By Rajeewa Jayaweera –
Rajeewa Jayaweera
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated 25 years ago on August 20, 1991 in Sriperumbudur, Chennai, India. Several articles on the assassination of RG and of India’s involvement in Sri Lanka’s affairs commencing around 1980 appeared in the local media commencing last Sunday. Two articles were reviews of books published recently titled ‘The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi’ by Neena Gopal, a reputed Indian journalist and ‘Perilous Interventions’ by Hardeep Sigh Puri, a former Indian diplomat. Another article described different security precautions adopted by LTTE chief Prabhakaran, his enmity towards Gandhi which eventually made him decide to assassinate him and his close association with an Indian intelligence agent S Chandrasekharam known as ‘Chandran’, also Prabhakaran’s RAW appointed handler and supplier of video films for his entertainment in the Vanni jungles. Former IPKF intelligence chief in Jaffna, Col. R Hariharan too contributed by way of his article ‘Downside of Rajiv assassination’.
This writer has come across very few books and articles published and opinions expressed by Indians, may it be politicians, diplomats, journalists, intellectuals or even ordinary persons who see India’s role in Sri Lanka’s affairs commencing with housing, training and arming Tamil terrorists beginning from around 1980 as unjustified and a hostile act by a powerful nation against a small and weak nation. What most Indians would concede is to refer to the whole issue as a ‘mistake’ and that too from an Indian perspective. This is due to the 1200 IPKF members who did not return home from their mission in Sri Lanka and the lack of support from successive DMK governments in Tamil Nadu, once open hostilities broke out between the IPKF and LTTE.
Neena Gopal in her book “The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi” consider the assassination as avoidable and attributes the assassination to interagency rivalry between RAW and Indian IB, the negligence of the Indian intelligence apparatus and inability of the Indian political leadership that succeeded the Gandhi administration, to fully appreciate the threat posed by LTTE to the former Prime Minister. Several LTTE VHF communications intercepted by Indian intelligence with the use of the word ‘dump’, LTTE jargon to kill, had been incorrectly interpreted. The author claims, Col. Hariharan, himself a Tamil, with his ear to the ground in Jaffna and an aunt married to a Jaffna Tamil had been tipped off but had been unable to convince higher ups of the seriousness of the situation or the need for enhanced security for Gandhi. Col. Hariharan in his article on Thursday has confirmed Neena Gopal’s assertion.
Hardeep Singh Puri had been First Secretary / Counsellor at the Indian High Commission in Colombo during the turbulent 1984 – 1988 period. He was subsequently India’s Permeant Representative to the United Nations in New York. His book ‘Perilous Interventions’ covers US/UK led intervention in Iraq and western led and Security Council sanctioned UN interventions in Libya, Syria and Yemen. India’s forcible air drop of humanitarian supplies in Jaffna violating Sri Lanka’s air space too has been covered and termed as a ‘mercy mission’. Puri does not consider the IPKF mission “as a military intervention but as a peace keeping force with a specific mandate in pursuance of provisions of a peace agreement and sent at the specific request of the receiving state”. During an interview, he has opined “you can’t subject an entire population of an area to an economic blockade and then hope to get understanding from the international community”. Moving on, Puri states “the IPKF was invited under the provisions of the Agreement (ISLA) with the request made in writing. It was clearly understood that this would enable President Jayewardene to move his army back to deal with the growing opposition to the Agreement in the South”.
India was dismayed by the assassination of its Leader of Opposition, also a former Prime Minister and member of an iconic family. It simply could not fathom this treacherous act by LTTE it had natured from its infancy. On the part of the LTTE, it was a case of biting the hand that had fed it. For India, it was a case of reaping the whirlwind resulting from the winds it had sowed.
In less than two years after Gandhi’s assassination, the LTTE assassinated the Head of State in Sri Lanka besides two other senior politicians, seriously weakening the Sri Lankan political leadership. The vacuum created by the death of these senior politicians and many more mid-level politicians was to seriously impact the political landscape of Sri Lanka in the years to come. The psychological impact on a nation due to the assassination of its Head of State, especially a state facing a separatist conflict, is considerable. Though not written about or spoken of, the assassinations of President Premadasa, Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake are losses from which Sri Lanka is yet to recover. Full credit all three can be laid at India’s door step.
Puri’s assertions are in line with the general Indian narrative. However, a close examination of his assertions would establish beyond doubt, the hollowness of some of his assertions. To begin with, India forced Sri Lanka to halt the Vedamarachchi Operation which would have seen the end of the LTTE. It is the Indian narrative that the IPKF was ‘invited’ whereas the Sri Lankan narrative is that the ‘invitation was coerced’. Puri’s then boss and Indian High Commissioner JN Dixit’s book ‘Assignment Colombo’ spells out clearly of the manner in which India coerced JR Jayewardene to accept the Indo – Sri Lanka Accord with its many humiliating clauses. Had this accord not been forced on Sri Lanka, the JVP would not have commenced its insurrection in the South. Had it been the case, the need to move the Sri Lanka army to the South would not have arisen. The need for a peace keeping force with or without an ‘invitation’ too would not have arisen.
Then President Jayewardene honored the initial requirement of the accord by confining the Sri Lankan army to barracks before bringing them to the South. However, India failed miserably in its first obligation spelt out in the accord by failing to disarm the LTTE in 48 hours. Notwithstanding Puri’s assertion of a peace keeping force, the IPKF was a thinly veiled military intervention which commenced with the forcible air drop of supplies into Jaffna under the guise of a ‘mercy mission’. It was also a gross violation of Sri Lanka’s air space.
President Premadasa, who was Prime Minister in 1987 opposed both ISLA and deployment of IPKF. To send back the IPKF was part of his manifesto during the 1988 Presidential election campaign. According to Dixit, Premadasa had privately requested the removal of the IPKF during their first meeting at Sucharitha even prior to being sworn in as President. Premadasa made his first public request for the departure of IPKF during an address at a temple in Kotte (if that was the correct approach is debatable). He also refused to hold the SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Colombo as long as foreign troops were on Sri Lankan soil.
In any culture, an invited guest does not overstay his or her welcome. Neither does an invited guest remain, once requested by the host to leave. Pages 373 – 381 in Dixit’s ‘Assignment Colombo’ contain texts of three letters from Premadasa to Gandhi between June 02 and July 04, 1989 requesting the withdrawal of IPKF and three replies from Gandhi outlining his reasons for not removing the IPKF at the time.
