By Harendra de Silva –
Open ethnic and religious sentiments such as Sinha-le (blood of the lion/Sinhala) have become fashionable in Sri Lanka with slogans across windscreens usually among the lower social groups such as three wheeler drivers who are bold enough to display the fashion! Are these people a majority who are Buddhists commited with deep convictions or are they displaying their ignorance? Do they even understand one stanza of the great philosophy of Buddhism? The upper strata except for a few are not that bold or are not convinced of the radical movement. However, prominent display of Buddha or Christian statues on dashboards, quotes from the Quoran across windscreens, or crosses hanging from mirrors reflect inner feelings of each group. I believe for most, it is an innocent action of bringing blessings or good luck from these religious symbols rather than being extremist or racist! A vehicle is accident prone and sometimes it’s lethal to occupants and needs supernatural powers to save them rather than drive carefully or obey laws!! One of my friends said that his Wife believes that the husband cannot resort to any vices (?except alcohol) in a holy environment of the car! or does it apply for the wife as well?
I suppose school colours or court of arms also reflect the clannish feelings. Others although not ‘racist’, (including politicians) favour the ‘religion ‘of the ‘college flag’ when giving appointments. For a few, covert ways of identifying clan members as happens in the West is by using “Gang symbols”. Haircuts, beards, ‘fish symbol’, attire, body language and jargon and distinguish members from outsiders and convey the clan in a subtle way maybe with a sense of moral superiority.
However, the right to worship and having statues, crosses, “budhu geys“ (domestic place of worship) at home is a right of a person, which should be considered private. One’s commitment to a religion should be the understanding of religious priniciples, the conscience of the practice of the religion in terms of correct attitudes and behaviour in society and home.
By discussing this highly controversial topic, I am likely/may offend many of all faiths and maybe it may be like opening a can of worms! I have anyway had a history of stirring hornet’s nests in the past, eg. the subject of child abuse and abuse in child conscription! However, in the absence of White vans today I am not reluctant to divulge my identity!
Division and Polarization of communities
Communities especially minorities feel insecure when they are by themselves as individuals, (or even majority groups when threatened and insecure or made to feel insecure by ruthless politicians) but feel strong as a ‘herd’ and would like to belong to a group either as an Ethnic or Religious group or both. Naturally Jews have their strength due to their ethnic inclusiveness and so are most minorities all over the world. Rulers often make use of these divisions to establish power locally or between Nations. These symbolic associations could be manipulated by power hungry (so called) leaders. All one needs is a symbol to rally around. ‘Empire’ was used by Alexander, ‘Chanda’ Asoka and the British or Crusades used Christianity as a Symbol. Americans today use “Safeguarding Democracy” in their quest to dominate the world while Hitler used the symbol of Aryanism or Swasthika. Hitler like most fanatic nationalists, believed his nation to be in a process of deterioration. He believed that if Germans fused together (as opposed as individual) like a single block of steel would create an indestructible body that no one could tear apart. More recently Prabhakaran used the same concept and manipulated the inner ethinic inclusiveness and insecurity for survival of Tamils. The ISIS now uses distorted versions of Islam as Jihad. All for the quest for POWER!!!. Koenigsberg contrasts this concept to the Buddhist phylosophy (if interpreted and practiced correcrtly), that seeks to discover the self in a place separate from language and symbolic systems such as race.
Almost every government uses terms like “Nationalism”, “Democracy”, etc to mobilise youth to sacrifice their lives to maintain or grab power. (Power Games in War and Peace: the tragic impact of corruption, violence and impunity on the Sri Lankan child. 2003, By Harendra de Silva). It is unfortunate to see Buddhist ideology after distortion creeping, in the quest to destabilise society and grab power by manipulative political groups. It is ironic to see groups that should preach ‘ahimsa’ (non violence) using “blood” (le’) indirectly to symbolise their call for violant action! Fortunately my gut feeling is that this call is fizzling out without a ‘climax’, with some symbols now appearing without the (blood ’le’) words and others with only the lion. Yet it is still lurking in the background with a threatening ambience!
Several years ago, one of my drivers placed a lazer burnt 3 D Buddha statue on my dashboard. Why did I remain passive? I suppose, it may have been because others also did it or did I not mind the herd instinct of being identified as a Buddhist? At the time I suppose I did not realize the deeper consequences? What really works in a person’s mind when s/he sees a religious statue may be “he is one of us!” by which you are reassured of having one or more clan member around giving a sense of security! On the other hand when one sees a symbol of a different clan “he is not one of us! …. Bloody ……..” which may create anger, feelings of hatred and a blow to your feelings of superiority and security. This feeling may want you to add on a ‘Sinha le’ sticker and for another to add a larger cross! Although I cannot generalise this reaction, it would happen at least in a few individuals. In a different scenario, what may be the inner reaction by someone of another creed when they see/meet a woman wearing a ‘hijab’ or a ‘pottu’? Basically these inner feelings of rejection or to despise each other even by a minority of that population would lead to separation, isolation and polarization of communities even though the extremists may not be too significant in numbers initially! How many extremists were there at the beginning of the seperaritist war in Sri Lanka? Tit for tat action by the different groups further separated, isolated and polarized communities which gathered momentum and cascaded into a vicious cycle of war! Power hungry leaders would want this polarisation to happen in their quest for power through a divide and rule process! Unfortunately Humans of whatever ‘race’ or religion have short memories except justifications of hatred and vengeance rather than memory of wisdom! It would lead to moving away from the positive notion of Nationaliam or Patriotism in the context of being Sri Lankan! Lankan politics has thrived on Nationalism based on Ethnicity from Vijaya/ Yaksha/ Naga, Dutugemune/Elara through Bandaranaike/’Sinhala only’, Prabhakaran/Eelam to Rajapakse/BBS.All these divisions have stabilised their power at least temporarily but always shed blood! Concepts of “the Chosen People” typically from the Hebrew Bible, and also similar notions by other religions endorse the perception of unique groups superior to others. This leads to ”infidels“ or “Kafirs” the ”non beleivers” those who are supposed to be inferior or not fit to live!.
At present we are somewhat complacent without actively pursuing the “Sri Lankan” identity (as opposed to ethnic/religious identity) except for a few songs and symbolic meetings! Generally polititians are not willing to express their feelings since it is considered to be dangerous to express reality something they too could use when it is needed. In contrasrt non tolerance of ethnic/religious extremism shown by the legal system today in a few instances indicates that the present regime is not willing to tolerate extremism that would harm another group. I suppose this process is continued.
Humanity’s inherant obsession with ‘Blood’ (“le”) a symbol of sacrifice
Humanity has had a long fascination with blood sacrifice”. Hitler was convinced that “blood sacrifice preserves the nation.” (He believed that the German race was threatened by germs i.e. Jews) His objective as Nazi leader was to wage war—so as to generate blood sacrifice and thereby preserve Germany. Hitler’s theory was that: if not for blood sacrifice, Germany could not exist. Goebbels, claimed that willingness to sacrifice, The duty of the individual extended to “sacrificing his life for the life of his nation.” By dying at the front, the soldier “fulfilled his duty.” Goebbels asserted, “The laws of war are harsh. Millions of German soldiers have to be ready to die on the battlefield.” Carolyn Marvin stresses that “society depends on the death of its own members at the hands of the group.” (Marvin, C. & Ingle, D. W. (1999). Blood Sacrifice and the Nation: Totem Rituals and the American Flag. New York: Cambridge University Press). They argue that ‘American patriotism is a ‘civil religion’ organized around a sacred flag, whose followers engage in periodic blood sacrifice of their own children to unify the group’. It is interesting that in America too, there is a more centralized and well organized, system through the flag and Purple Hearts to make youth sacrifice life for a so called democracy i.e. Global Power, against other countries whether it be Korea, Vietnam, Iraq etc. including extremist Islam (ISIS) or maybe for the ‘religion: of ‘oil’! As Marvin points out it is also interesting to note the coffins of patriots and martyrs are draped with the National flag/s!! Marvin quotes Churchill “I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat, toil and tears”! It is interesting to see ‘Sinha-le’ borrowing a part of our National flag the lion (ironically with the sword !) with the word le (blood) in red and in some stickers one could see drops of blood! There are others with only the Lion but not the red words!
Dravidian-Hindu culture in many instances idolizes Suicide and blood! (The use of child soldiers in war with special reference to Sri Lanka D. G. Harendra de Silva, Paediatrics and International Child Health 2013 VOL. 33 NO. 4). The tradition of Durga Pooja (Buffalo sacrifice, Durga Puja, Kalibari Temple, Silchar” on YouTube) “The use of the blood, worshipers smearing it upon themselves at times, spattering it on their houses, or scattering bloody rice on the boundaries, appears to be explained by totemism in that the worshipers seek a blood relationship with the deity”. It should again be noticed that any connection established by such uses of the blood is with the goddess, and not with the animal sacrificed. (Elmore, Wilber Theodore. (2013). pp. 130-1. Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism: A Study of the Local and Village Deities of Southern India (Vol. 15). London: Forgotten Books ) However, others (Nanditha Krishna) disagrees that it has anything to do with Hinduism. She argues that Durga puja also celebrates the defeat of the buffalo-grazers of ancient India by the food-producing Dravidians (Mundas) who worshipped the Mother Goddess. Thus you will find that Durga pooja and buffalo sacrifice is strongest in places of Dravidian culture. It happens in Sri Lanka at the Munneswaran kovil as well, but the buffalo has been mostly replaced by goats and Cockerel although some buffaloes are still sacrificed.
