). Fear deprives us of freedom. If one visits the northern and eastern part of the country, the ethnic dominance through war memorials celebrates military victory in 2009 against the Tamil Tigers. This memorialising manner offers a particular perspective on the civil war. As Thyagi Ruwanpathirana writes for paper of the Centre for Policy Alternatives:

[A]side from serving as spaces for photo opportunities for war tourists, they (i.e. the government) have had limited success beyond sidelining, isolating, discriminating, victimising, creating unease and further marginalizing stakeholders in the communities in which they are located (and others geographically far removed), where the mourning of their own loved ones has been faced with sustained military obstruction. The enduring divisiveness and tensions between ethnic communities have been cemented through such monuments and they have the capacity to fuel further cycles of hate and revenge. 

Conclusion

Sri Lanka is a divided country. During my youth I met and worked with Sri Lankan youth from all communities to engage in multicultural understanding of all communities who were from the island. I will, however, never forget an incident I came across in my fruitless endeavour: I was asked if I speak “Sri Lankan” by a Sinhala youth. I was confused and soon understood what this person’s thinking was; Sinhala equals being Sri Lankan. It was a pattern that I have seen and heard very often in Sri Lanka and abroad. Sri Lanka and its people never attained real freedom. The departure of the British was only replaced by the elitist domination of a Sinhala power group, whose ‘Machtgier’, i.e. thirst for power was hijacked by a Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism. Sri Lanka, in its current state, evolved from an aristocratic democracy to a militarised ethnocracy, leaving limited space for minority rights to prosper, let alone integrating all communities to be part of one nation.

There is the first stanza of a beautiful Irish song by Michael McConnell, which my father taught me in early childhood. It captures the thirst for genuine freedom:

[W]hen apples still grow in September when blossoms still bloom on each tree

When leaves are still green in November it’s then that our land will be free

I wander her hills and her valleys and still through my sorrow I see

A land that has never known freedom, only her rivers run free

Sri Lanka’s may have gained today, 70 years ago, its first step towards its own independence after more than two hundred years of British rule. But the ‘independence’ never translated into true freedom for all people who consider the island as their home. Instead, the caged birds sing of freedom, gazing at the rivers that run free.

*Dr. Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan, LL.M.  Lecturer for International Law at Griffith College Dublin

Latest comments

  • 4
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    Jimmy the Dimwit, Percy the Pathetic, ………………….. and fellow bigots

    Caged Independence

    70 Years of independence
    Watch and listen to this over fed Ganankaraya racist pig.
    Tell us whats wrong with him.
    http://www.tamilwin.com/community/01/173167?ref=home-feed

    • 2
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      Freedom of Tamil Citizens in full display

    • 2
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      Native Vedda: that is a foreign language speaking in a sinhala country. I think, husband -less women are looking for where their husbands are. children like to scream when they have the parents OK. I think Police stopped the public misdemeanour. It looks some Tamil politicians were trying to sue that for political purposes. do you think, they got western support for that or is this the way TGTE trying to establish Tamil-Eelam. Looks children’s play. I heard one similar event in Pettah revelaed that it was funfed by TGTE – Central bank.

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        Jim softy dimwit

        Could you translate your typing into Sinhala, Tamil or English. If you are typing in Esperando you got everything wrong. Make sure type with your both hands.

      • 3
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        the word sue should be read as Video. that is all.

  • 8
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    The author seems to be suffering from selective amnesia :)

  • 7
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    Dr. thamil: Western Ideology confuses minorities. Whole Britian has minorities. what do you have minority specific rights except your kovil or chucrch or you allowed LIMITED freedom as log as you are not acting against the majority wishes and the police and the security apparatus ? It is democracy always democracy which says majority decides but minorities are allowed to live but you can not govern us. Do you understand. Itis all western way. Independance is an event organized by colonial rats living Sri lanka – politicians. That is how Maithripala Respects the Queen for removing her glouses before shaking hands.

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      Jim softy dimwit

      “Western Ideology confuses minorities.”

      I may take your word for it.
      Sinhala/Buddhist being the minority in this island, this region, in South Asia, in this world, this universe, ………….. Western Ideology has not only confused you lot but also screwed up your head severely.

