By Izeth Hussain –
Izeth Hussain
The world is clearly witnessing a transition to a new world order which can also be seen as having as its obverse side a new imperialism. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the US became the sole super power, with a global reach of hard power and soft power that could not be matched by any other. At the same time it showed that it did not want any other power to emerge with any power outside its territorial borders. That was shown most clearly by the US push to extend NATO right up to the borders of Russia. But in recent times, by its actions in Ukraine and elsewhere, Russia has been successfully asserting it claim to have a special position in its near broad. China also is asserting its claim to have a special position in its near abroad – the South China Seas – where it is facing potentially militant opposition from the US. In this situation it has to be expected that India too will want to assert a special position in its near abroad.
There is, of course, everything to be said for a transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world. The terrible fate of Iraq alone demonstrates the undesirability of the former. There is also something to be said for the concept of the “near abroad” as a requisite for the security of strong states – which can attract more dangerous enmity than the weak ones. The problem is that the “near abroad” can slide into the “spheres of influence” of the old order, signifying a range of unequal relations from a loose hegemony to outright colonialism. Critics of India would say that the refusal to hold a plebiscite on Kashmir and the absorption of Sikkim point to an enormous appetite for real estate, while its breaking up of Pakistan, the reduction of Bhutan to satellite status, the periodically troubled relations with Nepal and for some time with Bangladesh, all point to a powerful neo-imperialist drive in India. I have held that it was not a neo-imperialist drive but security preoccupations – arising from the manifestations of American and Chinese power – that led to unsatisfactory relations with India’s northern neighbors. That factor did not apply to the South of India except for a brief period under President JR, which I believe was the main reason why our relations with India were for the most part excellent. But now the geopolitical configuration in our region has changed qualitatively and fundamentally with China manifesting an important presence in Sri Lanka that cannot be wished away.
It is in this perspective of a novel geopolitical configuration that I want to make some observations on the ethnic problem. The concrete question that I want to address is whether or not India might slide into a neo-imperialist position in Sri Lanka without quite intending it. My starting point is that we don’t have a purely indigenous Tamil ethnic problem at present. The Tamils rebelled, they were decisively defeated on the battle-field, and would normally be expected to bear the fate of the defeated. The reasonable expectation is that the Tamils would have come to be treated more or less like the Muslims: some amount of discrimination, but not to the extent that it should cause legitimate international concern and intervention. The Tamils would have come to be treated like innumerable minorities all over the world.
Where, then, is the problem? A possible answer is that the Peace Accords of 1987 continue to be valid, and consequently India insists on the full implementation of 13 A. Those Peace Accords should be taken together with the dispatch of the IPKF troops which were meant to tame the LTTE military rebellion and set the stage for a political solution. The IPKF failed in that task, but our troops succeeded in 2009. It became arguable that the then Government had earned the right thereby to work out its own political solution and implement it, regardless of 13 A and without allowing any devolution at all if that seemed to be suitable. It also became arguable that 13 A was acceptable only because of the myth of the military invincibility of the LTTE which seemed to leave no alternative to a political solution on the basis of a wide measure of devolution. I believe that the then Government committed a monumental blunder in reiterating the commitment to the full implementation of 13 A. I believe that the argument I am advancing here – which sets aside the Peace Accords as having been superseded by developments on the ground – is a powerful, indeed an irrefutable one.
But India cannot be expected to agree because it has to contend with another reality on the ground that cannot be wished away: the Tamil Nadu factor that I have defined as the core factor in the ethnic problem. If there were no Tamils in Tamil Nadu, if there was no fall-out there as a consequence of what is done to the Tamils here, there would be no Tamil ethnic problem with an international dimension. The importance of the Tamil Nadu factor was shown in 1983 when huge numbers of SL Tamils fled into Tamil Nadu. Sentiment there which had been resolutely against the idea of Eelam became sympathetic towards it, and Delhi felt itself obliged to give serious military training – which had been of a token order previously – plus weapons to Tamil militants. It is the Tamil Nadu factor that explains a seeming anomaly: Chief Minister Wigneswaran, a member of the conquered is known for striking belligerent postures towards the conqueror, the Sinhalese. That is possible only because he believes that behind him is the power of Tamil Nadu and behind that the power of Delhi.
The Tamil Nadu factor is the core factor behind our ethnic problem, but that does not mean that we should over-estimate its importance. In recent weeks there have been more than one insightful article making that point from the Indian side. The two groups of Tamils across the Palk Straits share the same religion, language, and culture, but that commonality does not amount to an identity. They remain distinct and their interests can be expected to diverge. That has been shown by the decades during which marauding Tamil Nadu fishermen have been depleting our marine resources to the detriment of SL Tamil fishermen. That was shown by the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi which lost Tamil Nadu support for the LTTE. It was also shown by the fact that the problems of the SL Tamils had no traction at all at the recent Tamil Nadu elections.
At the same time, however, we should not under-estimate the importance of the Tamil Nadu factor. I read recently that Chief Minister Wigneswaran had declared during his 2013 election campaign that the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils are no more than a tennis ball that is banged to and fro by two contending sides in Tamil Nadu. But he changed his tune completely after becoming Chief Minister. We have to wonder happened during the intervening period and what might be going on beneath the visible surface. What furthermore are we to make of Jayalalithaa’s reiteration of her commitment to the establishment of Eelam? Is it no more than part of her fulminations against her bête noir, Karunanidhi? She is a practiced politician who has shown impressive political savvy in retaining power, and furthermore has a high reputation for performing what she promises. I would image the Tamil Nadu factor as a quiescent volcano which will probably remain quiescent for the foreseeable future. The problem is that it has the potential to erupt suddenly. I doubt that Delhi will sleep easy until the ethnic problem finds a definitive political solution.
Such a solution could be in the offing. There is no reason why modifications cannot be made over police and land powers and agreement be reached between the TNA and the Government on the basis of a modified 13 A. Problems can be expected to arise thereafter when a draft agreement is put to the people. The familiar allergy to any substantial measure of devolution can be expected to erupt, and the Government may find itself unable to deliver. Is the same dreary old narrative to be repeated over and over again, decade after decade, into an endless future? Two options seem to be available. One is for India and the international community to lay their hands off Sri Lanka, stop interfering in our internal affairs, and allow us to find a solution by ourselves. I believe that it can be done without too much difficulty once the emphasis is shifted from devolution. The other option is for India to play a decisive role in persuading the Tamils to accept a solution based on minimum devolution. If the ethnic problem goes on unresolved, India could increasingly come to be seen as being engaged in the neo-imperialist bullying of a small neighbor.
Amarasiri / June 18, 2016
Izeth Hussain
RE: Ethnic Problem & The New Imperialism
Thanks. Yes, there should be multi-polar world as a check to the hegemony shown by one pole.
“The concrete question that I want to address is whether or not India might slide into a neo-imperialist position in Sri Lanka without quite intending it. My starting point is that we don’t have a purely indigenous Tamil ethnic problem at present. The Tamils rebelled, they were decisively defeated on the battle-field, and would normally be expected to bear the fate of the defeated. The reasonable expectation is that the Tamils would have come to be treated more or less like the Muslims: some amount of discrimination, but not to the extent that it should cause legitimate international concern and intervention. The Tamils would have come to be treated like innumerable minorities all over the world.”