According to Taraki (late Sivaram), “The ultimate expression of loyalty to one’s commander, is deeply embedded in the Tamil psyche. (the debt of red rice) is a phrase that is widely used today by Tamils as an expression of loyalty. One frequently hears of it in a popular Tamil song. The phrase stands for the ritual of partaking of rice by which Maravar and other Tamil military caste warriors bound themselves to their king or commander to die in suicidal battle for him, or to commit suicide on the day he was slain. “thinking of nothing but the red (blood) rice the Maravar give their life as offering in battle.”
Sri Lankan genetic identity
First there are conflicting stories of the origin of the ‘Sinhala’ race from Mahawansa, Dipawamsa and other Chronicles. Briely Most widely accepted version is Vijaya the son of Sinhabahu the lion slayer arrived in Lanka with his army and others from the Benghali region in India. After his aquaintamce with Kuveni an indigenous queen belonging to the Yakshas, probably of Aboriginal origin that resulted in two offspring, he decided to be a legitimate King by marrying a ‘real’ Princess! A Pandyian (Pandu) Princess arrived from Madhura (?Madurai) with another 100 Pandyian women for his followers. Since Pandyans are of Dravidian stock the resulting progeny (although Vijaya did not have children from her) by his followers could not be of pure Benghali/Sinhala genes as shown by genetic studies (Papiha SS, Jayasekara R, et al. Human Biology 68 (5): 819–35).
Another study has found “no significant genetic variation among the major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka” (Ruwan J. Illeperuma, et al, Forensic Science International: Genetics, Volume 3, Issue 3, June 2009, Pages e105-e106). Dissanayaka and others came to the same conclusion using different genetic markers. (Vajira H.W. Dissanayake, et al Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Volume 87, Issue 2, October 2009, Pages 159-162)
Another interesting finding was the Sinhalese and Sinti Roma (Telagu speaking ‘Ahikuntaka’ community) also have a high frequency of Haplogroup R2 (38% and 53% respectively) (Sengupta, S; et al. (2006), The American Journal of Human Genetics 78 (2): 202–21). A 2003 Nature study found the Romani language to be most closely related to Sinhalese language. In addition the Romani people and Sinhalese both have a high requency of Haplogroup H (Y-DNA) (Gray, Russell D.; Atkinson, Quentin D. (2003). “Language-tree divergence times support the Anatolian theory of Indo-European origin”. Nature 426 (6965): 435–9). These findings point to a multi faceted origin of Sinhalese and the other ethnic groups with a similar genetic pattern of mixed genetic background.
If you go into the Sri Lankan history, many Sri Lankan kings or princes’ including Gajabahu and Mugalan, (King Kasyapa’s brother of Sigiriya fame) brought thousands of Chola (Dravidian) soldiers from India! What happened to them? Did they get naturalized with the ‘Sinhala’ community or were they ‘repatriated’ after the wars??? What happened to Indian fishermen who strayed over to Lankan shores? Similarly the Sinhala fishermen who got washed onto the Maldivian archipelago. Divehi has so many similarities to SinhalaIese. Isn’t it a funny situation? Benghalis landing in Sri Lanka no longer remain as Benghali to become Sinhala, then they become Buddhists with the arrival of Mahinda thera and then these same Sinhala Buddhists land in the Maldives and then are no longer Sinhalese but Maldivian, and these Buddhists become Muslims with the Arabs coming in! Our theories of pure blood of Sinhalese or for that matter any race?? gets shot down in no time!
Similarly Muslims probably arrived in Sri Lanka in the pre Islam era. But the traders who came did not bring wives and naturally married Sinhala women, while the so called lower caste Hindu Tamils in the Eastern province converted to Islam. However Muslims do not identify themselves with the Sinhala or Tamil but as an unique group descending from the Arab world, thus creating the division which is further amplified by the clothes worn similar to Arabs suitable in the deserts! It is also interesting to see similaties in attitude with Jews! (Both religions are Abrahimic religions stemming from the same roots but now at loggerhead) ! A good study for geneticists would be to study the mitochondrial haplogroup of Muslims in Sri Lanka and track down the maternal origin and compare with the Y haplotypes that would track the paternal side. (mitochondrial DNA can track the origin of the mother’s mother’s…..mother’s …… origin going back to the origin of the mutation going back even 50,000 years in history while Y DNA looks at the paternal side…….)
Similarly, Taliban are anti-Western and anti-white, although their blue, green and grey eyes give away their Greek Ancestory brought during Alexander’s invasions.
In short there is nothing called pure blood or stock (without considering illegitimate progeny)!!! It is all invented by power hungry leaders!! It is high time our Yahapalana leaders (if in existence!) have a program including the ONUR, for everyone to identify as Sri Lankans rather than individually closed entities (groups), while keeping the right of people to worship any religion privately. We need a fearless but consistent in vision, ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ type of leadership. Why should politions play a prominent role in religious celebrations? Why should religion play a leading role in political meetings? Mainly because they want mutual support for each other! This creates an opening for politicians to introduce religious sentiments into politics and vice versa. Let me reiterate: ‘Depolitisation’ of religion and ethnicity’ is imperative in Sri Lanka. Religious activities should promote the understanding of religious priniciples, the conscience and the practice of religion in terms of correct attitudes and behaviour in society and at home. The state Policies and governance should devolve all religions to be non partial to religions. This raises the question whether religious or ethnic groups should be allowed to form political parties under the constitution?? I am sure this question has stirred many hornets of differing species and sub species? I will stop for now since i am not sure whether we have all the antidotes!!
Justice & Fairplay / April 18, 2016
Spot on Harendra, my old school mate.
It is time other intellectuals of similar ilk came out as strongly as you have, and wrested the centre stage off these uncouth politicians who have been having a field day for far too long!
Being uncouth is bad enough, but when ill-educated, they become intolerable. Time to say “Enough is enough” and pack them away for all time.
It is time this country was run with men of brains which are controlled by logic than sentiment. Scientists, engineers, educationists and definitely not Lawyers!!
The public disturbances we have to put up with, all in the name of some religion or some race, is enough to prove that we are a 4th or 5th world country in our social consciousness.
/
Grease Yakka. / April 19, 2016
Justice & Fairplay ,
“”Spot on Harendra, (my old school mate).””
buggers like should be disfranchised.
How do you qualify to say you are educated??
can you define wisdom with a mathematical equation??
you vote frying pan to fire (MR1 to MR2) when given the opportunity because you folk are lotus eating parasites- socialist, communist, fascist.
go back to ambude.
has the country produced a man of international caliber in the sciences?
just politics- speak the truth and sandwich with lies- George Bernard Shaw.
Living off your women in the medieval middle east.
do you know the meaning of silva even at spain.
Burn another registrars office and more European names
/
BBS Rep / April 19, 2016
So Grease Yaka,
You would rather have divisiveness on the street with its inevitable periodic blood letting. And the government favouring one religion or ethnicity and yet call it democracy.
/
Grease Yakka. / April 19, 2016
BBS Rep seated on camel back,
Who could trust you? historically you have never stuck to an agreement.
when you returned home on compassionate grounds you rejoiced and returned to fight another day because only your alla whom none has seen is above the agreement signed.- check ottomans vs catholic/Christians.
Stop masquerading
Look in the mirror
/
BBS Rep / April 19, 2016
Hehe Grease Yaka,
What are you on about. Answer my question.
My name is irrelevant. My question to you is what is relevant.
You have a good imagination about my ethnicity – hehe.
/
Grease Yakka. / April 19, 2016
BBS Rep(ly),
You want to oscillate my metallic sonatas??
It is different from psycho-epistemological functions.
Lanka has 80% just like USA what can’t we do sensitively without your elk.
You have almost 100% in many a converted land.
What do you offer islanders – house maids sex slaves when I hear the cry of Badagini from far away so you want to laugh till your sides split .
Run till you get a stich!!
When I was a kid my dad showed me a few grains of sand and asked me if I knew which one would grow and which would not.- Now you speak then to me !!
You are seated on ice cream in the USA with literature-words words and words and end up as 2D philosophers – mullas.
I am sufficient as I am.
/
Justice & Fairplay / April 19, 2016
Dear Grease Yakka,
Thank you for your endearing 2nd sentence in particular. Says a lot about your own background and education.
For your own information – and not given to beating my own drum – I never said I was educated. Please check out what I have written.