Agitation in IoK (Indian occupied Kashmir) commenced in 1947 shortly after independence, long before the Tamil community in Sri Lanka began voicing their grievances. Fast forwarding the clock to 2016, IoK has been under siege and a virtual lock down since early July 2016. According to 2011 census, nearly 70% of the population of IoK are Muslims. The population is being subjected to all types of blockades, deprivation of basic rights and subjugation to draconian laws by the Indian state and its military, with the full understanding of the international community, something Puri asserts Sri Lanka could not have in 1987. Most essentials and medical supplies are in short supply in IoK. Applying India’s own justification for its air drop in Jaffna under the guise of a ‘mercy mission’, would it not be morally acceptable for Pakistan, a neighboring state with an overwhelming Muslim population to mount a ‘mercy mission’ similar to the Indian air drop and provide assistance to the suffering Kashmiris in IoK?
Sunil / August 28, 2016
Rajiv was born on Aug 20 and assassinated in May 1991
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☀Asterix☀ / August 29, 2016
[Edited out]
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Nathan / August 29, 2016
Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944; He was assassinated on May 21, 1991.
A little bit of backtracking is judicious for the present.
Sanjay Gandhi born on December 14, 1946 and younger to Rajiv, was the one who was widely expected to succeed their mother Indira Gandhi. But, fate would have none of it.
Sanjay died in a plane crash on June 23, 1980. And, Rajiv, an airline pilot, unprepared and unready for politics had to step in. His motto was, “It’s better to make history than read it!”.
The history he started making in Sri Lanka continues to the day!
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☀Asterix☀ / August 29, 2016
Premadasa was behind the `ipkf out and Rajiv assassination.- period.
what are the sinhalese murmuring about.??
no one can change the mindset of indian investigation.
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Sunil / August 28, 2016
Rajeewa you may be right looking from Sri Lanka sinhala perspective. But can I tell you as a Sri Lankan Tamil that if the government solved the Tamil grievances, there would not have been any Indian intervention. Don’t neglect a family member to allow your neighbour to intervene. In general, sinhala people understand the tamil probem but the villains within sinhalese prevent solving the problem. We must investigate whether there is any foreign hand in not solving the problem. We have to have political, ethnic stability to race to become a singapore in south asia as we have all the natural advantages.
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Native Vedda / August 28, 2016
Sunil
“In general, sinhala people understand the tamil probem but the villains within sinhalese prevent solving the problem.”
Is it a Tamil problem or Sinhala/Buddhists problem imposed on rest of the people?
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vishvajith / August 30, 2016
NV.
My thoughts, It is a ‘Sinhala’ Problem.
The ‘Sinhala Catholics’ who await their turn at the hands of the marauders have no clue that the Tamils have a problem.
This is my experience in shared times with Sinhala Catholics.
Cheers.
V.
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frankistine / August 31, 2016
Both sides to the conflict are thieves, murders, cleft nasal and above all con men.
So much so 7 years on neither is able to move forward.
The division on CT is appalling; with both sides on a fu*ked up entity.
What the island needs is new settlers by ramming the old animals.
It’s the most practical progressive way of doing things than being sucked up in social bootlegging.
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timbuttu / August 30, 2016
“”We have to have political, ethnic stability to race to become a singapore in south asia as we have all the natural advantages. “”
That is a far cry from the working class left thinking to wriggle out of the mess it has got into.
The conscription of LTTE and visa restrictions are there to stay. The Sinhalese playing China/USA cannot be trusted by centre politicians.
You become cannibal before being swallowed by India at the right time.
Both Xi and Modi have complained to US about issues that small nations are causing the global trade and stability.
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Kailainathan / August 28, 2016
The Srilankan government !! And it’s state terrorism !! Against Tamils !! Responsible for the Tamil militancy !! Not any others !! For information1949 citizenship act !! Land grab and state aided majority’s settlements among Tamils !! 1956 language policy !! A peaceful protest by Tamil parliamentarians attacked !! They were striped to their under wear in gall face green!! By the Sinhalese mobs !! The state did nothing to protect them !! 1958 violence against Tamils !! Banning of Tamil media and literature from out side !! 1971 universities act!! 1981 Destruction of Jaffna public library!! 1983 massacre of political suspects in prison !!
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Ajith / August 28, 2016
“Had this accord not been forced on Sri Lanka, the JVP would not have commenced its insurrection in the South. Had it been the case, the need to move the Sri Lanka army to the South would not have arisen. The need for a peace keeping force with or without an ‘invitation’ too would not have arisen.”
“Had the “Sinhala only act & forced colonization of North East by Sinhalese criminals not been forced on Tamils, the need for federal state would not have arised. Had the Banda-Chelva pact been implemented, the need for federal state would not have strengthen. Had the language based standaradisation introduced Tamil youths would not have commenced. Had 1977 massacre of Tamils not happened, LTTE would not have commenced its armed stuggle. Had the state and Sinhalese together went on with genocide of Tamils throughout the island happened, the need for Indian intervention would not happened. Had the Srilanka turned against India in the India- Pakistan conflict, Indian would not have gone against Sri Lanka”.
Rajeeva, Don’t tried to hide half of the story. Truth is that the decision to eliminate Tamils from this island by Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalist is the fundamental cause. the result is now under the control of many foregin powers.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / August 29, 2016
I agree with your statement that the decision to eliminate Tamils from this island by Buddhist Sinhala fundamentalists is the fundamental cause. After independence it was the agenda of Sinhala racists to convert Srilanka into a mono-ethnic Sinhala Buddhist state. When we were at Royal College 60 years ago, we were told by some of our Sinhala class mates that all the Indian Tamils will be driven back to India, all the Ceylon Tamils will be driven into Jaffna peninsula and kept under control by a ring of army camps, and the rest of Srilanka will be colonised by Sinhalese. What has happened in the past and what is happening at present is according to this racist agenda. Take over of Christian schools in 1960 to reduce their influence in education and exodus of Burghers due to imposition of Sinhala add to this.
The first act to be passed by Srilanka after independence was to disenfranchise Indian Tamils. DS Senanayake, Dudley and Bandaranayake all failed to get them deported as Nehru flatly refusd. It is only after the death of Nehru, Mrs Bandaranayke got round Shastri, a well known Hindi fanatic and racist to sign an agreement to deport them. However they wer only able to get rid of 50% of them. Subsequently other measures were taken to make them go away such as between 1970 to 1977 some less productive estates were taken over, lands distributed among Sinhalese and Tamil employees in those estates were dumped on the road, and between 1977 to 1983 repeated violence were unleashed on Indian Tamils to desroy their properties. Unfortunately only few of the Indian Tamils left to India as refugees.