This is what the Sinhala “Buddhists” want. Sinhala “Buddhist” Hegemony, unequal citizenship with questionable Law and order as we have seen since 1958.
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / June 18, 2016
‘New imperialism’ is a heavier word. Apart from that, the present analysis of the Tamil Nadu factor is well balanced compared to Izeth Hussain’s previous analyses. Was it Mahabubani who predicted the dwindling importance Eelam factor in Tamil Nadu elections almost a decade ago?
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Mallaiyuran / June 18, 2016
Izeth exhausted his “desperate” label and has exposed himself to suicide journalism in this essay.
This another Jayawardenapura university Nobel Price recommendation for Izeth for his “Izeth Wahhabism” by a learned professor.
Even Karaiyuran, Jimsofty and racist Amerasiri have written better IQ arguments on their side of theories. Amerisiri’s IQ is still standing well with the double peak curve not showing desperate yet like Izeth.
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Backlash / June 18, 2016
Laksiri,
The importance and potency of the Lankan Tamil factor ebbs and flows in the Tamilnadu political landscape – depending on who the contenders art the time are. With the expected natural absence of the ageing and frail Shri M. Karunanidhi from the scene, a void is inevitable. Son Stalin gets ready to fill in the space including making historic overtures to Selvi Jayalalitha a.k.a. amma, akka etc.
Others more familiar with the Lankan-Tamil equation than Kishore
Mahubabani, Indian academics like Prof. Suryanarayan, Col. Hariharan are of the view the issue will spill over until such time as the Sinhala side close ranks to solve the issue – like they did in the matter of settling the 4-decades residue problem of the 98,000 in the Citizenship matter.
Of Lankan analysts Dayan Jayatilake, Jayadeva Uyangoda’s pronouncements merit consideration. Izeth Hussain is a non-descript non-starter in the field nown more for his trouble and mischief making reputation. Hussain
writes merely to fill the space and hence the low quality output.
Backlash
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Native Vedda / June 19, 2016
Dr Laksiri Fernando
“Was it Mahabubani who predicted the dwindling importance Eelam factor in Tamil Nadu elections almost a decade ago?”
As a well informed academic I never thought you would join the fear mongers.
The Tamil Eelam “cause” has never been a vote catching issue for the people of Tamil Nadu. Tamils of Tamil Nadu never voted in any election influenced by events in Sri Lanka.
Tamil Nadu factor was cleverly manipulated by New Delhi to determine the course of action or inaction in this island.
From 1982 on wards the Delhi (Indra in particular) determined how covert and overt operation would be run in this island. MGR was only a prop in the Hindians’ action thriller shot in this island. All the Tamil Militant Groups were the extras including VP.
If you study opinion polls and actual election result you will find there is no correlation between the unfortunate events in Sri Lanka and how the people voted in their respective elections. Tamil Nadu elections were and are about Tamil Nadu, not about “Eelam”.
Indian Parliamentary election is about Indian issues, not about Sri Lankan issues.
If Tamil Eelam lobby was so powerful, and Tamil Nadu was so powerful enough to change the course of Indian foreign policy, as IH foolishly believes, by now Eelamites would be running their own state for the past 30 years or so, and the bloody war could have been stopped and many lives could have been saved. Both didn’t happen.
Jayalalitha promised many things to the Tamils of this island including Tamil Eelam. She couldn’t even release one particular accused in Rajive’s assassination who was being wrongly implicated and sentenced death/life and had already served more than 20 years in prison, leave alone her empty promises to Eelamists.
I would only agree with IH, had Jaya/Karu combined forces and sent 10 million of their own people to kick the armed of this island and freed their brethren in 2009. It didn’t happen and won’t happen and IH should leave the worrying to Hindians.
If she is so concerned about “Eelam Tamils” she should start addressing issues raised by refugees stranded in Tamil Nadu and improve their life in camps and stop bottom trawling in the North.
Tamil Nadu people worry about their own day to day problem than Eelamites.
Therefore IH’s scare mongering has no basis. I would say he is giving sustenance to the dying breed of Sinhala/Buddhist or probably he too is suffering from paranoia.
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Izeth hussain / June 19, 2016
Dr Laksiri Fernando – thanks for your comment. I must clarify my position on the Tamil Nadu factor. I have never over-estimated its importance. I was the first to make a systematic analysis of the TN factor – around 1990 in a paper presented at a seminar held by the Bandaranaike Center for International Studies.The burden of the paper was that despite the commonality of religion, language, and culture there is no identity between the two groups of Tamils across the Palk Straits.Therefore their interests can be expected to diverge and it should not be assumed that TN support for the SL Tamils would be automatic and assured at all times.
My Tamil friends who were at the seminar – Professors Sivatamby and Basiampillai and my former colleague Yoga Duraiswamy – were clearly dismayed by my argument. But subsequent developments surely proved me right. I was given valuable support by my former colleague Stanley Jayaweera who knew the situation on the ground because he had served in Madras for several years.I must add that if TN is not the core factor, Delhi would stand convicted of blatant interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. – IH
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Mallaiyuran / June 19, 2016
Izeth,
At your ages you two are playing a nursery game of praising each other and enchaining candy bar to show that gratitude. None of you have stood above the barrier, IQ 59, but dragging the overall Lankawe’s average down to 79. There is a third one, Old King, is better to have a company with you two to have an eager driven life in your ages.
1990, you say you presented a paper. At that time, around 32 rebel groups were operating. Many of them were under the control of India. Varathar had declared that 13A will not work. That time India had come and gone. Richard P. had put down the JVP mercilessly. Later, Vajpayee was following non interfering policy. So, what did you predicted in that paper that no Western Prophets ever mentioned in Bible or Koran? Did you prophesy Vajpayee is not going to interfere in Lankawe? Did you say Sonia will use Chemical Bombs in the years to come? Did you say Karunadhi will be caught in 2G and Kanimozhi will come to apologize to Old King?
Indian politics still is remaining as incidents driven, not strategically put together. It is said Neru wanted Ceylon with India. He did not get even Pakistans. When Neru wanted Ceylon annexed with India it was not to save Tamils. You may plow any field strong than wild buffaloes, but you can’t get deep into the matters. India has about 30 Language related states. It does not die with Tamil Nadu. It only takes it as granted. Rajiv used Tamil Nadu to implement Neru’s desire to have the Ceylon attached to India. If you can’t get it, you could not. Don’t bluff with false claim of you writing an essay and many was bewildered reading that and later the essay became better prophesy and more true more than Prophet Mohamed’s Koran.
I must add that if TN is not the core factor, Delhi would stand convicted of blatant interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. After all these exchanges you are still striking comedies. Sonia hired Karunadhi to have covered up the use of Indian Chemical bombs by a 4 hours fasting to death drama. America sent people to Indian refugee camps to investigate the Chemical bomb. America has the truth on that. But, Ambassador Blake and Norwegian envoy Solhiem went Delhi right after every talk they had in Colombo. Nobody going to accuse India for anything but they want India get involved more. You need to know in the Lankawe tug of war game, the winning party China is on side and all others are on the other side. Basically West like to stand behind India rather than get ahead. Don’t think just because you wasted five articles for your whimsy thoughts, the International Community are going tonight sit and curse India or tomorrow morning put it on the gallows. If you don’t know Newton’s law, you learn them. A new force strike on an object bound to have an effect on the movement of it. India has problem on borders. When there is kick on the North India swing to the South to have it buffered.