Yes Sir, quite unknown to you, this country has produced some wonderful men of the sciences, but they mostly go unnoticed or unheard of, because of their inherent modesty and the commitment to, and relentless pursuit of excellence in their chosen fields. Such are the hall-marks of the truly educated.
Besides the front and centre pages of most of our newspapers devote all their space to the politicians anyway, who are – by and large – loud mouthed Lawyers. You may not agree, but this is what I feel, and I am expressing my viewpoint.
My take is that a lawyer has a life-long training in lying and therefore duping a gullible public brought up on tele-dramas and not given to very much rational thinking owing to their lack of awareness of current affairs, is for them a work of a moment. Few are those lawyers who are men with a conscience. This is sad, but it is true. It is called the perversion of what was once, a noble profession.
I hope I have been able to offer you my differing point of view, without either upsetting you or insulting you in any way.
/
Grease Yakka. / April 20, 2016
Justice & Fairplay,
“Says a lot about your own background and education. “
As a matter of courtesy!
Greek word sophist (sophistēs) derives from the words sophia, and sophos, meaning “wisdom” or “wise” since the time of Homer.
Is there a logical necessity in life? The wise talk about life as they see it.The educated talk about the wise ones words and the stupid ones argue about the educated.
I think when man has lost the ability to speak in epigrams, he writes a paragraph; when he is unable to express himself clearly in paragraphs, he develops an argument; and when he fails to make his meaning clear in an argument, he writes a treatise. Mans love for words is his first step towards ignorance, and his love for definitions the second.
Lawyers: there are 2 types. One makes the witness lie under cross-examination. The other is a man who has mastered words. To speak the truth one need not think..why do you fear?
The best i have heard. He stopped Indira Gandhi from removing the CJ and becoming a despot.He knew the law of evidence chapter verse by heart and Judges came down to him to ask for advice while court was in progress. He started just a clerk as a refugee.
You heard of Job apple PC what was his birth?? You know the Bangladeshi who created Utube? Can go on and what you did was wrong. don’t apologise to me please..multi-party democracy gives us freedom to change like weather cocks to suit the movement of our bowels unlike communism, socialism.
“”Yes Sir, quite unknown to you, this country has produced some wonderful men of the sciences, but they mostly go unnoticed or unheard of, because of their inherent modesty and the commitment to, and relentless pursuit of excellence in their chosen fields. Such are the hall-marks of the truly educated. “”
Your well is not the only well.
When you match this speak then to me.-Read about the present desi Indians (1% 0f USA) who are closing in on the Jews after all the lankan bad publicity But the Chinese respect them.
List of Indian Americans-Nobels bookworm Booker prize etc. double PhD at Same time and noble Prize.(like you idiots the common folk of india felt jelous and screamed but Her Majesty requested of him to be President Royal Society UK. He has been knighted in most nations but never writes prefixes or suffixes) I follow the same.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_Americans
Never mistake knowledge for wisdom.!!))))
Cheerio.
/
Kattadiya / April 19, 2016
Harendra’s school mate, Ha?
Don’t know what school it was, but they have failed you by not teaching that there is no such word as “disfranchise”.
It should be “dis-en-franchised”.
Will you be kind enough to let us know what particular school you and your friend Harendra went to?
Hope it is not the one of “Esta Perpetua”, Blue and Black, fame!
Probably time to “go back to ambude”, Grease yakka.
/
Justice & Fairplay / April 19, 2016
Kattadiya, even though I have no bone to pick with you, since you refer to my school mate Harendra, I am replying.
I kindly suggest you go back to the correspondence above, and calmly check out what you have written in relation to what I wrote above, and what Grease Yakka wrote in reply to mine. You will then note that you have got your knickers caught up in a serious twist!
By the way, Harendra went to a fabulous school, which had – by common consensus – the FINEST English teacher among all schools at the time, and which was renowned for its scholarship in all sciences and arts. Given his general disposition, let alone his English proficiency, it could be safely said that Grease Yakka would not even have been a passer-by, outside the gate posts of that worthy Institution.
/
Sam / April 20, 2016
ANANDA COLLEGE
/
Kattadiya / April 20, 2016
That explains it!
English and Ananda have never gone together.
/
Justice & Fairplay / April 22, 2016
Dear Kattadiya
That explains what?
The fact that Grease Yakka never went to Ananda?
Some of the best English orators, debators, newspapermen and men of literature in our country were products of that school. And at the time of Harendra, it certainly had the best English teacher amongst all schools.
Nothing more to be said. I will now consider this correspondence closed.
/
Somapala / June 1, 2016
Kattadiya
Your ignorant comments depicts your personality that is to insult others as a result of your empty brain.
This attitude is common with thugs who insult people to force them to submit.
There were guys like Choppe in Maradana few years ago. He attended a night English school at Maradana Road. His language was similar to yours and I suspect that he was your classmate.
/
Amarasiri / April 19, 2016
Dear Prof. Harendra De Silva,
RE: Purity Of Blood, Symbolism & Divide And Rule
Thank you Professor. People with intelligence and common sense should not remain quiet.
Amarasiri would like to promote the Para-Le Campaign, Para-deshi Blood, Foreign-Blood, and ask all those with Para-Le to get back to their homeland, whether South India, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, India, Arabia, Portugal or elsewhere. Furthermore, Amrasiri would like to brand them Africans, based on the DNA in their bodies, and describe them as descendants of Apes, who used to have 48 Chromosomes.
This is an uphill battle. Do you think that the IQ, the Intelligence of the Para-Sinhala are bi-modally distributed like their fellow Paras, Para-Tamils? Can somebody compare that to the coconut prices?
Onion Prices and Tamil IQ Distributions
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-story-of-two-graphs-drawn-by-a-tamil-man/onioniqdistributions/
May be you should as them if the Sun and the Moon goes around the Earth, as the Sun and the Moon rises from the East.
Amarasiri identified 11 items, each of which can be a topic for an article, below. Thank you again.
1. “Open ethnic and religious sentiments such as Sinha-le (blood of the lion/Sinhala) have become fashionable in Sri Lanka with slogans across windscreens usually among the lower social groups such as three wheeler drivers who are bold enough to display the fashion! Are these people a majority who are Buddhists commited with deep convictions or are they displaying their ignorance? Do they even understand one stanza of the great philosophy of Buddhism? “
2. “However, prominent display of Buddha or Christian statues on dashboards, quotes from the Quoran across windscreens, or crosses hanging from mirrors reflect inner feelings of each group. It is an innocent action of bringing blessings or good luck from these religious symbols rather than being extremist or racist! “
3. “I suppose school colours or court of arms also reflect the clannish feelings. Others although not ‘racist’, (including politicians) favour the ‘religion ‘of the ‘college flag’ when giving appointments.”
4. “For a few, covert ways of identifying clan members as happens in the West is by using “Gang symbols”. Haircuts, beards, ‘fish symbol’, attire, body language and jargon and distinguish members from outsiders and convey the clan in a subtle way maybe with a sense of moral superiority.”
5. “However, the right to worship and having statues, crosses, “budhu geys“ (domestic place of worship) at home is a right of a person, which should be considered private. One’s commitment to a religion should be the understanding of religious priniciples, the conscience of the practice of the religion in terms of correct attitudes and behaviour in society and home.”
6. “By discussing this highly controversial topic, I am likely/may offend many of all faiths and maybe it may be like opening a can of worms! I have anyway had a history of stirring hornet’s nests in the past, eg. the subject of child abuse and abuse in child conscription! However, in the absence of White vans today I am not reluctant to divulge my identity!”
7. “It is unfortunate to see Buddhist ideology after distortion creeping, in the quest to destabilise society and grab power by manipulative political groups. It is ironic to see groups that should preach ‘ahimsa’ (non violence) using “blood” (le’) indirectly to symbolise their call for violant action! Fortunately my gut feeling is that this call is fizzling out without a ‘climax’, with some symbols now appearing without the (blood ’le’) words and others with only the lion. Yet it is still lurking in the background with a threatening ambience!”
8.” Bandaranaike/’Sinhala only’, Prabhakaran/Eelam to Rajapakse/BBS.All these divisions have stabilised their power at least temporarily but always shed blood! Concepts of “the Chosen People” typically from the Hebrew Bible, and also similar notions by other religions endorse the perception of unique groups superior to others. This leads to ”infidels“ or “Kafirs” the ”non beleivers” those who are supposed to be inferior or not fit to live!.
At present we are somewhat complacent without actively pursuing the “Sri Lankan” identity (as opposed to ethnic/religious identity) except for a few songs and symbolic meetings!”
Sri Lankan genetic identity
Ref. Mitochondrial DNA history of Sri Lankan ethnic people: their relations within the island and with the Indian subcontinental populations.
http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v59/n1/full/jhg2013112a.html
9. “Since Pandyans are of Dravidian stock the resulting progeny (although Vijaya did not have children from her) by his followers could not be of pure Benghali/Sinhala genes as shown by genetic studies (Papiha SS, Jayasekara R, et al. Human Biology 68 (5): 819–35).”
