The Tamil National Alliance has expressed it’s deep shock over Saturday’s clashes that took place at the University of Jaffna.
Leader of the TNA R. Sampanthan
“We regret that several students have sustained injuries and that the Sinhala students had to be evacuated from the University and Jaffna as a precautionary measure,” the TNA said in a statement.
The TNA appealed to all students not to permit any recurrence of such incidents or anything that will hinder genuine reconciliation amongst communities in our country.
“Whilst inviting the students who have been evacuated to return to Jaffna, we urge the other students who remain to welcome them and assure them of their safety as they resume their studies We call upon the students and the authorities to work together in creating the right conditions for students from different backgrounds to live and study together in the University of Jaffna in the future,” the TNA said in a statement.
Related stories:
Jaffna University Science Faculty Closed Following Ethnic Clash
thondamannay / July 17, 2016
Do Not Permit Clash Recurrence That Could Hinder Genuine Reconciliation..
The damage has already taken place which should not have taken place in the first place.
Now what do we do?
Issue statements pleasing to the ear, sampanthan ?????
How could one make it right?
I do not know…….. I see no reconciliation possible BUT Terrism is a possibility……….
Hope, there will be no backlash taking place elsewhere in other Universities..
So, there is no place for Sinhalese in Jaffna University but Tamils have a place in other Universities outside Jaffna ?????
TNA & Wigneswaran will have to find answers. Will we need foreign judges to hear cases related to these incidents????
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Mallaiyuran / July 18, 2016
“I do not know…….. I see no reconciliation possible BUT Terrism is a possibility……….”
As long as you write and read Sampanthar broke into Pavipanchan Army camp breaking the barriers. First learn to write something true before talking about reconciliation.
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AJ / July 18, 2016
The army was illegally occupying a private property. With the consent of the owner, he entered the property. Sampathsn was not charged because he didn’t trespass, as he had the consent of the owner of the property.
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Antany Peter / July 18, 2016
The TNA must ask the Jaffna University VC, Dean of Arts, and Dean of Science faculties to resign immediately. Tamil students did it, but educated fools are behind those young Tamils. As the educated fools encouraged young Tamils to become ruthless terrorists. Police must arrest those trouble making students and put them in prison; so they may learn in prison as Nelson Mandela. We must send a clear message to politicians and young people that violence is no go zone; if they entered the no go zone, they will pay a high price. If we don’t send a particular message to trouble makers, we will be betraying the people who have died during the last three decades of war; and history will repeat itself.
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Sinhala_Man / July 18, 2016
Excellent comment. I have submitted some longer comments in response to other articles on this unnecessary (but exaggerated) incident.
No point feeling smugly satisfied, however, until we succeed in getting the UGC to make drastic changes in the administration. I’m sure that these changes needn’t be either arbitrary or opportunistic. I have gathered that there are lots of well-substantiated allegations against these people. And those are not allegations of a political nature, but things like sexual harassment.
Are going to be so scared of terrorist Douglas Devananda just because he helped us get rid of the even worse terrorist, Veluppilai Prabhakaran?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / July 18, 2016
The two young men seen carrying stout sticks. in photographs and videos of the incident, should be arrested first and prosecuted. The same should be done to those seen throwing their fists at others. If they are found guilty , they should be expelled.
Dr.RN
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Ela kolla / July 19, 2016
idiot symptoms of the beast.
filthy politicians address the cause.
ban the unnecessary ceremony of trade unionism.
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AJ / July 18, 2016
Universities comes directly under the central government, not under provincial government. So how can TNA has any jurisdiction over this matter ?
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K.Pillai / July 18, 2016
Antany Peter: “The TNA must ask the Jaffna University VC, Dean of Arts, and Dean of Science faculties to resign immediately”
Antany is canvassing for devolution of power so that TNA will have the necessary teeth to issue orders. Contrary to popular notion, Antony is not that stupid after all.