Colonisation of major parts of Eastern province and border areas of Northern province where names of places have been changed and Tamil inhabitants being ethnically cleansed is part and parcel of this program of eliminating Tamils and Sinhalising these areas. The present activity to colonise Sinhalese in these provinces and building of several unauthorised Buddhist temples, some by forcibly taking over lands of Tamils and in some lands of existing Hindu temples are in line with this vision. Armed forces refusal to leave Tamil areas on the pretext of security reason is to settle Sinhalese and give them protection, which is aided and abetted by politiancs and officials. Forced exodus of Tamils during conflict years has helped this process with government quickly reducing Tamil representation in parliament.
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Pacs / August 28, 2016
“Fast forwarding the clock to 2016, IoK has been under siege and a virtual lock down since early July 2016. According to 2011 census, nearly 70% of the population of IoK are Muslims. The population is being subjected to all types of blockades, deprivation of basic rights and subjugation to draconian laws by the Indian state and its military”
At least, at last you voice for some one oppressed . That is good
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Mano Ratwatte / August 28, 2016
Sir, how dare you question the Master of the region with this sort of salacious story? How dare you question India.
Very interesting commentary on regional geo political games. Sadly Sri Lanka missed so many opportunities to avoid that invasion because of chauvinistic and racist politicians from both the Sinhala and Tamil sides.
We can analyze and discuss the Sri Lankan issues separately, but the reality is India intervened and started arming and training separatist long before 1983 for a reason. That is why you are talking about the Indian aspect here only and I like that.
They saw SL veering towards US anti Indian orbit during the cold war. Yes the issues about language policies, real and perceived discrimination in the reverse affirmative action language policies etc and the targeted pogroms in 1958 and in the JR regime are big factors for India to start paying attention. They also had huge domestic political considerations to account for in that TN is a key ally for any coalition regime in New Dilli.
However, everyone know the massive dichotomy in India where the Northern and Southern regions are different. Even to this date, Northern fair skinned Indians look down on dark skinned S.Indians. They derisively refer to them as “southies” etc( I found it funny recently a rich UP kid living in West Bengal who is not that fair talking down Southies at Purdue when he himself wasn’t fair and did not even come close being as fair skinned as Kareena Kapoor: my crush) and I remember during my 4.5 years in Punjab who Sikhs and even Hindus who were Punjabis, bigger made and fairer skinned would look down on S.Indians and also poor migrant workers from Bihar etc. Biharis were very dark skinned like us Sinhalese and Tamils too. Some of the Goondas would beat up “Kalu” the chottey chai wallah from Bihar at times for just daring to speak up. Kalu preferred to come hang out with the foreign students and the Malayali students who also hung out with us.
What is pathetic is Indian denials is the same sort of being in denial about why US invaded Vietnam and Iraq. It can be found in Indian leaders and their officials including some of the buggers serving in their HC in Colombo right now. There was a kid who I think is a Sikh basically tried to threaten the Island newspaper once and they also attacked me in an unsigned column in FT when I made a humorous reference to their Foreign Minister; they lack humour and they really lack self deprecation up there in the Northern Mighty corridors of power in Dilli. A lot of them are arrogant and look down on all their S.Asian neighbors. This is a simple fact.
The Indira and Rajiv Gandhi duo were wary of JRJ, the USA and even objected to the VOA transmission station in Marawila. So they felt just like how USA tried (and failed miserably) to have some leverage in case SL refuse to be reined in to Indian orbit. They not only armed and trained them in S.India, they also used camps with ITBF troops helping LTTEers and others. What they miscalculated was the fact that their baby Tiger LTTE refused to be their marionette.
So well said . Facts are facts. Then came the monster attack against innocent tamils in 1983 under JR’s UNP regime; those concerted attacks were carried out by UNP goons and thugs. It was a crime against humanity. It was terrible.
This was the seminal event that made a ragtag relatively small India based armed separatist group to be viewed as liberators or protectors of Tamil people who are our brothers in SL and not foreigners. What is the end result? The movement grew out of control and not even India could control them.
India blocked Operation Vadamaarachchi to save their own face and to control the agenda. This is not different from a lot of interventions the US has carried out in the past and even Russia(Crimea in recent times). They could not afford to lose face on their southern border. They also had to deal with 77.8 million Tamils in TN who agitated for Indian intervention. That is why the Federal government of India had to step in; they had huge political and electoral considerations to deal with.
It was all geopolitical games and national security interests of India that led them to destabilize Sl. Ole moustachioed kolonel Hariharan always sidesteps that issue even though he loves being garrulous about everything else. That is because above all he is a patriotic Indian and even if Indian troops massacre civilians in Kashmir or use undemocratic measures he will Stand loyal to India. Imagine if some Sri Lankans would do the same! He has never accepted responsibility for the invasion and excesses against our innocent Tamils committed by IPKF forces.
SL lost opportunities to bring reform to balance concerns of different ethnic groups. It failed to protect its minorities in 1983 in particular but many times after 1977 before that as well. Those are SL’s crosses to bear. We cannot blame India for that.
But it is pathetic that arrogant N.Indians including ones educated at elite schools like the prestigious Lawrence Boarding School in Sanawar(an amazingly beautiful place for powerful rich Indian elite to send their kids and these people are totally removed from the 600million Indian masses who still do not even have toilet facilities and in states like Bihar where lower castes are still abused and raped at alarming rates by Zamindars ; next Indian HC is a Sikh from there btw).
But reality is when India sent in troops it sent in troops as culturally clueless as American troops sent to Iraq where they thought “we will be greeted as liberators” . They had no clue. Neither did the IPKF Sikhs and other Hindi and Punjabi or Marathi troops who made the bulk of the occupiers. errr I meant Peace keepers.
Indian views on this is as a pathetic as some White American views on Vietnam and Iraq. So anyway, these troops first were welcomed and afterwards with their failure to honor their obligations to disarm LTTE(what fraudulent arms handover they had with Attygalle; basically gave up some obsolete .303 Rifles and Sten guns form WWII).
It was also a time India was coming of age as a self confident military power (after their humiliation in 1962 at Aksai Chin).. So this was also a projection of regional power/hegemony/superpower for India. It backfired. India is a massive nation with so many different nations and linguistic groups that it is virtually an amalgam of different nations.
Look at Nagas and Mizos and Manipuris; some of they are still fighting for separatism and there is a massive Indian military presence in those states. Sir, you mention Kashmir. Indeed do you think India will allow a referendum there or a merger with POK? hell no.
There was time a foreigner could not go to those Seven Sister states with DOD permission because Indians wanted to keep those states and their separatist movements hidden from the world. I still wonder what happened to my good friends from Nagaland. One was a son of an MLA. I cannot find them on Facebook. I remember going to church with them on Xmas and also attending their Xmas parties and tribal parties and inviting them to our parties. Very nice English speaking kids.