10. “Similarly Muslims probably arrived in Sri Lanka in the pre Islam era. But the traders who came did not bring wives and naturally married Sinhala women, while the so called lower caste Hindu Tamils in the Eastern province converted to Islam. However Muslims do not identify themselves with the Sinhala or Tamil but as an unique group descending from the Arab world, thus creating the division which is further amplified by the clothes worn similar to Arabs suitable in the deserts! It is also interesting to see similaties in attitude with Jews! (Both religions are Abrahimic religions stemming from the same roots but now at loggerhead) ! A good study for geneticists would be to study the mitochondrial haplogroup of Muslims in Sri Lanka and track down the maternal origin and compare with the Y haplotypes that would track the paternal side. (mitochondrial DNA can track the origin of the mother’s mother’s…..mother’s …… origin going back to the origin of the mutation going back even 50,000 years in history while Y DNA looks at the paternal side…….)”
11. “In short there is nothing called pure blood or stock (without considering illegitimate progeny)!!! It is all invented by power hungry leaders!! It is high time our Yahapalana leaders (if in existence!) have a program including the ONUR, for everyone to identify as Sri Lankans rather than individually closed entities (groups), while keeping the right of people to worship any religion privately. “
/
Hamlet / June 1, 2016
Amarasiri:-
“…and ask all those with Para-Le to get back to their homeland, whether South India, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, India, Arabia, Portugal or elsewhere…”
There is a good program on SBS Australia, which refutes the concept of Ethnicity Scientifically, by means of DNA Testing.
The website is called ‘DNA Nation’. Check it out on Google!
/
Amarasiri / April 19, 2016
Prof. Harendra De Silva
RE: Purity Of Blood, Symbolism & Divide And Rule
Some may promote Purity Of Religion, Symbolism & Divide And Rule.
Thanks. Another angle given below. Why, there shoud be separation of church and state.
It is all the same. One can have the personal beliefs. However, the State cannot promote one or the other.
See Below:
The Devil in Dover and elsewhere: the personal side of the Creationism controversy
Uploaded on Dec 2, 2008
Series: Year of Darwin
Richard Katskee is an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lauri Lebo is a journalist who covered the Dover, PA intelligent design trial. Sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFcn9nGZP4Y&ebc=ANyPxKr8znzRad0iozYHVyx0P5hybpwq6kGXwn6vp91yEOyks7C24ujUJU15FQc9_8F3jPToBgmz8u0DDO8XjgjvCfXMc1Ztvw
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Sama / April 19, 2016
If Artists, Professionals all educated together with experts made every efforts to restrore law and order rather than worshiping individuals to be untouchable (as had done to former Mahinda Rajaakshe turning him a king)- this country could long have achieved the basics to move forward. I mean the public speeches made by Jackson Anthony in a soccer stadium or the like indoor halls turned even blind and deaf intoxicated. In the same manner, most abusive monks earned the unique respects that thoough lasted no long. I mean that Sirisamma to have been a SOWAN monk- still being respected by some fractions in the society. So is the state with BBS lead monk: What is imperative is the educated to educate the other in a healthy way – Making and giving social acceptance putting them on altar- created the unexpected. Even today, Rajakashe is hallozinated and does not seem to accept his defeat but do anything and everything to regain power – there he seems to be not even respecting party consitutions. He said yesterdy, these re just words only: There, nobody would wonder, why he relied on that illiterate astrologer while took decisions to hold elections.
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vas / April 21, 2016
Justice And FairPlay,
Thank you. Spot on. Yes,no more Lawyers , these are the bain of Sri Lankan Society. A cancer that needs to be eradicated.
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JJ / April 18, 2016
“‘Depolitisation’ of religion and ethnicity’ is imperative in Sri Lanka. Religious activities should promote the understanding of religious priniciples, the conscience and the practice of religion in terms of correct attitudes and behaviour in society and at home. The state Policies and governance should devolve all religions to be non partial to religions.”
Well stated, Prof!
However, going by what has gone before with regard to the ‘herd’ mentality that most religious (so-called) leaders encourage for their own selfish reasons, we shall not hold our breath for fear of suffocation!
Now you can await that horde of hornets to attack your views and display their blindness!!
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 18, 2016
Dr. Harendra De Silva,
An intelligent, sensible and eminently readable input amidst the nauseating racist essays and comments appearing in CT and other media in recent times . From what I have read in recent times, the Aryan -Dravidian classification has been debunked. It is not we- the masses, who have as humans created many myths in the names of which thousands will resort to violence, but those seeking power or want to enhance/retain the power they already had/have and with the advent of the colonial era, by strange men visiting from strange countries, meeting strange peoples with different cultures, who tried to make a cogent story out of isolated facts and very little science.
A multitude yet believe that the Earth’s surface has been static in a geographical sense. What we see today is not what it was thousands of years ago. Continents have been drifting, land masses have diassapeared and appeared since. People have moved, evolved and changed. There was much intermingling and intercourse. Languages and cultures thus did not remain static as is portrayed and fought over. Further, the fair complexion now sought after and admired in Sri Lanka among both the Sinhalese and Tamils, seems to indicate that there was considerable intercourse in a sexual sense with the Europeans in the past. This may have been more among the the then upper classes.The sexual mores were obviously not what they are expected to be today, then
I was in a remote village in Batticaloa recently -largely Tamil-Hindu- and saw many individuals who looked Egyptian. No one in the village had an explanation! I have also seen European-looking plantation workers in the Hill a Country.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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sekara / April 18, 2016
Thanks to Prof H deS for the sobering thoughts.
Dr RN
I am interested in your closing para where you talk about individuals who looked Egyptian.
I have personally known several Egyptians, but could not find a set of features common to them.
Could you kindly tell me what an Egyptian is supposed to look like? Or refer me to some source.
Tks.
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Old Codger / April 18, 2016
Sekara,
If you look closely at photos of Egyptians, they look somewhat different from Saudi Arabs for example (not that all Saudis look the same). Nasser is typical. Curly hair,broad face, more North African than Arab. Again, Southern Egyptians (Nubians)are much darker and more African.
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sekara / April 18, 2016
Dear Old Codger
Many thanks.
That was why I wanted to know what Dr RN had in mind when he talked about “looking like Egyptian”.
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trunket / April 18, 2016
Nasser (without head gear) was Afro- Arab- Pan_Arab terror
He killed the Prince who was caretaker of Egypt since the king was a child.
If UK had killed Nasser as requested by the Prince we would not be sending house maids.
Arab Royalty- Pan_Islam
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Native Vedda / April 18, 2016
Old Codger
“Nasser is typical. Curly hair,broad face, more North African than Arab. Again, Southern Egyptians (Nubians)are much darker and more African.”
On the other hand, Omar Sharif looked like a Mexican and Anthony Quinn an Arab.
Don’t you think it is confusing to categorise people and pigeon hole them by their facial appearances? Al Jolson played a black singer.
However, IH believes all Muslims in this island are fair skinned and SJ/sekere believes Siri Mao was a good leader.
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Amarasiri / April 19, 2016
Native Vedda
“Don’t you think it is confusing to categorise people and pigeon hole them by their facial appearances? Al Jolson played a black singer.”
” However, IH believes all Muslims in this island are fair skinned and SJ/sekere believes Siri Mao was a good leader”
Amarasiri believes that they all are Paras in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, Para-Sinhala, Para-Demala, Para-Tamil, Para, Muslims etc., and furthermore they All are African, and that they descended from Apes with 48 Chromosomes, even though they carry only 46 chromosomes in their bodies.
Reference:
Ken Miller on Human Evolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8FfMBYCkk
Uploaded on Feb 14, 2007
Dr. Ken Miller talks about the relationship between Homo sapiens and the other primates. He discusses a recent finding of the Human Genome Project which identifies the exact point of fusion of two primate chromosomes that resulted in human chromosome #2.
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Boom Boom / April 19, 2016
If you want to go by facial features – mostly yhe hooked nose feature – you only have to look at the so-called “Sri Lankan” Burghers.
They are certainly not Sri Lankan, and are descendants of European Jewish vagabonds who got in to invading ships of the Portuguese, Dutch and British Jews aho were colonialists.
One look at the nose of Emil Tonofpoo will show you that his nose is more hooked than a fishing hook.
But he tried to behave as a truest of Sri Lankan until Minister Kiriella removed his mask!
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Hamlet / June 1, 2016
Boom Boom:-
“But he tried to behave as a truest of Sri Lankan until Minister Kiriella removed his mask!”
Boom Boom, Do you consider yourself a True Sri Lankan?
Who are the Truest Sri Lankans?
I am sure Native Veddah will ask you to ‘Go Back where you came from’
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Old Codger / April 19, 2016
N.V.
In general, Some Mexicans do look like some Egyptians, because the Arabs did rule Spain for a long time, and the Arab/Spanish mixed Spaniards then invaded Mexico. Lebanese and Syrians with fair hair don’t look much different from Portuguese.However, some Egyptians are as black as Sudanese, but even these have different features from Somalis, who are just as black. I will not comment on IH because I don’t want to upset an 88 year old.
