By A. Sivapathasundaram –
Need for Elucidation
Mr. C.V. Wigneswaran is no ordinary person: He is a retired Justice, fluent in all the three languages, Sinhalese, Tamil & English that are spoken in Sri Lanka, is patently religious and brought into politics from his retired life. Very soon after, and never of such privileged position accorded to anyone before, considered as ‘ new light’, a ‘new breeze’ and ‘new hope’ by a majority of Tamil voters in the North of Sri Lanka, he was directly elevated to the exalted political office as the Chief Minister of Northern Province (NP). He is also now the leader of Tamil People’s Alliance, a new political party formed by him in defiance of Tamil National Alliance (TNA)— the very party that pole-vaulted him into politics only a few years ago. Moreover, there is a certain section of the Tamils in the North and amongst the Diaspora who consider him and other politicians who support him, as their voice and the ones who would deliver the “political goods” they want.
Therefore, the contents of his article ‘Keppetipola Disawe & Solution to The Ethnic Question’, which appeared in ‘Colombo Telegraph’ recently, merits special attention and objective scrutiny for further elucidation either by him or by any of his ilk and political persuasions and stand. It is the hope and expectation that such elucidations, debate and discussion would lead to an objective re-assessment of Tamil politics, in order to pave a meaningful and realistic path for the attainment of the social, economic and cultural progress and prosperity of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, in the context of the changed national and international realities.
In his said article, the ex-Chief Minister of NP has started off with the story of ‘Keppetipola Disawe’ and “pre-independent days”. This part may be skipped, for, though they are of historical interest, most of the Sri Lankans are familiar with them, especially in regard to the events of the post-independence days, having been documented and repeated many times by many people.
What need specific elucidations are on those he had gone on to list as some matters among the many, in his words, “that could be enumerated to show how the Tamils are being discriminated and dominated by the Sinhalese” and his “Solution to the Ethnic Question”.
Sinhala hegemony
Justice C.V. Wigneswaran (for ease we shall use the abbreviation CVW when referring to him in this article) says “The Tamils of North and East feel the yoke of Sinhala hegemony today”
Not only the Tamils of the North & East, but also the Hill country Tamils and Muslims too, have felt the “yoke of Sinhala hegemony”, not just “today”, but for many long years and, in one way or the other, at various times since the time of independence. One may term it not just ‘Sinhala hegemony’, but ‘Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist hegemony’ that is completely contrary to the tenants of Buddhism and the noble teachings of Buddha. This “juggernaut” of ‘Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist hegemony’, comprises not the ordinary Sinhalese Buddhists who are, in general, simple, friendly, and peace-loving –-even more so than some of the Tamil brethren—but the elite chauvinists. It has, in different forms at various times, rolled on and on, setting one community against the other too as part of its vulgar strategy, when needed to achieve its purposes, thus destroying the peace, tranquillity, and prosperity of the country as a whole, It even tramples on the Sinhala Buddhists themselves by diverting their attention from the real socio economic issues that the lower strata of their own people are faced with, sowing and promoting contrived fear and anger in them, only to enrich the select few. The words of Mark Twain that “It is easier to fool the people than to convince them that they are being fooled” has been proved to be spot on and continue to be so.
However, what needs elucidation is how does CVW, or for that matter any Tamil leader, hope to confront this ‘juggernaut’ by explaining to the misled Sinhalese masses while also enlisting the other minority communities and leaders against its destructiveness.
Also, as CVW states, “Tamils want freedom”—but that ‘freedom’ is not only from the yoke of “Sinhala Buddhist hegemony” but also from the remnants of casteism and exploitation of the Tamils amongst themselves too.
However, people do not elect leaders to tell them a list of problems. Everyone knows the problems –some personally experiencing them and some see, hear, or feel them happening. On the contrary, people elect them to find solutions for those problems and, in addition, constructively commit and work towards those solutions. Therefore, one must ask what CVW himself, both as Justice and subsequently as Chief Minister of North, have done on these. Surely, issuing statements or reading scripted speeches or addressing meetings, and that too mostly attended by the Tamils (effectively an exercise in only “converting the already converted”), is not seeking solution!—It can only be termed as mere verbosity for popularity and a waste of time, energy and resources.
Colonisation & De-population
CVW further states “Earlier almost all the Tamils in the Southern areas were driven away during inter alia 1958 and 1983 pogroms. Now they intend colonising the North and East with Sinhalese”.
It is not “’now’ they ‘intend’ colonising the North and East with Sinhalese”: This process started long time ago—a grievance aired from the time following the formation of Tamil Federal Party. What has also escaped attention is that, while the Tamil leaders and activists were harping on ‘colonisation’ and “1958 and 1983 pogroms”, another shrewd and subtle process was put in operation by the said ‘juggernaut’: it is “De-population” of Tamils from North & East. It has master- minded the voluntary movement of Tamils by aiding and abetting their exodus from the soil of the North & East– particularly from the North. ‘Human traffickers’ have profited, and, it would appear that the Sri Lankan Airport officials, and the Security forces, some for monetary benefits, have knowingly allowed the out-flow of Tamils in large numbers from the airports, sometimes even knowing that they possess forged documents. The unnecessary and eventually fruitless and long-protracted war too has contributed to that process.
‘Colonisation’ and ‘De-population’ are the “two sides of the same coin” –effectively driving towards the achievement of the same purpose: ‘Colonisation’ is the process by which the Sinhalese are brought in bulk into the Tamil lands; whereas “De-population” is the process by which the Tamils are emptied from Tamil lands.
Though it is true that most of those who had thus migrated to other countries (except unfortunately those who went to Tamil Nadu and got stuck there) are doing economically well, by this process, the ‘juggernaut’ of the ‘Sinhalese Buddhist chauvinist hegemony’ which is constantly in motion and on mission have achieved the following:
- Tamils have vacated the Tamil lands.
- This has also the adverse impact in the demographic composition of the Tamils and reduced representation of Tamils in the Parliament.
- Some of the Security forces and the top notch of the Establishment have made large sums of money in the process of aiding the Tamils to leave.
- Reduced the problem of unemployment and increased the chances of Sinhalese getting jobs and running enterprises without competition from Tamils.
- Tamils have contributed to the Colombo economy in building or buying apartments there.
- There is a significant inflow of foreign exchange earnings into Sri Lanka from the Diaspora Tamils by remittances as well as tourism to the very country that they claim they had left because of harassment and tortures.
Military Camps & Military Dictatorship
It is true, as CVW asserts, there are “Military Camps are everywhere in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, manned by Sinhalese only”. —This is an unfortunate by-product of a protracted war that should have been ended seizing the many opportunities that came about— absence of which have resulted in an exponential increase in the security forces to the point of saturation and adding a lethal arsenal to that ‘juggernaut’. With the end of the war, the government, incapable of finding alternative employment for those if demobilised, had left the number same as at the end of war. Additionally, the glorification of the LTTE and the irresponsible talk about its resurgence and resurrection, albeit falsely, had been used by the government to justify the presence of the armed forces and the existence of camps in larger and disproportionate numbers in the North & East. The side comedy of the so called ‘Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam’ with a ‘Prime Minister’ and ‘Cabinet’ by a section of the Diaspora, not even recognised by the elected Tamil representatives on the ground in Sri Lanka, is not helpful either. And, with the Easter bomb attacks by Muslim extremists. it has added fuel to this justification of the wide-spread existence of military and their consequent involvement in civilian lives and administration and the forced upon “opening up of Buddhist places of worship”.
Also as a consequence, CVW rightly points out to the dangerous trend of the increased involvement of the Military in the civilian administration and business and commercial interests and Sri Lanka sliding into, in effect, a military run dictatorship, with only democracy in name.
In the Sri Lankan political landscape, there was once only the influence of two major parties, UNP & SLFP, with underlying ‘Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism’ determining the fate of the country. Now, with the massive build-up of the military apparatus, ‘military’ has become an important and indispensable factor of influence to additionally contend with. This trend spells disaster for Sri Lanka as a country and to all its people, irrespective of ethnicity –be it Sinhalese, Tamils, or Muslims.