Those people have nothing in common with Tamils or Malayalis or Marathis or Rajasthanis or Punjabis(Sinhala and Tamils are all Dravidian for the most part). Look at how they absorbed Sikkim.
India effed up by sending troops totally clueless and could not speak the languages. Sardarjis could not speak Tamil. Even their Commander Kalkat could not speak Tamil. So go figure what happened. It was not an altruistic intervention no matter how Indians will try to spin it.
It was a case like this. So you host a bajaw party in your yard; but you did not get permission or invite the thug son of your Kudu mudalali neighbor. He gets pissed off at how well the party is going and insists his thug son be invited; if you did not let him in, Kudu Mudalali threatens to break your house down.
On the Sri Lankan side, in a way JRJ made the best out of a really bad damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. Premedasa was dumb to ask them to quit before LTTE was defeated,but perhaps he must have felt if IPKF finally defeated the LTTE, they would have demanded a longer stay and he was a nationalist like the LTTE and decided it was best to fight our battles without foreigners. As for IPKF’s initial disasters in fighting the LTTE, it was quite clear they were not trained nor equipped to handle this sort of asymmetrical war with a highly intelligent and dedicated guerilla force. That is why IPKF committed atrocities as well and they took so many losses. Take a good look at even their basic weapons. They still carried 7.62 SLRs and old Stenguns. LTTE had the AK-47 and equivalents! India troops still wore WW II type helmets. They did not know the local language. I experienced a similar situation when in 1984, Mrs. Gandhi initiated the disastrous and controversial “Operation Bluestar”. Lo and behold virtually overnight, local Sikh troops and Sikh cops were replaced by S.INDIAN CRPF troops and S.Indian military cantonments where I lived. They could speak English and were polite but they were totally at sea in Punjab…Some Sikhs in a brigade in Bihar Mutinied.
Sikh soldiers in the Indian army rebelled in three places yesterday and killed their commanding officer in one instance, officials said.
At least three people were killed in the widely scattered mutinies sparked by an army assault last week on the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple in the Punjab city of Amritsar. More than 450 people were killed in the attack ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Troops of the Sikh regimental centre at Ramgarh camp in Bihar state, 804 km (about 500 miles) east of New Delhi, murdered their commander, Brig. Gen. R.S. Puri, a defence ministry spokesman said.
Two other senior officers and a number of soldiers were seriously wounded in heavy shooting at the camp that began before noon and continued until 4 p.m.
Police said the soldiers joined other angry Sikhs in hijacking private buses and trucks at gunpoint. They set out in at least 35 seized vehicles toward New Delhi before reinforcements from the 24th mountain regiment arrived to stop them.
Sikh soldiers remaining behind at the camp raised a white flag of surrender when the reinforcements arrived.
Soldiers, believed to be Sikhs, also rebelled near Pune, 1,448 km (about 900 miles) southwest of New Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported.
Police said soldiers travelling in three military vehicles fired at passing cars and trucks, killing at least one person and injuring another.
The newspaper, Indian Express, carried details of a third mutiny that had been categorically denied by an official government spokesman.
It quoted eyewitnesses saying Sikh mutineers in Sri Ganganagar district, 643 km (400 miles) west of New Delhi, seized nine jeeps and four trucks on Friday. The troops killed one policeman and wounded another on their way toward the border with Punjab about 30 miles away.
Sikh soldiers make up about 10% of the Indian army and hold many of the top ranks
(http://www.sikhmuseum.com/bluestar/newsreports/840611_6.html)
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Lucky Luke / September 2, 2016
So your socialist line and family links is well oiled with an exposure of punjabi and malabari froth. When it settles where do you presume your ancestors came from if not Banda Island with Portuguese?? (i don’t have to say pun meant.)
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Mano Ratwatte / August 28, 2016
Do you know the difference between how the West and big nations view India and SL? India a massive powerful nation. The West will not judge India the same way it judged Sri Lanka no matter what India does to suppress or oppress separatism. That is why criticisms of excesses in India are non-existent or mute.
Also the West will never dare cross India because India is the GeoPolitical giant in the region. Specially after the Cold War ended, US and Indian interests have coalesced. SL should have paid attention to that. Even if India bombs Sri Lanka or invades again, nothing will happen. The world did not condemn the Airdrop. It is because SL is in India’s sphere of influence. Sure Modi was persona-non-gratata in the US for a while but then he won the US over. Take Crimea. US destabilized Ukraine via a coup and managed to get a democratically elected regime overthrown. But when Putin reacted by re-annexing Crimea(Crimea is their key port access to the Black Sea and was very much a historic part of Russia and USSR). It was only given to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954. So while the US shouted, it would not have gone to war over Crimea. That would be foolish. So same way, not one nation would condemn India if it invaded SL again on some pretense or the other. That is RealPolitik as Willy Brandt used to say.
That is a geo political reality that escaped JRJ and later MR too. JRJ was so arrogant in thinking stupidly that Sri Lanka can be an ASEAN nation. Someone fed him a Dirachchi Lanuwak. Rest is history. MR overplayed the China card after the war ended. By the end India was too concerned about LTTE and effects on TN and the “Dravida Nation” concept that started in India in 1964 when language policies in India upset the Dravidian S.Indian states but above all TN because TN is a very accomplished powerful state and a big state. Kerala in contrast, only has 34.8 Million people while TN has nearly 80Million now. TN also contributed a lot of the Brahmin bureaucracy and think tank Gurus in Dilli. They are highly educated civil servants who influence policy more than most people. Look at the Parathasarathys and others. So MR misread their patience. JRJ of course was utterly foolish but then dealt deftly with the card he was given by requesting IPKF honor their role in disarming the LTTE. Rest as they say is history.
Sikhs are a very admirable ethnic group. I admire Sikhs more than any other Indian group. You will never find a Sikh beggar. They are industrious and warriors. That is why when Mrs. Gandhi committed sacrilege at the Holy Golden Temple, most Sikhs were very upset. Sure they had Cong-I Sikhs like the lovable Gaini Zail Singh but most Sikhs were very angry. My mild mannered Faculty Advisor suddenly joined a lot of neutral Apolitical faculty by overnight changing their Turbans to only Khalsa colors. Sikhs otherwise loved to express themselves with different colored Turbans or Pagdi. But suddenly a lot of Sikhs who kept neat beards trimmed and in nets opened out their Beards to let them flow like the way Guru Gobind Singh, their last Guru wanted them to in a sign of defiance. They also started only wearing saffron and blue Turbans and also my Professor a sweet mild mannered man also started carrying the Kirpan after Golden Temple disaster conducted by mostly Hindu Indian troops.
