Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole
Since we proudly celebrated the eighty-fifth anniversary of Sri Lankan democracy in 2016, there has been a coup, first to replace a Prime Minister commanding a working majority in Parliament with another who could not muster a majority, followed by a move to dissolve parliament unconstitutionally. Even though Parliament and the Judiciary stood firm, these moves damaged Srilanka badly. The Economist’s Intelligence Unit downgraded Sri Lanka into the category of “failing democracies” in the sordid company of 55 states among the 165 countries it ranked.
Democracy goes hand in hand with minority rights. The Sinhalese as a people must recognize that unless Tamils and Muslims are fully recognized as Srilankans, democracy will evade all of us. New moves to pardon Gnanasara Thero, that archvillain of Srilankan communalism, send shivers down the spines of minorities. As Colombo Telegraph reports, Buddha Sasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera while forecasting a presidential pardon for the villainous Thero come Independence Day, also forwarded supporting documents from Ramanna Nikaya, Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagi Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Nikaya, and the Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siam Nikaya.
All Sinhalese Buddhists should ask, “Are these men fit to lead the Buddhist faithful?” All minorities should ask, “What kind of independence will we be celebrating on 4 February when a man who torments us is released because, as the BBS put it, he is a national treasure?”
Colombo Telegraph quotes International Crisis Group’s Alan Keenan: “If even a self-proclaimed liberal and reformist government, with Mangala Samaraweera, Mano Ganesan and Harsha de Silva in Cabinet, allow Gnanasara to be pardoned without serious resistance, Sri Lanka seems fated to suffer more violence and tension and instability in the years ahead.” This would be what the President wants if he pardons the man.
Our Election Commission is meant to be a bulwark against moves to undermine democracy and let loose dangerous men who target minorities. Tamils and Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder in 2015 in resisting the dismantling of the rule of law. Thwarted badly in dismissing a legitimately elected parliament prematurely, the Executive seems ready to manipulate the elections by pandering to the communalist gallery. That requires breaking all commitments of protection to minorities, and engendering dark communalist forces among minorities.
So? The President appoints M.L.A.M. Hizbullah as the Governor of the Eastern Province which urgently needs the Tamil and Muslims to come together after divisions were promoted during the war years. Hizbullah failed to win a seat under Mahinda Rajapaksa’s patronage in 2015, switched sides to Sirisena and was made an MP on the nominated list. His followers somehow have to win next time.
As reported by Colombo Tiday Hizbullah has boasted of his taking over Hindu Kali temple lands for a Muslim fish market. That recording being in Tamil, a translation:
“That land was owned by a Hindu temple. There were so many problems in seizing that land. If I had failed to obtain that temple land they [the Hindus] might have built a Kovil at Ottamaavadi Town. Muslims must not forget my service in that issue. At that time former MP HON. Durairaajasinham fought with me opposing my attempts of obtaining the land. But I seized the land by misusing the power which I had as the President of District Development Committee. I took over the Kovil land and handed it over to the Ottamaavady Mosque. I am the one who allocated funds to build the market on that Kovil land and shared the shops with our Muslim people from the market which I built.”
Total Hartal: Empty Streets and Closed Shops in Muslim and Tamil Towns
No wonder that there was a total Hartal organized for the 25th against the appointment of this governor. I had to visit Katanakudi and Batticaloa during 23-24 Jan. and was privy to seeing personally how the shut-down was complete even in Muslim towns like Eravur as I passed through. An earlier attempt at a boycott was a failure because the police went about warning traders not to close. News reports say that theatre owner Ravipillai Mohan of the UNP did it properly this time and the police are looking for him.
Posters of New Governor Hizbullah All Over The East
With the Eastern Provincial Council closed and the Governor running it, will the elections due this year be fair? Doubtful, going by how powerful the three ministers from the East are. In the Parliamentary Elections of Aug. 2015 Hizbullah had a Women’s Grand Conference where each participant was given a bag with food packets, a mug and other souvenirs. Election Officials intervened, and took one of the bags being distributed as evidence. A complaint was lodged with the police and the bag given to them. In the absence of any police action, Sinhalese election officials (who are more effective with the police than Tamil officials in our democracy) from Colombo intervened and a case was filed. The police blithely reported in writing to the Election Official who had personally given the evidence to them, that there was no evidence that treats were distributed. The matter ended there!
There is more on this police inaction. In the run up to at the last local government elections on 10.02.2018, a campaign meeting was held going into 11:30 pm. Regulations issued by the Election Commission prohibit meetings after 11:00 pm, campaigning on the streets with a party of 11 or more, etc.. Yet with then Minister Hizbullah and the Deputy Minister Amir Ali on the stage the police took no action. When election officials went personally with the police team assigned to them, the meeting was ended. The man Hizbullah promoted, Ashfer, was elected Katankudi Urban Council Chairman.
However, no case was filed. Why? These Election Commission regulations are all flatulence and no substance. That is because our regulations have no force in law. They are designed to show that the Commission is upholding fairness in elections in full earnest. In reality, novices to elections – that is small and new parties – obey our regulations, while the experienced veterans care but two hoots knowing that no charge can stick.
To experienced parties, even real violations “can be shaped up.” For example, following up on a written complaint, I found Vijeyakala Maheswaran, a Deputy Minister, holding an election rally at a temple during the Local Government Elections. I took photographs and pushed for action. Nothing was done. When I persisted, it was said it was outside the election period. I called for the file and showed it was right in the midst of the election period. The Commission then agreed to forward the file for prosecution. Today, a few months later, nothing has been done. Similarly, the UNP during the local government elections promised Rs. 500 million for Buddhist temples. TELO’s Sivajlingam filed a written complaint. When I raised concern over the inaction, I was told there has to be a written complaint. When I produced a copy of the complaint, I was told that since Buddhism is promised state patronage in our constitution, we need to discuss this further to see if the law that “treating” is an election offence applies to Buddhism. I am publicly calling for these matters to be reopened to ensure that we do not fail even more as a democracy.
The Nineteenth Amendment was in part to ensure that an Election Commission of three took the place of the previous single Commissioner. In my reckoning, the purpose has not been realized and that part of the nineteenth amendment is a failure. For things to be different, the President and Prime Minister must stop calling only for the Chairman for private discussions. There is no earthly reason or hurry why they cannot wait for the Commission of three to meet and speak to them together. As one example, just before the controversial gazette dismissing Parliament and calling for elections, the EC Chairman was suddenly asked to meet the President the night before. UNP MPs believe that he drafted the gazette that came out the next day, saying that the setting of dates in the gazette for nominations, elections, etc. according to the law requires an experienced hand with the Parliamentary Elections Act. Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya on the other hand says the gazette was ready for going to the press when he got to the meeting with the President, and anyone reading the Act can set the dates. I take him at his word but is it not to avoid accusations of partisanship like this against those in charge of elections that we are an Election Commission of three? To keep the Commission above suspicion? Such accusations cannot be sustained if all three of us had been there.