CVW to say, “My prayer is, God save the Tamils”, may be to invoke what the leader of the Federal Party, SJV Chelvanayagam is reported to have uttered in desperation. But in this instance, it would have been more appropriate if CVW had said “God, save the country”. Nevertheless, CVW, being a religious person, may resort to prayer; but that cannot certainly be the solution.
Those right thinking amongst all the communities—irrespective of Sinhalese, Tamils, or Muslims– are very concerned and worried about this development and process which will end up in the degeneration of Sri Lanka into another Pakistan or Myanmar. Instead of merely stating the problem, one would like to have from him, as a leader and an intellectual and with the advantage of his fluency in Sinhalese, his plans and strategies to translate his concern into action by the mobilisation of the people and the civil societies of all the communities against this dangerous trend.
Buddhist Priests
CVW then makes a frontal attack on the Buddhist Priests and the age of the Sinhalese language— thus himself smacking of chauvinism—and posing confrontationally “In any event what do Buddhist Priests know of our culture, history and language?”.
The disastrous consequences of the involvement of the Buddhist clergy in politics, members of which were even convicted in the assassination of a Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, is all too evident. Sri Lanka should heed to the emphatic pronouncement on religious personnel involving and meddling in politics by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore as a nation who steered it from a poor and backward city into a developed first world country. Addressing directly, he said: “Churchmen, lay preachers, priests, monks, Muslim theologians, all those who claim divine sanction and holy insight , take off your clerical robes before you take on anything economic or politics”.
This is true for Sri Lanka too. —But, how does CVW think, as a Tamil and a Hindu, his attack of the Buddhist Priests and the Sinhalese language will help the Tamils in the attainment of their political aspirations? Surely, his legal mind would know that it can only be counterproductive. Whether one likes it or not, ‘Buddhist Priests’, rightly or wrongly, still wield a substantial respect and reverence, amongst the Sinhalese rural populace; and such verbosity will not any way help Tamils to attain their political aspirations; instead, it is an unthoughtful, irresponsible approach that can only contribute to the unfortunate situation of further cementing the Tamil- Sinhalese divide and enhancing the ill-perceived dislike of the Tamils by the Sinhalese.
Sinhalisation of North and East
CVW moans that “Many Hotels are now coming up run by the Sinhalese in the North and East”.
So are hotels and business establishments in Colombo and its suburbs and in some towns of North & East by the Tamils & Muslims too. If the entrepreneurship of the Tamil is limited, in its void, others of different ethnicity will naturally come to grab the opportunities in areas hitherto torn by war. His words smack of exclusivity based on ethnicity—the very accusation he levels against the Sinhalese.
One predominant weakness that the Tamils have is the lack of knowledge of Sinhalese, the language of their brethren. This is also furthering the polarisation and preventing an interaction with the Sinhalese common folk. One may therefore ask: Shouldn’t the Tamils be provided with the necessary facilities to study Sinhalese and become fluent in Sinhalese language? Muslims had the foresight of learning it and thereby enhancing and expanding their employment, business, and commercial enterprises, and yet maintaining their culture and identity intact.
To be Continued….
Anpu / July 3, 2020
Mr Sivapathasundaram,
“So are hotels and business establishments in Colombo and its suburbs and in some towns of North & East by the Tamils & Muslims too. If the entrepreneurship of the Tamil is limited, in its void, others of different ethnicity will naturally come to grab the opportunities in areas hitherto torn by war. His words smack of exclusivity based on ethnicity—the very accusation he levels against the Sinhalese. “
Tamils did not ask for exclusivity. What happened in 1958 for the Tamils living in the south and then in 1983, …
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 3, 2020
No doubt, Tamils were driven out during the organised pogroms (in 1958 & 1983, and in-between these years too), largely organised by the Sinhala chauvinist elements and by state-aided hooligans of the Sinhalese community. At the same time, one must not forget that there were also instances that some amongst the Sinhalese community gave protection to the desperate Tamils in their houses even at the risk of their lives hiding them from the advancing hooligans. It is on record that, at least, Chandrika Kumaratunga, when she was the President apologised for the 1983riots. In the name of liberation, LTTE too killed many Sinhalese civilians (some of them within the buses they were travelling), supposed to be in retaliation for Sri Lanka Army killings of the Tamils— negating the very principle that the war is a “righteous war”. not against the ordinary Sinhalese people but the security forces, the oppressive arm of the government; yet no apology from anyone.
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Anpu / July 4, 2020
I am aware of what good Sinhalese people have done in the past and doing now. Kumaratunge’s apologies does not mean anything. What needed is justice. Those Tamils who lost lives, business, .. should have been compensated. That did not happen. Now it is Time for Recognition of Sri Lanka’s Genocide https://sangam.org/time-for-recognition-of-sri-lankas-genocide/ .
“Without the Sinhala Only, the Tiger may have remained unborn. Without the Black July, the Tiger may not have grown exponentially. If the B-C Pact and the D-C Pact did not miscarry (thanks to the midwifery of Sinhala extremism), the LTTE, even if it was born, would have remained a fringe group.” Tisaranee Gunasekara
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 4, 2020
Anpu, –I am not questioning or trying to brush over the injustice and the wanton destruction of properties and lives of the many innocent Tamils unleashed by the ethnic riots , culminating in the 1983 pogroms; the conscious denial of the basic rights of the Tamils by the rushed in “Sinhala Only Act” and the subsequent abrogation of the even the minimal Pacts for Devolution entered into —all for mere political expediency and the inability to withstand the onslaught of chauvinism, greed for easy power, cheap and degenerate populism, and notwithstanding the long term destruction it had caused to all the people, particularly at the lower strata of all ethnicity. The question now is the positive process of their rectification and constructive results from them, weighing the indispensable national and international realities, and avoiding further descent into the morass.
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Nathan / July 3, 2020
‘There is a certain section of the Tamils who support him as the one who would deliver the “political goods”’. This is a big burden, too heavy for him to shoulder at his beholden age. In his group no one is there even for respite. Most of his coterie are tried and tested political discards.
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Rajash / July 3, 2020
“One predominant weakness that the Tamils have is the lack of knowledge of Sinhalese, the language of their brethren. This is also furthering the polarisation and preventing an interaction with the Sinhalese common folk”
Tamils in public service speak more fluent Sinhala than the Sinhalese
The polarisation started when education in swabasha (mother tongue )was introduced by the racist Sinhala Govt.
Now its CVV’s fault and not VP’s fault
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 3, 2020
It certainly is the fault of all the erstwhile Tamil leaders. —Please Rajash, allow me to narrate an incident—I was once travelling by train from Colombo to Jaffna. In the compartment was a Sinhalese middle-aged lady, with her two small children, on her way to Anuradhapura on a pilgrimage to a Buddhist shrine there. Shortly after the journey, she opened a basket of sweet snacks she brought with her , gave her children and offered me too. I first politely refused but she insisted that I have. I took and was able to say only “Thank you” in Sinhalese. That was only that very little I could speak. She was trying to enter into a conversation asking me where I am bound to; but I did not know enough Sinhalese to continue to converse with her. With a smile, I retreated into myself. She must have sensed my predicament. At the next stop, a white British tourist enters, takes the seat opposite, opens his rucksack, selects an apple from the few he had in there, and started biting it. Not a word of offer. He started chatting in English and I enter into an animated conversation with him. I felt like a lightning striking me: Here I am, able to converse with a British, one time colonial rulers, who doesn’t have at least the courtesy of offering to share what he is taking; and, I am unable to converse with my sister-like neighbour of the same country who was so kind and courteous. I really felt ashamed!