    • 3
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      I think international Relationsships are also important. england, has requested this royal visit I heard. Other than that, Independence celebrations are useless. Even Australia is thinking to live without royalty.

  • 6
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    when the British destroyed the Sinhala families who waged the 1848 rebellion, the Brits brought Tamils from TN and settled them in the Sinhala hinterland….And today the Sinhalese have LOST their right to these lands and they are indirectly becoming another Eelam….

    Like P.Chandrasekaran the estate politician who said, everywhere Tamils live is an eelam, supported this. Now it is carried out of the likes of Mano Ganeshan…

    But that is part 3.

    part 1

    When Dutch brought people from Malabar and settled them in Jaffna, for growing tobacco and coffee and finally made them Tamil, they were in fact targeting the Sinhalese

    Part 2
    When Brits brought people from TN and settled them in East, …

    Tamils normally put forward the 1833 Colbrook as an instance of British taking away power from the Tamils, when in really in 1833, the whole east including trincomalee was under the Kandyan kingdom….

    If one wants to go back to 1833 —-> removal of British brought Indians in East
    removal of British brought indians in central highlands…….
    And granting North to Dutch….By 1833, North was under Dutch….

    • 1
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      sach the very stupid

      You forgot how the Portuguese extensively used Laskarins (Sinhalese Mercenaries) against Sinhalese as well as Tamils, looted and destroyed temples, vihares, mosques, ……….. all over the island shores.

      Being the foremost stupid in this island you are unaware of the fact that my people fought the Brits to protect Kandyan kingdom.

      Read:

      VADDAS AND THE RESISTANCE (1817-18)
      in
      COLONIAL HISTORIES AND VÄDDA PRIMITIVISM:
      An Unorthodox Reading of Kandy Period Texts
      -Professor Gananath Obeyesekere

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        All of us know you are not a Vaddha but a Tamil. I know pretence and falsehood is something prevalent in tamil culture to amazing heights.
        How does the Portugese crimes in SL in anyway invalidate the point I made?

        • 0
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          sach the Maha stupid

          “All of us know you are not a Vaddha but a Tamil.”

          You will also see stars *****, black hole, Pluto, …. clearly if you are sitting on your brain.

          “How does the Portugese crimes in SL in anyway invalidate the point I made?”
          Laskarins were the mercenary force recruited from among Sinhalese peasants.

          What was the point if there is one?

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      Sach,

      Dutch brought people from Malabar (Malabar is in Northern Kerala, they speak Malayalam) and settled in Jaffna and made them Tamil??? LOL!
      How did the Malayalam speaking Malabars from Kerala become Tamils??? Did the Dutch teach them Tamil??? LOL! Were the Malabars happy to convert to Tamils and why??? Why didn’t they remain as Malayalam speaking Malabars???

      Kandyan Kingdom itself was ruled by Naikar/Tamil kings from Madurai. Kandyan Kingdom was NOT only Sinhala, it was both Sinhala and Tamil. Trincomalee was 100% Tamil even though it came under the Kandyan Kingdom.
      British brought Indians and settled only in the Central Highlands. Dutch and Portugese brought Indians and settled in the South. Today they are all Sinhala-Buddhists.

      • 3
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        Yes, the Dutch deliberately made them Tamil. The Tamil churches played a big role in that. That is why YOU do NOT look like a Tamil in TN. That is why you have cultural practices similar to Kerala. That is why your cooking is different from TN. Even the TN fellows wrongly indentified the LTTEers in TN as people from Kerala. You are NOT even Tamil.

        Yes, Kandyan kingdom had kings from Tamil ethnicities…so by extention Kandyan is a Tamil kingdom..isnt that what you Tamil racists want to say? Because of tolerance the Sinhalese then exhibited, they tolerated Tamil ethnic kings who stole the throne…and now centuries after the Tamil robbers are claiming Kandyan to be Tamil……..

        I think Tamils MUST be the biggest robbers the world has ever seen. They rob everything…country, land, history , heritage….Tamil robbers…..

        Trincomalee and east was subject to Tamil colonizations by the British. That is why India’s president’s Abdul Kalam had relatives in Batti. There are sources from British that verify this.
        If the Tamils want to go back to so called 1833, we need everyfkng Indian Tamil removed from Sinhala areas…..and Tamil language should NOT be allowed in Sinhala areas.