Sikhs also love to work hard and drink hard. If I am not born Sri Lankan my wish is to be born a Sikh. Their Gurudwaras take care of their people. Punjab at that time was the Granary of India. They felt their entire faith was insulted. Hence the gory bloody separatist war known as the Khalistani war. When Mrs Gandhi was assassinated, a lot of them did celebrate including my landlady in Gurdev Nagar. Then came the 1984 targeted pogrom against Sikhs very much like the targeted pogrom in 1983 against innocent Sikhs.
Boley So Nihal Sat Sri Akal.
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old codger / August 29, 2016
Mano,
You say “Do you know the difference between how the West and big nations view India and SL? India a massive powerful nation. The West will not judge India the same way it judged Sri Lanka no matter what India does to suppress or oppress separatism. That is why criticisms of excesses in India are non-existent or mute.”
Kudos to you for the most well- thought out comment in this forum. It is well and good to be patriotic like Rajeewa, but it is even better not to irritate the Kudu-mudalali next door. Look after your own, and nobody will try to interfere.
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Native Vedda / August 29, 2016
old codger
“Look after your own, and nobody will try to interfere.”
In other words ‘Treat your family well if you want to prevent strangers groping your female folks’.
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timbuttu / August 30, 2016
“That is why criticisms of excesses in India are non-existent or mute.”””
It is Global Media and Establishment that controls that. It needs an arranged issue like Gujarat to control who becomes India’s next PM.
SL it’s the Economy that is dragging it on its knees and wise folk are applying all sorts of gimmicks to leave the Apple Corps by wriggling out.
religious and ethnic stability is the need of the hour but alas you don’t have a monarchy.
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K.Pillai / August 28, 2016
The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi will be discussed till the cows (aka Gau Mata) come home. The assassination had made a difference to the infamous Lankan civil war. It also made a difference to Congress in India.
It is generally accepted that LTTE was hostile to Rajiv – which is probably correct. But the fact that Sri Lanka was hostile to Rajiv is not mentioned very much.
Surely Rajeeva Jayaweera will remember Wijemuni Vijitha Rohana de Silva. He was in Sri Lanka Navy. On 30 July 1987 Vijitha (lovingly called by the Lankan media) was assigned to the Guard of Honour for the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was in Colombo to sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. Suddenly Vijitha swung his ceremonial Lee-Enfield rifle at Rajiv aiming at the back of his neck. The athletic Rajiv (he was a commercial pilot) managed to duck and miss the full brunt of the blow, even though the rifle struck him.
Vijitha was sentenced to six years by court martial, pardoned in two years, out of prison as a hero, contested as a Sihala Urumaya candidate, completed a degree, started a business selling pirated Indian music and is now an astrologer.
On 30 July 1913 Vijitha told “The New Indian Express” that he intended killing Rajiv and he had no regrets.
Had the Vijitha blow found the mark, history might have been different.
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Rajeewa Jayaeera / August 29, 2016
Sunil
Thank you pointing out the inadvertent mix up between Rajiv Gandhi’s dates of birth and assassination.
Even though I generally do not respond to comments due to lack of author’s identity, I decided to respond to your comment.
My piece is essentially based on attitude of Indians to their involvement in Sri Lankan affairs. Whilst their hearts bleed for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, there is no visible heart bleeding for their own ‘neglect of family members’ in Kashmir. It makes their concerns for Sri Lankan Tamils hypocritical. It also contributes to the theory of their concerns having ulterior motives.
I have argued elsewhere repeatedly against ethnic riots in general, 1983 riots in particular and lack of a proper judicial system for prosecution of those responsible. However, that is not relevant to this piece. Geo political realities notwithstanding, world order will disintegrate if countries, especially the large and powerful are given carte blanche to interfere in affairs of their smaller and less powerful neighbors. Bear in mind, Hitler’s excuse to invade Poland was on behalf of a small community of German speaking (also of German origin) in the Danzig Corridor, a part annexed to Poland after WWI.
In my subjective opinion, Sinhala Only was unfortunately misunderstood and incorrectly implemented. It was a means to give an identity to 70% of the population of this island which had been suppressed during 500 years of colonial rule (much longer than the 69 years of suppression claimed by the Tamil community). In the context of post-independence era, with nationalism sweeping across South Asia and Africa, this issue had to be addressed. If not, independence would have had no meaning and the 1971 JVP insurrection would have taken place much earlier. Non implementation of Provision for reasonable use of Tamil language Bill was a grave error and injustice done to the Tamil community on the part of the Sinhalese leaders and community.
Ceylon should have declared Tamil as the working language with English as the language to facilitate minorities (Sinhalese and Sinhala speaking Muslims) in the Northern Province with its own District Development Councils starting 1948 or latest in 1956. Similarly, Sinhala should have been made the working language with English as the language to facilitate minorities (Tamil speakers) in other provinces with their own DDCs. Eastern Province with its own DDCs could have decided their preferred language through a referendum. It would have also improved the numbers of English speakers and users. I believe, such a concept would have satisfied the Tamil community in the context of status quo in 1956.
Whilst on the subject, both Sinhalese and Tamils need to decide on the concept of ‘one nation, one people’. If that be the case, it is necessary to jettison absurd notions such as ‘traditional Tamil home land’. That claim cannot be sustained as long as around 49% of the community making the claim live outside their traditional homeland in the traditional homeland of others. According to 1981 census (prior to 1983 riots), Colombo had a population of 1,699,241 of which 180,215 (10.6%) were Tamils. Jaffna had a population of 830,552 of which 5,104 (0.6%) were Sinhalese. This is despite the ‘genocide’ claim by NCP. Without discarding ‘traditional Tamil homeland’ concept, it is not possible to implement ‘Sri Lanka belongs to all citizens and they should be free to live anywhere in the island’.
Similarly, the need to jettison Thesavalama law. Number of Sinhalese land owners in Northern Province and Tamil land owners outside Northern and Eastern province speaks for itself. A Sinhala version of Thesawalama law in the Western Province would have spelt disaster for all Tamil persons owning property in Colombo 3,4, 5,6,7, Pettah etc. The palatial house of CM of the Northern Province in Colombo 4 besides those of TNA politicians in prestigious residential areas is but a small example. How many Sinhalese households can be counted in the best residential areas or for that matter in any residential areas in Jaffna?
To conclude, unless under very extreme conditions, India will not permit a separate state for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. India fears it would be a prelude to a demand for a similar separate state by those in Tamil Nadu.