An Elegant Evening at Indian Republic Day in Jaffna – Delectable Food and Aesthetic Chav Dance Forms
In contrast, I just returned from the Indian Jaffna Consul’s celebration of India’s Republic Day with sumptuous feasting and aesthetic entertainment by a Chav dancing troupe, where the new Sirisena appointee as Northern Governor, Dr. Suren Raghavan was Chief Guest. He is a Tamil Buddhist. So Jaffna people were put off saying he is sucking up.
It is time we Tamils admitted that we were predominantly Buddhist in our Epic Manimehalai Period (3rd -5th century AD) and Buddhist is not always a dirty word. Accordingly many Buddhist monuments claimed as Sinhalese from a period when there was no Sinhalese language would be Tamil.
Raghavan delivered his address in perfect Tamil. He said India is not just our neighbour but a civilization, and the tent for ours. Thanks to India, he said, our freedoms were enhanced through the Thirteenth Amendment. He quoted Socrates to say that in our long journey ahead, we must walk slowly. Ex facie, Raghavan’s seems a good appointment.
Today the East is boiling. A Hindu temple in Nayaaru-Neeraaviadi has been demolished and a Buddhist temple erected. The District Secretary has told court there never was a Buddhist Temple there but the Archaeology Department (which I do not believe because of its role in colonization) says otherwise. Court hearing was to be on the 24th so the Archaeology Department backed up by the Police and a Professor Kapila Gunawardena from Peradeniya, hurriedly constructed the Buddhist Temple on the 23rd, reports the Veerakesari of 24.01.2019. Raghavan can contribute a lot as the Eastern Cauldron boils.
How will it be when elections come this year and Hizbullah as governor wields influence over the police and is in charge of all provincial facilities? Will the Commission have the will to assert the law rather than indulge in cosmetics with sloganeering like “Vote is your Right” although that right seems to yield little tangible benefit when those we elect turn out to have no commitment to democracy?
President Sirisena, many say, tried to cheat in dismissing Parliament and was thwarted by the Courts, but has learnt the ropes since then to cheat without breaking the law in appointing Hizbullah. And where does Raghavan whom I wish well fit in all this?
JD / January 28, 2019
A Tamil Dalit with the Recetn and known history in south India is talking against the NAtive Majority of Sri lanka. Why you were not capable of working any where in the world. Isit always others wrong ?
/
S. Marypillai / January 29, 2019
The author claims that “It is time we Tamils admitted that we were predominantly Buddhist in our Epic Manimehalai Period (3rd -5th century AD) and..”.
There are errors here. Tamils were never predominantly Buddhist in any period of their history. Where’s the archeological and literary evidence? Buddhism was primarily an urban phenomenon in the Tamil land in the late classical era. It had no rural presence.
The Manimekalai date given above is also problematic. It’s certainly not a 3rd century work. Professor Vaiyapuri Pillai, noted etymologist, dates it to much later – perhaps in the same time period as the Saivite Tamil Tevarams going by the late language, presence of Prakrit derived words and literary allusions.
But overall – a very good article otherwise.
/
S. Marypillai / January 29, 2019
Suren Raghavan is NOT a Buddhist. He says that he is influenced by Hinduism (the religion he was born into), Christianity and Buddhism but is at heart non-denominational.
http://www.enb-news.com/public.news-view?001K-WAD-A6B8D392-7FA7-4BE4-93DA-3B1BC7D43208_en_0040-MNS-5E870F24-6BA6-452C-9C24-6C5FF173457A
/
JD / January 28, 2019
I know Hindu Tamils are not Evil. but not Every Tamil is. One of your kind tried to screw up Tamils by editing the WASHINGTON’s Constitution and then editing with another Socialist cum anti-buddhist. Remember what ever USA envisioned, Ranil chose two Protestants, one Tamil and One LSSPer to complete the Tamil. Do you say he did not screw up you Protestants. Tamils are victims most of the time. How dare you migrents bash sinhala buddhists. Eventhough USA deep state wants to destroy we Sinhala Buddhists, we survived even the RAJARAJA Cholan Tamil who was HIndu and not fkimg you protestants. It is you idiots who will lose. USA tries to destroy us but we survivied even RAJARAJA CHOLAN (a THIEF) and 550 years of European Colonial Onslaught. USA will lose. It is temporary and You Tamils are stupid. THINK.
/
JD / January 28, 2019
So, Tamils are getting it from Muslims. Way to go.
/
Critical thinking / January 28, 2019
This is racist lunatic.
He wants spread hatred among all three communities.
Why if president appoint him why you can not accept it ?
What is wrong in it ?.
You LTTE man wants to carve out part of Sri Lanka..
But; Muslims always stood for United Sri Lanka..
So; president does not trust you that is why he did this ?
Do not spread false accusation to spread hatred.
Muslim lands are taken by LTTE in many places?
Do not you know how LTTR chased out 100.000 Muslims from north?
Who looted Muslim lands and properties?
Is it not LTTE.
You people born and brought up with interest ..(.bood of other people ).
So do not tell Muslim grabe lands …
Ottamawadi fish market..
It is for all people ..
It is not just for Muslim alone ?
Any one could do business in there.
Do not think in communal line for all things?
/
Real Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 28, 2019
Muslim lands ! Your are South Indian Tamil low caste converted immigrant refugee burghers, with very little Arab . Moor of any other ancestry , that you keep on bragging about to everyone , whilst denying your actual largely low caste immigrant converted Hindu ancestry. You only arrived in the ancient Tamil Hindu east as refugees and asylum seekers first fleeing Portuguese persecution along the western coast and then Sinhalese persecution in the Kanyan highlans, as the Kandyan Sinhalese did not want any more of you converted South Indian refugees flooding their lands and sarted to attack and kill you ungrateful sods. In desperation King Senarath asked the Tamil Vanimmai chiefs along the southern parts of the east , who at that time came under his loose control to give refuge to you immigrant low caste converts from South India and they obliged and settled you at various places and even gave Tamil Hindu Mukkuva women in marriage, as most of the refugees coming to the east were single men , as the Portuguese had finished off most of the women and children. This is the reason the eastern Muslims until very recently were following the eastern Tamil Mukkuva customs as their maternal line is Tamil Mukkuva. Now you ungrateful pieces of sh-t , have bred like rats and are conniving with the Sinhalese settlers to steal the still largely Tamil east from the very same Tamil people who took pity on you as fellow Tamils and gave you refuge, land and even women to start families. The LTTE never started to attack until Muslim thugs from specially imported from Colombo by the JR Jayawrdene government and a Muslim minister whose family originates from Tamil Nadu , started to attack Hindu Tamils around the Kalmunai area , later they ethnically cleansed all the Tamil Hindus from Kattabkudi and destroyed the ancient Sivan temple , where a beef stall now stands.
/
Jamal / January 28, 2019
Does a low cast man’s faeces smell worse than that of a high caste idiot? Come, come RSS stop this nonsense of bringing in caste, race and religion. Surely not in this century?