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PIRABAKARAN / July 4, 2020
Sivapathasundaram
If the Sinhalese learnt Tamil then the problem you describe wouldn’t have occurred. I am a Tamil Srilankan from Colombo but I do not speak a word of Sinhalese. Why would I a Tamil learn my enemy’s language ? If the Sinhalese take the study of Tamil language seriously then the Tamils will reciprocate. I wonder whether you are living on this planet ? If the Sinhala Buddhist government doesn’t want to sing the National anthem in my language do you think I will respect their language ? The only solution for the Tamil national question in Srilanka is a federal solution if Sinhalese refuse it and continue with their oppression then inevitably the only solution will be a total separation.
Sinhalese Buddhists will be deluding themselves if they thought that their genocidal policies against the Tamils will go unpunished. The time will tell.
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 4, 2020
Pirabakaran, You ask: Why would I a Tamil learn my enemy’s language ?
**** Yes, but your fathers and forefathers learnt the language of the British colonial rulers and yet they maintained the richness of the Tamil language, culture , heritage and values intact. Haven’t you heard about the folly and the stupidity of “cutting your nose to spite the face of your enemy?”
You state that your position is that “If the Sinhalese take the study of Tamil language seriously then the Tamils will reciprocate”, And asks me, rhetorically, “I wonder whether you are living on this planet ?”.
True!- You have guessed it correctly —I am not on the “planet” that you are!.
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srikrish / July 5, 2020
Mr Sivapathasundaram
If I- a Tamil is compelled to learn Sinhalese whereas a Sinhalese are not required to learn Tamil.
I will refuse to learn Sinhalese because it is a tyrannical law.
However, if there are no compulsion.
My decision to learn or not learn Sinhalese is my decision and my decision alone.
The Sinhalese have nothing to do with my decision. Why should i worry about others?
Why should they have any say?
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soma / July 5, 2020
PIRABAKARAN
,”Why would I a Tamil learn my enemy’s language ? “
Be reassured that Sinhalese do not want to Tamil. And they never will. What for? Fearing another
Prabakaran? Whether you learn Sinhalese or Japanese is immaterial to us. Your desire to live in Colombo is sufficient to make us feel proud vis a vis your inferiority complex. If you are a proud Tamil why don’t you relocate to Jaffna?
–
Soma
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PIRABAKARAN / July 5, 2020
Soma
Thanks to the Sinhala thugs I relocated to London in 1983 with many of my relatives.
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Fairmindedone / July 7, 2020
It is unlikely that this person is in Colombo. However, Sinhalese are not our enemies but our brethren who just happens to be so much self-centered since independence and appears to have a different agenda than that SWRD advocated in Jaffna in 1926 that the future independent Ceylon will ideally be a federal state.
One must admit that Jaffna Tamils value system is more closely related than to elsewhere, not surprising of the years of living in the same land for millennia.
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SJ / July 4, 2020
AS
Thanks for that most enlightening comment.
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Anpu / July 4, 2020
Mr Sivapathasundaram
Thank you for responding to the comments. Many authors do not do that.
“It certainly is the fault of all the erstwhile Tamil leaders. ” I do not agree with you. It is the fault of the Sinhalese leaders – D.S. Senanayake to S.W.R.D. Bandaranayke; Mrs B Sirimavo to J. R. Jayewardene; Chandrika to Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremasinghe
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 4, 2020
Anpu–You have chronologically listed the names of all the Sinhalese leaders of the Sri Lanka government and asserts “It is the fault of the Sinhalese leaders” .
Then, Anpu, None of any of the Tamil leaders, any sort , at any time, even now? –All above board? No introspection necessary on the commissions and omissions of the Tamil leaders? I only say, no one of us are completely clear of sins of commissions and omissions that we can morally judge the others. And, without objective introspection, there can be no progress—be an individual or a community or a nation.
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Anpu / July 5, 2020
Thank you AS. Sad thing is we do not have unity. At the moment we do not have leaders to UNITE us. People who formed TNA should have stayed together and fought for our rights. CVW should have stayed within TNA and fought. I do not understand why Mr Sampanthan need to do this https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sampanthan-heaps-praise-rajapaksa
Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan and Arunachalam – have they done anything wrong? If we take GG and SJV – GG was wrong in few things. If we take the people who took arms – they should not have killed each other. Karuna is an ettapan. Right now we do not have descent leaders anywhere in the world. These two letters are worth reading. Hope CT would not block them. https://www.lankanewsweb.net/67-general-news/48407-Open-letter-to-Narendra-Modi-and-other-Indian-politicians https://www.lankanewsweb.net/67-general-news/63872-Open-letter-to-Narendra-Modi-and-other-Indian-politicians
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srikrish / July 5, 2020
Well Said!
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SJ / July 4, 2020
Rajash
“The polarisation started when education in swabasha (mother tongue )was introduced by the racist Sinhala Govt.”
Education in the mother tongue started way before independence. Middle class rivalry for government jobs was a central factor in the Sinhala-Tamil political contest. The Sinhalese middle class did not seek after government jobs very much even at the time of independence. The demand grew with expansion of educational opportunity under free education.
*
It was daft (and even dishonest)of the FP to call upon Tamils to stop learning Sinhala on response to the Sinhala Only Act.
Had Tamils gained fluency in Sinhala, one means of discrimination would have been blocked. Also it would have enabled a dialogue at middle class level that would have weakened communalism.
*
I think that a Tamil trader in the South is more fluent in Sinhala than any Tamil public servant.
It is necessity that pushes people to learn a language.
I have seen Sinhalese traders in the East who speak better Tamil than some of their Tamil counterparts. I was surprised by a Sinhalese policewoman who spoke Tamil without an ‘accent’.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear SJ
Thank you I even met (not so long ago in Hatton) the local Sinhalese speak good Tamil as they were brought that way and vis a vis.
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Native Vedda / July 6, 2020
Thiagarajah Venugopal
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As far as SJ is concerned the Sinhala/Buddhists could do no mistake.
As far as SJ is concerned the Banda and the Weeping Widow could do no mistake.
As far as SJ is concerned the China could do no mistake.
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It appears that it has always been the “OTHERS” who are in the minority who always seem to make all the mistakes.
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And SJ being the self hating Tamil, believes he is right.
He can’t stand facts.
He wants all “OTHERS” to bent over backwards and please the masters, the growing Sinhala/Buddhist fascist tendency.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 6, 2020
Dear NV
As much as I read your writings with interest I equally enjoy what SJ have to share with us too. I find his comments quite interesting and factual too. Basically we all learn from each other is the point correct?
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Nathan / July 6, 2020
Native Vedda, SJ is irritatingly clever. Don’t burst his bubble-world.
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Rajash / July 3, 2020
Elucidation?
Magnanimous comes to mind
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Atu / July 3, 2020
I may not agree with all elucidations by the writer on CVW’s article. However, his recommended approach to build a bridge between Tamils and Sinhalese is highly appreciated. Everything Tamil leaders doing is the distancing themselves from Sinhalese and also antagonising Sinhalese. Although the number of Sinhalese extremists are low, Tamil leaders offer by their actions more and more ammunition to that small number. You can not expect minority to win by adopting that sort of strategy. If the West could not give Tamils an Ealam during war time, there is no chance the West to give it during peace time. Join general Sinhalese public, build trust and fight against common injustice without labelling those as Tamil problems.
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soma / July 3, 2020
Dear Mr Sivapathusundaram
History of course is useful to understand how the existing problems came about. But ‘solutions’ start from THIS POINT IN TIME.
I hope your second part of the article will sufficiently deal with the EXISTING DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF TAMILS (all Tamil speaking people irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival) ACROSS THE ISLAND.
And finally I am looking forward to your proposed ‘solution’ which encompasses the political aspirations of at least 90% of Tamils scattered across the island.
–
Soma
.