Al Jolson had to use black greasepaint.
Facial appearance is a good but not infallible pointer to ethnic origins. Like when you find a plantation worker with blue eyes (as Dr. RN says) it’s quite obvious where that came from!
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Old Codger / April 19, 2016
NV,
Anthony Quinn was actually of Mexican origin.
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
Old Codger
“Anthony Quinn was actually of Mexican origin.”
Thanks
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take_that / April 18, 2016
Have you visited Zanzibar Tanzania Picture Palace??
you find better answers when they are without their-head gear and in the nude.
Go for it. kings without clothes.
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Old Codger / April 19, 2016
Take that,
Yes, I have seen that some races have certain items longer than others , especially Sudanese. You can see these by googling Colonialfilm Sudan .
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Pistachio / April 19, 2016
I am not talking of the thinge- long or short the Japanese and Chinese get G.
Looks are deceptive. its only by observation you can tell the difference of a Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
North Africans- have features of Arabs, Africans and Europeans.
When I see a Morrocan and Algerian I could easily say which one is which.Accent alone is not enough.
Narendra knows the camels like James Herriot. but he like to push like a politico into `every subject in detail` which he is not capable of.
He does not listen to Kenny rogers- know when to run.
Anthropology, Anthropometrics, Human Engineering/Ergonomics. so it leads us to understand and correlate it to them.
I have met many a Sudanese/Arab and mixed with Europeans even at China Sinopec.
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Old Codger / April 20, 2016
Pistachio,
Do you think there is anybody who can tell a Sinhalese from a Tamil/Malayalee if they are dressed identically and do not speak?
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Pistachio / April 20, 2016
Yes perhaps a frequent traveler in the country is capable.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 19, 2016
Old Codger,
Thanks for answering Sekera’s question. I have worked closely with the Egyptians fora long time and my impression was liar the villagers for likeEgyptios in many respects. They were of course not of the Nubiam type.
Dr.RN
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maalumiris / April 19, 2016
They also “walk like an Egyptian”
:) Sorry… couldn’t resist that
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Hamlet / April 18, 2016
Dr RN, re your Statement:-
“A multitude yet believe that the Earth’s surface has been static in a geographical sense. What we see today is not what it was thousands of years ago. Continents have been drifting, land masses have diassapeared and appeared since”
The Earth has proved your Point!
As if in Agreement, The Two Current Earthquakes on Opposite sides of the Globe shows how Fragile our GeoSystem Is!
If this Exploitation by Humans in the Name of Development continues, Very soon we would have another Moon breaking off the Face of the Earth!
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Jai_Bolo / April 18, 2016
Bad moon rising – the lease is running out.
you never gonna get a second chance
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soma / April 19, 2016
Dr.RN
We can officially recognize only two categories – Sinhala Speaking people and Tamil speaking people. I mean language is the only criterion of division for administrative and law enforcement purposes.
Soma
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Spring Koha / April 18, 2016
YOU said it Professor.
Every ethnic family has its fair share of reprobates, bastards and psychopaths.
A man must work one thing out for himself. What is Good; What is Bad.
I couldn’t give a tinkers cuss for a cross, a pirith-noola, or a pottu, or a thambi’s thoppi. All the same to me, except I make my own judgement and place them as good or bad.
Religion is, to me, one big exercise in establishing power. That is why religion and politics go to bed together.
That is why Professor, before I go to bed, I pray.
O Lord, if you exist, please keep the clerics and the politicians as far away from me as possible. Amen!
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Alahakoon / April 18, 2016
Thanks Prof. Since Lanka is an island below huge Indian land, as you pointed out the country experienced lot of multicultural experiences from very ancient days. From around the year 1500, whole Asia was influenced by the west with its gun power. Prutugeese , Dutch, Spanish and then English invaded, colonised, tradeded in Asia except Japan for 500 years.
We have so many DeSilvas, De Mel, Fernando, Caldera, Dabares, Pereras in Sri Lanka, but we hardly see these names anywhere else in Asia. I believe this is a good thing, this indicate that we are strong and do not fear to change, isn’t this early globalisation. But how this become so prevalent in Lanka compared to rest of the Asia?
But in contrary, I personally find that those more globalise people in South coast are more nationalistic or supremacist than West, upcountry or central province people? (2015 Muslim attack near Ambalngoda). If my view has some truth, isn’t it worth to investigate?
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Vibhushana / April 18, 2016
A “race” can be Caucasoid (white), Mongoloid (yellow) or Negroid (black).
The Indian people are thought to belong to either a Sub-Caucasoid or an Australoid race. The biology of these groups have similar features. So everyone in the Indian sub-continent belong to the Australoid race.
An “ethnicity” is different. Sinhala is an ethnicity. An ethnicity can be from any race since its adopted trait – just like their religion. One can change their ethnicity and religion but not race.
The distance between Ceylon and India is just 22 km. On both sides there is just one race of people i.e. Austrloids.
The island given its small size and geography lends itself to supporting one ethnicity only. India on the other hand there are many geographic pockets that enable ethnicity to exist independent of one another.
People who end up in the island over time becomes Sinhalised. The ones who end up on the Indian side adopts multitude of ethnicity from Tamil to Malayalam depending on which ethnic pocket they land.
This has always been the case.
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Grease Yakka. / April 18, 2016
Vibhushana ,
“”This has always been the case. “”
YOU GOT YOUR KNICKERS/AMBUDE IN A TWIST
From the dawn of Islam North India has been ruled by Muslims Sunni and Shia.
The Arabs came to Cochin for currency pepper from 700BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Muslim_presence_in_the_Iberian_Peninsul
Tell who when the portugese mix with the Moros and Africans what do you call it.
I do know kachcheris (word from VOC the first multinational Cooperation in the world and a system the world follows) were burnt to destroy evidence and 1970 the vogue of adding `De` to look Spanish.
” One can change their ethnicity and religion but not race. “
Now what do you call the offspring of Asians married to Europeans??
BTW the horses were taken from Eurasia to Europe and America.
Bandas were pirates from Banda island.
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Vibhushana / April 18, 2016
I know! I agree with you.
Listen to this one. Its a nice song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jnCb7_chRY
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Grease Yakka. / April 18, 2016
Yes nice hip hop.
I knew it all along it was bad timing.
Why did everyone call him a terrorist for a small number.
The muslims would never be sorry its the culture.
Hope Trump wins cheers.
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jim softy / April 19, 2016
India is a mix of Australoids (look like dravideans), Caucasoids (so called Aryans or North Indins) and some mongols or occidental people.
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amal perera / April 20, 2016
“India is a mix of Australoids”
Vikram Singh and m/s Smith – he is the brilliant one MD & SD same time was based at Colombo. went nuts and works for charity- He is UP boy.
Specialist Terror adviser for Sarc.
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Rohan Vannitamby. / April 18, 2016
Professor Harendra’s comment is most welcome. CT needs more of your comments.
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maali karunaratne / April 18, 2016
Professor- It is not only the three wheel drivers but also I have seen prados and expensive cars having Sinha Le label. I worked in various institution and I found the so called educated are also racists.
Very good article.
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trunket / April 18, 2016
Harendra De Silva,
” I will stop for now since i am not sure whether we have all the antidotes!!”
If you have an idea of bench marks. once you know who you are then you can be humble and sleep peacefully.
High or low we can see when you carry out duties we don’t need names.
You should lecture seriously to the Sangha and that is where the buck stops.
reason being the Arabs were the first navigators and thought the world was flat so they traveled eastwards.
The Portugese/Spanish were Pagens during the 800 year Arab Rulethe south of the Iberian penunsila was ruled- they are mixed to Moros and Africans –
Isabella Catholica sent Christopher Columbus to the Americas with African slaves.
Carribean and the Americas did not mix with asians (East india company and west india company were administered different)
the English continued the same way taking Africans through Maryland.
Who mixed our island the Bishop of Portuguese Goa from 1497- 1970 from all over Asia.
You will understand who you are when you understand Nutmeg the golden balls wars.
Banda islands.
That is how all your high five Bandas came to the island.
Go preach to the Buddhist Sangha and tell them they came from south India via portugese intrusion because the north was islam from 700AD- 1818AD
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New Vanguard / April 18, 2016
“We need a fearless but consistent in vision, ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ type of leadership. Why should politions play a prominent role in religious celebrations? Why should religion play a leading role in political meetings?”
Perhaps the Professor and the other English-Speaking people should understand that this is one view. We wil no sonlve problems by marginalzing other views, including the Sinhale ones. Cosmopolitanism is one option, but majority rule by the majority is another. To simply say that society should resemble ones own social group rather than another is hypocritical.
The irony is that Good Governance has nothing to say on which race should be in power, simply how the country should be governemed and how changes should come about – peacefully or not at all. In that sense we are on track – peace, and peaceful debate that is inflammotory but nothing has got inflamed yet.
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Gabber Singh / April 18, 2016
don’t worry the lease on the island is running out.