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 28, 2019
Really have you condemned the despicable act this man has done in the name of Islam? Have you also condemned the third rate backstabbing activities that the Sri Lankan Muslims are up to and their part in the Eelam Tamil genocide , they were co partners with the Sinhalese in this war crime , despite being ethnically Tamil, they participated in the name of their religion and a fake Arab origin.. If caste religion and race are not important why do you Sri Lankan Muslims constantly deny your actual largely low caste Hindu Indian Tamil origin and heritage and keep on haring and claiming on an exclusive Arab/Moor origin , that only a few of you , partially have in small doses. Why are you in the name of an alien Wahhabi Islam doctrine and a fake Arab origin constantly attacking and destroying Hindu temples in the east and converting them to mosques , shopping centres and beef stalls,? This man has been caught red handed boasting of these activities , however like a typical Muslim instead of condemning these activities you start attacking me to divert attention. Stating the truth about the actual origin of Sri Lankan Muslims is not casteist or racist . Denying them and trying to claim something else and then joining with others to destroy your own origin , heritage and language is despicable.
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 28, 2019
Jamal,
–
Don’t waste your time. This uneducated coolie still doesn’t know that Brahmins are rickshaw pullers in India now. This half-idiot has a very long way to go at this age too.
–
One home land for Tamils is not enough, they are trying everything possible to get 1 in SL, another in Malaysia, Singapore, probably soon in Canada and AU will start to dream their home lands
/
Muhandiram / January 28, 2019
RSSS
Why are you so FULL of HATE against the so-called Low caste people? Are they NOT Humans? Shame on you. We are in the 21st century man and NOT in the ancient world. Grow up and get out of your Narrow minded, Ill-begotten ideas.
/
SJ / January 30, 2019
M
Have you considered the possibility that he is trying to cover his true identity with an assumed caste name and abuse of ‘low castes’?
It is almost the same story with Sinhalese of Tamil origin being more anti-Tamil than other Sinhalese.
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 31, 2019
You constantly to suck up to the Sinhalese racists and these fake Arab Tamil hating Wahhabi fanatics , who deny their Tamil heritage and do everything to destroy the Hindu Tamil identity on the island. What is your true identity and agenda? You were once sucking up to that racist Shenal/Shenali who openly called us ” Para Demala ” on this forum , stating I should be banned ( sic) , strange , she also called you a Para Demala but you did not find it offensive but were fawning to her. May you are not a Tamil but pretending to be one, as all your comments and actions are against Tamils. I know you have a personal vendetta and grudge against me , so it does not bother me but fawning and sucking up to these fanatics is hitting a new low. These people are trying to destroy and marginalise the Hindu Tamils of the east and are openly attacking and insulting all Tamils with their lies. not personally attacking me, but this does not bother you and just like you fawned and suck up to the Sinhalese racists , you are now fawning and sucking up to these lying Islamic fanatics. Who instead of apologising for what has happened are openly and defiantly attacking the Tamils. You are indeed disgusting and hit a new low.
/
Muhandiram / January 28, 2019
RSS
“The LTTE never started to attack until Muslim thugs from specially imported from Colombo by the JR Jayawrdene government and a Muslim minister whose family originates from Tamil Nadu , started to attack Hindu Tamils around the Kalmunai area , later they ethnically cleansed all the Tamil Hindus from Kattabkudi and destroyed the ancient Sivan temple , where a beef stall now stands.”
1. Can you say in which year the Muslims started to attack Hindu Tamils in Kalmunai area?
2. Tamil Hindus in Kattankudi??????? That’s News. Kattankudy has been a 100% Muslim town for a long, long time. There is No question of any Hindus living in Kattankudy for them to be “ethnically cleansed” by Muslims and for that to become a casus belli for the LTTE to terrorise the Muslims.
Trying hard to spread Rumours RSS?
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 28, 2019
Real Siva Sankaran Sharma,
–
You jokers, how could you ask for 50/50 when you only had less than 7% representation when SL got independance? How can you claim 1/3 of SL when you are not even 11 percent? How can you think that Jaffna belongs to Tamils only and no one other than a Tamil buy a piece of land in Jaffna that belongs to SL? Home Land greedy buggers – that greed had no limitation as to what is right and wrong. Your beloved terrorist organization, LTTE killed more Tamil intellectuals than Sinhalese or Muslims, yet you went on “kallathoni” to West to pump fuel and skim credit cards to earn money and support those terrorists to kill more innocents.
–
To claim historic ownership on the land, you need to prove it with legitimate sources. Where are they? while you guys are funding fabrication into history wherever gaps exist creating different versions of SL history. There were no permanent Tamil settlements in SL before 13th century, majority in Jaffna were all Sinhalese. When the Dutch came in during 16th century, they brought the Vellalar and other low caste Tamils from Tamil Nadu for tobacco plantation. That is what you are despite trying to fake your history and caste. Logically, that is what your present population figures support.
–
Muslims have been for united SL, nothing less. We helped the Govt get rid of terrorists, and will help if you raise your terrorist heads again in desperation for home land. Go back to TN
/
S.Marypillai / January 29, 2019
Haji Abdul Kader!
You obviously don’t know history yourself. There was a Tamil presence in Sri Lanka before the 13th century. Read the Mahavamsa!
And no, the Vellalar were not brought in by the Dutch. Your education is obviously limited to the Quran.
And since when were the Muslims for a united Sri Lanka. Look at the incidents in Mawanella!
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 29, 2019
hese Thullukans are born liars and opportunists , proving their lowly origins. Just look at the way all of them despite the obvious evidence that his Wahhabi /Salafist fanatic Hisbullah boasting about the destruction of a Hindu temple and giving the temple lands to a mosque to create a shopping centre and a beef or fish stall ( what a sacrilege ) for the benefit of local Muslims , are defending him not condemning what he did and are attacking the Tamils. These ungrateful creatures came to the Tamil east begging for refuge when no one else wanted them , the Portuguese , the Sinhalese and not even the people of Tamil Nadu and we took pity on them and gave them refuge , lands and women to start families, now they have bred like rats and are joining our enemies and want to steal our lands , in the name of Islam , Wahhabism and a fake Arab origin , that even the Arabs have stated they do not have. They is enough and more evidence and documented history that the North and East of the island are Tamil lands. Even the anti Tamil Mhavamsa comic books constantly refer to the lands to the north and east of the island as Tamil lands. All European colonial powers have refereed to the north and east of the island as the land of the Tamils the rest Sinhalese. Not Muslim or Sinhalese lands. When the British created the northern and eastern provinces and declared them as Tamil and not Muslim or Sinhalese lands. , they were the lands , that the Sinhalese had no claim whatsoever , in remote claim that the Sinhalese had were decided in their favour and these lands were taken out the north and east and joined to the Sinhalese provinces , like Puutalam , Chilaw, Padaviya , Tamankaduwa.
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 30, 2019
S.Marypillai,
–
“And no, the Vellalar were not brought in by the Dutch. Your education is obviously limited to the Quran”
–
Sorry bro, either you have misunderstood the history with your own faked version or trying to hide the reality.
–
Aren’t Vellarlars the dominating caste in Jaffna? Vellarlar are farmers in Tamil Nadu and Malabar. And the Dutch imported these people as agricultural labourers to work in Tobacco farming in Jaffna. Do you see the link why Jaffna is full of Vellalar now?