Modi has said Vanakam in his speech to the Jaffna stadium reopening ceremony. He used all four languages. He does that all over India. It is nothing about his attachment to Tamil Nadu Tamils. But he did one different thing. He visited Jaffna on an earlier occasion. This was done clearly planned to get the approval for him of the Jaffna people. He is not standing for any election in Jaffna. But his action is a message to the forces involved in the struggle that he has some sympathy and knowledge of all what went. Unlike Sonia, who took her granted queen job and ran a brutal looting based ruling in India, like her counterpart Old King, Modi basically stand on the people support for his power. So the visit of Jaffna and the acceptance of those people are important for him if he ever want to interfere in Eelam Tamils’ problem in any future. He can do only things people accepts, he cannot impose anything unlike the queen Sonia did. He doesn’t have that granted for him. Further he is not blind like Sonia to the Chinese strategies too. After hearing of what was about to happen in the reopening of Jaffna Stadium, Chinese had visited to Jaffna and have declared their development projects to North to bring down the North under Port City Administration. For all these new developments, what the path Modi going to take is, now, only a blue sky. He had not given any indication of it anywhere. India is not going to cut off with China to damage the massive trade connection, unlike Sirimavo and Old King did with EU and West and made country bankrupt. China seems to have got Yahapalanaya government on the line. It looks like it is getting that feeling too. It may need not to hack the computers or break the Nuraicholai plant to get the job done. Recently it blamed Old Royals not taking the report it had given on the nature and the quality of the Sinhala Engineers employed at Noraicholai. That word suggest China may fix the engine at the power plant make them to work.
Policy is one; events are another one in the international politics. They both affect the net result. We can’t write “Izeth Whhabi Koran” like the one you wrote in 1990. All what we can do is sit and watch how the events are going dawn tomorrow morning. Certainly if Mrs. Gandhi had not gone clear the Golden temple, Eelam Tamils story would be different today.
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sach / June 21, 2016
Idiot Malla,
You are simply a tool at the hand of india. If you think eelam would be a reality had old Mrs.Gandhi survive you are living in a fool’s paradise. India needs to control Colombo using you, a tool. There is no use of the tool if any eelam is created. So dont dream child
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Backlash / June 20, 2016
When you dare enter several fronts simultaneously you are bound to end up with sand in your face. Hussein, in his “enormous wisdom” as a self-claimed “outstanding Analyst and philosopher” is convinced “despite the commonality of religion, language and culture there is no identity between the two groups of Tamils across the Palk Straits” What more does one want to establish the ancient and continuing commonality between Tamils on both sides of the Straits? These three factors alone produce a fraternal relationship that has been acknowledged throughout the ages. Not only Tamils but the Sinhalese here too are connected through a common gene pool with their cousins across in the South – often conceded by the learned.
I am not surprised my friends Prof. Sivathamby, Bastiampillai and ex-diplomat Duraiswamy were “clearly dismayed” by this foolish and mischievous assertion. They were all men of learning who will not succumb to codswallop.
This nonsense of Hussein’s “I was the firswt to make a systematic analysis of the TN factor” is nothing but false rubbish. I have, in an earlier post, trashed this hoax claim.
Backlash
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Native Vedda / June 19, 2016
Dr Laksiri Fernando
Please read this article which discusses the Tamil Nadu democratic process and nowhere in this Eelam is mentioned as a factor:
Democratic Process Not Yet Lost in Tamil Nadu 2016 State Assembly Elections
V Krishna Ananth
Vol. 51, Issue No. 22, 28 May, 2016
V Krishna Ananth (krishnananth@gmail.com) teaches history at Sikkim University, Gangtok.
The AIADMK is certainly not as invincible as it appears after the elections in Tamil Nadu. It is possible for the DMK to consolidate and register substantial gains in elections to rural and urban local bodies due in October this year. As for the left, it will be the first time that neither the CPI nor the CPI(M) will be represented in the state assembly.
There was little doubt over J Jayalalithaa’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) returning to power in Tamil Nadu. Analysts as well as a section of those who lost the elections have blamed it on the people of Tamil Nadu falling for freebies on which a lot has been said and argued either way. A debate is possible on whether such welfare schemes as free rations of staple grains and an expanded public distribution system to ensure prevention of hunger deaths should at all be equated with promises of subsidies for two-wheelers and laptops and thus condemned as populism. However, the fact is that such practices seem to have come to stay and it will take concerted efforts to distinguish welfare measures (to be retained as a matter of conviction) from acts of corrupt electoral practices.
However, it is certainly not anyone’s case that the people, in general, are amoral and are given to trade their democratic right to vote with money and material goods. The fact is that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) too had tried this in 2011 and lost the elections then, and the AIADMK too could not sweep the polls this time despite the massive amount of cash that reached the voters on its behalf. There is evidence that the democratic process is not yet lost.
There was, however, an element of surprise when the DMK emerged with as many as 89 seats in the 234 strong state assembly1 helping its ally, the Congress, win eight seats alongside. The DMK managed to make a comeback in the state after its disastrous performance in 2011 (winning only 23 seats) when it was denied the status of being the opposition party in the assembly. That “privilege” went to Vijayakanth, whose Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) won 29 seats as a pre-poll ally of the AIADMK and was left without the option of joining the government after Jayalalithaa made that clear moments after the results gave her a landslide. The DMK showed no signs of recovery in 2014, drawing a blank in the Lok Sabha polls and the AIADMK seemed invincible.
An analysis by political observers, in the first flush after the results came, concluded that the DMK could have beaten its rival if only the party had been more astute and forged a rainbow coalition, including Vijayakanth’s DMDK and S Ramadoss’s Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). In other words, Karunanidhi would have achieved the AIADMK’s defeat by conceding the chief minister’s job to either Anbumani Ramadoss (son of S Ramadoss) or to Vijayakanth. This was not what the DMK patriarch would have done.
Meanwhile, it is now clear that Vijayakanth, who arrived on the poll scene in 2006 with a bang and sustained his hold in the 2009 general elections, who managed to bargain for a chunk of seats from the AIADMK in 2011 and who went along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 (recall the special mention Narendra Modi had made of him while addressing his allies after the May 2014 victory), has been dumped by the people. It is unlikely that this star-turned-politico will muster the strength to hold on. He does not have it in him to tide over the rough and tumble of politics. The same may not be true of Ramadoss and the PMK. The party may live to fight another day and manage to strike deals with either the BJP or the AIADMK for 2019; but that will be possible only if the elder Ramadoss decides to love his son a little less and stop dreaming of the chief minister’s chair for him.