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Mano Ratwatte / April 18, 2016
Fantastic article. As Marc said, religion is the opium of the masses. Yet even political ideologies like communism were adhered to as though they were religions with their own infallible deities like Mao, Stalin, Lenin and a host of other dictators…..
Thank you for your top class essay. So true .
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justice / April 18, 2016
“…………….Vijaya the son of Sinhabahu the lion slayer………..”
Astonishing that a Professor of Pediatrics believes in the story of a Lion and a Princess founding a dynasty !!!!!!!!!!!
Does the College Of Pediatricians endorse this story?
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soma / April 19, 2016
Idiot, the Professor only mentions the legend.
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ramona therese fernando / April 18, 2016
The difference between Sri Lanka and Nepal are stark.
1)Nepal’: population grew by 200% from 2001-2011 ; population increasing 3-million every 5 years
Sri Lanka : Population has remained static for centuries (depending on the countability factors- however, in recent times, the number has remained the same for several decades)
2)Nepal : 23 different languages
Sri Lanka : 2 distinct languages
3)Nepal: The 7 different states will counter-balance each other out.
Sri Lanka : 2 distinct states will pull away will pull away from each other, with the Tamils having the alliance of the colossal state of Tamil Nadu of which they are closest to.
4)Nepal : Surrounded by China and India that keeps each other in check, thus keeping Nepalese states viable.
Sri Lanka : Tamil state of India will be close to gigantic Tamil Nadu. Sinhalese state will not have an equivalent counter-balance for support
5)Nepal: 23 different ethnicities and languages
Sri Lanka : There are only 2 major races- Kandyans are Sinhalese, speak Sinhalese, and are Buddhist as with majority of the Coastal people (albeit minor caste differences). The rest are Tamils.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / April 18, 2016
rtf,
‘Sri Lanka’s population was about six million in the 1950’s and is now around 21 million. It has not been static for centuries.
Dr.RN
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ramona therese fernando / April 18, 2016
Counting heads was antiquated those days….you can’t trust population statistics before say, 1980. There was no sudden population burst like in Nepal within a short time, but a gradual upward gradient like of all other countries due to factors like better health care, and better counting statistics.
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Pistachio / April 18, 2016
You learnt to count your finger from the moros –
Go back under the rock you come from –
malu malu laabi!!
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sekara / April 19, 2016
Year….Population
1700…..235,000
1805…..522,000
1851….1627,000
1900….3912,000
1930….5707,000
1940….6134,000
1947….7037,000
1950….7678,000 (est)
1960….9890,000 (est)
1970…12516,000 (est)
1980…14750,000 (est)
1990…16990,000 (est)
2000…19238,600 (est)
2010…21026,000 (est)
source: http://www.populstat.info/Asia/srilankc.htm
It may not be very precise, but should be accurate to within a percent or so.
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ramona therese fernando / April 19, 2016
I reiterate: Demographics is a recent statistical science. For Sri Lanka, it started in the 1980’s after people were resettled. Sri Lanka also did not have the 200% population spike as Nepal did from 2001-2011.
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Dr.Rahasingham Narendran / April 19, 2016
Sekera and rtf,
I found the following link to with some interesting projections both backwards and forwards , based on mre liable census figures from the times of British rule and the last census. These figures explain why we are are josling for land and social space under various guises of language, religion, supposed origins and a particular type of national identity. It appears that we are animal jostling for territory, dictated by the tremendous increase in our numbers.
http://www.populstat.info/Asia/srilankc.htm
Dr.RN
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
Dr.Rahasingham Narendran
A proper and detailed population count was first conducted in 1871.
Please note ramona great grandma therese fernando often makes off the cuff remarks which amounts to lies. Therefore one should not take her seriously.
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sekara / April 19, 2016
Is she the only one?
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
SJ/sekara
“Is she the only one?”
Who said?
You better count yourself in.
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ramona therese fernando / April 19, 2016
Involving solely in antiquated numbers kills true analysis. It merely placates self-seeking desires and skews the truth towards the rights of so many more.
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SJ / April 19, 2016
Of course, I count myself in— except for the lies, which I leave to you, out of respect to you as my mentor.
Carry on jogging, chanting and visiting the play pen.
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ramona therese fernando / April 20, 2016
Native Vedda,
The proper and detailed population count first conducted in 1871, was proper only for the British, who counted the workers within their system who made money for them. The millions who were misplaced and displaced by their rules were of nonexistence.
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ramona therese fernando / April 18, 2016
Ok….wrong article….this was meant for “Will Sri Lanka Follow The Example Of Nepal?”
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Pistachio / April 18, 2016
kussi amma counting the fish Poor sole!
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ramona therese fernando / April 19, 2016
Yep! the admixtures of the whole of the Indian continent and Sri Lanka are the same, with 1 or 2 percentage points difference between tribes. If anything, the whole lot of us should be proud of the high percentage of Onge that make us uniquely South Asian. What say you Pistachio?!!!
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Pure Blooded Lankan / April 19, 2016
Throughout the Sri Lankan history from before the arrival of Vijay to almost until the independence in 1948, immigrants from North and South India (Bengal, Orissa, Andara, Tamil Nadu and Kerala) came to Sri Lanka in many different forms, as Peaceful immigrants, as Invaders, as Warriors and soldiers, as wives of Kings, as Kings, as maids and marriage partners, as Architects and builders, as craftsmen, as weavers, as farmers, as workers/labourers and so on.
However, the North and South Indians (Benghalis, Orrisians, Telugus, Tamils, and Malabars) landing in Sri Lanka no longer remained as Indians, they assimilated with the people of Sri Lanka and become either Sinhalese or Tamils. Our theories of pure blooded Sinhalese or Tamils in Sri Lanka will get shot down in no time with the latest genetic findings. Genetic studies point to a multi-faceted origin of Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils with a similar genetic pattern (no significant genetic variation among them) of mixed genetic background. For example, the DNA of a Sinhalese or a Sri Lankan Tamil will have mixed genetics from Bengal, Orissa, Andara, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. However, if we consider the culture, the Sinhala culture is mixed but unique to Sri Lanka whereas the Tamil culture is not.
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
Pure Blooded Lankan
“Sinhala culture is mixed but unique to Sri Lanka whereas the Tamil culture is not.”
Please clarify:
What is Sinhala Culture?
Why Sinhala Culture is unique?
What is Tamil Culture?
What is culture?
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Hamlet / April 19, 2016
Native Veddah; The answer to your Question “What is culture”? is:-
Culture is what Turns a Pot of Milk, into a Pot of Curd!
It does not Stay the Same for very long!
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
Hamlet
“It does not Stay the Same for very long!”
It becomes sour and usually causes diarrhea.
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Pistachio / April 19, 2016
N.V.
I know you hate Saiva but it does not end there Lord Vish
Here is your wish not punnaku
Say Cheese! there are many a variety patented.
Guess what. the maximum theft of item in any supermarket is Cheese.
The Chinese are susceptible to lactose. Where are the rats.
The Nigerian’s have the Epicanthic fold like the chinese japenese.
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Punchiburamphi / April 19, 2016
When you talk about culture:
One of my EU friend wanted to take part himself in a lanken wedding.
He had studied asian cutlures before goin to do so. On his return, he shared me thoughts that I have not noticed before. Lanken style of weddings are no long from srilanken culture.
So, I believe culture is a mixture of everything (Religion, race, creed ).
Today, young generations and their behaviours regardless of the locations they live – compell to draw conclusions of the kind that I described above- it is simply a mixture.
Most youtuh today, dont care who they the elders are, they behave totally being married to hand phones rather than to any other asosciations withint eh family or within their roaming circles.
Each time, I get upset being unable to realize the way lanken youth tick today, being full iganorant to what we then considered as our culture. – i respected my elders always. I respected my mother above everything. Today, mothers are treated by the youth as no second to some youth go amok creating miseries in europe. But all in all, i believe european kids andtheir nurture is more or less much better than those of our youth of srilanka today. I know germans, Swiss, English respect their parents above everyting, I mean percentage wise, a significant fraction of the society are behaving so. But today srilanka, young sons and daughters dont even have hearts to see it right.. (i think percentage wise growing numbers behave so). lATTER is a social erosion.. politicans have failed to do the due in terms of growth of YOUTH putting them into right tracks. Meaning here, Education and the nature of education given to them had been changed during the last few years WITH internet taking its ground as Ebola entered creating an epidemy.
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Pure Blooded Lankan / April 19, 2016
It does not matter whether the Sinhalese and Tamils have the same ancestry/blood/DNA/genetics-relatedness or not. It is not the matter of people or blood lines being native to Sri Lanka but the culture. The people of Sri Lanka (both Sinhalese and Tamils) may have come from India (North & South) and have a mixed but similar DNA/genetics but the Sinhala culture is native to Sri Lanka whereas the Tamil culture is not native to Sri Lanka. The culture of the Sinhalese may have been one imposed by successive waves of both North and South Indian cultural contacts but however it is unique and native to Sri Lanka where as that of the Tamils is from Tamil Nadu (not unique to Sri Lanka). For the Muslims, religion is more important than language, culture or blood lines/genetics.