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 29, 2019
It was Muslim thugs, hooligans and criminals , who were imported from Colombo to Muslim majority Kalmunai in eastern Sri Lanka in 1985 during the JR regime by Tamil Nadu origin minister Mohammed , to deliberately create a rift between the eastern Tamils and Muslims that started the rift. This was deliberately done by the JR regime and Colombo based Muslim politicians , as many Tamil Muslims in the east at that time were very sympathetic to the LTTE. They started to attack Tamil homes businesses and Hindu temples around the Kalmunai area. Later Muslim home guards heavily armed by the Sri Lankan armed forces and STF , started to attack Tamil Hindu villages and destroy Hindu temples in the Amparai and parts of Batticaloa district. Many100% Tamil Hindu villages in these areas were converted to 100% Muslim villages and the Hindu temples were converted to Mosques .
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 29, 2019
contd: What Hisbullah has done is not something new. Tamils still are not allowed to return to their villages by the Muslims in these areas and the government backs them. In the 1980s Mullaha were calling over the loudspeakers to chase all Tamil Hindus from the Kattankudi area , the mobs heeded to this call chased all Tamil Hindus from the Kattankudi area . The Sinhalese police helped the Muslim Mobs. The ancient historic Sivan temple in Kattankudi was deliberately destroyed and now it is some beef stall., It is only after all these attacks on Tamil Hindus and the deliberate destruction of Hindu temples in the east and converting them to mosques and beef stalls that the LTTE started to attack. The history of the east , from ancient to modern time until recently had always been Tamil and Hindu , never Sinhalese or Muslim. Both these people are outsiders and new comers , who are now conniving together to dispossess the eastern Tamils of their land and steal it for themselves. The former settled by the Sri Lankan state to deliberately make the Tamils a minority in their own lands and the later South Indian refugee immigrants , who only arrived in the east a few centuries ago.
/
Real Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 29, 2019
contd: Muslims were never for national unity on the contrary they did the opposite l for their own benefit. This opportunistic backstabbing , largely low caste converted , immigrant community from South India , despite being ethnically Tamil , deliberately went out of its way not to create national unity or reconciliation but to create disharmony . Their politicians, elite and establishment , especially the southern variety joined the Sinhalese racists, government and establishment to deliberately discriminate , commit genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes on the island’s Tamils , for petty benefits and power and wealth. They brain washed the island’s Muslim masses who are 100% Tamil by ethnicity, to hate their Tamil origin and consider themselves as people of Arab origin and descent. In the south ,they joined Sinhalese mobs and racists during every state sponsored anti Tamil pogrom to destroy Tamil home and businesses and in the east , they joined the Sinhalese armed forces to kill destroy , ethnically cleanse and burn Tamil Hindu villages and then convert them to Muslim villages. This is why the LTTE started to attack them and chased them away from the north , as they were getting ready to do the same in the north, especially in the Mannar region. In May 2009 and Muslims were seen dancing on the streets and joining victory parades and hosting parties celebrating the death and destruction of over 145000 innocent Tamil civilians in the Vanni. Their dance only ended when the former Sinhalese allies thinking that the Tamils are no more a threat turned on them. The Tamils of the north and east are the sons of the soil and indigenous to these areas. They were fighting for their land and culture and survival from state sponsored Sinhalese racism and genocide .
/
Thushan Hettige / January 29, 2019
Does any of this historical stuff matter anymore? I really think we need to stop fighting over the details of the history and saying “this land belongs to Tamils and not Muslims” and “we were here first so get out”.
Sri Lanka is a unitary state that can not, and will not, be divided.
To the Tamils with a separatist mindset: You have a homeland. It is called Sri Lanka. Not just the North and East, but the entirety of Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese are not your enemy. They are your brothers and your sisters. In Colombo, you live hand-in-hand with the Sinhalese, Muslims and other ethnicities. Do not listen to the propaganda of the Tamil politicians. They are after their own interest, not yours. You are more than welcome to live in the South amongst us and build Kovils. We ask for the same courtesy, that we are allowed to live in the North and build Buddhist temples should we so wish. Don’t try and destabilise your own country for the benefit of politicians.
To the Sinhalese: The Tamils are our brothers and our sisters. So are the Muslims. We must embrace them as such – allow them to build Kovils and mosques here, treat them with the dignity that you would to your relatives.
To the Muslims: You are more than welcome in Sri Lanka obviously – this is YOUR country too! Feel free to build mosques and practice your faith and way of life, and share that with the rest of us.
Oppose anyone who tries to undermine the Tamils and Sinhalese, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians.
Fighting between our groups is what other countries want – because it prevents Sri Lanka from developing into a more developed country, and keeps Sri Lanka subservient to foreign interests.
All of you throwing insults at each other, stop it. Now.
/
Sinhala_Man / February 4, 2019
Dear Thushan Hettige,
.
Yours is a comprehensive and balanced riposte to all hate mongers of whatever community. You appear to have used your real name; I’m usinga a seemingly anonymous handle , but in fact I regularly reveal my real name.
.
The comments that strike one are irresponsible.
.
Trying to type in a bus. Can’t say more now.
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 29, 2019
If you were for a united Sri Lanka . you hat flippers will not be destroying Hindu temples and building mosques , shopping centres and beef stalls on these sites. You would not have joined the Sinhalese and been their co partners in their genocidal war dance , for petty benefits. You hat flippers are a bunch of opportunistic , selfish , liars , who will do anything for the benefit of your low caste immigrant community from South India. You lie about your origin and in the name of your religion want to commit atrocities. You do not want a united country or true reconciliation between the island’s Sinhalese and Tamils as you will loose out and will do anything to thwart this. Learn your history all low caste imports from South Indian During the Dutch period, became Sinhalese eventually. Learn your history properly instead of mouthing lies and garbage preached by your local Madrassa.
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 30, 2019
Siva Sankaran Sharma:
–
Dutch never brought here any high caste from India to work in tobacco farms in Jaffna. They brought Vellalar caste and other lower castes as agricultural laborers from Tamil Nadu and Malabar (kerala). So you are either Vellarlar or a lower caste.
–
No one can beat a Tamil in crossing Mediterranean sea in a rusty fishing boat, faking passports, faking a country’s history and upgrading their own castes to whatever they like :-)
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 30, 2019
No they brought in fake Arab ,low caste converted Tjullukans like you from South India and the Sinhalese Salagama . Stop lying Islamic terrorist. Shameless man , instead condemning the deliberate destruction of a Hindu temple and the stealing of Hindu temple lands by this despicable man, you are trying to defend him as he is a fellow Muslim and most probably you agree and like what he has done and go on an attack on the Tamils.
/
Pandi Kutti / January 30, 2019
Yes Chingkallams are our brothers and Thullukans are our brothers ( actually our low caste converts ) so that they connived together to steal Thamizh lands, saying nothing belongs to you , as everything belongs to us, not even your history, destroy our temples and churches and create fairy tales about how these ancient Hindu temples or Christian churches were once ancient Buddhist temples , even when a people called Chingkallam or a Chingkalla language never existed during the period this so called ancient Buddhist temple supposedly belonging to Chingkallams was built . Now Wahhabi Thullukans have also joined this dance, stating this is not a temple but was an ancient shopping centre or beef stall that belonged to poverty stricken refugee Thullukans from the east of the county , who only arrived their a few centuries ago bring their poverty stricken low caste converted South Indian ar-es begging for refuge from the Thamizh in the east. Now these once poverty stricken converted South Indian low caste refugees have connived with the Chingkalla racists and want to be the masters of the island’s Thamizh , stating nothing belongs to you not even history and everything is ours. Thamizh history does not matter only Chingkalla Mahavamsa comic book lies matters and Thulluka fake Arab origin fairy tale matters. Whom are you trying to fool Chingkalla racist?