Karunanidhi had lost the plot and it showed in the way in which his efforts to make a rainbow coalition against the AIADMK were spurned by a cross section of parties, among them, the PMK, the DMDK and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), even as the Congress that had walked out of the alliance in 2014 quietly clinched a sweet deal. This was so because the party, whose fortunes have been on the decline (it lost power in the state in 1967 but managed to remain afloat, riding piggyback on either the DMK or the AIADMK since 1977), could thus ensure representation in the state assembly this time.2 To be fair, Karunanidhi had never held any grudge against any party (barring the AIADMK ever since M G Ramachandran set it up in 1972 and wrested power in 1977 and against Jayalalithaa since MGR’s death in 1988) and least of all against the Congress.3
In other words, the DMK patriarch should certainly be credited with the skills to read the writing on the wall and he seems to have done so this time around too. He certainly knew that the Congress, even after the exit of G K Vasan and several factions, including the one that P Chidambaram seemed to build for his son, was worth being taken on as an ally. And this indeed is what led the party to snatch a respectable performance from what appeared to be the end of the road for the Congress, particularly after its bad show in 2011 and its disastrous performance in the 2014 general elections.
But then, after a closer look at the poll results, particularly the AIADMK’s sweep in the Kongu region (Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode Districts) in Western Tamil Nadu, it is possible to argue that the DMK could have won more than the number of seats it won and could have even formed the government if it had managed to get the Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK), a sub-regional outfit of the upwardly mobile Gounder community (both in the social and economic sense), into its fold. A look at the votes polled in this region clearly show that this sub-regional outfit polled more votes than the margin by which the DMK/Congress candidates lost to the AIADMK in at least a dozen constituencies across Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode Districts. Moreover, unlike the DMDK and the PMK, who demanded the chief minister’s job for its leader, the KMDK could have been roped in with an offer of a couple of assembly seats to contest and a commitment to decriminalise toddy tapping!
The AIADMK, even after having retained power (defying the pattern since the death of MGR and losing power to the DMK after being in power), is certainly not as invincible as it appears. And it is possible for the DMK to consolidate and register some substantial gains in the elections to the rural and urban local bodies due in October this year. For this, the DMK needs to anoint M K Stalin as Karunanidhi’s heir and ensure an amicable settlement among the siblings, reduce the role of the Maran brothers in the party, and scout for localised and sub-regional outfits such as the KMDK.
Dalit ‘Assertion’
While this could bring good news to the DMK, it certainly will spell disaster for the sociopolitical discourse of the state. A region that was home to social transformation, where brahmanical Hindutva had been challenged successfully many decades ago, and which was marked by a measure of success that the non-Brahmin movement had achieved in the electoral as well as in the social sense when the Congress Party was voted out decisively, is today in the grip of casteist violence against the Dalits. There were instances of casteist violence in Tamil Nadu even before the DMK came to power in the state in 1967. The massacre of 44 agricultural workers, all Dalits, in Keezhavenmani on 26 December 1968 happened within months after the DMK wrested power in the state. The blot of having failed to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the ghastly crime remains on the administration which was then headed by C N Annadurai.
While there appeared a lull in the years after that, there was organised violence against Dalits in Kodiangulam, where a 600 strong police force descended on this all-Dalit settlement and ravaged their homes on 31 August 1995. Since then, there has been a pattern: Dalit assertion being “dealt” with violent attacks on the community and its members by armed gangs of the intermediate community and the police either participating in such crimes (as in Kodiangulam) or remaining bystanders when Murugesan and five of his associates were hacked to death in Melavalavu on 29 June 1997. Murugesan and his associates were killed only because they dared to defy the “norms” set by the non-brahmin caste Hindus, which said that they shall not contest elections to the panchayats even if it was a right guaranteed to them by the Constitution!
If Kodiangulam was orchestrated when J Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK ruled Tamil Nadu, the Melavalavu killings were acted out after the DMK had wrested power in the state. While it may not be possible to establish a nexus between the leaders of these two parties and the trend as it began in Kodiangulam and persisted across the state, since then there has indeed been a pattern to this kind of violence. The thrust of the Justice Gomathinayagam Committee report (it was set up by the AIADMK government post Kodiangulam) tabled in the state assembly many years later (in December 1999 when the DMK was in power) did convey a message. It was that the police cannot be blamed for using force, particularly in instances where the Dalits were at the receiving end.
The brutal attack that took place on the banks of the Tamaraparni River (in Tirunelveli) on a procession led by Dalit leader K Krishnasamy seeking early settlement of wage-related disputes of workers in a tea garden—17 of the participants were chased by armed policemen into the river and got drowned—on 23 July 1999 did convey the same message loud and clear. This indeed is not what the Dravida Iyakkam4 promised in its early years.
In other words, the DMK patriarch will have to intervene with all his authority within the party to ensure the completion of the unfinished agenda of effecting a social transformation by internalising the class aspect into the caste-based agenda that it had taken up in the non-Brahmin movement it had inherited from the Dravida Kazhagam in 1949. To opt for this calls for political courage and in a sense reinventing the DMK’s first principle: to forge a lasting arrangement with parties such as the Puthiya Tamilagham (incidentally a DMK ally now) and the VCK, now with the Third Front. The DMK, founded as it was on the altar of the campaign for social transformation, will find this easier said than done.
This, after all, was the challenge before the left parties in Tamil Nadu. The Communist Party of India (CPI) until 1964 and both the CPI and the CPI(M) since the split that year, claimed to persist with this agenda. The communist movement, indeed, had played a decisive role since its inception in the 1920s by democratising the national movement by involving the industrial workers and the peasantry as well as the landless masses in the campaign. This, in fact, had also rendered the Justice Party’s campaign weak and rudderless.5 It is another story that the left, after years of debates, mostly of a theological nature, ended up losing its hold in the political discourse of the state. Even if the two parties managed representation in the state assembly all these years, it turns out that this was done only by riding piggyback on either the DMK or the AIADMK. This will be the first time ever, in the long history of electoral democracy, that neither the CPI nor the CPI(M) will be represented in the state assembly. That this happened even as the left parties won a majority in neighbouring Kerala is something that must concern the leaders of the left.
Notes
1 Polling was held only in 232 constituencies at the time of writing.
2 It may be stressed here that M Karunanidhi as chief minister was dismissed from power invoking Article 356 (rather abusing the constitutional provision) twice in the past, first on 31 January 1976, when Indira Gandhi’s Congress-led government dismissed the state government (one of the two non-Congress governments then and whose opposition to the Emergency was an irritant to the regime), and once again on 30 January 1991, when Rajiv Gandhi ensured the union cabinet, then headed by Chandrashekhar (and depending on the Congress for survival) recommended dismissal of the state government on charges that the state, under Karunanidhi, had turned into a haven for the LTTE. Similarly, the Congress, under Sitaram Kesri pulled down the I K Gujral-led United Front Government in New Delhi in 1998 specifically objecting to the DMK’s presence.
3 Notwithstanding the dismissal of Karunanidhi’s government in January 1976 and a violent demonstration his cadre held on Indira’s arrival at Madurai subsequently (when she suffered a minor injury) Karunanidhi struck an alliance with her party in 1980, tried hard for such an alliance again in 1984 (until the AIADMK managed it), supped with Congressmen in the state such as G K Moopanar and P Chidambaram who floated the Tamil Maanila Congress in 1996, and then returned to the Congress-led UPA months before the May 2004 elections (after remaining in the BJP-led NDA between 1999 and November 2003).