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Native Vedda / July 5, 2020
somass
–
While you are on about history I really want to know a few things about your ancestry. Please clarify or choose the one that fits well with your idea of your ancestry:
1. Your ancestors came from Venga some 2500 years ago.
2. You are the descendant of consequence of union of beauty and the beast.
3. You are an Anagarika Aryan Sinhala/Buddhist, a close relative of Hitler.
4. You are a descendant of Hela people (Hela is a province of Papua New Guinea).
5. You are a descendant of Mohenjo-daron (as Ranil would like us to believe).
6. You are a blue blooded Sinhala/Buddhist.
7. You are a descendant of Shakyamuni.
8. You are born with blond hair, ginger beard and blue eye, a native of Helsinki, different from Dravidian people.
9. You are a descendant of Ravana, a Siva devotee, who was an excellent Veena player, who composed Gambothi Raga, who also owned and operated a magnificent flying machine, involved in the earliest known human trafficking .
10. You are a hybrid creature who is specially created by Intelligent Design.
11. You are just another descendant of Kallathonie convert.
12. You are another version of Tamil from South India sharing the same DNA.
13. You are a descendant of Ibn Battuta.
14. You are a blend of Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Malay, Nayakka, … gene.
–
Please clarify.
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a14455 / July 3, 2020
one of the biggest weaknesses of the Sri Lankan education system is that Singhalese doesn’t learn Tamil and vice versa. This should be made mandatory all the way up to grade 10. A lot of the suspicion is due to this alienization.
I remember learning Latin as a third language. and that was probably would have been better spent learning Congolese. lol
Learning the language is but a first step. There also needs to be more integration.
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Eagle Eye / July 3, 2020
a14455,
You are out of touch with the reality. Learning Tamil is compulsory for Sinhala students up to Grade 9. Even in ‘Pirivenas’ it is compulsory for ‘Samaneras’. So is the case for Tamil students to learn Sinhala but unfortunately the NPC dominated by Wellars did not recruit teachers to teach Sinhala.
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Racist Wellar politicians like Chelvanayakam, Ponnambalam told Tamils in the Government service not to learn Sinhala because they wanted to keep the two communities apart for their political survival.
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Actually decision to make Tamil compulsory for Sinhala students up to Grade 9 is a stupid decision taken by Sinhala politicians. Sinhala students are just wasting their valuable time for something that has no use at all for them.
If ‘Paradeshis’ want to live in Sinhale they should learn the language of Native people.
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Native Vedda / July 5, 2020
a14455
–
“…………………………………that Singhalese doesn’t learn Tamil and vice versa. This should be made mandatory all the way up to grade 10.
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Did you mean this should be made mandatory all the way up to the complete assimilation of minorities or “OTHERS”?
–
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Eagle Eye / July 3, 2020
# When Demala people in Yapanaya who are the descendants of Dravida laborers brought from Hindusthan by Portuguese to work in tobacco plantations after 1505 claim North-East is their ‘Traditional Homeland’ and demand a separate State that is a ‘MINORITY RIGHT’.
# When the descendants of Demala Muslim refugees from Hindustan who were settled in Ampare when they pleaded King Senerath to save them from Portuguese persecution demand a separate Administrative Unit for Muslims, that is a ‘MINORITY RIGHT’.
# When Sinhalayo who are the Native people in this country who developed the country from scratch and protected the country from Dravida, Portuguese, Dutch and British invaders and Tamil terrorists by sacrificing their lives demand that this country should be kept as a Unitary State without breaking into pieces according to the whims and fancies of ‘Paradesi’ minorities they are branded as ‘RACISTS’, ‘SINHALA SUPRIMACISTS’, SINHALA FASCISTS’, ‘SINHALA BUDDHIST CHAUVINISTS’.
# Buddhist monks who take a leading role to protect the country from breaking into pieces are condemned and humiliated as ‘SAFRON CLAD THUGS’, ‘YELLOW ROBED THUGS’, ‘BOLD HEADED THUGS’, ‘SKIN HEADS’, ‘SANGHA BRIGADE’.
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 3, 2020
Eagle Eye,
I am sorry to say, but you make me say it: It is an established fact that, going by your comments, rather ramblings in this forum, not only for this article, for any article that appears in Colombo Telegraph, you somehow, makes an insidious attempt at dragging the discussion and debates to gutter levels. I do not know when or how you got yourself soaked in that dirt. It may be that you suffer from some incidents or experiences in the past, which you unable to get rid of , through proper introspection or counselling for a fruitful life and constructive contribution. Frankly it questions your sanity and an intellect distorted by insanity or something bordering on it. ; and the best way is not to deal with it as I think you need some psychiatric help, which you have to voluntary seek; otherwise you will end up useless to yourselves and others. Anyway, that is your problem which unfortunately I cannot help. I know as an extension, even this –and it is a sure sign– is going to provoke you and increase your ramblings of insanity; but told it must be , I thought.
I am only reminded and take solace and advice in the wise words of Bernard Shaw:
“I learned long ago , never to wrestle with pigs. You get dirty, and besides, the pigs like it”
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Eagle Eye / July 4, 2020
A.Sivapathasundaram,
When Sinhalayo challenge the insidious propaganda campaign carry out all over the world based on erroneous information and dubious methods by Tamils they are branded as people with psychiatric problems. If what I say is incorrect, you are free to challenge. Instead of doing that you are telling me to seek psychiatric help.
Let me give one dirty thing a Demala person did as an example to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Government and Sinhalayo.
At a seminar held in an academic Institution in The Netherlands, the Tamil speaker showed a photo of a man hanging from hooks and said this is how the Sri Lankan Army is torturing Tamils. When I checked the photo, I realized that it was a photo of a Tamil devotee hanging from hooks probably at Kataragama. After I revealed the truth the speaker became speechless.
—
I am now preparing a publication entitled ‘You Heard Tamil Propaganda; Now Hear the Truth’. We will expose all the lies bombarded to the International Community by Demalu to get their sympathy.
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 4, 2020
Eagle Eye—The liberal use of the words in your comments, such as “Demalo”, “Sinhalayo”, ‘Paradeshis’ “Wellars” -all considered as derogatory, spiteful, venomous and no good to anyone if we are interested in progress, and humanity, that made me to question your sanity . There was indeed a despicable practice of ‘casteism’ in Tamil society, perhaps relatively more in Jaffna society, but it is a dying breed; so was in the Sinhalese community–you will admit if you are true to yourself– and still prevailing and perhaps slowly dying there too. But in your distorted vision, you only accuse Tamils of it.
You had mentioned some all the Tamil leaders with the attribute of “racists”- but, ask your conscience please, was there none amongst Sinhalese? – This is the sort of incoherent ramblings that smacks of some ‘trauma’ possibly resulting from some past unfortunate experiences you may have encountered in the past, that prompted me to raise the question of ‘sanity’. I didn’t mean to hurt you and sorry if I had; —And good luck with your intended book – hopefully, it would at last bring about peace, prosperity, progress and tranquillity to my beloved country, Sri Lanka, where also the great teachings and tenets of Buddha, whom I revere, may be also the guiding light as would that of Jesus, Allah and Shiva. .
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PIRABAKARAN / July 4, 2020
Eagle Pakeya
Stop talking through your arse.
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Eagle Eye / July 4, 2020
Mr. PIRABAKARAN,
I am not talking through my arse. I am expressing my views based on my experiences. You are free to challenge if what I say is wrong without displaying your poor upbringing.
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PIRABAKARAN / July 5, 2020
Eagle Eye
You talking of my poor upbringing is very rich coming from you. I was forced to use unparliamentary language to make you understand how it would feel to be at the receiving end when one uses abusive language. Everyone in this forum know how vulgar and idiotic your language usage has been when particularly you refer to Tamil people. What is good for you must be good for others. if you find using racial slurs against the Tamil people acceptable to you then accept my using Sinhalese filth at you. Poor up bringing , I am sure you are talking about yours I believe.
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SJ / July 4, 2020
CT
Such filthy language should not be encouraged.