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Saibu Jayathilaka / April 19, 2016
You say here, Sinhalese culture is unique them ?
can you give us examples please ?
a) Killing and further cheating the gulliable nation as Mahinda Rajakahses did ? it is nothing to do with lanken average, but his intoxication – power greediness
b) Buddhism is also practised in Thailand, so that cant be unique to lanka
c) Eating habits are more or less similar to north indians… only few recepes are different… is that not the case those who migrated to EUrope even cook differen to their traditinal way of cooking their ancestral countries.
d) Caste and creed are tha tmuch of concerned in the country.. that hs lot to do with indians in general….
f) Perhaps only unique to sinhalaese could be their superiority complex.. even if they have nothing in their heads…
Me too born sinhalaya, but became international citizen since living in the west.
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ramona therese fernando / April 19, 2016
I agree Pure Blooded Lankan. Sinhala culture is only found in Sri Lanka. Language and Buddhism make it different from the other. Once a different language and religion has been instilled for thousands of years, the psyche of the people are also different.
As 80% consider themselves Sinhalese, Sri Lanka is mostly Sinhalese territory, and they have a right to defend their culture. However, this does not mean that Tamils have to be sidelined. As a civilized nation, Tamils have to be included. And if they need more autonomy, they should be give it, aside from Federalism that will have dire consequences on the rest of Sri Lanka due to colossal Tamil Nadu so close by.
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King Wala Gemba / April 20, 2016
“Language and Buddhism make it different from the other.”
What nonsense!
Not only Hinduism but Buddhism also came from India. Sinhala language is nothing but Sanskrit, Pali and Tamil, all of them from India. The Sinhala-Buddhist Culture, Language and Religion came from India along with the people.
ramona therese fernando is under the impression that Buddha was born in Sri Lanka and Buddhism is found only in Sri Lanka. LOL!
Cambodia is 97% Theravada Buddhist, Thailand is 93% Theravada Buddhist, and Myanmar is 80% Theravada Buddhist, whereas Sri Lanka is only 69% Buddhist.
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Suresh / April 20, 2016
“The Sinhala-Buddhist Culture, Language and Religion came from India along with the people.”
Nothing is native to Sri Lanka other than the aboriginal Veddas. For example, the Fernandos of Western coast came from Thooththukuddy.
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Pistachio / April 19, 2016
Pure Blooded Lankan
Booby you are vulture eaten culture.
that is what is known as for sitting under the Goo tree.
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
Pure Blooded Lankan
Please clarify:
What is Sinhala Culture?
Why Sinhala Culture is unique to Sri Lanka? What is unique about Sinhala culture?
What is Tamil Culture?
Why Tamil Culture is not unique to Sri Lanka?
What is culture?
It is alright if you haven’t got an idea about culture. We can live without your explanation as we have done for centuries.
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Suresh / April 20, 2016
Tamils of Sri Lanka whether you like it or not, are native to Sri Lanka and would not be satisfied with anything less than Federalism. If that will not happen then the only option left for the Tamils is to campaign for a separate state like Kosovo. Please do not force that choice on to the Tamils.
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Old Codger / April 19, 2016
Pistachio,
HEALTH WARNING: Do not get into arguments with Ramona T. You risk losing your marbles by going round in circles. She lives on a different planet, of course.
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King Wala Gemba / April 19, 2016
Pistachio
Whenever RTF forget to take her pills she gets into this forum, if by mistake you engage with her, she will take you round and round the mulberry bush with fairy tales invented from thin air (with bogus statistics) and finally bring you back to square one making you never to engage again (if you are wise).
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
King Wala Gemba
“she will take you round and round the mulberry bush”
Pistachio would love it.
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SJ / April 19, 2016
NV dear,
Talking of going round the mulberry bush—
Not just RF, you bet, you too can give a good run for the money.
Not that I love it, but need the occasional comic relief.
However, when it comes to fun, sorry to say that you are no match for good old Fukushima.
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Sinhala_Man / April 19, 2016
Dear King Wala Gemba,
You’re spot on! I once found her and Izeth Hussain going at it so well about (who was that soprano? – already forgotten!) and “Danno Budunge” that I thought that they would both orgasm pretty quickly. Not many days later I found IH raining imprecations down on her.
Ah, if only we could have humans who could be consistent. But for inconsistency there’s a fellow calling himself “Viraj Kariawasam” – no, not the Minister of Education. But the guy keeps contradicting himself, here:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-whited-thomian-sepulchres-the-pharisees-who-cheat/
It may be worth your while studying this, for reason apart from psychoanalysing the commentor: it’s about outrageous cheating at a school. How obscure or famous the school doesn’t matter. Who is going to be a pedagogue if the guys are treated like helots or indentured labour – or like housemaids?
Come to think of it, how long will you be able to tolerate RTF as your housemaid or concubine?
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Jimbo / April 19, 2016
The resident COW does it AGAIN!!!
So what else is new???
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ramona therese fernando / April 19, 2016
Commentators above:
When one tries to be nice and forgiving, twisted minds become disgustingly perverse. Guess I’m winning the arguments at every turn – it’s difficult to go against the stark differences between Sri Lanka and Nepal, isn’t it!
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SJ / April 19, 2016
Yes RTF
You always manage the last word. Congratulations.
But thee is nothing worse than success. It makes you lonely and isolated; see, nobody wants a chat with you.
They must be really rotten bad losers who do not like kids who somehow win all the time.
I have an idea, not very original though:
You can argue with yourself.
But the catch is: one of you wins and one of you loses unless it is a prearranged draw. Then again, you do not win.
It is a cruel world!
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ramona therese fernando / April 19, 2016
SJ,…the idea is not for popularity. It is to give awareness to the TRUTH!
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Pistachio / April 19, 2016
“to the TRUTH! “
is when we taste it. it is the truth – like the vaddhi kahata.
We all are versed in Samson and Delilah.
.
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Pistachio / April 19, 2016
R/t/f/
`Guess I’m winning the arguments at every turn”
bottom half black hamburger.
All you can have is wet dreams because the national pastime is bringing down ladders.
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SJ / April 19, 2016
RTF
Sorry. Whatever your target you are not getting there.
I will spare you the usual last word
Try arguing with yourself and enjoy a ceaseless debate.
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ramona therese fernando / April 20, 2016
SJ,…..I wouldn’t be too sure of that. And facts are stubborn.
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SJ / April 20, 2016
I am not so sure of facts being stubborn.
But you certainly are.
It is time that I quit, or people will think that I am mad.
(I know that I am, but that is supposed to be my secret.)
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Old Codger / April 20, 2016
Arguing with RTF is like playing cricket under football rules.
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Native Vedda / April 20, 2016
ramona great grandma therese fernando
” And facts are stubborn.”
Comment is free, but facts are sacred – C P Scott
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
― Joe Klaas
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King Wala Gemba / April 20, 2016
“Guess I’m winning the arguments at every turn”
Such wet dreams must be giving you the antidepressant effect when you forget the pills and argue like mad.
If you had said this in a place like Angoda, you may even get a standing ovation.
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ramona therese fernando / April 20, 2016
I am not intimidated by your sick perversions. I will continue to speak the Truth!
I only wonder at CT publishing such nasty and disgusting vulgarity in place of rational argument.
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ramona therese fernando / April 20, 2016
To King Wala Gemba and other such embittered sickos :
My arguments are based on logic. You retort on the other hand with sick perversion.
When I see your disgusting retorts to my comments, I usually try to calm you down by being kind and brushing it off with some light-heartedness. I intend to use wit, in spite of your vindictive ad hominem.
For example, it seems that the person called pistachio has a severe complex on being Tamil and associates some inferiority in that. I strived to assure him that all South Asians are similar genetically (although that does not mean that the Sinhala Buddhist heritage and national status should be compromised).
In IZH’s case, I have respect for his status as a former diplomat, and care for him in his advanced age.
Persons like you, in the absence of good counter argument, usually resort in the twisted perversion that seems an integral part of you.
If CT choses to ignore these things, in spite of it being against their policy, it still will not matter to me, as I will strive to get the Truth out to the best of my ability.
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Funlover / April 18, 2016
Like the first comment here, I too say “Spot on Harendra”, but only with regard to the diagnosis of the disease. But the HERD INSTINCT is inherent in Humanity. Problem with the human genes? Herd mentality in the World may perhaps diminish / disintegrate only if there is invasion and colonization by a herd / herds from outer space! But don’t hold your breath.
Take a look across the globe at those Racial, Religious, and Cultural Herds, in which very well accomplished persons are firmly integrated within each herd. This goes to show that the much touted IQ (Amarasiri) has nothing to do with it.
Bravely you are suggesting remedies for Sri Lanka …… but what a vain exercise!
In our own little island, the Sinhala-Buddhist, as distinguished from “Buddhist”, is uniquely placed belonging to the overwhelmingly largest herd. This is the largest and only significant herd capable of moulding the history of this place. Ironically they are one of the smallest in the world. 8,000,000,000 versus 14,000,000!