  • 6
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    Was there really a Tamil lands in Sri Lanka? Isnt that the history debate? The fundamental problem in this country is HISTORY…it has nothing to do with minority discrimination….HISTORY is the issue.
    So the answer is also found in HISTORY…

    It is being proven that Gal Oya by D.S has not enabled any colonizations. Tamil, Sinhala and Muslims in equal numbers have been resettled.
    The people were resettled in areas where former Sinhala civilisations flourished. Just because Indians brought by Dutch and Brits have ASPIRATIONS, millions of other people in this land cannot let go their right to a their homeland.

    • 2
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      Sach, to prove that there was really a Tamil homeland, government must permit Tamil archaeologists to do it. Recent discovery of a 10,000 year old civilisation is only a tip of the iceberg. Archaeology department is loaded with Sinhalese who are not interested to find out anything which is detrimental to the entrenched Sinhala position about history of Srilanka. Even the Settikulam finding was by chance as the Buddhist priests of Anuradhapura Bhikku University went in search of Buddhist temples lying buried. A book was recently issued in Colombo which gives details of over 100 Hindu temples and over 400 Tamil villages lying buried in Anuradhapura. Either the government must provide funds to unearth these or arrest the author if those are falsehood. All claims of Sinhalese about Aryan ancestry and 2500 year old Sinhala civilisation has been debunked by genetic and archaeological evidence. For your information there has not been a single stone inscription in Sinhala found in eastern province compared to several stone inscription in Tamil dating back to 2000 years found in Kathiraveli, Mahiladitivu and Weber stadium in Trinco. Also ancient seat of rule of Veddhas has been found in Vaharai demonstrating that they were a civilised entity contradicting Sinhala history. Abayagiri dagoba in Anuradhapura was built on demolished Hindu temple. Similarly Isurumuniya and Thondeeswaram in Dondra, showing that Saivaism existed in Srilanka before advent of Buddhism. Veddhas were the first settlers in Srilanka 30,000 years ago followed by Dravidians 10,000 years ago. It is the view of linguists that all Dravidians at one stage spoke Tamil or some form of Tamil (Elu is proto-Tamil). People like you who are spitting anti-Tamil venom are unashamedly descendants of South Indian immigrants.

      • 1
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        Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam

        “Recent discovery of a 10,000 year old civilisation is only a tip of the iceberg.”

        Could you let us have reference/evidence for the above.

        • 2
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          NAtive Vedda: Are you a buddhist monk ? Do you have elephant to go to celebrations.You can take Ranil. He looks disoriented now. Be careful.

        • 1
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          NV,

          Not sure what Dr. Sankaralingam is referring to.

          But last week there were several articles about an archaeological find in Tamil Nadu ( Attirampakam, not far from Chennai) about 385,000 years old stone tools, showing the oldest known civilization existed there. Perhaps claims of the antiquity if Tamil civilization is validated by such findings.

          As for Sri Lanka, given that just a narrow straits separated it from TN where such an ancient civilization existed, that such a civilization was known to be one of the earliest sea faring people, with the term catamaran coming into English from Tamil, the antiquity of Tamil presence in SL is a matter of common sense.
          To me, such common sense arguments are better than using any unreliable archaeological evidence from possibly biased sources in SL.

          • 3
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            So just because Tamils lived in TN, Sri Lanka should be a Tamil country is THE ONLY argument you have?

            Tamil appeared later. Tamil was never 10000s of years old. There is a reason why oldest evidence of Tamil is dated back to 3 BC.

            • 0
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              Defending the antiquity of Tamil presence in Sri Lanka is not the same as saying Sri Lanka is a Tamil country. In the face of chauvinist arguments by people like you that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese only, that they came first from faraway Bengal/Bihar, Tamils can legitimately claim, as a matter of common sense, that the island so close to Tamil Nadu would have been populated by Tamils first. The antiquity of Tamil civilization in Tamil Nadu is enough to sustain that argument, without needing any archaeological evidence from within Sri Lanka.

              • 0
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                LOL so you accept there is no archaelogical evidence, so the argument is SL close to TN and hence SL was populated by Tamils.
                Tamil is a very recent identity. Tamil is NOT that old as tamils like to think. I know some tamils say Tamil is 400000 years old, may be dinausors spoke Tamil, that might be the reason why it is so unpleasant to the ear then………….