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Eagle Eye / July 3, 2020
A. Sivapathasundaram,
“Not only the Tamils of the North & East, but also the Hill country Tamils and Muslims too, have felt the “yoke of Sinhala hegemony”, not just “today”, but for many long years and, in one way or the other, at various times since the time of independence. One may term it not just ‘Sinhala hegemony’, but ‘Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist hegemony’ .”
—
Sinhala Buddhists do not want to hear this BS from you because Sinhalayo did not invite Demalu to come to Sinhale. Demalu were brought to Sinhale by Portuguese, Dutch and British to work as coolies in their plantations. So, if Demalu in Yapanaya have problems living in this country with Sinhalayo, the Native people who gave citizenship when their ancestors were abandoned in Sinhale by colonial parasites, they should complain to the Governments of Portugal and The Netherlands and Demalu in tea plantations to the Government of the United Kingdom.
You can complain to UNHRC as well because these colonial parasites violated ‘Human ‘Rights’ of Demala coolies by forcibly relocating them in a foreign country to earn money.
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PIRABAKARAN / July 4, 2020
Eagale Idiot
You Sinhalayas are not indigenous to Eelam. You kallathonis came from Bengal. The very fact that your language originates from Pali which is foreign to Eelam clearly confirms that you lot don’t belong to this Island but have come from outside as settlers or marauders.
Your innate inferiority complex in not being able to challenge the legitimate arguments of the Tamils staking claim to Eelam as part of their homeland ( other part being South India )makes you use words such as Para, Demalu, Colonial parasites etc.
Get this straight in to your thick skull that your forefather Vijaya was the first known and recorded Kallathoni ( Illegal immigrant) to Eelam. Now , shut the fuck up and get ready to leave our motherland to your homeland Bangladesh where you can live your miserable life with your ethnic cousins the Bengali beggars.
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 4, 2020
To both Eagle Eye & Pirabakaran: I would only humbly say that both of you are wasting your breath, energy and resources, arguing incessantly, who –or which –came first came : Is it Egg or Chicken and who is Egg and who is Chicken! (and, sometimes picking ‘hair’ on the egg and counting to your satisfaction how many hairs are there!!)— Whether you like it or not, and irrespective of the merits of your argument, though mostly of cheap chauvinistic and emotive outbursts– both Egg and Chicken are here, and each part of the other –and that is a fact.
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soma / July 5, 2020
Mr PIRABAKARAN
Will you stop quarrelling and realise that we have to find dolutions today for the problems today. I suggest you start with your definition of ‘Tamils’ in respect of a ‘political solution’ for the so called ‘Tamil ethnic question’ that bedevils this country from independence.
My definition is:
“All Tamil speaking people scattered across the island irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival”
Then we can move on to the statistics of demographic distribution and explore any solution ,which can satisfy political aspirations of at least 90% of the ‘Tamils’.
Fair enough?
Thank you.
,-
Soma
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PIRABAKARAN / July 5, 2020
Soma
WE Tamils are not here to quarrel with our ethnic kinsmen the Sinhalese perpetually for the sake of quarrelling.
https://sldna.blogspot.com/2019/02/common-ancestry-of-sinhalese-and-sri.html
open this link and find what I have always known, that is Sinhalese and Tamils have the same racial origin call it Dravidian or what ever but the fact remains we both groups of people have lived on this Island for over 2500 years. What we want from our ethnic cousins the Sinhala Buddhists is treat us equally despite our weaker numerical strength. Let the Tamils( speakers ) govern themselves in the north east in a federal set up and keep the srilankan republic as a nation with two states.
I don’t think it is too much to ask.
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RAVI PERERA / July 5, 2020
Ado PIRABAKARAN,
“Your innate inferiority complex”
No sinhalese feel inferior to a tamil. Every Sinhalese, even a labourer feels superior to any tamil. The moment you communicate, meet or interact with a Tamil the sinhala mindset takes him to a position of superiority. In fact all sinhalaya’s look down on you demalas, hence the work demalu, parademalu, etc.(By the way Sinhala people tend to look upto Hindi language) This is not your homeland , this is the land of the sinhalaya. People in India refer to this island as Sinhaladveep, infact Modi in his speech refered to the Island as sinhala divayina (His speech at the Sri Lankan Parliemnt)
Vedda entertainment time.
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PIRABAKARAN / July 6, 2020
Soma
WE Tamils are not here to quarrel with our ethnic kinsmen the Sinhalese perpetually for the sake of quarrelling.
https://sldna.blogspot.com/2019/02/common-ancestry-of-sinhalese-and-sri.html
open this link and find what I have always known, that is Sinhalese and Tamils have the same racial origin call it Dravidian or what ever but the fact remains we both groups of people have lived on this Island for over 2500 years. What we want from our ethnic cousins the Sinhala Buddhists is treat us equally despite our weaker numerical strength. Let the Tamils( speakers ) govern themselves in the north east in a federal set up and keep the srilankan republic as a nation with two states.
I don’t think it is too much to ask.
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PIRABAKARAN / July 6, 2020
Ravi Perera my obedient servant
Listen up you fool. All the servants in my household when I was growing up in the north as well as in Colombo were Good decent Sinhalese. The aya who used to wipe my arse was a good Sinhalese woman and Banda who used to do our garden was a good Sinhalese as well. Sinhalese are genetically inferior to the Tamils otherwise Mrs. Srimavo wouldn’t have brought in the language wise standardization for intellectually dull wits like you to have a university education.
It is because Indians call this Island Sinhala deepa or whatever, it doesn’t mean that this is exclusively inhabited by Sinhalese. Your race is a mongrel race which is only found on this island hence some people refer to part of this island as Sinhala deepa. IF you find snakes in an island people will call it a ” snake island” but it doesn’t mean that the island belongs to the snakes , your stupid analogy is similar to that. your mongrel race has elements of all south Indian groups primarily Tamil and Malayali and a little bit of a mixture from the Bengalis , Veddas , parangi etc..
You can look up to any language but Hindi is not a language that was ever spoken in Srilanka.
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PIRABAKARAN / July 6, 2020
Ravi perera ( continuation )Reply
Your saying that Sinhala people are looking up to Hindi is like you saying you are looking up to the moon or mars, what a fool. You are deluding yourself when you say that Hindi is in some way connected to you Sinhala mongrels. what a shame where is your racial pride ? Are you accepting that your language Sinhala is in some ways inferior to Hindi for you Sinhalese to look up to that language. We Tamils look down on Hindi language and refused to study it and oppose it tooth and nail.
No wonder we Tamils look down on you Sinhala modayas. We Tamils worship our language which is now proven to be the oldest language of the world. By the way Hindi can’t even hold a candle to our mother tongue Tamil. Even Japanese and Koreans are claiming that their language is related to Tamil.
You call us Para Demalu but do you understand that your race, Your women in particular are the ones who are the toilet cleaners in the far east, Middle east, and work as house maids in Arab countries and sexually abused by their masters, talk of your superiority complex, kiss my arse.
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KA / July 6, 2020
You have inferiority the moment you desire to have an urge for comparison, and if Sinhalese have your mindset they also have inferiority.
Why do you have the Portuguese part in your name? Inferiority, insecurity or both?
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leelagemalli / July 6, 2020
Ravi Perera ?
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Dont you think that the same HEALTH problems seems to be the case with Eagle Eye who has all along been attacking tamil and muslim srilanken on this forum ?
:
These men would have been kept in Guanthanambe Camp or the like camps if caught by the law and order since rascism seems to be part and parcel of their blood.
:
Actually, CT should not allow these men to promote their hatreds this way, just because their sick heads are made to be verbally violent as SLPP men have been upto today.
:
EE is said to be an octagenarian who behaves as if he is passing his puberty. I can imagine how difficult his family would have been with kind of mind-set bearers.
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Not even Pansakoola could save him … EE and Prabarans are like siamese twins by their hate speeches. No doubt, these men are poisonous to the human association. Authorities over to you, lock them up and save our web spaces. thanks..