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Real Siva Sankran Sarma / August 29, 2016
Bullshit and nonsense. Sinhalese only suffered! in fact it was the Sinhalese elite and not Tamil elite who were in cohorts with all European colonial powers. The so called Sinhalese Buddhist elite like a chameleon have changed their identity over the centuries. They started as immigrant Tamil Hindus, then Tamil Christian then Sinhalese Christian and now Sinhalese Buddhist patriots beating the anti Tamil drum. Around 50-60% of the present so called Sinhalese population only arrived in the island after the arrival of the European colonial powers. Before that their ancestors were in somewhere in Tamil Nadu, then Tamil Kerala or southern Andhra. Now even their descendants are Sinhalese Buddhist patriots beating the anti Tamil drum and stating that they also suffered. Most probably their low caste ancestors suffered from famine and starvation in South India and were forced to flee. Not because of European colonialism.
Around one third of the land was under the Tamils and even in the so called Sinhalese kingdoms, the king and the aristocracy were largely of South Indian origin. Mostly Tamil some Telugu
Unlike most Sinhalese the Tamils occupied the coastal areas and suffered far more than the Sinhalese. In the north and east over 550 Hindu temples palaces and anything important was destroyed by the Portuguese and later the Dutch.
Just like the coastal Sinhalese areas, in the Tamil areas you hardly find anything significant archaeologically as they were all deliberately destroyed. What you now see as the Thirukeetheswarm temple and Mannar Thirukonneswaram Temple in Trincomallee and many other ancient temples in Jaffna are all pathetic replicas of the huge original temples. Only in the interior central provinces ancient archaeological sites were preserved 1) As they were covered in jungle 2) They were still under the Kandyan king so escaped Portuguese and to some extent Dutch vandalism. For information Polonaruwa was established by the Tamil Cholas and all the great ruins there both Hindu and Buddhist were built by them and not by any Sinhalese monarch. Sinhalese are now falsely stating that these are all Sinhalese Buddhist ruins. None of the ancient kings in the island ever called themselves Aryan or Sinhalese, as they were not. They were either Buddhist or Hindu Naga or Dravidian and spoke Tamil and were from South Indian dynasties. There was no language or ethnic group called Sinhalese at that time.
A people called Sinhalese and the Sinhalese language only came into existence from the 8/9 century AD. Prior to that they were evolving as a people from the indigenous Tamils and other tribes who converted to Buddhism, together with the immigrants who arrived from India. Again most of them from the then Tamil country in South India. Sinhalese evolved by the mixing of the local semi Tamil Dravidian dialect called Elu with Prakrit. Elu mixed with Prakrit became Hela. Hela mixed with Pali Sanskrit and proper Tamil gradually evolved as Sinhalese.
Do not try to rewrite history to suit your extremist Sinhalese Buddhist only agenda. Even now around 35=40% of the present Sinhalese vocabulary is derived from Tamil. Sinhalese grammar lexicon syntax and alphabet is purely derived from Tamil. Not from Pali or Sanskrit. Take all the Tamil derived words from Sinhalese, there will be no Sinhalese. Sinhalese is language that has a firm Tamil/Dravidian foundation with just a indo Aryan superstructure built upon it. Everything about the Sinhalese people from their looks customs dress gods festivals music ETC all reek of Tamils and South India.
Sinhalese indirectly benefited from European colonisation. If not for the European colonisation, they now would have been assimilated into some form of South Indian/Tamil identity or would have been their subjects living on the distant unimportant parts of their kingdom. Al ready the so called Sinhalese kingdoms were ruled by Tamil/South Indian origin dynasties and aristocracies. Most Sinhalese extremist and historians are very silent about the fact the official languages of the Kandyan Kingdom Tamil as well as Sinhalese and Tamil was widely used in the Kandyan court, due to the fact that it was the mother tongue of not only the king but most of the aristocracy and high officals. This is the reason half the so called Sinhalese Kandyan aristocrats signed the Kandyan convention in Tamil. This includes the ancestor of the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike a well known anti Tamil. He signed his name as Ravathai not Ratwatte which is later Sinhalised version of their original family name. This also one of the reason many Kandyan Radala now take the name of the place where they were lords or had their land holdings instead of a proper name like all South Asian aristocracts, as they discarded their original Tamil/Telugu names.
Further the European colonials imported hundreds of thousands of low caste Indian Tamils during the Portuguese and Dutch era and all their Sinhalised descendant now make up half the present Sinhalese population. Making them such a huge majority in the island only in the past few centuries. Only the Indian Tamil estate labour Imported by the British did not assimilate into the Sinhalese identity,so were made stateless and forcibly packed off to South India against their wishes.
The British even went one step further in 1833 by amalgamating the ancient Tamil lands that had always remained separate with the Sinhalese lands down thereby making the indigenous Eelam Tamil nation who were majority in their own a minority in the whole island. TO add insult to injury, in 1948 they gave the entire island to racist Sinhalese like you on a platter. They had no right to have done that they should divided the island as they found it or given a federal form of government with protection for the Tamil speaking people not just the highly Sinhalised Colombo 7 Tamil elite most of whom had already very close Sinhalese relatives.
The entire Tamil population has suffered immensely and you are trying to portray that is the Sinhalese who are the victims and not the Tamils. Shows what nasty piece of racist you are. The Sinhalese suffered so much that their population increased form 66% to 75% within a few decades and the Tamil population reduced form 26-28% to 15-16% within the same period. You killed more than 300000 innocent Tamils, made another 1 million Indian origin Tamils stateless after living in the country for more than 8 -9 generation and contributed most the island’s economy them in the 19080 and 90s chased more than 1.2 million indigenous Tamils out of the island largely to the west. Tamils were systematically denied education language rights and you stole more than 1/3 of Tamil land and are still using the racist Sinhalese armed forces to steal more. under pretext of security . Everyone knows why the armed forces are in the north and east busy stealing land and building Buddhist temples and Budda statues like Macdonald’s franchise. They are there to facilitate and give protection to Sinhalese settlement. Then you have the audacity come and post here that the Sinhalese suffered greatly
Thesewalami does not prevent anyone owning land it a law of inheritance and family matters. Sinhalese are welcome to buy land provided they do it legally just like the Tamils and Muslims do down south. We do not come south and steal lands from the Sinhalese using government force just like the Sinhalese have done in the north and east. Not even a single one of them had purchased land in the north and east legally. They all arrived there within the last 6 decades most of them in the last 3 -4 decades and were settled by the racist Sinhalese state on ethnically cleansed Tamil lands. GO and look at the map of the island in 1948 not a single Sinhalese place village or town name in the north and east. Every village town road mountain hill river all named in Tamil. Look at the current map more than half the place names in the east have changed from Tamil to Sinhalese. Whom are you trying to fool with your racist propaganda. There is nothing wrong with Thesavalamai. If Thesawlamai is banned so should Knadyan law and Islamic law. Under various guises and false accusations Sinhalese extremists want to disband every thing and every trace of the ancient Tamil presence in the island. Tamil homelands Tamil laws Thesawalamai, Tamil language. You are nasty bit of goods and I can see through your game. You can still be a united country with a federal setup respecting different cultures. Like Canada Belgium Switzerland India and so on. Do not try to bullshit and justify your extremist Sinhalese Buddhist agenda.