4 The choice of this phrase (Dravida Iyakkam) is conscious and I owe this usage to N Ram. See “Dravida Movement in Its Pre-independence Phases,” Economic & Political Weekly, Annual Number, February 1979, Vol XIV, Nos 7 and 8, pp 377–402. The article explains the complex of historical forces in the latter half of the 19th century that influenced the making of the Dravidian movement of which the DMK as much as the AIADMK are legatees. It also deals with the various stages of negotiations within the movement and its evolution from the Justice Party (with a pronounced and unabashed pro-British agenda) into the DMK in 1949 and the critical intervention by C N Annadurai in its making into a platform committed to democratic politics alongside social reforms.
epw.in/journal/2016/22/2016
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Mallaiyuran / June 18, 2016
Izeth’s fifth attempt is this, in which he is trying to establish his lame duck theory, the”Tamil Nadu is the core Problem”. It is interesting to watch not just this inferior thinking, but is his ridicules obstinate , adamant attitude.
He trying by repeating that Tamils on both sides of the Palk Strait by the virtue of same Language of and Religion, so unified on all of their political aspirations, so Tamil Nadu has become the core problem, but not there is any real problems in Lankawe’s North-East. If he says IC is not able to slip from Eelam Tamils problem because Tamil Nadu is not allowing. But he is insisting there is no problem in Eelam, but Tamil Nadu is creating it. It is extreme form of anti-Tamil demonstration, even Cyril Mathew, Amarathasa or RMB has not shown.
“His question is “Where, then, is the problem?” Then he sheepishly writing the problem is Tamil Nadu Fisher Men are fishing the Northern fishes without anything left for Eelam Tamils. But even today Northern fisher men captured and handed over 165 Muslims and Sinhala Fishermen outside of North Fishing in their area. (I wonder if he means Tamil Nadu is creating problem by fishing near Ceylon waters). Otherwise it is only crocodile tears he worrying about Northern Fishermen.
He is an extremely poor analyst, but only a scavenger, then writes “Those Peace Accords should be taken together with the dispatch of the IPKF troops which were meant to tame the LTTE military rebellion and set the stage for a political solution. The IPKF failed in that task, but our troops succeeded in 2009.. The meaning of that is first India saw there is no problem in Eelam, but only Tamil Nadu is creating it, so India wanted to suppress the rebels first. Buy India failed. Then his troops got out and finished it. As a whole of it, India and Lankawe could not see any problem in Eelam so they see the Tamil Nadu as the only problem. If Izeth is correct in that, then why those idiots are wasting their Chemical bombs in Eelam when the problem is in Tamil Nadu? Instead of giving arms to rebels, isn’t India should have curbed Tamil Nadu, first? But India gave arms through the Tamil Nadu. Izeth has no explanation of anything he writes but keep saying “I have argued, I reasoned out, I have established, I proved it….etc”. He has amnesia too. In the Series II, we had told him India started giving Kachathivu to Sirimavo, so it is against Tamil Nadu Tamils, but its concern is only its’ defense. He understood. He repeated it in his latter Series too. But now he has forgotten it. So he put a new theory of “India’s imperialist approach”. Now he is singing a new song, because India always approached its border with imperialist approach, so it has confused itself of who it is, and it is sympathetically responding to Eelam problem after seeing Tamil Nadu is so concerned of its Language and religious brethren in Eelam. That is why I have written earlier that this scavenger is not good in political analysis, but only good in putting knots together to bald head and the knee. The myopia man, after having served in foreign diplomatic services wrote that he is not saying himself, but just repeating what he heard in Indian diplomatic world. This diplomat has not come to know when the government changes, their foreign policies too change. So he failed to see the differences in the approach of Mrs. Gandhi, Rajiv, Vajpayee, Sonia and Modi. This is how he has discharged his duties in the foreign diplomat service.
In the “Tamil Nadu Is the Core Problem” series # IV, he took a twist because of Tamil Nadu the International Countries are getting involved in the problem. After reading the commentators comments, he is now changing the tone to India’s imperialist approach is because of “Tamil Nadu is the core of the problem”. We had sighted him India has problem with all its bordering neighbors in the Series III. It is not hot having in all thoese places similar Language and religious people for it to be concerned of them. The political baba is reading and repeating it in CT. Because he fails to understand others’ point and having had read and repeated that India acted only on its defense, now when he writes this Imperialist theory, this is overlapping even his misunderstood defense theory. He is just allowing it to overlapping, without even trying at lease make them to complement each other. That is poor debating skill.
The man is having a hard time in understanding that the two words “Imperialism” and “Defense” are having their own meaning. But this pathetic writer is using them as interchangeable. The question is of whether India fearing of its boarders which are threatened by China and Pakistan, and it is reacting harshly with its neighbors from having friendly interaction with its enemies or India is going out on capturing countries. Because of his inability to parse these problems and graspe them, he went and connected Russia as a new hero because it has entered into Ukraine with a claim of saving its citizens in East Ukraine. Eastern Ukraine was compared with Tamil Eelam –India problem by writers and commentators support Russia here in CT. Izeth might not have read it or might have forgotten it. But Russia is put on hold by the economic sanctions of the West. So Izeth is while laughing IPKF which produced 13A, he is praising Russia which has yet to produce any result in Ukraine other than shooting down the Malaysian plane which had forced the Muslims airline to close down. Russia under Putin achieved only one result that is wiping out Chechnya Muslims problem, unlike America failed in Iraq. Now Russia does not have Chechnya problem. But it did not do that in Syria.
Russia (USSR) failed in Afghanistan and Syria but succeeded only in Chechnya. But it looks like a hero to Izeth. America and India look like Imperialists to him. When PM David Cameron visited Lankawe, he told government to be magnanimous and cited Churchill’s speech after winning World War II. Barbaric “Izeth Wahhabism” wishes for Tamils “The Tamils rebelled, they were decisively defeated on the battle-field, and would normally be expected to bear the fate of the defeated…..It became arguable that the then Government had earned the right thereby to work out its own political solution and implement it.” Thanks god, the West have got the upper hand in controlling the Muslims invasion spreading this kind of Izeth Wahhabism to the entire world. He has his own theory of how the lost ones should be treated, where West handed the power back to Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan instead of implementing Izeth Wahhabism there.
Having applied his Izeth Wahhabi theories, he should have realized the Tamils who lost on the constitutional war in the 1930s-1940s, how they may have been treated by his “Our Army Men”. If he is still saying “where, then the problem?” he is just trying to be the nastier than the nastiest ISIS.
Here he is again “The Tamils rebelled, they were decisively defeated on the battle-field, and would normally be expected to bear the fate of the defeated. The reasonable expectation is that the Tamils would have come to be treated more or less like the Muslims” Basically he is telling Muslims are defeated, should too obey the winners. Then his words on CV. “Chief Minister Wigneswaran, a member of the conquered is known for striking belligerent postures towards the conqueror, the Sinhalese.” When Izeth is claiming he knows who are Muslims, they are defeated ones, then when writes about the Tamil racism and Sinhala racism” he post it here without read back and understand what he had written. He has understood as he is from a defeated community it is time for him to shut up and leave.
This is the fifth time Izeth had attempted proved with his conflicting riddles that there is no Problems for Eelam Tamils. He wanted to show Tamil Nadu as the problem. But one of the nastiest problems in Lankawe is nasty Muslim leaders Hakeem, Rishad, Athavulla and nasty writers like Izeth, Latheef like the ones.