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Punchi Point / July 8, 2020
Ravi Perera, Hindi is an annoying language to the ear which has absolutely no connection to the Sinhala people, while Tamil is a pleasant language which has a close connection to the Sinhalese for good or worse. Its a pity that some Sinhala fools look upto Hindi. I have been to wedding a couple of weddings where the bride and the groom were dressed in north Indian type attire and they played Hindi music and were dancing some idiotic dancing like in Hindi films. I was thoroughly disgusted and actually it was comical. Sinhalese have to value our culture. If at all one wants to change something, why not take some elements from Tamil weddings than resort to idiotic totally dumb Hindi stuff, I do not know…. There are some Tamils with very bad attitude and a notion of superiority while they are actually in the status of the lowest of lowest and some of them have infested this site. These people have no meaning or goal in life than to spam the internet living off tax payers money in the west, where they went by selling their country’s good name. But its no reason for us to insult the Tamil language or call it inferior. Its most certainly not inferior to any language, on the contrary.
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Native Vedda / July 8, 2020
Punchi Point
Punchi Brain
Punchi Willi
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“If at all one wants to change something, why not take some elements from Tamil weddings than resort to idiotic totally dumb Hindi stuff, …”
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Almost all Tamil/Hindu weddings are officiated by Brahmin priest. Didn’t you know the priest first offer the bride to himself, then to the bridegroom. You are mad.
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” These people have no meaning or goal in life than to spam the internet living off tax payers money in the west, “
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According to some statistics more than 4.5 million Sri Lankan born people are living abroad. Are you sure all of them have no meaning or goal in life than to spam the internet living off tax payers money in the west? My friends who have been to western countries witnessed a lot of Sri Lankans are being employed by supermarkets, hospitals, accountants, engineers, doctors, estate agents, Tax Offices, …………………………………….. So it is your business you stay at home and check the streets for Sri Lankan born people who have no meaning or goal in their life, ……. It appears that you are the scbanger who is watching others if they are going to toilet or not, ……
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“where they went by selling their country’s good name.”
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People can sell only what they have.
How can they sell what they don’t have?
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srikrish / July 3, 2020
Mr Sivapathasundaram,
Well said!,
It is relevant not only to Wigneswaran but to all Tamil leaders including Tamil political parties since independence who aspire or who still desire to lead The Tamils.
We expect the Tamil intelligentsia to make an in-depth study of the success and failures of the 72 year long struggle and to formulate clear attainable vision and time bound strategies and tactics for the Tamils so that the Tamils could live in peace with equality and dignity in any part of this country of our birth.
I wait anxiously for the second part
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Ajith / July 3, 2020
Former Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran or any Tamil political leadership can find a solution to the national problems through a parliamentary system (democracy) in Sri Lanka. CVW told when he arranged a political front, he promised that it is not a political party and he has no intention of that. Unfortunately he failed to honour his word.Tamils need a leadership to unite Tamils ignoring this election gimmicks, promises and excuses. Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalism was politically successful but economically complete failure over the past seven decades. It is sad that most youths who took arm to fight for freedom divided into 33 armed groups and now five or six political parties. Until Tamils get a true leadership, our political parties should remain calm, not asking for any negotiations with the opportunistic Sinhala leadership. If Tamils are silent, then the Sinhala political parties have to compete with each other based on their problems. Sinhalese are thinking that it is Tamils and Muslims are problems and they don’t have problem. Yes every Tamils should study Sinhala and schools should teach Sinhala. It is more advantage for future.
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Eagle Eye / July 3, 2020
Ajith,
“Sinhalese are thinking that it is Tamils and Muslims are problems and they don’t have problem. “
Demalu (Tamils) from Hindusthan who invaded Sinhale 52 times starting from Third Century BC have been a real problem/headache to Sinhalayo. These invaders massacred Sinhalayo who lived in the North and East where the first Sinhala Kingdoms Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa existed. They destroyed temples and killed Buddhist monks. Due to barbaric acts of these Dravida invaders, Sinhalayo abandoned Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Kingdoms and retreated to South.
During Portuguese rule, they brought millions of Dravida slaves to Yapanaya. The descendants of these slaves also slaughtered Native Sinhalayo for three decades going in the same track followed by their ancestors.
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Ajith / July 3, 2020
Correction:
Former Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran or any Tamil political leadership cannot find a solution to the national problems through a parliamentary system (democracy) in Sri Lanka
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
Thank you for the analysis.
We are all Brothers and Sisters and have such a beautiful diversity enriched all those who came to benefit from being in her space for thousands of years.
It is Indeed a puzzle how we could not enjoy Mother Lanka when it was our turn without all this pain.
What I found was that we were all silenced for a long time at gun points we have lost our ways to express our own visions and missions in our life utilising democracy. We need to “take back control” of our own heritages/languages/religions not falling into the narratives by others. Easier said than done I agree……at least we are now given another opportunity to use it in the right way to empower each other.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
Can you kindly elaborate on the “Colonisation and the Depopulation” segment where you say North and East was systematically emptied of people by GOSL by permitting/exodus out of the Country??
I confused how you have merged FP paranoias/hate mongering when they formed the party and find a cause for the parties existence (asking Sinhalese to keep all the Indians in their landscape in 1948) vs Tamils leaving the North because FP/TULF blunder that has made us loose all we had in our Nation in 80″s??
I am a man from the North you are indeed rewriting facts?? in a way suthenthiran paper has twisted the truth that let to where we are today complementing what JVP was doing doing down South?? There are several other statements you have made that further muddies the discussion…..infact whilst condemning/questioning the TNA and TPA you are creating a third dimension equally doing the same to undermine the Sinhalese people and their dignity??
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
Now we have been given a chance to return and rebuild the country without any politics those who wish to do so found the same running the show Nationally and Internationally wining about their fate as suppose to what they need to do to give an Identity to the Nation by coming up with progressive development work to empower people and the environment together.
if you did not accept Sinhalese people living in their country as and where they want historically there is nothing worse you can say by harping on about what is happening today?? a real scenario of Tamils have lost everything due to the blunder by the FP/TULF to create the bloodshed in the first place?? Recall the river of blood speech stage after stage culminated in 1977 TULF ending up as an opposition party in SL?? In the name of challenging the old order that was imposed on my people what you are doing is reiterating the 58/77/83 riots without any context?? not even a remote understanding of the Sinhalese peoples aspiration/the oppressed tamils (caste) aspiration in a newly born country post colonial times??
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
We as minorities had great choices that was to assimilate as one Nation via learning Sinhalese or as Hon SWRD died and provided an opportunity to exercise Tamil as we did in areas where Tamils are the Majority?? We improve on this was the point?? it was the same with proportional representation in the civil services too?? A group of people with Tamil heritage ( nothing whatsoever to do with the other poor and cast oppressed Tamils) with Colonial and America mission educations end up supporting the drama created by SJV’s & GG’s and followed up by the thuggery brought into all this by the later leadership namely Mr Amir.
Ruing the friendship Tamils and Sinhalese had during the colonial times when Tamils stood up for the Sinhalese?? Instead of building trust and respect, mixing with people and winning each others hearts (Muslims settlers during colonial times did the same mistake) further as we develop over time (that is what happened all around us) we allowed our children to be stolen by foreign countries and armed to kill our own choices/future/democracy. Please present a map of race related killing from 1948 to 1977 and from 1977 to 2009. Present map of deaths in Jaffna from 1970 to 1977 tamils on Tamil and extend the map to 80’s, 90’s etc.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
The problem is when Hon Judge took over the Northern office in his retirement (having lived down south and had a carrier in justice system all his life 70 + years) and then pass resolutions on 70 year history it was a blunder in the first place in its own merit. What he said out to do is rectify the war affected North with regard to to Northern children loitering in jails and the land issues with his Hindu nationalist hat on etc. Instead of referring to the history and passing resolutions he should set out to have a memorial for all the Mother Lankan Children who dies in the war/as a judge pit some of the facts not recorded correctly with regard to the killing fields in Jaffna conducted by the FP/TULF and Indian trained children who subsequently took on the Armed forces. this would have payed the foundation/conducive environment for practical discussions with Hon MR instead he and the TNA set out to politically kill him.