By the way Antany, Nelson Mandela did not learn anything from prison life.
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Antany Peter / July 18, 2016
Of course you wouldn’t like Tamil leaders to guide their young generation towards non-violence methods to sort out their differences with Sinhalese. You rather see them becoming terrorists, so you can dominate the world.
I don’t think you are a Tamil or Sinhalese, but the king of divide and rule. Don’t ever think that I take you as a Tamil, because you have a Tamil name. Trust me, the dragon will deal with you bastards in due time by wiggling it’s tail.
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sr / July 18, 2016
Anthony Peter
Arrest, not the misled Tamil students but the educated fools you mention who encouraged/misled the students to become ruthless.
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A. Peter / July 17, 2016
Educated Tamil fools are misleading the Tamil students. They want to see riots, and they also want to destabilize Sri Lanka, because they believe the foreign power’s fancy promise, so called “Eelam.” Tamils have done it again. Tamil welcomed their students according to their culture first. What’s wrong in Sinhalese having their welcome according to their culture after Tamils have welcomed their students?
The Jaffna University is the darkest place in the North, especially the Arts faculty. No wonder why it is ranked 7225th in the world. Last August I had a meeting with the Dean of Arts faculty. He is extremely pro LTTE, he said that he is alive, because of the LTTE. He firmly believes that the LTTE members who have died are protecting him and Tamils in spirit.
How can younger generation learn to appreciate others when their faculty Dean and lecturers are crazy about the LTTE and have little or no respect for Sinhalese?
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jim softy / July 18, 2016
So, why a wrong teacher is at the top ?
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Mallaiyuran / July 18, 2016
You think you can mislead the crowd so easily.
There are videos showing how the fight started and who threw the fist punch. Watch them before you write anything.
Is there a part in the Kandyan issuing warning like “Tonight we are coming to your quarters”. Isn’t that personnel were prearranged to go somewhere and attach before they came to opening ceremony? Was there any police/army protection too had been organised to that kind of night attack?
Don’t give your verdict. Let the lawyers tell their point in a court, unlike the FCID inquires, so nothing was properly done so far.
” No wonder why it is ranked 7225th in the world.” That is the record you established. Nobody has a share in that.
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sach / July 18, 2016
oh lies and lies and lies…why should Sinhalese start a fight when they did include the Kandyan dances in the procession?
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Sapumal / July 19, 2016
There is no place for racism in the country now.If someone trying to drag us into abyss by spreading rumors will end up in garbage or hell.all people like you may want to bring Rajapaksha into power for narrow political gains. It will not success.
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mahaa sudhu Johnson / July 19, 2016
under pressure??
Hate boomerangs and there is no way out of the rut.
the tamils have nothing to lose while lanka is worse of the emerging markets on the debt list.
you reap what you sow in the island
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jansee / July 18, 2016
A Peter:
“No wonder why it is ranked 7225th in the world”
Then it makes sense that Sinhalese students should not pursue their studies in such a low-ranked dark university.
“They want to see riots, and they also want to destabilize Sri Lanka”
There is nothing more left to destabilise Sri Lanka. It is already a destabilised country for the years and years of politicking, corruption and agreed. It is already an acknowledged fact that even the Buddha cannot save SL. You reap what you sow.
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K.Pillai / July 18, 2016
According to Times Higher Education none of the Lankan universities are in the top 100 – not even top 500. Where the hell did this man A. Peter get Jaffna University in 7225th place?
Judging from his comment, Peter’s meeting with the Dean of Arts Faculty is doubtful. In any case the Dean would have found Peter shallow and terminated the meeting. Peter tries to impress but whom?
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Mallaiyuran / July 18, 2016
People were fired from the University for political activity inside. First they beg; if it doesn’t work then bark, hiding their history and accusing another one.
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KA Sumanasekera / July 18, 2016
This Vellala Tamil party Leader doesn’t even live there,,So how can he urge the Sinhala students to come back and live safely when the Vellala in Chief Minister hasn’t assured anything.