/
ravi perera / January 29, 2019
Thala Sankarayo,
“You only arrived in the ancient Tamil Hindu east as refugees and asylum seekers first fleeing Portuguese persecution along the western coast and then Sinhalese persecution in the Kanyan highlans, as the Kandyan Sinhalese did not want any more of you converted South Indian refugees flooding their lands and sarted to attack and kill you ungrateful sods.”
East has never been and will never be Tamil. Kandyan kings did not persecute the muslims. The good hearted kings gave part of their lands to muslims .Sinahala people (except a few dogs like Gnanasara) have always looked after the muslims. We saw during the LTTE war once again who gave the Muslims refuge when you tamils chased them away. How dare you attack the muslims by calling them refugees. Did not we sinhalese kick a million of you buggers out of the country as refugees. You have lost man. accept it.
/
sinhalese buddhist / January 28, 2019
In order for the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims to treat each other as equals, we need to emphasize our Sri Lankan-ness and de-emphasize our narrow ethnic identities.
While one can be proud of our heritage, we need to move on and recognize similarities instead of harping on our (minor) differences.
Our collective culture is basically the same. We are nepotisitic! Once we stop doing things only for our friends and family, we can come together as a country. Until then, it will be constant bickering and eventual war.
/
Native Vedda / January 28, 2019
sinhalese buddhist
–
“In order for the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims to treat each other as equals, we need to emphasize our Sri Lankan-ness and de-emphasize our narrow ethnic identities.”
–
What is this Sri Lankan-ness and who defines it and who is responsible for ensuring the people don’t veer off from the definition if at all it could be defined?
/
Panda Vooten / January 28, 2019
Those who fall outside the criteria, like colonial remnants keep asking “What is this Sri Lankan-ness and who defines it”.
–
Well, it is not rocket science to work out that a 300 year old stable Sinhala Buddhist civilisation existed in this land before it was rudely and murderously disrupted by European, uncivilised vandals. The European vagabonds who came in those invading ships got inside the country, raped our women and stole the land. Then they left the half cast on our charge. They are now claiming equality to the original inhabitants of the land. These ungrateful, arrogant blood suckers need to realise that no matter how they scream, they will not come under the true definition of Sri Lankans.
–
They have other place they can go with their foreign names and pale skins. This is ours.OK?
/
Native Vedda / January 29, 2019
Panda Vooten
–
Very good.
A loaded typing with bull.
–
Now let us have the definition of Sri Lankaness.
What is it?
/
Rohan / January 28, 2019
When they say Sri Lankanness they mean Sinhalese identity only . We are not idiots
/
Sinhala_Man / January 28, 2019
Dear Rohan,
.
I understand what you mean, and there is some truth in what you say, some of the time. I won’t too strongly challenge an assertion by you that it is even “most of the time”.
.
I don’t know who “sinhalese buddhist” is, but I read his comments with interest. I consider him a reasonable man who strives to live up to Buddhist ideals while acknowledging that he is culturally and linguistically a Sinhalese.
.
I too, have given myself a handle which may sound racist to you. I strive not to be that, but one way or another we are heavily influenced by our culture.
.
I’m appalled by some of the things that Professor Hoole, in this article, says are happening. I don’t want to comment without being sufficiently knowledgeable about the ground situation. Yet I want to show that we Sinhalese are following events in all parts of the country, but not imagining that we can do anything like offering solutions.
.
Let me acknowledge that when some of us, Sinhalese, say that thing about Sri Lankanness we are asserting what you say; yet some of us mean it more constructively. “sinhalese buddhist” is one such. I’d like myself also to be meaning something similar.
.
We could, of course, assert our common human identity – but that’s too broad for some purposes. Try to believe that some of us mean well.
/
thamizh / January 29, 2019
sinhalese buddhist,
Sri Lankan identity can only mean one thing within the unitary state – that is, accepting the Sinhala Buddhist narrative and erasing all others. It is largely because of this imposition that there was a lot of bloodshed in this island post-independence. Look at India – even with many shortcomings, the only reason it is holding together is because they have accepted the union of states rather than imposing Hindi on all the people, albeit with a struggle behind it. You cannot be progressive without accepting the multi-faceted nature of this island, particularly not by denying the unique history of Tamils as a people in it.
/
Siva Sankarnan Sharma / January 28, 2019
Sirisena has openly boasted that he wanted revenge and the TNA and the Tamils for not siding with his mad antics and wanted to teach them a lesson , so he appointed this fake Arab, Islamic extremist , Wahhabi immigrant Dravidian Tamil convert from South India, who is openly hostile to the indigenous Tamils and Tamilised Hindu Vehha of the east, who are the real owners of the east and are still the largest community in the east , despite all the large scale killing ethnic cleansing and state sponsored illegal Sinhalese colonisation. This man has openly boasted about destroying Hindu temples and acquiring Hindu temple lands , to build shopping complexes, fish markets and beef stalls. for local fake Arab , Wahhabi South Indian origin , low caste converts Hindu converts . Proves the Sinhalese and Sirisena a bunch of racist who used Tamil voted to come to power. Most Sinhalese are racists and do not want reconciliation this is the truth and they overtly and covertly support all these anti Tamil activities. They make a hue and cry when Muslims desecrate Buddhist shrines and places of worship but support them when they desecrate Hindu places of worship . There a lots of Muslim people and politicians in the east who really want reconciliation with their non Muslim Tamil brothers and sisters., one of them could have been elected as the governor and no Tamil would have objected to this but definitely not this ISIS/Wahhabi extremist
/
Ravi Perera / January 28, 2019
Sankaran,
“indigenous Tamils and Tamilised Hindu Vehha of the east, who are the real owners of the east and are still the largest community in the east , despite all the large scale killing ethnic cleansing and state sponsored illegal Sinhalese colonisation”
There are no indigenous tamils in Lanka. This is the Sinhala land man. Your Land is thala Nadu.
Call for an international investigation about the illegal Sinhala settlements in the east. First convince the embasiies in Colombo.
We do not need permission from you demalas to settle our people in any part of our country. You are another selfish Tamil buger.
Vedda , entertainment time now….
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 28, 2019
Sinhalese land ? The word Sinhala or Sinhalese is derived from one of the ancient Tamil words for the island” Chingkallam” meaning the red or copper coloured land in Tamil. Chepu or Chem ( copper or red) + Alam( land ) = Chingkalam. Ancient Tamilakam or Tamil lands were modern day Keral+Tamiol Nadu and the southern parts of what is modern day Karnataka and Andhra. They were largely the Cherar ,Cholar and Pandians and the Tamil speaker from the island were either called Chingkallavar ( from Chingkallam) or Eezhava or Eelavar ( from Eelam or Eezham another ancient Tamil name for the island) . When the Sinhalese language evolved in the south of the island by corrupting the local Tamil dialect Elu with the Pali of Buddhism. The took the ancient Tamil identity and corrupted Chingkalam to Sinhala. Just like the Slavic Macedonians took the ancient Greek place name Macedonia of the present day Arabic largely Muslims too ancient Egypt’s name. Sinhala has nothing to do with a lion or north India. This was a fairy tale told by the Mahavamsa comic book to justify the ancient Tamil name Chingkallam becoming Sinhala. Got it ignorant racist.