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Eagle Eye / July 4, 2020
Thiagarajah Venugopal,
I fully agree with your views expressed as a ‘Realist’. As a Sinhala person I am with the view that the root cause of Sinhala-Tamil conflict is formation of Federal Party by Chelvanayakam whom I consider as an ultra-racist and passing Vaddukoddai resolution calling for the creation of an independent Tamil Eelam and asking Tamil youths to take up arms to create Tamil Eelam.
Instead of encouraging Tamil people to learn Sinhala and live in harmony with Native Sinhalayo these two actions dragged the Tamil community into a confrontation path with Sinhalayo. As a consequence of the actions taken by Vellala elite politicians Tamils in the North are lost in between Tamil Eelam that Vellala politicians promised and Sri Lanka where they have to live with Sinhalayo.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear EE
I agreed with many statements with regard to how we should bring peace to the country and objectively stating how that could be done. Who may have acted wrong etc. However as you know I am no less of a Native than you or another’s in the Nation. once more I agree with as a fellow citizen FP was a blunder and my point always they do nhttps://www.colombotelegraph.com/wp-admin/profile.phpot speak for the Tamil then , not now and not ever. They are part of the problems and not a solutions just like many racist that existents in all our communities. They have all complimented each other to bring our country to this state is my believe. I agree to disagree except I will not accept others violate ones right to live and express whatever is the point in a democracy.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear EE and CT
Apologies for the several typo errors
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 4, 2020
Thiagarajah Venugopal—You have specifically addressed me to “elaborate on the “Colonisation and the Depopulation”. Here it is:
While migration from one area to another by individuals on their own “for greener pastures” and employment/economic opportunities, is a normal and natural human trait, intentionally and calculatedly the State or its authorities facilitating the move of a section of people of a particular ethnicity to the areas/lands normally inhabited by another section of ethnicity in order, ineralia, to also to change the democratic composition and thus also weaken their overall number in a geographical area is “Colonisation”. Aiding and abetting by overt or covert or subtle by a State or its authorities to dislodge a section of people of a particular ethnicity to move from their areas is “De-population”. This has happened in the North & East.
I have not, as you say, “merged FP paranoias/hate mongering”, that you say “confused” you. I was just stating a historical fact. To declare as non-citizens or deny the civic rights of a section of people who had lived and worked for very many number of years , although brought as “indentured labour”, to work on the plantations sector is against all norms of humanity as much it is against all norms of humanity to discriminate the Africans who have been brought as salve labour to other countries, including US.
You accuse me of “rewriting facts” . May I please know specifically where I had done it so that I can correct myself.
Not content with this, you go on to say “There are several other statements you have made that further muddies the discussion…..” and “creating a third dimension equally doing the same to undermine the Sinhalese people and their dignity” —But Sir, what exactly are they? –Stopping generalisations, venomously or arduously raking the sludge, for whatever reason, which in any ease dirtily smears one’s face is no good; instead dealing with an objective and open mind of the specifics for a healthy debate/ discussion, is all I ask.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear Sir
Thank you for the response. Fully accept the definition of land grab/colonisation respect. It applies to all.
My comment was with regard North and East colonisation and your comment systematically allowing the Tamils from the North/exodus via airports etc.
Let us assume for the discussion purposes I am the PM of the country and looked at the demographic setting post independence I would distribute people equally through our the land. It is viewed as colonisation because others see the incoming fellow citizens as a threat in the first place. I totally agree if I am a FP/TULF supporter and have the mindset rightfully or wrongfully in that dimension it would seems to me as some one else is taking over my land for sure……then again as a one Nation believer that is not what I set out to do as the Head of State with a vision to mix people up to have a great start of Nation building and leaving no room for future divisions etc.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
continued
FP had this mindset and the results went spetacularly wrong…..with the Tamils who had greater advantages during the colonial times living throughout the land and Sinhalese being a majority found themselves confined to the south??? I have gone greater length to explain how we stiredr up the hornets nest by talking about the Indian workers who arrived in the past 10 years to vacated perhaps this will give Sinhalese more land/offeset for the population growth based on the population break down then (6-8 mill total population with the same breakdown as today between ghettos per say).
To avoid ghetto making and distribute land proportionally for all is a normal fact for any head of state. once the war started then all hell broke loose and am sure there were million blatant abuses by all who participated in that war. that one can not comment now you may or may not agree.
We all live around the world and ghetto making is what is been asked to be removed from the societies for them to be secular in nature for social justice…..it is difficult for some segments of the Tamil society when they have the same issues when low caste Tamil people choose to live in different locations too and is happening as we speak right now.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
with regard to “other’ for example on Military build up………we barley had any security apparatus/police/military in SL. In my village Karainagar the Navy served the people before the war historically. With armed kids running around and slaughtering fellow citizens in a huge scale was never heard of in my culture/heritage and things were turned around very fast without the knowledge of TULF??
Without the security apparatus we can not develop our Nation is proven beyond reasonable doubt after the JVP blunder and the FP/TULF/TNA/LTTE blunder??
My concern is if the Tamils who traumatised being given an ambiance/safety so they can speak again based on their own intelligence where TNA will not venture into making the same crimes they did then?? We should encourage Tamils and Muslims to join the Police and armed forces in huge numbers will unit the country…..remember Tamil police officers were killed in Jaffna for being the forces…after the war people were prevented from joining the armed forces……the worst part is there were hardly any armed forces present in the Nation let alone in the North prior to the TULF crime. How one then comprehend the current scenario TNA sitting as MP’s and NPC is occupied by the same and talking the same?
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear Sir
My apologies for any offence I may have inadvertently caused commenting in your kind analysis. Please accept.
I withdraw unreservetly any and all statements that may mislead readers of you article due to my unqualified comments unfairly stated. Emotions may have got the better of me.
Thank you for the article and look forward to the rest of the analysis please.
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Anpu / July 5, 2020
Colonization – To find out what is going on in Trincomalee https://pearlaction.org/sinhalization-of-the-north-east/ . To find out what is going on in Batticalo – Sinhala encroachment of pastureland continues unabated in Batticaloahttps://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=39866
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
If he really cared for the Tamils and and the unfortunate death of all others children e it in the armed forces or civilians one would never have gone down this path. I do admire the audacious nature of someone who grew up down South to come and tell me my life history to this day is a far fetch nightmare. Then the TNA started their own historical journey to squander whatever left of the Tamils/Culture/Region/Land/Dignity…..because these were the ones caused the horror in the first place. Now the LTTE is not in the picture and the FP/TULF rump who complaint about Mr Prba having created him in the first place. TNA/TPA is doing the same going down a path not fit for the occasion and the grieving families of the soldiers who died too?.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
Basically if you are going to analyse this TNA/TPA folly please do it right without filling in the gap with more misinformation and patronise the Sinhalese in the process even more please. All TNA/TPA doing now and FP/TULF have done historically is to do the most inappropriate politics not fit for the times. Any idiot would have understood that they were doing something wrong when you start counting the bodies since indepnedence and is increasing /when you have to ask Indian trained armed children to kill your opponents and fellow countrymen and women/silence the Tamils at gun point??
So I very much looking forward to your analysis to come.
Thank you for the article.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
The lessons learned never applied disqualify the TNA and TPA from representing no one except themselves..infect one has to ask why GOSL entertain these people in the parliament having FP/TULF/TNA delivered death to Tamils?? Is there something we are missing here as Tamils?
(1) Tamil issues (except the Indian citizens issues/Tamil not being the official language issue/why they were beaten up (not killed) during their protest in Colombo) are never addressed by the elected FP/TULF in Tamil areas ever since the Independence.