                When humans came to SL there was NO Tamil, the humans built a civilisation in SL. they absorbed immigrants from India and that is what we have as Sinhalese today……that is why Sinhalese have every evidence to back up what they say when you dont.

                • 0
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                  Twaddle. What I said is that no archaeological evidence is required, so there is no need for us to go looking for it. Get that into your chauvinist head.

                  • 0
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                    yeah for fake Tamil historians, no evidence is required ….because there is NO evidence to back up what ever they say

          • 1
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            Agnos

            Thanks for the info. My friend the old codger sent me a link to that article titled “Ancient Stone Tools Found in Tamil Nadu Push Back ‘Out of Africa’ Exodus Date”.

            Please note the chances of pushing back my ancestors’ existence in this island is look very good. So is my sole claim to this island.

            Dig wide you will find Sinhalese material culture, dig deep you will find Tamil material culture – a Sinhalese scholar told one of my acquaintance.

            BTW Keeladi archaeological discoveries between Madurai and Sivagangai districts in Tamil Nadu has thrown out some interesting evidence of Sangam period also some deep rooted controversies between state and centre relationship regarding archaeological materials, preservation, funding ….. It seems the Hindians are worried about the prospect of Southern Culture coming into prominence.

            And the Southern crooks in Tamil Nadu are scared of challenging the Hindians and Hindutva for fear of possible CBI/IRS raids. If not for the activism of Public interest litigants the centre would have had everything its own way. – The Hindu, Frontline, Times of India … and other media had reported widely.

            • 0
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              NV can you find out from your contacts in Colombo about a book launched last month in Colombo written by a Tamil author where he has claimed that over 100 Hindu temples and over 400 Tamil villages are lying buried in Anuradhapura.

              • 0
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                Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam

                I think I have seen the book, cannot remember. Was it published in 2015 or 2016?
                I need some time, will come back to you in a week or so.
                It could be a Department of Hindu Cultural Affairs Publication.
                1997 Hindu Temples in Batticalo Vol 1, 2 Mr. V. C. Kandaiah
                1997 Hindu Temples in Trincomalee Pandit R. Vadivel
                1994 Hindu temples in sri lanka Prof. C. Padmanadan
                1984 Hindu Temples in Sri Lanka

        • 3
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          Tip of his *****.

          Soma

          • 0
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            somass

            “Tip of his *****.”

            We are not interested in what exactly you did with Tip of his *****.
            Lets have your usual rant.

        • 2
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          he just saw it in his dreams……wait other Tamils will also see it at night and after that you can add another one for the list of proofs for Tamil eelam in SL

        • 0
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          If you type Settikulam excavations in Google it will give details of this finding of a 12,000 year old civilisation in Kongramkulam village in Settikulam. This cannot be the only archaeological remains of this civilisation, there may be many in the area.

      • 1
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        discovery of 10000 years old civilisation? where? any research paper?

        What has Sinhalese being aryan or not go to do with this?
        There are hundreds of Sinhala Prakrit inscriptions in Eastern province. All of them have been recorded by British archeologists and maintained in a separate registry. Sinhala inscriptions dating from 3 BC has been found, but Tamil inscriptions are much later and most of them belong to chola period. For your information, there is a SEPARATE REGISTRY MAINTAINED by the archeologists since the time of the British. I am sorry if you do not know that, or whether the TAMIL NAZIST in you cannot admit it.

        Please go and learn about the history of tamil, It is NOT that old. Even Telugu and Kannada are older than Tamil. Dravidians does not mean Tamil. And there are NO evidences to show any widespread saivism in SL. And again Saivism is NOT a Tamil thing.