In fact he and Sambandan have been demanding that the Army must move out too.
And Police should be all Tamils.
In a way it would have been better , Because it would have prevented these Sinhala Students dancing Kandyan there in the first place..
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BBS Rep / July 18, 2016
Reconciliation in Sri Lanka is a fallacy.
You of all people Hon Sampanthan, must know. You are still to reconcile with the Muslim community that Prabakaran ethnically cleansed out of Jaffna. You are not allowing them to return to their homes in Jaffna. They are suffering untold privations and hostility from Ghanansara and his saffron robed minions in the margins of Wilpattu forest.
Racism in all forms is abhorrent.
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Paul / July 18, 2016
Yes racism in all forms is abhorrent. Most of the racism was directed towards the Tamils by both the Sinhalese and Muslims. In the east both these immigrant communities have ganged untogether to marginalise the indigenous Tamils. What about Muslims returning the thousands of acres of land stolen from the Tamils in the east. They have been ordered to even by various high to courts but encouraged by the Muslim led eastern province provincial council they are still clinging onto there lands and are trying all sorts of methods to steal more Tamil lands in places like Kalmunai.
The displaced Muslims in the north are welcome to return, however most of them chose not to return and many of their homes are now occupied by the Sinhalese armed forces and not by Tamils. Also it was a Muslim minister from Mannar who was responsible for settling all displaced people in the north, however instead of settling the displaced Tamils and Muslims of the north, he was busy settling thousands out of area Muslims along the Wilpattu corridor to create new Muslim enclaves in the north that had never existed.
Lastly Tamils of the north and not the Muslims who are the most disadvantaged and displaced people. Hundreds of thousands of them are displaced and thousands of Tamil owned lands homes are still being illegally occupied by the Sinhalese armed forces and illegal Sinhalese settlers. The percentage of Muslim displaced is miniscule compared to the Tamils but deliberately you ignore this huge travesty of justice done to the Tamils and keep on harping about the small percentage of displaced Muslims to justify your Sinhalese Buddhist racist agenda.
Other than the northern Muslims numbering around 75000, the rest of the 2million strong Muslim population in the island benefited immensely on the marginalisation of the island’s Tamils.
These southern Muslims never really cared about these Northern Muslims, only used them for their political advantage and to gain sympathy with the Muslim world but never lifted a finger to help them and left them to rot in Puttalam. It suited their agenda. These small amount of northern Muslims were the sacrificial lamb for the rest of the island’s 2 million Muslims to benefit from the war.
The Northern Muslims hemselves were not that very innocent as they were also conniving with the Sinhalese armed forces to marginalise the northern Tamils and were caught by the LTTE and asked to leave. As usual they were up to their backstabbing activities. No one asked them to do it and until then they were treated with respect by the local Tamils.
Muslims in Sri Lanka are Tamil by ethnicity, however do not wish to acknowledge this but claim a fake Arab/Moorish origin that only a few of them partially have and do everything and connive with the Sinhalese to destroy the island’s ancient Tamil language history and culture. They are under the misconception just because their Hindu Tamil ancestors converted to Islam, they are not Tamils anymore but Arab/Moorish by heritage. What a stupid idea Islam is a religion and is followed by people of many races, it is not an ethnicity. Their ethnicity is still Tamil. This is what is stopping the reconciliation with the island’s Tamils not anything else.
Tamils are willing to accept and respect them as fellow Tamil Muslims but not as fake Arabs/Moors who are conniving with the Sinhalese and are out to destroy them to gain advantage for their immigrant community that arrived from South India a few centuries ago.
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BBS Rep / July 19, 2016
Paul,
There is no point in trying to find fault with single communities. The entire Sri Lankan community are racists in one form or another Muslims included. The pogroms committed by the Sinhala community against the Tamils is utterly despicable and abhorrent.