/
ravi perera / January 29, 2019
“Sinhalese land ? The word Sinhala or Sinhalese is derived from one of the ancient Tamil words for the island” Chingkallam” meaning the red or copper coloured land in Tamil.”
According to the Tamil dictionary in Madras Eelam is a tamilisation of the word Sinhala. What ever you may say, the thala culture was born in Tamil (Toilet ) Nadu. If living in imaginary world makes you happy, especially after you lost the war, god luck.
Hela basa was spoken by the original 4 tribes that inhabited this land. You are saying it is a dialect of Tamil. When you buggers believe that you have the know how to build a nuclear Bomb , thala diaspora wealth is 5 times that of SL, what garbage can you not believe.
Over time the hela tribes evolved into Sinhala with migrnts from North and South India contributing towads the evolution.
I certainly am a racist when it comes to you thalayas like 99% of the sinhalese are. I did not know I am ignorant until you keri demala told me this. How sad that professord of three countries could not identify me as ignorant
/
Sinhala_Man / January 30, 2019
Please, CT, take this comment off. Censor it.
.
Not only does Ravi Perera assert that he is a racist, but he also uses raw filth here.
.
It is possible that the majority of CT readers are innocents and middle-class types (D.H. Lawrence’s “beastly bourgeois” sorts) who don’t even know how “keri demala” should be pronounced (almost the same as the English verb “carry”.) Guys like the cold, emasculated Lord Chatterley who wanted his Lady to conceive the gardener’s child.
.
Sexual metaphors run through all languages. Rightly so; they reflect the importance of sexuality in most motivations. However, we can all tell the difference between the meaningful uses of such language, and their crudely insulting abuse.
.
Surely, it should be easy enough for the editors to censor the use of un-English words in these contexts.
.
Ravi, how dare you speak on behalf of 99% of Sinhalese; must be more like 09% of our people.
.
CT, let me hope that in place of Ravi Perera’s comment there is an explanation tomorrow that it has been excised owing to vulgarity.
/
SJ / January 30, 2019
“I certainly am a racist when it comes to you thalayas like 99% of the sinhalese are.”
RP, do you mean that 99% of the Sinhalese are thalayas?
*
Shom mishtek?
/
ravi perera / January 30, 2019
You are right SJ
/
ghk / January 28, 2019
Dear RSSS sir,
.
When you fight your wife at home, you shout “Run away with a Wahhabi immigrant Dravidian Tamil convert from South India”?
/
Muhandiram / January 28, 2019
ghk
May be she has already done that and that is why his relentless attacks and never-ending malicious and baseless vitriol against Muslims.
/
Sunil Dahanayake / January 28, 2019
Dear Professor Hoole,
Why do you write utter lies as given below:
“Today the East is boiling. A Hindu temple in Nayaaru-Neeraaviadi has been demolished and a Buddhist temple erected. The District Secretary has told court there never was a Buddhist Temple there but the Archaeology Department (which I do not believe because of its role in colonization) says otherwise. Court hearing was to be on the 24th so the Archaeology Department backed up by the Police and a Professor Kapila Gunawardena from Peradeniya, hurriedly constructed the Buddhist Temple on the 23rd, reports the Veerakesari of 24.01.2019. Raghavan can contribute a lot as the Eastern Cauldron boils. “
I think what you are writing is a biased racist your opinion. You can write these, things if you have physically visited this place. I think that you are referring to Gurukanda Temple. Not only this there are some other Buddhist temples and ruins along this coast line in Mulathieve. One other example is Thiriyaya.
As an academic, why are you writing these racist opinions. As Sinhalese, Buddhists,we do not say any thing against in constructing hindu kovils. There are many Hindu Kovils in the Southern province places like Kamburupitiya and Akuressa. These Hindu Temples were built within the last 100 years. But as Buddhists and Sinhalese, we do not make any protests or write this kind of racist opinions.
My kind request is, ” Behave as an Intelligent Academic”. Write the facts, after your own verification and research.
/
Pandi Kutty / January 28, 2019
Chingkallam your comments ooze of anti Thamizh hatred and lies. Why are giving Chingkallam names to ancient Thamizh place names and posting lies? It is Mullaithivu and not Mulathieve and Thiriyai not Thiriyaya. Chingkalla Poutha fascists and Muslim Wahhabis both are busy destroying ancient Hindu temple with fake history from the Archaeological Department , full of Chingkallam Poutha Fascists, The racist Chingkalla Police and some Chingkalla progesor from Peradeniya most probably a Chingkalla Poutha fascist liar. Get opinion from overseas. Even if these were Poutha ruins, these will be Thamizh Poutha ruins and not Chingkallam , like Professor Hooles states , as at that time , there was no Chingkallam and many Thamizh belonged to Poutha Matham.
/
ghk / January 28, 2019
Pandi Kutty:
–
“Chingkallam your comments ooze of anti Thamizh hatred and lies. Why are giving Chingkallam names to ancient Thamizh place names”
–
We are modernizing SL and make its north a tourists attraction. It is easier for a foreigner to call it “Mulathieve” than “Mullaithivu “. Since you guys have migrated in lots from here making the place virtually empty to the West, why not try to find your new “Mullaithivu ” in the West?
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 28, 2019
ghk,
–
When you say, “tourist attraction”, next time please bold the word “tourist”. These buggers might easily misunderstand it to “Terrorist attraction” and start fund raising again
/
Pandi Kutti / January 29, 2019
GHK ‘ I am a low caste converted hat flipper originating from South India but for political and economic benefits , deny this and claim to be pure Arab . I am an Arab coca worshipper and now worship everything Wahhabi and ISIS too . They are not terrorist to me as they are Islamic and Arab but Thamizh are ,as they fought for their just rights and their lands , that we are now eyeing for us. I do not like this, as they are Kaffir Hindu or Christian, so we consider breaking and destroying their places of worship and building shopping centres , beef/fish markets on these destroyed sites , for the benefit of the local hat flippers , as not terrorism, as this is what the holy book as told us, destroy all unbelievers and their places of worship, it is also part of our patriotic hat flipping duty , as this will please our Chingkallam master’s and they may throw a few more crumbs towards us and even stop attacking us in the Chingkallam areas. We also consider it part of nation building , as we are building more shopping centres , beef and fish stalls on the former places of worship of these Hindu Thamizh and this gives more job opportunity and a large variety of food /protein for the local hat flippers . so instead of relying solely on Arab Gulf funds , they earn more money and eat better so they get lots of energy to produce more hat flippers. We also doing ” Allah” a great service by terrorising and stealing all the possessions of the local Tamils , as our aim is to dispossess them of everything and steal their land for a future Wahhabi/Salafist/Isis paradise. Ps we will hypocritically cry about the plight of the Palestinian as they are fellow Muslims and Arabs like us but will make every effort to steal and dispossess the lands of island’s Thamizh as they are not Muslim or Arab.