(2) Tamils are capable of killing each other more than anything else that happened to us pre and post colonial times.
(3) We took our own rights away to express freely in 1977 elections…hence the so called separate state mandate achieved via thuggery.
(4) 1981 Development Council elections were disrupted by the same not allowing Tamils to revisit what was being done on their name. Why you kill an opponents when Tamils can say what they want in the ballot boxes?? You all have to listen to Late Hon PM Premadasas speech at my Fathers funeral in Karainagar to understand the realisations of all that to come Nation’s way if we continued down the violent path?
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
(5) TNA administration of NPC never go through the development work check list/target achieved etc?? except changed my fathers school name back to Hindu college?? these trivial pursuits/rewriting history/pushing the killings of their opponents tells us these are not people to represent us at any capacity??
(6) Simply based on the TN proximity we will not be able to lead a normal life….other developing nations are blessed to have a different kind of neighbourhood hence they have developed??
(7) National question without any economic planning/risk analysis never ever heard of in any Intelligent nation.
(8) Historically what was the development work and all other Members of parliament general scope was ever carried out/delivered by the FP/TUL/TNA in their respective constituents/NPC please? any listing you may have kindly share??
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 4, 2020
Dear Sir
(1) Why did India building homes for the Internally displaced when we have thousands and thousands of houses uninhabited(belongs to diaspora) who could modify them/modernise them using their western knowledge and education and utilising our local skills since 2009?
(2) Why did not the diaspora return back in tens of thousand with their families back to Jaffna (when GOSL requested them to return and save their communities)
(3) why did Hon Judge go to one of the Municipalities in London to assist/invest in Jaffna?? when we can all return and make the paradigm shift ourselves??
(4) How come diaspora money and holidays are spent in other countries as investments and not in Jaffna??
(5) Why we have an Indian Embassy in Jaffna??
(6) Why no SL refugees (200 0000++) of them never given Indian Citizenship 20-30 years ago dignifying our people as we did for the Indian workers in SL??
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear Sir
FP/TULF/TNA should go to the Upcountry and field candidates and not in Jaffna is the point. TPA should go to Colombo and run candidates and not in Jaffna is the argument. They should all find a way to answer all the Mothers who lost their children be it in Armed forces or civilians of all back grounds, go to all those who had to flee the Nation and lead a destitute life and ask for forgiveness, should go to all the Mothers/woman of SL who had to go and work in Mideast as maids and servants and ask for forgiveness, should go to all the families who had to compromise their life because we had to spent time and money and blood to save the Nation and not on the economy, should go to all those who had flee as refugees around the world ask forgiveness including to the hosts Nation too.
Should go an ask Tamil Nadu why they have not fought their central government for not giving Citizenship to the Sri Lankan refugees?? they should find a way to fund a war somewhere else….mot living off the SL tax payers money after all they killed their Tamil opponents traitors and turncoats because????????? they were saved by the Armed forces???? so who are these people Is what we should be asking Sir???? Citizens arrest in order?? They should take JVP with them for all their chores too.
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 5, 2020
Anpu, you have said that “Sad thing is we do not have unity”.; And, this is the oft repeated, dejected refrain by most Tamils. I do not think it is correct to say that the reason for the backward situation and degeneration of the Tamils and their inability to attain their political aspirations for many decades is the “lack of unity” amongst themselves, as often attributed and continue to be repeated even now.
If the interpretation of “unity” is “all those representing Tamils are elected 100% at any elections or representation”, it cannot be a realistic expectation in a democratic environment. Even during the freedom struggle in India, there were different political parties with dissenting opinions and policies and approaches. Therefore, the existence of other parties with alternate and different policies and approaches at any point of time is inevitable in a democratic set-up and can never be avoided.
Hence, if the criteria/yardstick of ‘unity’, can only be “majority representation by a political party” is applied, in almost all elections after Independence in Sri Lanka, the major representation of the Tamils at any point of time was always by one Political Party—first, the Tamil Congress, then Federal Party , followed by TULF and now TNA—all of the same hue. Other later representation by Tamil Congress, EPDP etc, was very minimal, and such is bound to exist in any democratic set-up. Was this “unity” of majority representation manifested at all times elected on the slogan of “unity”, able to attain the political, social and economic aspirations of Emails?
Therefore, am I wrong in concluding that the slogan of the “need for unity” and attributing the failures to “no unity” of Tamils and making the people believe so, is a mere camouflage for failures, to ensure continued victories in elections, lack of proper political approaches, far-farsightedness and political acumen, evoking of empty emotions, promoting hatred, not making the best of opportunities, —and more, not having the commitment or sacrificial mentality or inclination to get on the ground and lead the people, and utter selfishness and duplicity in words and deeds to hold on to their parliamentary seats as a “life-long profession” that generate income and prestige?.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear Sir
The word Unity is a very critical term.. ie anyone opposed to the “Tamil” this and that by FP/TULF were termed traitors/turncoats……very many died and others were silenced. This is in addition to the Suthenthiran news paper writings (which need to be dissected for its entire history and disclosed in the world court for crime against humanity) that has ‘turned one against the other’ within my own communities. The various armed groups and the killing fields reflected the depth of these mind games played by the FP/TULF and the other forms of physical violence (yet to be recorded and published to the world) that was orchestrated by the TULF supporters on the other. The fact of the matter is not even about Unity but about how democracy was used for ones personal agendas termed under the disguise of “Tamil cause”. Tamil Language/Religions/Culture do not belong to these crooks nor the born free citizens of SL belongs to these people. They have stolen and used what they can that is our children brain washed and prostituted for foreign nations Agendas against the will and the knowledge of most of the parents..taken away at schools and tuition centres..
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Nathan / July 5, 2020
A. Sivapathasundaram, You use ‘unity’ in the narrowest sense. It is not about being under a single body; it is about having unity of purpose. We have had several armed groups. The unity of purpose was there. But, not the commitment to hold on to the purpose. Even LTTE was guilty of it. As far as the Tamil Congress, the Federal Party, TULF and now TNA are concerned, the problem was not the hue but the squabbling.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / July 5, 2020
Dear Sir
We are still the united citizens of Mother Lanka and want to ensure the Tamil interest will no more compromised/sacrificed for the interest of foreign countries and their geo political adventures….this is termed “recolonisation by any other means”……the only difference is Mother India too happy to play the same game is what has been documented in this war…………one and only message to Mother Lankans watch out for each other..be vigilant for the foreign scums playing you anymore please and build the most strongest boarder patrol to deter anything and everything foreign enters or leave the Paradise. I really wish LTTE instead of fighting the fellow countrymen but could have become the head of Boarder protection of our nation would have served us all better for ever as part of the National Security Apparatus. What a shame as this would have complemented my fathers thesis written after the 1977 election (book 2) loss based in University of Madras themed and titled
Book 1 – The Economic Development of Ceylon (with special reference to Industrialization) written in 1966 by Mr Thiagarajah
Book 2 – Sri lanka and Asian Economic Cooperation – A conceptual and Institutional Framework for Accelerated Development written in 1977 to 1981 up until the first Development Council Elections.
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A.Sivapathasundaram / July 6, 2020
Nathan, When FP was elected in majority by the Tamils, it was on a “Mandate” which defines the purpose for which they are elected— and therefore “unity of purpose” with all representatives in that party expressing “commitment to hold on to the purpose”— And, so was subsequently, TULF, TNA, at all elections–all with “commitment to hold on to the purpose”. Such a majority representation did not squabble within themselves. They came again and again, almost the same persons, and leadership. How else, Nathan, the ‘unity’ can be manifested, or metamorphosed in the “widest sense” and not in “narrowest sense” you say, I had? Could you kindly elucidate by being more specific?
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Nathan / July 6, 2020
A.Sivapathasundaram, Being elected in large numbers and holding on to a commitment are by themselves not adequate to produce results, when there is squabbling and fissures over methodology. The fiasco over what Sumanthiran is doing and not doing illustrates.
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