      • 3
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        Sri Lanka’s issue is NOT about any minority discrimination. It is about history. That is why Tamil separatism started way before Sri Lanka attained independence in 1948, contratry to popular belief that 1956 prompted the Tamil separatism. In fact the then language policies was brought as a way of controlling the Tamil separatism, albeit unsuccessfully. What Sri Lanka faced was the result of extreme Tamil Nationalism equal to Nazism that originated in TN. It has NOTHING to do with minority discrimination.
        The historical claims put forward by Tamils can be easily debunked. I myself have done that several times in this very forum. I can say, NONE of the Tamils have ever been able to answer the questions I raised, instead they try to insult the Sinhala language, its heritage and mahavamsa. The Tamils HAVE NOTHING to show as a proof for their so called history. The only reason LTTE prevailed for 30 years was every SL governments took half hearted actions to destroy LTTE, the same way Sinhalese are NOT challenging these Tamil fake history properly and leave it aside. It is high time we Sinhalese challenge these fake historians and settle the issue for once.
        For fake Tamil historians, if there was a millennia old Tamil civilization in SL, you would be having archeological remains equal to those in TN and those in Anuradhapura or Magampura. Your language should have shown the effects of Prakrit. There should have been Tamil literature from Sri Lanka, you should have unique cultural traditions and your Tamil should be very different to what is spoken in TN. The very reason you have ended up as a third grade copycat of Tamil in TN should prove it the emptiness of Tamil nationalist claims.

    • 1
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      Sach,

      Former Sinhala civilization??? LOL!
      Where is this so called ‘Sinhala civilization’???
      Which history talks about any ‘Sinhala civilization’???
      Sinhala itself appeared only after 8th century AD. None of the kings called them ‘Sinhala’. None of the Kingdoms (Anuradapura, Polonaruwa, Rohana) were known as ‘Sinhala’. What ‘Sinhala civilization’ are you talking about? Can you tell us which Sri Lankan History talks about ‘Sinhala civilization’???

      • 1
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        yes, there was NOTHING called Sinhala…everything in SL was Tamil. All ancient kings in SL were Tamil…there was nothing called Sinhala civilisation…what these buggers refer to as Sinhala are actually Tamil…

        Sinhala appeared in 8 AD, and that linguistics are wrong to conclude Sinhala appeared in 3 BC…..All those kingdoms are Tamils…..–


        Are you happy now? This is my point, if we are to solve the issue in SRI LANKA….this is what Sinhalese need to do…..

        1. Accpet there is NOTHING called Sinhala
        2. There was NO sinhala civilisation and everything was Tamil
        3. All kings in SL were Tamil
        4. Sri Lanka was a Tamil country and hence should be a TAMIL COUNTRY…

        This is the only method we can solve Sri Lanka’s issue. Because this has NOTHING to do with minority discrimination but Tamils’ myth mania

        • 0
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          sach the stupid

          “Are you happy now? This is my point, if we are to solve the issue in SRI LANKA….this is what Sinhalese need to do…..”

          Go back to their mother country North or South India. When they go they better take their Tamil brethren with them.
          Full stop.
          The destruction your people caused in this island over the past 2000 years are more than enough reason to deport you lot.

          What are you talking about? There is no such thing as Sinhala Land Tamil Land. However you share common gene with South Indians (Tamils). It is the best place to continue your petty fights. Go away if you want peace and tranquility.
          My advice to all descendants of Kallathonies, GO GO GO GO GO. Don’t come back.
          Which part of Tanjur did your ancestors come from? Did they come during Chola invasion or later with Portuguese Laskarins? Where are their spears?

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            I am more than happy if we Sinhala community can go to someplace and live without associating racist tamils. I am more than happy …..understand that….the thing is we do not have any place to go back in India because we as Sinhalese never came from there….
            I as a Sinhalese consider ourselves extremely unlucky to associate with racist Tamils. If we have the chance we will go…but we cant…..
            We do NOT like to live with Tamils…..

            I share genes with South Indians, Africans and even monkeys. And how does that even relevant to our right to SL? Do you think we like to associate you? NO we dont. In fact we dont have a place to go to get rid of you tamils…so racist fkr hiding behind Vaddha can ask their Racist Tamils whether they would be happy to do that

            Do you Tamils think living with you are some sort of entertainment to us? Hell NO!