True reconciliation comes from reflection upon your own mind. We need to discipline our minds not to be biased against anyone based on ethnicity, religion, colour, cast, gender or for that matter sexual orientation. I have often seen a vast chasm in the hypocritical utterings of Hon Sampanthan. I only try to remind him about his duties as he is a top honcho.
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Analyst / July 18, 2016
The plans should have been put in place long before this debacle .
Ok to welcome the new students in Jaffna style pageantry , but the closing up ceremony too could have been accommodated with Kandyan Dance pageantry or both for the welcome.
Why this kind of decision was made to put children at risk in the hands of Racists elements. Did they not think of the plight of the Tamil students in out stations.??
Now we know all are Modayas whether they’re Ssinhala or Tamils , whether educated or not !!
Donkeys destroy my country and the future of our children.
God save Srilanka from this situation.
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PARAGON / July 18, 2016
FOR ME IT LOOKS LIKE INSTED OF IPKF THE AMERICAN PEACE KEEPING FORCE IS GETTING READY TO COME TO SRI-LANKA AND THE GROUND WORK IS ALREADY BEING CARRIED OUT BY RAJAPAKSE REGIMENT-SAADU-SADDU-JAYAWEWA TO RAJAPAKSE.
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Shrikharan / July 18, 2016
In the South there is no Tamil cultural representation in any function and only Sinhala Buddhist culture is presented. Now in the Tamil areas you demand Sinhala cultural representation. How unfair!
Tamils do have their self respect. Tamils are not anyone’s underdogs. You should have also thought about this long ago and felt what we suffered in silence and given us some respect by representing Tamil culture in official functions and then Tamils would have reciprocated. Instead you behave in a high handed manner. First accept your side of the problem without being in a false denial stage, that is the only way for reconciliation.
At least now let the educated officials understand and put an end by including Tamil culture in official functions and we all will reap the fruits. But if Sinhala side stick to keeping Tamils as second class then am afraid we have expect more problems.
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Lone Wolf / July 18, 2016
Sampa,
“The TNA appealed to all students not to permit any recurrence of such incidents or anything that will hinder genuine reconciliation amongst communities in our country.”
Why don’t you control the men who lead the students instead of blaming them?
This was truly a nice welcome for the new students.
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AJ / July 18, 2016
Universities comes under the central government not the provincial government. Therefore TNA doesn’t have the authority to control them.
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Patriot / July 18, 2016
This rabidly racist Sambandan lives comfortably in Colombo amidst Sinhalese without any issue. Thousands of Tamil students attend other universities in the Sinhala majority areas with respect and dignity intact. Tamils buy property, do business and travel about any part of the country without any issue at all. It the instigation by Sambanthan, Sumanthiran and Vigneshwaran that makes Jaffna a rabidly racist cesspit. These are the guys using LTTE international funds to discredit Sri Lanka and its armed forces. This old hag should give way to progressive Tamils to take over rather than taking an entire race down the lines of Nandikadal face off. These self serving crackpots are a real menace to the peace loving society. May the 33000 deities that protect Sri Lanka cleanse these rabid dogs.
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Rohan / July 18, 2016
Looks like the only rabidly racist cesspit is your brain and its contents are pouring out here.
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AJ / July 18, 2016
Thanks for admitting Tamils are ‘buying’ property in Sinhala area. phew.. now you are starting to understand the problem.
Only difference is Sinhala Army and the police is not buying property in Jaffna, instead illegally occupying non HSZ. If it is HSZ, I can understand, but, there is no justification to illegally occupy non HSZ private property.
From the beggars to stores in Jffna town are Sinhalese. When you go to liquor store Jaffna town, even the Tamil owner of the shop ask you what you want in Sinhala. Even the beggars beg in Sinhala in the buses in Jaffna Town. I witnessed this on my last visit to Jaffna. Imagine, a Taml begging in Tamil in the bus in Tangalle? Haha.