Lastly I have never heard of Sinhalese speaking Muslims! The Muslims in the island all speak Tamil as their mother tongue. In the south they may be fluent in Sinhalese and may study it but still speak Tamil. Why because their ancestors are from South India not from any part of Arabia or Morocco. A little bit of Arab from a few hundred Arab traders over span of a few centuries who had some hanky panky with some low caste Tamil female does not make them Arab.
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K.Pillai / August 29, 2016
Real Siva Sankran Sarma
“Lastly I have never heard of Sinhalese speaking Muslims! The Muslims in the island all speak Tamil as their mother tongue.”
SWRD B’s Sinhala Only Bill of 1956 stipulated that the mother tongue of Hindu, Christian and Atheist Tamils is Tamil but Muslims may choose. The then Communications Minister CAS Marikkar called himself Sinhala Marikkar but his mother who lived all her life in Kandy never could speak a word of Sinhalese!
“………….some hanky panky with some low caste Tamil female does not make them Arab”
Low caste my foot. Do you have to bring caste here Real Sarma?
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Native Vedda / August 30, 2016
K.Pillai
“Low caste my foot. Do you have to bring caste here Real Sarma”
He thinks he is Brahmin.
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timbuttu / August 30, 2016
“Low caste my foot. Do you have to bring caste here Real Sarma? “
Caste governs the county -you can’t get rid of it even though Premadasa died in the 90’s and it’s still left. You cannot constantly keep one hand tied like IPKf and discuss what lowdown bum Jayaweera is trying to isolate.
Playing good at war was stupid ellara. One wins only by killing the other bastard not committing suicide.
If the island goes India’s way it the callous attitude of the islanders who are all knowing the Indian establishment with their Sinhala and Singlish. India administered it till 48 and its obvious it will take it back the same way it wants pakistan and bangladesh.- the faith based partition of the americans is not sustainable.
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Real Siva Sankran Sarma / August 30, 2016
Yes I am Brahmin and I deliberately bring in caste as this is the truth.1) Arabs traders would not have been having hanky panky with Tamil females from the upper castes or society. There is nothing wrong with stating the truth. If they had hanky panky with Vellala or Brahmin Tamils females I would have stated so. 2) Sri Lankan Muslims try to hide their real origins and give themselves airs and think that they are far superior to the Hindu or Christian Tamils as they are not Dravidian but descended from the superior ( sic) Arabs( in their minds) and ally themselves with the Sinhalese, just like you stated about the so called Sinhalese Marrikar. The name Marrikar it self betrays his Tamil origin. Marrikar Rawther Lebbai Thamby Etc are all Tamil Muslim caste names. The late Indian President Abdul Kallam was a Marrikar. He was from the Ramanathapuram district and was very proud of his Tamil heritage.
If they want to give themselves false airs and claiming false heritages, thinking that it will make them superior and above the rest of the Tamils in their mind and ally with the Sinhalese. I will deliberately bring out their real lowly origin at every instance. It was a Muslim who wrote about the actual origins of the Sri Lankan Muslims. The Title was Sri Lankan Muslims are descended from low caste Tamil Hindu converts. Google and search.
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Rohan / August 30, 2016
Real Siva Sankaran. Sinhalese extremists will bring out all sorts of excuses and theories to justify the banning of Thesawalamai, the ancient law from the Kingdom of Jaffna or even before, under which most of the indigenous Eelam Tamils, other than the ones hailing from the Batticaloa and southwards come under.
The reason for trying to disband is, it is the living proof that the island’s Tamils were a separate people nation and had their own laws, in their own kingdom, that was different to the Sinhalese. Just like the ancient Scottish law in Britain. They think that by banning the Thesawalami they destroy the only living proof that is still existing that the Tamils of the island are a separate nation.
The eastern Mukkuva law of the Tamils of Batticaloa and Amparai is not codified like the Thesawalamai practised by the Tamils of the north and Trincomallee. So they do not care about this. Thesawalami did not prevent them from stealing land and settling Sinhalese in the north and east. All this is a lame excuse to erase any trace that the Tamils are a separate nation.
They will never claim to ban the Kandyan Law that has many archaic features like Thesawalamai, as they feel this is their heritage and proof of their ancient nationhood.
This Rajeewa is very dangerous.
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Ajith / August 30, 2016
“It was a means to give an identity to 70% of the population of this island which had been suppressed during 500 years of colonial rule (much longer than the 69 years of suppression claimed by the Tamil community).”
What a mathematical genius is Dr. Rajeeva Jeyaweera? Rajeeva assumes that 30% of the population was not suppressed had not been suppressed during 500 years of colonial rule. He assumes that during the 500 years of colonial rule Tamil was the official language Hinduism & Islam were the official religion, Sinhalese only converted to Christianity (not Tamils ), Sinhalese did not allowed to study etc.
Let us look at what is about the first prime minister DS Senananayake.
“He was the son of Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake (1847–1907) and Dona Catherina Elizabeth Perera Gunasekera Senanayake (1852–1949). He had two brothers, Don Charles “D. C.” Senanayake and Fredric Richard “F. R.” Senanayake; and one sister, Maria Frances Senanayake.[3]
Brought up in a devout Buddhist family, he entered the prestigious Anglican school S. Thomas’ College, Mutwal.”””
The fact is that this island was divided into few kingdoms including Jaffna kingdom. The last kingdom fallen in the colonial rulers was kandian kingdom.
Dr. Rajeeva, first of all as a highly educated person you should have a common sense and should not come up with Lies like politicians or racists.
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Mano Ratwatte / August 30, 2016
Mr.Jayaweera, even a lot of Americans are in denial about wars they got involved in. Old white guys who avoided the draft or got convenient deferments claim Vietnam War was a noble effort.
Most right wing know nothings including some of my colleagues claim Iraq was about freedom and democracy and WMDs. Most such clowns are white.