In the last election, at the start, Eelam problem was not prominent. TGTE requested few matters from the candidates. Jeyalalitha quickly picked it up and turned around the table. Earlier Karunanidhi was expected to win the election. Because Jeyalalitha’s response was at the last minutes, she had won few seats only by couple of votes. After election she has promised to meet CV. It was out of question before election.
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Anpu / June 18, 2016
Well said Mallaiyuran.
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Anpu / June 18, 2016
Mr Hussain,
“The Tamil Nadu factor is the core factor behind our ethnic problem”
Sinhalese BUDDHIST not treating Tamils fairly is the COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE FACTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR.
What is the meaning of CORE?
Your Tamilnadu …. is Poochandi
I am assuming your mother tongue is tamil. In case you forgot- Poochandi (பூச்சாண்டி) is a Tamil language word meaning monster or fearsome man and sometimes uttered to scare children.
Have you read ?
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sri-lanka-is-not-yet-the-success-story-that-many-claim-it-to-be-international-crisis-group/
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/thoughts-on-sri-lankas-progress-in-this-transitional-phase/
Cheating Tamils by the Sinhalease Buddhists started with Sir Arunachalam days and it continues.
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lal / June 18, 2016
Arunachalam was a bigot and racist. However, he was successful in implanting racism and hatred in Tamils then and Tamil generations to follow. It seems incurable and hereditary. Tamil hatred for the Sinhalese and Muslims have places the Sri Lankan Tamils in a precarious situation in Sri Lanka and as an unwanted species throughout the world. You can thank racist, idiot Arunachalam for that!
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Anpu / June 18, 2016
“Arunachalam was a bigot and racist.”
Can you provide any evidence?
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Anpu / June 18, 2016
Core problem now is – not implementing UNHRC resolution.
Former govts did not implement pacts – (1) banda selva, (2) Dudley celva.
If the govts implemented those pacts, we would not have had LTTE and so many thousands deaths.
We were better than Singapore.
Now???
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lal / June 18, 2016
Another pact that was not implemented fully – Sirima,Shasthri pact.
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Mallaiyuran / June 18, 2016
It is pact Indian Goverment and Lankawe’s Appe Anduwa made. It does not affect the Tamil who were employed by British Colony which was owned by Britain. Britain approved the employment for its tea and rubber manufacturing companies. These companies never paid compensation for the Tamil workers who were affected by these unwarranted, illegal pact. For example Germany still pay some communities affected by the war. America, Canada….. like countries who humiliated Japaneses still identifying the victims and providing remedies. The British Companies’ assets were swindle by Sirimavo, N.M and other Lankawe’s crook crocodiles. Sirimavo’s assets have gone to Athanagalla princess Chandrika. Lipton, Brookbond like brand name companies are still there. Some names and private parties who swindle can not any longer can be identified. But the companies were legally taken over by Appe Anduwa. There should be an international organization should be found for the affected workers. Appe Andu, remaining companies and Chandrika like individuals should be sued under international trade laws for compensation for the illegal pact implementation. I need not to a dream. If diaspora put its heart, it is a real justice.
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soma / June 18, 2016
How? Because Tamils in Singapore do not ask for “political solutions”.
Soma
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Anpu / June 18, 2016
Soma,
Singapore is doing well because the govt treats the people well. They do not have a state religion.
In SL Sinhalease want to have BUDDHISM as a state religion. Sadly they do not practice.
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Native Vedda / June 19, 2016
somaassssssssssssss
“How? Because Tamils in Singapore do not ask for “political solutions”. “
Why, because the founding fathers avoided the pitfalls of being stupid, racists, ……….. and run by thieves, crooks, murderers, war criminals, ……
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Burning Issue / June 19, 2016
soma,
You really live up to your reputation as a downright chauvinist! Sri Lankan Tamils have a homeland in Ceylon and not in Singapore. You should not forget this fact; do you understand? It is about time you come to terms with this fact that the Sri Lankan Tamils have roots in north and east and no amount denial from chauvinists like you will work!
You need to get real.
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Joseph / June 18, 2016
Izeth uses the CT pages to spit out his anti-Tamil venom. What is the policy of the Muslim leaders? They jump from one party to another . Getting ministry posts is the supreme policy and aim.
When Badiudin Mahmmud as minister of education legislated that Tamil students had to score more marks than Sinhala and Muslim students to qualify for university admission, where was IzethHussain. If he had raised his voice then there would’nt have been an LTTE.
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Backlash / June 18, 2016
The best one can say about these boring sequels comes from the hand of Mr. Izeth Hussain himself as he captures readers’ response to his weekly harangue viz:- “it is the same dreary old narrative to be repeated over and over again” How true.
I will comment on opinions expressed by Hussain with which I disagree.
Although Putin’s Russia pretends they have a right to Ukraine the historical fact is the region has been a flashpoint of war and conflict for territory for centuries. It is also the home of Tartars, Turkomans and other races. It is the centre of the Crimean Wars of previous centuries enslaved by Stalin’s Red Army. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the Ukrainians wanted to be free of Russian influence – while there is a minority that wishes to geographically align with Russia. The democratically voted to join NATO.
The “terrible fate of Iraq” was brought about by none other than that sadistic dictator Saddam Hussein, who behaved as if the entire country belonged to him and his family. He was responsible for the deaths of hundreds thousands of Shias, including prominent Shia clerics. If one is to identify a single person for the destruction of hitherto peaceful Sunni-Shia ties, it is Saddam Hussein.
Isn’t it simply because the Sinhalese and Tamils could not solve their internal affairs other friendly countries got sucked in. India, in point of fact, was invited to get involved under the blessings of the international community. Is Hussain aware or not GoSL, belonging to different political parties, have privately complained to the UN, Indian and global leaders it is the chauvinistic Sinhala Buddhist extremism – and now the politicised armed services as well – that make a solution difficult. Not merely CBK but Maitripala Sirisena himself acknowledges Tamils are entitled to a better sense of justice and power-sharing but add, these dangerous extra-legal power blocs stymie a due solution.
Backlash
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Lemuria / June 19, 2016
Tamils and Sinhalese should forget their differences and find a solution soon as they have a common enemy/ideology to fight. Tamils and Sinhalese should think who/what benefited from the 30 year old war! Who bought the properties of Tamils when they ran abroad to escape war since 1983? Most of the Town shops in Sri Lanka are owned by them and eventually they will control the whole economy.
Now they are starting their own schools where the children are brainwashed with their ideology. We will soon be forced to have their own laws. Their boys start relationships with our girls and marry only if they convert to them otherwise they give up this is a happening while they locking up their girls at home. They encourage marriage with our girls as they could convert them.
We must remember different writers & speakers among them are having different songs with different tunes BUT the ultimate objective of all of them are same!
We must also remember what did happen to Malaysia, Indonesia and part of Philippines! Therefore, lets get together and face the fight against the enemy/ideology.
Remember they want Sinhalese and Tamils fight eternally so that their ideology grow unnoticed!
Lets not fight People but fight the ideology!