    • 1
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      Sach,

      2000 years ago in Lanka says your own history book (read it carefully),
      Dutugemunu’s father King Kavantissa, the king of Rohana (Kingdom in Southern Sri Lanka) tells Dutugemunu not to invade the Northern territory, the land of the Damilas. He says, Rohana the region on this side of the river (Southern territory) has enough land. There is evidence in the Mahavamsa that the Northern territory (Anuradapura) was occupied by the Tamils even before Dutugemunu. It also says, Dutugemunu had to conquer not just one Tamil king (Elara) but 32 Tamil Chieftains around the Northern territory (Anuradhapura principality). He also killed around sixty thousand Tamils in the war. How could there be a Tamil king, 32 Tamil chieftains and sixty thousand Tamils (only the dead) if there were no Tamil settlements in the Northern territory. Why did the Tamil kings (invaders or invitees) rule only the Northern territory (Rajarata) and NOT the Southern territory (Rohana)? Read your own history book, King Kavantissa gives the answer very clearly.

      On the other hand, the History scholars who studied and analyzed the Tamil Nadu (Chola & Pandya) history records during the period when the Tamil kings Sena & Kuttika (237-215 BC) ruled Anuradapura could not find any connection/relationship between them and Tamil Nadu. Their father was a Sri Lankan horse merchant. How did these two Tamils (without any military support from Chola/Pandya, even the Pali chronicles do not call them invaders) could rule the Anuradapura Kingdom for 22 years if they did not have any backing from the surrounding Vanni? The only other conclusion is that they were native Tamil Vanni chieftains and the people around Anuradapura kingdom during that period were also Saivate Tamils.

      Recent discoveries of Saivate Hindu temples and Tamil villages buried in the Anuradapura area is further proof that Northern territory (including Anuradapura) was occupied by the Tamils.

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        It only shows during the time of kavanthi thissa Anuradhapura was under invasion by a foreigner. Whether that was Tamils or NOT is a different qns. In fact there was NO Tamil then…

        If you refer to your religious books like Mahabharat, they refer to Sinhala in Sri Lanka,. but they do not talk about Tamils in SL, in fact they talk about Cholas and Pandyas in South India.
        The Tamil identity was NOT even developed then

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    The mind still caged in the Tamil Nadu ethos of language, religion and culture. The body in the southern island. Sinhalese are unable to help the Tamils out of this conundrum.
    Soma

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    There is no historical proof that there was a Tamil land in Sri Lanka. That is a bare faced lie. Colonials brought Tamil speaking people and located them in various parts of SL thus performed the greatest ethnic re-engineering in SL to the detriment of it’s inhabitants. Country is still paying for that genocidal act of the colonials.

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      Hela,

      Recent scientific and historical studies have indicated that both the Tamils and Sinhalese are largely descended from the Mesolithic people who inhabited all parts of the island in the prehistoric period (over 3000 years ago). By the dawn of the 13th century the two ethnic identities had begun their political and geographical separation.

      It is a widely accepted fact that northern Sri Lanka, especially the Jaffna peninsula, had been a predominantly Tamil territory for centuries. It is this same area that formed the core of the Tamil kingdom in medieval times. The Tamil word Paramparamakkal which means literally ‘Regions where Tamil-speaking people have traditionally (or from generation to generation) lived’ is called ‘Tamil Homeland’.

      The Sinhalese Nampota dated in its present form to the 14th century CE suggests that the whole of the Tamil kingdom, including parts of the modern Trincomalee district, was recognised as a Tamil region by the name Demala-pattanama (Tamil city). In this work, a number of villages that are now situated in the Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Trincomalee districts are mentioned as places in Demala-pattanama.

      Population Census from 1881-2012 has consistently shown that every division in the Northern Province has had an overwhelming Tamil speaking majority and in 1911 the Eastern province was over 95% Tamil speaking. It is this North-East region that forms the territorial basis of the Tamil homeland.

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        Sivakumar,

        As you mentioned it is the 13th century that a Tamil kingdom was established. The formation of Sinhala nation goes further than that. The Sinhalese Buddhist civilisations in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa were built well before. Sinhalese kings from Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa eras ruled the entire country (including North, East, South & West) from time to time. The Tamil kingdom was built through an alien invasion from India and not a creation of indigenous Tamils inhabiting SL. Therefore it is not proof of a Tamil homeland. It is just an invader’s creation just like South Indian invader, Elara’s rule in Anuradhapura. The Jaffna kingdom didn’t last long as an independent kingdom either. It came under the Sinhala king of Kotte in the 15th century before falling to Portugese. So roughly 200 years of invader based rule doesn’t qualify for a claim of a homeland whatsoever. Then consider the evidence of existence of Sinhala villages in large numbers in the North at the time of colonial arrival. It was the Tamil slaves brought to North by the Dutch beginning of the 18th century that started tamilisation of the North in a significant way as recounted by Philip Baldeaus. Therefore the so called Tamil homeland was an artificial creation by the colonials as I mentioned before.