There is nothing wrong with buying property in any part of the world and doing business in any part of the world, as long as you are not stealing or illegally confiscating civilians’ properties.
Now you are beginning to see the problem, soon yo will understand the problem and come to terms with it.
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RuwanL / July 18, 2016
A impartial investigation should be carried out with representatives from both Tamil and Sinhalese investigators. The students should be punished severely if racism was involved the students who are found guilty should be terminated from the university as they are not fit to be students of the university. Appreciate if action is taken as fast as possible by the higher education ministry to nip it in the bud. Politicians should not be involved in the investigation!!
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Redna / July 18, 2016
This incident demonstrates that the Sri Lanka Army cannot be totally withdrawn. I dare to say that the Army must be in Jaffna but their camps must be on state lands and not on private properties. The Police must constitute more tamils but atleast 30% of sinhala policemen should be stationed there. What have the Chief Minister and the Opposition done to remedy the current situation. Expel those who were involved in the incident and re-establish discipline and order.
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Pau;_Real Sivan Sankaran Sarma / July 18, 2016
It was the racist Sinhalese occupying armed forces and police that instigated all this. It is due to their activities encouragement and presence that these Sinhalese students behave in this arrogant racist manner in the northern and eastern universities, treating the local Tamil culture and students with disrespect and disdain, as if they have dropped from heaven lord over the Tamils. They are acting very cockily and aggressively towards the Tamils as they know they are protected by this racist Sinhalese armed forces and police.
There is enough evidence not in in the Jaffna university disturbances but also in Batticaloa and Trincomallee that Sinhalese armed force and police arrived in civilian clothes and started to attack the Tamil students. How do they arrive here in cue and on time? As they are in cohorts with these hooligan Sinhalese students who start with all these disturbances.
Just like the way they encourage extremist Sinhalese Buddhist monks goons and other elements to roam freely around the north and east to destroy Hindu shrines and install Budda statues and temples. They give twenty four hour protection to them and to all the illegal Sinhalese settlers who steal the lands of the displaced Tamils.
These Sinhalese armed forces and police should be removed in both the Tamil provinces and Tamils speaking Policemen and armed forces should be recruited. Why 30% Sinhalese in when not even 1% of the population is Sinhalese or Sinhalese speaking. Then in greater Colombo, Western and Central provinces 50% of the police and armed forces and public servants should be Tamil speaking as there is a huge percentage of Tamil speakers in these areas.
You want 30% Sinhalese police officer and 100 % racist Sinhalese army personnel and lots of Buddhist temples and statues in the Tamil areas where there are hardly any Sinhalese but no Tamil speaking police or armed forces/public servants or the use of the Tamil language and culture in the southern parts of the island were a huge Tamil speaking population lives, especially in the greater Colombo area and the Central and Western provinces.
The north and east of the island is ancient Tamil land and is recognised internationally and by previous Sinhalese governments. The land here both private and public belongs to the local Tamils and to the Tamil Muslims in the Muslim majority areas. To be vested and to be used for their betterment not to be distributed to outside Sinhalese and Muslim illegal settlers or to be given to the Sinhalese armed forces as an indirect means of colonisation. Will you do the same in the Sinhalese south? The answer is no.
You are another Sinhalese Buddhist racist cunningly propagating your racist ideology.
It is because of the presence of this racist occupying Sinhalese armed forces and police personnel various out of area unruly Sinhalese and at time Muslim elements are taking advantage on the local Tamil population to steal their lands homes build Buddhist temples Budda statues, create chaos in the universities and other centres of education and demand Sinhalese culture dances ETC to be given prominence above the local Tamil culture of these regions.
These people never want to give any prominence to the Tamil language or culture, that is also indigenous to the island, in the so called Sinhalese south which has around 3.5 million or more native Tamil speakers( Indigenous Indian origin and Tamil Muslim) but demand greater prominence for the Sinhalese language and culture in the Tamil areas as they feel they are the victorious ruling race that is now being supported by a racist Sinhalese army and police.