/
ghk / January 30, 2019
Pandi Kutti,
–
Come as slave laborer, act as original owner, fake the gaps in history, form a “podiyan’ fighter, call him Tiger, Attack..attack…if that fails..
–
Let’s earn more $$$, get on magical fishing boat that will land you in the West.
CROSS CONTINENT ADVENTURE in a rusty fishing boat…Call Pandy Kutty:
/
Eagle Eye / January 28, 2019
Siva Sankaran Sharma and Pandi Kutti,
Before Parangi arrived in 1505, there were few Demalu in Sinhale. Demala invaders ruled Northern part of the country for short periods and during that time Dravidians were brought from Hindusthan and colonized Sinhala land. About 90% of Demalu who live in this country are the descendants of slaves brought by colonial parasites and dumped in this country. You guys live in this country because of kind heartedness of Sinhalayo. Sinhalayo could have kicked out all Demalu brought to this country illegally by colonial parasites after British left as they did in Burma but Sinhalayo did not do that. Be grateful to that kind gesture!
/
Pandi Kutti / January 29, 2019
Eagle Blind we do know that the vast majority of the present day Chingkallams , at least 50% are descended from recent low caste Indian Thamizh imports , who were imported into the island by the Portuguese and Dutch to work as menials. However there is no history of Dutch importing thousands of Thamizh in to Thamizh areas , only a few thousand and they got assimilated into the low caste Jaffna Thamizh. . Go and read the origin of the so called Chingkallam Karawa. Salagama, Durawa and many other castes All descended from low caste Indian Thamizh imports. Sri Lankan Thamizh share 17% DNA with Indian Thamizh. However Chingkallams share 70% DNA with Indian Thamizh. So we know who is descended from Indian Thamizh imports. Good try. Now go to your bed and cry.
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 30, 2019
Pandi Kutti:
–
The Dutch imported you guys from India to support their tobacco cultivation. Dutch did not import any high caste since they did not want priests, they just wanted some laborers.
–
2 facts you can not deny:
1-You are brought in by the Dutch for tobacco farming
2-At the max you can be Vellalar caste. If not, it has to be lower (Dutch did not bring any better caste here)
Thank you
/
Rohan / January 28, 2019
Stop Sinhalising ancient Tamil names in the north and east , racist. It shows your Sinhalese Buddhist Fascist racist mindset. You Sinhalese racists also side with the Muslims in the east destroying Hindu temple as you are doing the same in other parts of the north and east , destroying ancient Hindu temples and converting them to Buddhism with all sorts of fake concocted stories and histories , that only now seem to be appearing after the defeat of the LTTE. This has nothing to do with Buddhism and Buddhist ruins but an attempt to grab Tamil Hindu lands on the guise of Buddhism . Political racist Sinhalese Buddhist Fascism. If there are ancient Buddhist ruins , it has nothing to with Sinhalese , as a people or language called Sinhalese never existed during this period the ruin was claimed to be from but millions of Tamil Buddhists existed during this period in South India and in the north , east and other parts of the island. The so called Sinhalese Buddhist are descended from them, whilst the Tamil Buddhists who reverted back to their ancestral Hindu religion like in the rest of India , retained their Tamil identity and did not evolve as Sinhalese. Remember it was the ancient Tamil Buddhists who contributed a lot to Buddhism and propagated it to the rest of Asia not the Sinhalese who did nothing but now claim everything as theirs , when they did not exist as a people. Mullaitivu is 96% Tamil and a Sinhalese judge , a Sinhalese police , Sinhalese government officials, a Sinhalese archeological department and an unknown Sinhalese academic all well renowned for their anti Tamil hatred and bias, are deciding on the fate of an ancient Hindu temple in a Tamil area , where there were no previous claims of Buddhist ruins , that now seem to be miraculously cropping up every where in the north and east
/
Siva Sankaran Sharma / January 28, 2019
Buddhist or not what has this site got to do with the Sinhalese Buddhists down south , who are now coming to the Tamil north and east and trying to claim everything as theirs. These ancient religious places of worship would have been prehistorically Saivite places of worship . When the local Tamil Naga converted to Buddhism on a large scale , like the rest of the island , they would have converted these Saivite places of worship to Buddhist places of worship , like what happened in the rest of the island. Many of the ancient Buddhist places of worship would have been Hindu/Saivite and then converted to Buddhism when the population changed religion. Just like in Europe, many Pagan and Druid places of worship became Christian . This is why you find many Yew trees in Church yards in Britain as Yew trees were sacred to the Druids. When the Tamils in the north and east gave up Buddhism and again reconverted back to their ancestral Hindu faith , they would have reconverted all these ancient places of worship that were once Hindu and then Buddhist back to Hindu again , as they are now Hindu. Hindu or Buddhist these places of worship belong to the local Tamils and not to outsiders , just like what professor Hoole states. They converted these places of worship to reflect their religion of the day., Once Hindu then Buddhist or Jain and then back to Hindu. So what has this got to do with Sinhalese Buddhism or Sinhalese Buddhist Fascists , who are now coming and claiming these ancient places of worship belonging to the local Tamil Hindus as belonging to Sinhalese Buddhists when they have got nothing to do with this. They are now doing this as they can do it with impunity.
/
Plato. / January 28, 2019
Hisbullah was appointed by Sirisena to drive a wedge between the Tamils and Muslims in the East. Hisbullah once claimed in Parliament that there would be bloodshed if the North and East were merged. There could be bloodshed if Hisbullah is not sacked as the Governor of the East.He has a long history of anti-Tamil racism.At the General Election held in 2015 he was roundly defeated by his own folks at Kattankudy, but crept into Parliament on the chit list.Many Sinhala and Tamil residents in the East claim that if Hisbullah is not check-mated he will convert the East as a colony of Saudi-Arabia.It was reported that Sirisena set fire to his fathers Paddy field in his salad days.This time around he is setting fire to the Tamils and Sinhalese in the East, through Hisbullah!
/
Ravi Perera / January 28, 2019
“There could be bloodshed if Hisbullah is not sacked as Governor of the East”
Start another bloodshed we will pack another million out of the country
“This time around he is setting fire to the Tamils and Sinhalese in the East, through Hisbullah!”
You are so concerned about the sinhalese
/
Native Vedda / January 29, 2019
Ravi Perera
The Sinhala Speaking Demela
–
“You are so concerned about the sinhalese”
–
Ado Sinhala Speaking Demela, Plato is another well informed old codger who has time and again commented on vital issues consistently and with impeccable neutrality.
–
You silly stupid racist, occasionally popping out from your bunker and judging the great and the good with your parochial mindset and blinkered world view only during Kumbh Mela festivals, ………………. Are you finding it difficult to grasp what he has said above with your punchi brain? If so run to your many benefactors, Wimal, HLD M, Udhaya, ……….. Nalin, ………. for help.
/
Ravi Perera / January 30, 2019
Are you employed or in front of the computer all the time
/
Native Vedda / January 30, 2019
Ravi Perera
The Sinhala Speaking Demela
–
Are you in front of the mirror?