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    I applaud Tamil Venthan for his sincerity and for his intellectual honesty .That was an excellent contribution to this eternal quest for a solution to a national problem. More rational and balanced views can make this discussion more constructive and progressive.and his view simply reflects his intellectual capacity.
    Quite unlike Sakkaralingam who describes himself as a medical practitioner and having his education at Royal College. While I caretuppencefor the latter, I certainly expected rationalism of a minimal level at least from someone who professes to have a uni degree, regardless of the profession. For instance 100 Hindu temples and 400 Tamil villages discovered buried under Anuradhapura.!, That takes the cake! Who made this discovery, and what is the title of the book? This is absolute rubbish and coming from a self proclaimed medico not only puts the medical profession to the test, but raises valid concerns about. Sakkara.’s own state of mind.That is the sort of rubbish that incites communalism, and does nothing towards a constructive discussion. The more this kind of negativism is spruiked, the greater the resolve of the Sinhala people to say enough is enough. TheSinhalese are the majority, and they are fully aware of not only their rights but of the strength of majoritarian power. Do not put it to the test as Sakkara you are safe in your hideout in the UK but the innocent Tamils in SL will have to bear the brunt.

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      In 2013 a certain tamil doctor wrote a book about Tamil history in SL. I bought it and read it looking for proofs. And he had said the Kadurugoda Buddhist monastery is similar to those found in TN…..and he had inserted a picture of that Buddhist monastery in the book, and guess what, it was Boro Budur of Indonesia;……most of these Tamil claims fall to that category

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    Tamils in Sri Lanka are trying their best to provoke the Sinhalese to attack them so that they could seek refuge in western countries. Many of the commentators who make vile racist remarks about the Sinhaleseand their culture are needling for a backlash. What barbaric people! They do not mind their kith and kin being arracked as long as they can get to a western country. India is round the corner and they should bugger off there.

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      Percy,

      Even when Dalada Maligawa and Sri Maha Bodhi were attacked, the Sinhalese did not get provoked, those July ’83 days are gone. Do not worry but if you get provoked, go and hit your head on a brick wall.

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      Percy the dated, disturbed and pathetic

      “India is round the corner and they should bugger off there.”

      Well lets see if UN could relocate India to a place near Antarctica as once Dayan wished for.

      “Tamils in Sri Lanka are trying their best to provoke the Sinhalese to attack them so that they could seek refuge in western countries. “

      Do the Sinhala/Buddhist fascists need an excuse to start a profitable riot? I think you are dying to make quick bucks out of people’s misery. Well next time around no one knows how Hindians would react, another Bangladesh in its southern hemisphere. It took Hindians 10 days to demolish Pakistani army. Have a guess how long its going to take Hindians to flatten all your security installations, may be in 24 hours or less. There isn’t much room inside Sambandan’s amude to hide all of you from Hindian wrath.

      Whatever you do please make sure you don’t put your service chiefs in an awkward position to sign the instrument of surrender. Hindutva needs a war, itching for one, a good war, this island is the best place to wage a tidy war given that VP the psychopath is no more to protect your contested sovereignty.

      I suggest you confine your hands to holding your willy and don’t even contemplate the rotten idea of starting another riot.

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    ‘ Injustice anywhere is a threat to
    Justice everywhere’.
    – Martin Luther King Jr –

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    Stupid Tamil Vedda
    Stop day dreaming. Hindians wrath is like farting in Sambandans face. It is a
    Pus vedilla. They could not even rein in Velu and were driven off with their tails between their legs. Just like how Nehru running away from the Chinese lifting his verti and bolting it all the way to a bunker. Yes I do have a Willy but you seem to have nilly! As I said before the Pakis will teach the Injuns a couple of lessons in bravery. Indians like the Tamils are renowned for their cowardice. A loud fart is enough to send them scattering shouting andavale adi ammo.

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