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R. J. de Silva / June 22, 2016
Lemuria,
To your list of countries do add our close neighbour – the Maldives. It was a free, secular country only decades ago – now a prisoner of Sharia. What the world has to realise is the Islamic world has surreptitiously set in motion “undeclared war” on all other religions in recent decades. To them the NEXT CRUSADE is already on. Fortunately, the world – including Russia, China, India and other large countries – realise this cancer amongst them and will soon destroy this evil. But the issue is there are two varieties of Islam. The peaceful one that the world is used to until now that was prepared to live in harmony with all other religions. And the
violent, intolerant, radical Islam that Jihadists are trying to force on the rest of the world in recent decades. As Fareed Zakaria (CNN) tries to point out it is the Islamic world, opposed to radicalism and Jihad, that must get their act together and save Islam from the mad mullahs and the millions of young Muslims throughout the world whose innocent minds are brain-washed by this evil – encouraged and spread by the Wahabi Saudis. The other problem is the recurring battle between the Sunnis and the Shiites that began the day Prophet Mohamed was laid to rest. This remained below the surface and Muslims, from both sdies of the side lived in peace despite the difference. But the Wahabbis – in their battle against Iran-lead Shiites – have raked old fires.
R.J. de Silva
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Native Vedda / June 22, 2016
R. J. de Silva
“And the violent, intolerant, radical Islam that Jihadists are trying to force on the rest of the world in recent decades.”
You are missing a important point here in this discussion.
Could you name the countries that continue to initiate/support Jihadhism everywhere from Afghanistan in the early 1980s to Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, …. These countries are not interested in Islam but use it as a tool to expand Arab imperialism, of course through back door.
Islam, a bit of cash and Arab culture are the portent tool in their armoury. Muslims women are now expected/forced to wear burqa.
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R. J. de Silva / June 22, 2016
Dear Native Veddah
You understand matters about the new Islamic peril more than most readers here. “These countries are not interested in Islam but use it as a tool to expand Arab imperialism, of course through the back door…” It is not that simple. The Wahabis have romanticised Islam and have captured the minds of young Muslims with the deception “Global Islam has not ruled the world as a super-power till now. It is OUR time now to conquer the world. We are already 2/5th of the globe”
This is the crux of the message in the Madrasas in most countries where Muslims live as minorities peacefully with other religions.
The Saudis finance the visit, long stays and the indoctrination of young talented Muslims who gradually take over as Mullahs in their communities. These men are paid a handsome monthly stipend and other benefits to retain their interest. There was the mention of US$250 billion apportioned by the Saudis to this global under-cover project extending to several years. In addition to the countries you mention please include Nigeria, East Africa, Malaysia, India, Indonesia and parts of Burma. Pakistan is the most dangerous and probably the largest Wahabi market. They have spent billions to make the Muslim Bomb eventually to blackmail India and the non-Islamic world in due course.
Many non-Islamic scholars are of the view the Sunni-Shia spat, now in full swing, will eventually dissipate the energy and resources of both sides with a more liberal Islamic world re-asserting itself. This change is not merely ideological but as a result of pressure from the non-Islamic world, the power of social media/IT as well increasing hostility to Islam/Islamists by the rest of the world.
R. J. de Silva
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Paul_ Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / June 19, 2016
Izeth Tamil Nadu is a problem! But the ancestors of more than 95% of the Sri Lankan Muslims are of Tamil Nadu origin . Largely low caste Hindu Indian Tamils( not Arabs or Moors) who converted to Islam and migrated to the island a few centuries ago. Just look at all the photos of the Muslim columnists posting on CT nothing remotely Arab/Moorish. All look like low caste South Indians that they really are. No wonder Muslims in Sri Lanka are such a problem. Nasty sly and backstabbing. You are a very good example of this.
Tamil Nadu is a problem and so are you and your community as you all are actually from Tamil Nadu. That is why you are so obsessed with Tamil Nadu and know it so well.
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Born again / June 19, 2016
Hindu casteism at its best. Pathetic . Are you high caste? How does that get decided? By your looks? Intelligence or skin color or by birth or your actions? Hinduism is pathetic as their multi limbed elephant nosed imaginary gods and shiva lingams. Your presence in the 21st century is as abhorrent and repugnant as ISIS
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Rohan / June 20, 2016
Is that why the Muslims in Sri Lanka claim an imaginary Arab origin as they find their largely low caste Hindu Tamil origins repugnant?
You find the Hindu caste system repugnant but the Sinhalese still follow it and the Sinhalese upper castes will never allow a Sinhalese low caste to govern the country. If there is no caste system there is a class system.
Caste or class/tirbes has always been used to differentiate people into various layers in society have always been followed. Even the Jews had a tribal system where different tribes were relegated to do different tasks and their priestly tribe the Levi followed and practised a system that was very similar to the Hindu Brahminical system to which Siva Sankaran belongs to. Amongst Arab tribes there is a pecking order some are considered low and the others higher. In the Christian west there was a rigid class system.
Did you find that also repugnant? As your born again. I presume you are a born again Christian, as you have run down the Hindus and Muslims and there is no such thing called Born again amongst Buddhists.
I find most of these so called born again Christians very repugnant hypocritical and annoying. Most of them act and behave very superior, look down on everyone else and think they are God’s gift on earth. Even look down on other Christians. Very similar to the Hindu Brahminical system that they like to rundown. They are full of right wing Christian righteousness but hardly practise the so called Christian charity,humility or compassion towards their fellow humans that Lord Jesus Christ preached. Your comment oozes of this.
Are you aware that the Brahmin community that Siva Sankar belongs to practises an ancient ceremony that is called twice born or Born Again when a young boy reaches a certain age and have to undergo the sacred thread ceremony( poonool in Tamil). Once that is initiated they are twice born or born again. There you are he is another Born Again like you.
You find the Hindu caste system abhorrent but do not find Sinhalese racism and genocide committed against the island’s Tamils and Muslim backstabbing abhorrent. Why? Are you a Sinhalese Born again? I have come across many so called Sinhalese born again who despite preaching Christian values of love compassion ETC to everyone else do not show it to the island’s Tamils and use all sorts of theories to justify discrimination against the island’s Tamils.
You must be one of these born again. I will rather live with the Hindu caste system than with a so called born again like you.
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Rajash / June 19, 2016
Izeth writes then clarifies then reclarifies. This shows that he has no firm belief or opinion on anything.
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Native Vedda / June 19, 2016
Rajash
“Izeth writes then clarifies then reclarifies. This shows that he has no firm belief or opinion on anything.”
He hasn’t realised that his age caught up with him many moons ago.
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Mallaiyuran / June 20, 2016
Izeth writes anti-Tamil venom. If Tamils commentators protests about that he then turn back on them and write revenges for specific commentators. Then he try to bring peace dove though the magic fire- the racism he sets up. How can theories for betterment for humanity can come out of the venomous racism? If Izeth plant poisonous plants in his garden the fruits he get back as reward is dangerous fruits.. If he plant the trees give out fruit that quench the thirst and feed hunger, he gets that back as the reward. More he clarifies more he is nesting into his racism. So his clarification is not necessary. We all have been understanding for long time what he convulsing to convey.