Is it any wonder they display much pride in their Herd, with an unmistakable element of fear of the “other”? That fear is the root of all conlict here. Much of the history of Sri Lanka reflects this truism.
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Native Vedda / April 19, 2016
Funlover
“Is it any wonder they display much pride in their Herd, with an unmistakable element of fear of the “other”? “
Isn’t it their problem?
One can be paranoid about anything and everything. For example a spanish company now manufactures smartress, can be used as a love rat detecting system.
Read below:
The cheat-catching mattress – and other paranoia-inducing apps
A new ‘smart mattress’ uses motion sensors to detect whether your other half is being unfaithful. It’s just one of the many ways you can now stoke your real-world insecurities online
Most lovers only want to know the when and the who-with of a cheating partner, but now a Spanish mattress company has decided to go off the deep end when it comes to love-rat TMI.
Durmet’s new £1,200 matress – the Smartress – comes with 24 motion detectors built into the springs – a “lover detection system” that is guaranteed, the makers say, to scan for “suspicious activity” and offer real-time updates, via a phone app, on anyone playing break-the-bed outside of the marriage unit.
It’s certainly not the first product of a coming wave of tech-enabled personal paranoia. Child-tracking apps have been around for so long that they are increasingly accepted as a legitimate part of the parenting process.
While the idea of profiting from people’s fears goes back even further than PR pioneer Edward Bernays, the online options for stoking our real-world insecurities have never been so vast.
theguardian.com/technology/
shortcuts/2016/apr/17/
Funlover
You should buy one if you are permanently paranoid. You wouldn’t know what your partner is up to when you are away having fun.
Why don’t present one to somass?
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Funlover / April 19, 2016
Like your twin Amarasiri you have not failed to make your cut and paste goheda yanne malle pol excrement – CT tolerates you because both of you keep the attention of a vast number of morons who inhabit the comments columns. Otherwise the comments from the two of you are disqualified for publication by the CT comments policy as irrelevant. Didn’t you realize that posting garbage as a comment to a well thought out and well written opinion on a very serious subject is totally disrespectful?
But I never imagined that you could turn out to be the mean SOB that you really are; sorry, I should have written bestial S-O-LION with a mangled budda in your insane head. Was there any need for you to ask whether my partner is sleeping with someone else while I am away?
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Samy / April 18, 2016
Thanks Professor for enlightening the gullibles and putting some senses into their minds. It’s always good to separate
religion, cast and language from politics. The dirty politicians are using these as good tools to gain and stay in power, and destroy the country and the societies for their survival.
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vas / April 18, 2016
You only have to follow this site to see the morbid communalism practiced mainly by the minorities. Sinhala response is Sinhale.the original name of Sri Lanka before the colonialists arrived. The minority complex and the anti sinhala rhetoric has produced this very unwanted response.
What most people forget is that the whole country is bankrupt and every Sinhalese, Tamil and the muslims are pauperised by a evil group of politicians who are ruining the country. 93 ministers Why? so that they all can earn commissions at the expense of all including the vociferous Communalists. It is time these half baked middle class english speaking elite turn their guns on the corrupt rulers who are ruining the country. Once the country is on the way to recovery hopefully there will be equality, rule of law and the communities will gel together. This rabid corrupt communalists of politicians must be banished. Never again should we allow politicians to run our life.
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Native Vedda / April 20, 2016
vas
“You only have to follow this site to see the morbid communalism practiced mainly by the minorities.”
I can see that, feel that, hear that, smell that … of course it is practiced by minorities, the noisy Sinhala/Buddhists racists minorities.
“Sinhala response is Sinhale”
What exactly does this mean, in practical terms?
“The minority complex and the anti sinhala rhetoric has produced this very unwanted response.”
It is indeed a minority complex and a case of majority community suffering from minority complex and increasing paranoia.
“What most people forget is that the whole country is bankrupt and every Sinhalese, Tamil and the muslims are pauperised by a evil group of politicians who are ruining the country.”
Why blame the evil group, when stupid people actively supporting them, electing them in every elections, defending them tooth and nail, making deals with them, ………
I was led to believe that the minorities, India and West had been the evil group (axis of evil) which actively undermined the sovereignty of this island and MR single-handedly dealt with them.
Why are you moaning about 93/102 ministers now? When MR had almost same number of ministers you had nothing to complain? Why now?
If RW sends armed forces in to beat/kill minorities and prisoners probably would you switch your loyalty from MR to RW, even if he exceeds the 102 threshold?
When the country is constantly being attacked by bigots/racists like you, RW and MS may need to find jobs for rest of the crooks in the parliament.
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vas / April 20, 2016
Native Vedda,
This is the rabid communalism thatI spoke about completely out of reality expecting every action has no reaction. It is stupid people like you who has made a mockery of this web site and who instigate conflict wit a schizophrenic approach and selective amnesia. You have nothing constructive to offer except criticism. It is this approach that created a 30 year old war and used the poor tamil children as cannon fodder. I suppose you are in the security of colombo or a refugee in a western rich country. This is the benefit you have got using the poor child soldiers as cannon fodder. Your children and probably your grand children are probably refugees in a rich country enjoying the benefits of a free education etc. People like you are disgusting and not worth any further comment.
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VetriVel / April 19, 2016
As a SL Tamil living in Canada.. I hope for peace between the SL Tamils & Sinhalese. Nd if u observe closely the sinhalese equivalent (caste) to the tamils r not significantly different in terms of appearance, with the Sinhalese displaying more Northern Indian traits and the SL Tamils more southern Indian traits (generally).. I am not for large scale mixing of the two people.. SL Tamils R not Indian Tamils.. It was the racist amongst the Sinhalese who have pushed us into the hands of the Indian Tamils for the last 30 years..That said, we want to be SL Tamils. We r a unique ethnic group..
Anyways SL has an overall iq of 79!! (poverty striken India has an iq of 82) so it seems the Sinhalese or the SL Tamils have a lot of dumb people.. Now I do not want to point fingers but SL Tamils, from what I have seen, are pretty sharp, cunning, good @ business, driven, etc.. Sinhalese, on the other hand, from what I have seen, are too laid back for my liking.. I think SL Tamils should, for the most part, marry amongst themselves..
Although it is not politically correct to say so, iq and behaviour r more nature than nurture.. look it up.. That is why 5 million jews have America in the palms of their hands.
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BBS Rep / April 19, 2016
Ah well, Professor, unfortunately as Uvindu who wrote a recent article on Mrs B said, all Sri Lankans possess a duality – meaning a schizophrenic personality. Your sentiments so coherently expressed here will also go the same way. Most will agree with what you say as true and yet thoughtlessly go about their business being associated with their clans and sub clans and doing the most agreeable things to satisfy the clan.
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Old Codger / April 19, 2016
Very good and reasonable article, professor.
” What happened to Indian fishermen who strayed over to Lankan shores? Similarly the Sinhala fishermen who got washed onto the Maldivian archipelago.”
The point here is that at the time there WAS no such thing as an Indian or a Sri Lankan. There were only fishermen. They followed the fish and set up camps anywhere they pleased. That’s why Panadura (formerly Panathure) in Sri Lanka and Panethura in Kerala have similar names. They were named by the same fishermen.
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Pistachio / April 20, 2016
Old Codger ,
I consider the education of our `senses and emotions` rather more important than the `education of our ideas`.
socialism, communism democracy ..bla bla Ideas are ideas
`senses and emotions` is being closer to human affiars so we have the spirit of reasonableness …age of peace if it dawns.
Is this man of article product from ananda maradana and what field please?
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Sanjaya / April 19, 2016
a very good one.
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Non PhD / April 19, 2016
Excellent analysis Prof. Hats off to you for beaming on the divide and rule tactics followed in SL by all the Leaders since 1947.
Armed forces, civil servants, SL diplomats, editors in the medis all became together as supremacists with clear political agendas.
Fellow CT readers,
have you read and or heard
(A) “Mama Thamai” Bandula Jeyasekera’s analysis in the Island newspaper dated 17th April 2016 ?
(B) ” Mama Thamai ” Mahinda Rajapakse’s
PIECE OF CAKE Speech which is in Video in the Daily Mirror issue of 18th April 2016 where he boasts about May Day and wearing RED SHIRTS, the development work he did for the Tamils in the North and still they want more ?
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Nihalka / April 20, 2016
Thank you Prof. We want more learned people speak up to point out ignorance and narrow mindedness of our countrymen.
Those commenting, Instead of picking on a minor discrepancy here or there, look at the big picture and support the core message.
Again, Well done and thank you.
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Hypocrite / April 20, 2016
Hey Prof,
You got a point. Thank you. By the way, are you a disable person for not to drive your car?
You know, some people would not see any difference in “lower social groups such as three wheeler drivers who are bold enough to display the Sinha-le!” or elite social group members such as you in state’s welfare system for life to use others as cheap labourers. Queen left the country long time ago. When you and your friends are going to learn to clean up your dirty laundry?
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