Even some of my students who were right wing christians were so pro war and in total denial about the chaos USA created. They kept claiming WMDs were found. I sent them links to the British report. Even on the Liberal side, Hillary Clinton for example is still in denial about the chaos they unleashed in Libya by destabilizing Libya. She talks about “Gaddafi had American blood on his hands “; yes that is true about Pan Am 103. But then she was wooing him and his son in 2009 when the US wanted access to Libyan oil after Gaddafi rejoined the civilized world and paid compensation. Bunch of hypocritical super powers. US now wants a military foothold in Sri lanka. It will interfere in every sphere with willing collusion by GOSL. BUT don’t be shocked if eventually they will shit on sri lanka like they’ve on many nations. Luckily they have a willing partner in GOSL. Mark my word. Once their military footprint becomes big, it might lead to ISIS terrorism as well. That’s what worries me the most. Geo political games people play at the expense of smaller nations had led to many many conflicts and economic messes. Take Haiti. US under Bill Clinton forced Haiti to remove import tariffs on rice. Haiti had a nascent but growing rice paddy cultivation. So guess what? Haiti removes the tariffs. Clinton’s home boys from Arkansas (largest rice producing state in the USA ) and other states DUMP cheap rice;destroys domestic rice production and created a dependency on imported rice subject to price hikes. He only apologized many years after he left office. What the hell is a goddamned apology going to do?
So it’s like the proverbial mirror mirror on the wall with India about their debacle and their Vietnam in Sri Lanka. I feel sad for some of those buggers. They have no sense of humour nor any ability to be self deprecating. Big powers regional or global always shit on small nations. Look at what India did with Nepal recently. Don’t be shocked.
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Alfred / August 30, 2016
“”Look at what India did with Nepal recently.””
Same, Same, same with lankawe demalas.
Moreover, under Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India has another reason to be unhappy with Nepal. For the Hindu-nationalist (BJP), Nepal’s majority Hindu population is an important vehicle through which to expand political clout. Modi himself and his party leaders have invoked religious narratives on several occasions to redefine the Nepal-India relationship. Yet regardless of the country’s overwhelming Hindu majority, Nepal’s political parties have adopted secularism, clearly delinking the state from any particular religion.
Ram Ram ram.
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Mano Ratwatte / August 30, 2016
Strategic mistakes JRJ and MR made created a lot of problems for SL. JRJ foolishly became hostile to India and MR foolishly overplayed the China card after the war was won.
Both failed to evaluate concerns of India and US respectively. US actively worked to defeat MR’s regime for many reasons along with Indian support because of the China factor.
Look at the dramatic twist in Indian foreign policy. From being openly hostile to the USA during the cold war to a vibrant active trading partner and strategic ally now.
The US and India have signed a major military deal facilitating the bilateral use of navy bases, allowing Washington to boost its military presence on China’s doorstep. The signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), was in preparation for over a decade.
The deal allows the US navy to use India’s bases to re-supply during military exercises and humanitarian missions as well as disaster operations. The same rules would apply to India but in reverse.
Before the agreement was signed, US and Indian navies had to ask for permission to enter one another’s military bases, with requests having to be reviewed by the ‘host’ side in each individual case.
LEMOA is removing these barriers, allowing Washington in particular to increase its operational capabilities in the South China Sea. The US Navy beefed up its presence and patrols in the area over the past months, adding to the already tense relations between America and China.
Beijing is currently involved in a territorial row over parts of South China Sea, including the Spratly and the Paracel Islands. The territories are also claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines .
(Ref RT.COM)
On July 12 the International Hague Tribunal ruled that “there is no legal basis for China to claim historic rights” for the contested territories. Beijing defied the ruling saying the territories are its exclusive economic zone. It has also accused Washington of taking sides in the dispute.
America is closing on China’s doorstep. Sri Lanka can help the US to maintain control of maritime paths from East Asia to Persian Gulf.
Add to that fears and military concerns Vietnam and Philippines has of China’s expansion and we can see why Sri lanka is becoming important to US needs.
“The logistic support with India will help to ensure that the United States will maintain influence on that very important navigation route.”(RT.COM)
US has been making use of territorial disputes in South China Sea to facilitate its so-called return to Asia. RealPolitik.
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Plato. / August 30, 2016
When I first saw your photo on this page,I did not bother,thinking that it must be about Srilankan Airlines!
Ha Ha Rajeewa you are onto something more serious eh?
Your line….
Would it not be morally acceptable for Pakistan a neighboring state with an overwhelming Muslim population to mount a mercy mission similar to the Indian Air drop and provide assistance to the suffering Kashmiris in lok?
Rajeewa,my friend,dont be so naive as to insult the intelligence of the Pakistanis!
If a Parripu drop takes place you and I will be in the other world in a long journey in Sansara!
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Piyadasa Yalagala / September 2, 2016
UNP-under JRJ-1977 to 1989 and 1994 lackeys of US and western Imperialist that compradors had been sold-out that ours national Political and Economic sovereignty to Indian rather than US and Western ex-colonialist.
This is political projects by UNP compradors classes which that has been continuation of the “good governances” of the UNP-Ranil w….ongoing “Democracy ” is part surrender Nation sovereignty to India.
All the current UNP -Ranil politics are originated by JRJ -UNP policies of link up with working for the interest of Indian big bourgeoisie. This is the UNP party of that outright surrender and betray our nation Independent, Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity and undermined Democratic order working political and economic relationship weak bourgeoisies classes in Sri lanka.
The weak and vacillating classes of Sri Lankan bourgeoisie has been start up & created that new political link with Indian Big bourgeoisie, that after 1987-Indo-Sri Lankan Accord.
Under CBK-SLFP-1994 to 2004 that politics of surrender to Indian was enrich and developed during her 11 years misrule and ruin Island nation by CBK leadership. CBK’s set of policies are more or less Neo-liberalism of Federalism by encouraging separatism of TNA Tamil chauvinism and by the Tamil militant Nationalism.
The alliance of big bourgeoisie has been an open path by CBK led govt. for which surrender Economic sovereignty by Free Trade Agreement during that her SLFP regime of Neo-liberalism politics.
CBK case is purely different phonemmona of biliocical nexus with Tamils blood which having special family link that their decedents from Tamil origin. While she having vested interest of the Tamil domination over our land by more political link by Indian domination of big bourgeoisie.
She want that SLFP members and rank and file of come under the TNA political agenda of separatism. Many leading Tamils were that belongs to CBK thinking tanks; and She look like Tamil women after her ageing of late 60tees.
The ongoing current-counter revolution regime since 2015 January 9th as leading members of MS and Ranil w…and she has undertaken redress all Tamil political, Economics and Social an issues and she want go out of the way that grant more powers to Tamils in North Council with land and police powers by hook or crook.
The MS as forcefully uproot party leadership of SLFP by removed MR from key position by force that CBK played leading role that behind screen.
The Current SLFP is pro-Indian and pro-neo-liberalist set of policies purely working on that USA & UK proxies of Neo-con politics of “Democracy”. The policy vice the current SLFP of MS and CBK leadership and UNP -Ranil . W..of christen democracy having no any differences at all . Both counter Revolutionaries parties of UNP-Ranil W… and MS led SLFP+CBK are the greater of splitters of
Sri Lankan in our era.
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