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K.Pillai / June 20, 2016
Lankan elders will vouch that in 1948 the scaremongering was “Indian invasion”. Anti-minority feelings took hold. Minorities formed the Federal Party and the MPs of that vintage had Tamils and Muslims. Some Muslims saw gold in associating with the majority Sinhalese. One of them was CAS Marikkar. He called himself Sinhala Marikkar. He claimed that his Kandy household spoke only Sinhalese. (His mother could not speak Sinhala). He joined SLFP, was Minister of Post, Broadcasting and Telecommunication in the SWRD B cabinet. Marikkar arrived at political meetings on an elephant and will thunder “Sakkilli Tamils are fit to do only sakkilli work”. Later Marikkar was accused of 17 counts of corruption.
Izeth is carrying the same tradition. His first paragraph is general but he then drags LTTE and his favourite “TN factor”. Izeth pedals the Goebellsian “Tamils are traitors” which implies “Muslims are loyal”.
An Izeth cabal ”Chief Minister Wigneswaran, a member of the conquered is known for striking belligerent postures towards the conqueror, the Sinhalese. That is possible only because he believes that behind him is the power of Tamil Nadu and behind that the power of Delhi.”
Pakistan did not utter a word following the Aluthgama anti-Muslim pogrom but there were demonstrations by TN Muslims. Wigneswaran is conveying the feelings of his province. Wignewaran never had his views vetted by TN politicians but everything Izeth writs is vetted by his mentors.
Note the use of the words “conquered and “conqueror”. Izeth wants to identify himself with the conqueror – Izeth the Conqueror ha ha.
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Paul-Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / June 20, 2016
Izeth is trying to compare oranges with apples when he is trying to compare the island’s Muslims with the Tamils.
The Muslims in the island are an immigrant community that largely came to the island a few centuries ago from South India. A small microscopic minority amongst them may have Arab or other Western Asian ancestors who arrived in the island earlier, either way they are basically an immigrant community from South India that came largely for commerce and lived amongst the island’s Sinhalese and Tamils.
They never had a history of ruling or owning land. There are no ancient Muslim ruins in the island. All the ancient ruins are either Buddhist or Hindu closely associated with the island’s Sinhalese or Tamils. All the ancient kings/chiefs were Dravidian Hindu/Buddhist Nagas who were common to both people and later Sinhalese or Tamil. No Muslim. Muslims were not allowed to own any land in the island until the late 19Th century when the British repealed this law. They were considered an immigrant outside community. Only the island’s Sinhalese and Tamils were allowed to own land. Even until the late 1970s most of the land in the east was owned by the Tamils as they were the indigenous community ( just like the native Fijians in Fiji) the Muslims used to lease the land from the Tamil Hindu landlords. It was only in the 1970s during the Baddudin/Srimavao era when large scaled marginalisation of the island’s Tamils began earnestly that situation in the east changed.
The Island’s Tamils( the indigenous Eelam Tamils from the north east and the north west coast) are indigenous to the land. They are an ancient nation who had lived in the land from ancient times and have ruled this until European colonisation. They many now be a minority in the entire island but are majority in their own land that was a separate land from the Sinhalese south until the British decided to merge their land with the Sinhalese lands down south in 1833 and create a colony called Ceylon. Until that they were a separate nation and even under the Portuguese and Dutch periods their lands were administered as a separate colony from the Sinhalese lands down south. The Portuguese and Dutch recognised them as a separate nation.
They area like the Welsh and Scottish in modern day Britain. Ancient nations with an ancient history in the island, who may be a minority in the whole of Britain, their numbers even below immigrant South Asian and Caribbean immigrants but still a majority in their own lands.
SO trying to compare an ancient indigenous nation with their own lands and an ancient history to the island with an immigrant population that only arrived fairly recently to the island largely from South India and have no history of owning lands ETC is like comparing apples to oranges. The Eelam Tamils situation and status in the island is like the Scots or Welsh in Britain ancient nations with their own history and land. The Muslim position on the island is similar to the immigrant communities in Britain like the Indian/Pakistani/Caribbean immigrants. Basically immigrants who deserve protection and opportunities in the island but have no right to claim for homelands in their new country and steal it from the host nations, like the Muslims are aggressively trying to do to the island’s Tamils. 72% of them live amongst the Sinhalese but there is no clamour to claim for self ruled Islamic homelands in Muslim majority enclaves in the Sinhalese south from southern Muslims like Izeth but they all want huge chunks of Tamil lands for the 28% of the Muslims living in the north and east, despite sharing a common language and culture and a common Tamil Hindu Dravidian origin. Why? Because they think the Tamils are now weal and with Sinhalese help they can steal large chunks of Tamil land for their immigrant South Indian community to build a future Salafist haven. This is why that nasty Iblis from Mannar instead of settling the displaced Muslims and Tamils, is busy settling thousands of out of area Muslims in the north to create new Muslims majority enclaves that were never there.
Izeth and the rest of the Muslim hurrah crown who constantly come here and shed crocodile tears about the plight of the island’s Muslims( when they are the one’s who benefitted most during the war and the marginalisation of the island’s Tamils ) are very quiet about this but still keep on running down the island’s Tamils.
Funny other than the Indian origin estate Tamils. The descendants of all the other immigrants from South India now making up around 59060% of the present day Sinhalese and 95% of the present day Muslims are the biggest anti Tamils.
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Saro / June 22, 2016
Ethinic Majority Vs Minorities
In civilised successful countries such as Switzerland, Canada the ethnic minorities were accommodated by the majority and devolved political powers to live in harmony, peace and develop the economy without encroachment within their boarders.
Turkish Invaded Cyprus Island to Help the Minorities.
Cyprus is a good example of what ethnic rivalry where 80% of the Greek Cypriots ill treated and subjugated the minority Turkish Cypriots led to the rescue of minorities, though it was unlawful. Because Turkey is an independent country unlike Tamilnadu which is only a province of India. Turkey invaded the north Cyprus and carved off 40% of the island for 20% of the population and installed a government of Turkish Cypriots. Of course, neither the UN nor the EU recognised the new boarders.
Nowhere in the world an act similar to CEYLON CITIZENSHIP ACT of 1948/49, that was enacted with the parliamentary support of GG Ponnampalam exists. If US had such an act in their constitution Barack Obama whose father was born in Kenya would not have even dreamed of voting or contesting any election in US.
In the case of India a good proportion of Ceylon-born upcountry workers were taken back and given Indian citizenship. India is the only country in the world that extended its friendly hands this way to Ceylon to maintain a good neighbourly relationship. India also went out of its way to hand over Katchtivu to Sri Lanka. India wants neighbour Sri Lanka to resolve its ethnic problem not to the satisfaction of ethnic minority, Tamils, but at least devolve some powers to the minorities and thereby prevent continuous pogroms as seen since 1956 – the year of Sinhala Only Act- and mass exodus of Tamils to her territory. By the way it is not a coincident that in 1956 Ceylon forced its Sinhala-Only through the throats of minorities and India set up quasi-Federal states to linguistic communities.
B-C and Dudley-C pacts indicate that Sri Lankan leaders of both major parties saw the need to do justice to Tamil speaking Muslims and Tamils but they while in the opposition played dirty politics to sabotage those pacts one after another and in order to come to power. Even the nationalist Mahinda Rajapakse said to LTTE leader in 2005 he was prepared to talk about anything except the partition of the country. RW also agreed to explore the set up the F-word based regions during the peaceful talk organised by Norway.
What happens now is that people like Izeth Hussain and Rajapaksas play dirty politics to either cause mischief or come to power by creating havocs, to say the least.
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