They would not have dared to this during the LTTE era or even before that. Now after the defeat of the LTTE, they thing the Tamils are now defenceless and the world does not care,so are strutting around and treating the island’s Tamil speakers as a defeated second rate people, where respect to their own culture and language in their own ancient lands does not matter only respect to Sinhalese language their Kandyan dancing ( that originated from ancient Tamil Kerala) and culture matters.
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chanaka de Silva / July 18, 2016
I do not see the TNA saying that the guilty students must be punished.
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AJ / July 18, 2016
Scope of the guiltyness can is extended to one who instigated violence. This includes punishing Sinhala students. TNA doesn’t want that as this is delicate time frame for reconciliation
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Paul -Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 18, 2016
The Guilty students are the Sinhalese who started all this instigated by the racist Sinhalese occupying armed forces and police who miraculously appeared in civil clothes to join the Sinhalese students to assault the Tamils. How dare they. There should be a thorough investigation and these Sinhalese army and police personnel court marshalled and punished, however as per past history nothing will ever happen, These racist thugs will be given promotions for helping the brave Sinhalese veerayas to contain the troublesome Tamils and teach them a lesson in their own home.
De Silva? another recently Sinhalised descendant of immigrant Indian Tamil slave labour that was imported by the Dutch to work in the huge southern cinnamon estates now beating the anti Tamil drum.
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KOW / July 18, 2016
Most of the comments on this issue is extremely partisan as if they want an unrest in the country. It seems these commentators were waiting for such incident or played a part in creating this incident. It is heartening to see the Ministry of higher education’s statement that it will take action against everyone who is involved in this incident.
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sach / July 18, 2016
It is because of the likes of Sambandan, Wiggie and Sumanthiran that the society in north is being radicalised with diaspora funds
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Analyst / July 18, 2016
Why call everyone else ? The most problematic decision maker was the Chansellor of the Uni. Did she seek advice? If yes from whom??
They are at fault.
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senthil / July 18, 2016
I think Singhalese are wasting their time in fighting with Tamils. There is a saying, if you hit any part in a dog it will lift its leg. While Singhalese are fighting with Tamils, others are stealing their land and culture- Even God can’t save this modias. To save cumin seeds and loose pepper seeds- modia, modia. Tamils are not loosing more than Singhalese.
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PARAGON / July 18, 2016
PLEASE DONT BLAME SAMPANTHAN-SUMANTHIRAN-SENATHI- FOR EVERYTHING HAPPINING IN THE NORTH.REMEMBER BECAUSE IF THESE THREE GNTLMEN MY-3 AND RANIL TO DAY IN THIS POSITION.THOSE WHO ARE BLAMING THEM PEOPLE LIKE PATALI-NIMAL SRIPALA-WHO EVER WANTS TO BE THE NEXT PRISEDENT NEED THEIR SUPPORT.THESE THREE GENTLEMEN ARE CURRENTLY UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE FROM TAMIL ABORD AND ACCUSING THEM THEY HAVE TAKEN MONEY FROM RANIL AND TRYING TO SAVE HIS GOVRNMENT.UNGRETFULL SINGALA LEADERS.TIME WILL VERY SOON TEACH A LESSION TO WHO EVER IN CASE OF CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT.
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Sunil / July 19, 2016
without taking sides, step back and look at this incident without any biases.
You don’t see Tamil welcome dancers/drums and music used at ceremonies along with Kandyan dancers/Drums in other parts of Sri Lanka!
Make it so that both are included islandwide at ceremonies or have nothing at all, that will be better.
When you try to throw in Kandyan dancers/Drums in the North without simultaneously doing the same by including Tamil welcome dancers/drums Islandwide you give room for such problems.
investigate this carefully, looks like someone might have been trying to provoke an incident!
shameful ,Don’t let Racially motivated people manipulate you like this!
Remember the world today is not blind!
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