/
Sinhala_Man / January 30, 2019
Isn’t this request of Ravi Perera a clearer and more specific call for others to turn themselves into terrorists than anything that Vijayakala Maheswaran said in Jaffna?
.
There must be even-handed Justice meted out to all citizens of Sri Lanka.
/
M. Sajjad / January 28, 2019
Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole, I revere you for who you are.
–
“That land was owned by a Hindu temple. There were so many problems in seizing that land. If I had failed to obtain that temple land they [the Hindus] might have built a Kovil at Ottamaavadi Town”
–
Dumbest and short-sighted selfishness.
.
/
Lankan 9 / January 28, 2019
you must be a joker to say this. If democracy is there, Muslim or Tamils or Malay or any one could become a Sri Lanka president? why do you worry about Governor post. it shows you hatred, ill feeling, resentment, grudge, and jealousy toward other community. If president appoint why are you mourning about it.. this is reflection of caste system you are born into ..
/
nagalingam ethirveerasingam / January 28, 2019
Ratnajeevan,
Your soldiering to bring to notice the irregularities in our governing system is commendable and admirable. Keep at it. The dam that shores up the semblance of democracy is leaking. The onslaught of :”flood waters” is increasing. When will it break? When it does, will we have a Theocratic totalitarian state? Is it what exists now with a frail veil of democracy to show the world.
/
Latha / January 28, 2019
“Dr Suren Rahgavan is a Tamil Buddhist. It is time we Tamils admitted that we were predominantly Buddhist in our Epic Manimehalai period (3rd- 5th century AD) & Buddhist is not always a dirty word. Accordingly may Buddhist monuments claimed as Sinhalese from a period when was no Sinhala language may be Tamil.”
Henry Steel Olcott was also a Buddhist. So Americans can also assume their ancestors were Buddhists & even can claim Buddhist civilization as their own.
Language case
Prior to 5th century AD their was no language called English in the world. After Roman Empire collapsed around 5th century AD German tribes invaded Britain. It is their language today termed as Old English. Today English native speakers can’t read or understand Old English. With French invasion that language further influenced by French. So today English language is a highly mixed language( German, French, Latin so on)
Sinhala language had the same fate. North Indian immigration with their Prakrit language & it mixed with local language. That language termed as Old Sinhalese/ Sinhalese Prakrit.
By your logic you can say Old English is not English & their ancient monuments not belong to English people but may be to Tamils. Tamils you can’t pickpocket some one else’s heritage. Shame on Tamils.
/
Ayathuray Rajasingam / January 29, 2019
Latha,
We are not against Buddhism or the Sinhalese, but do not mention to assume our ancestors were Buddhists. Just go back as far as 9.000 years, i.e. during the period of the Indus Valley Civilization during which period Ramayana was composed. Ramayana mentions of mythical king Ravana of Sri Lanka who, probably is alleged to be from the Yakka clan which existed prior to the arrival of Prince Vijaya. Do you know the language of Ravana if the Sinhalese are the descendants of Ravana. Tamil is a language that existed for more than 9,000 years ago. Sanskrit was a mother language during the period of the Indus Valley Civilization was a proto-European, proto-Iranian and proto-India language,
/
Latha / January 29, 2019
AR,
“Tamil is a language that existed for more than 9000 years ago.”
In your dreams?
/
SJ / January 30, 2019
The geography of the Ramayana is heavily imagined.
It was a powerful story that captured human imagination all the way across the Indian sub-continent and as far as Indonesia and Cambodia.
There are many Ramayanas, and people in many lands associate various places with episodes of the Ramayana.
*
I am not certain of the day Tamil was born, but Tamil literature does not go more than a few centuries before Christ and the earliest Tamil writings were in a version of Brahmi that cannot be older than 5 centuries before Christ.
*
Tamil is a very efficient language used increasingly inefficiently by Tamils.
/
Native Vedda / January 29, 2019
Latha
–
Do you really know what you are talking about.
Please read:
Excerpts from Column: A little learning is a dangerous thing; more is better by Sabine Eiche in richmond-news.com
Alexander Pope’s poem An Essay on Criticism, composed in 1709. Pope wrote “A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”
–
What does it mean? In effect, Pope is saying that a little learning or knowledge (the “shallow draughts”) will only befuddle (“intoxicate the brain”), misleading us into thinking we know more than in fact we do. Remedy for this problem lies in continuing to learn (“drinking largely” at the “Pierian spring,” the spring sacred to the Muses and the source of the knowledge of art and science). But the idea expressed in those verses is much older than the 18th century. It’s possible that it goes back a few thousand years.
–
“North Indian immigration with their North Indian immigration with their Prakrit language & it mixed with local language. language & it mixed with local language. “
–
The Buddhist monks brought Prakrit to this island along with Ayurveda, … not only from North but South India as well. One aspect you seem to refuse to understand is everything cannot be explained by logic as you know in order to explain logically one needs the data, skill, knowledge and the language and most importantly the humility to accept they are being wrong.
–
You are free to call me by any names.
/
Latha / January 29, 2019
Vedda,
Your advice more suits to prof Ratnajeevan Hoole. Brahmi script in Prakrit has found in SL long before Buddhism came.
/
Native Vedda / January 29, 2019
Latha
–
“Brahmi script in Prakrit has found in SL long before Buddhism came.”
–
Are you sure Brahmi alphabets also came from North India? If so when and from which part of North India. Please let me have cite of your evidence.
–
Apart from Mahawamsa could you provide us with any scientific evidence to prove there was large scale movement of people from North India and not from South India?
–
You typed:
“AR, “Tamil is a language that existed for more than 9000 years ago.”
In your dreams?”
–
Of course.
However could you provide us a rough date of origin of Sinhala as well Tamil preferably not from your dreams.
–
By any chance your second name is sach?
/
Latha / January 30, 2019
“Apart from Mahawansha could you please provide us any scientific evidence to prove them there was large scale movement from NI”
Language is an important example. Mahawansha says Vijaya & his ministers built villages & given their names to that villages. Minister Anuradha built Anuradha Graama .Like that Vijitha Graama, Upatissa Graama, Uruwela Graama. Some of these names are prevalent till today for more than 3000 years with the same name. In Anuradhapura a pot shard found inscribing Abi Anuradha carbon dating 700BC. There were several waves of influx. Princes Baddakatchyana & her brothers. Her brother Deegha build Deegha Graama today Didamadulla. Theri Sangamitta came with various crafts & skilled people.
Most of the facts written in Mahavansha after King Devanam Piya tissa’ time is archaeologically proven. If there were more South Indian people here Sinhala language would have been one of a Dravidayan language.
/
Native Vedda / January 30, 2019
Latha
–
Apart from Mahawamsa could you provide us with any scientific evidence to prove there was large scale movement of people from North India and not from South India?
–
Could you give us the rough dates of the origin of Tamil and Sinhala.
–
“Most of the facts written in Mahavansha after King Devanam Piya tissa’ time is archaeologically proven.”
–
We are not interested in your sweeping claims, myth, politicised history, manufactured 20th century identity, ………………… hence give us hard scientific evidence of every claim you have been in this forum. What does DNA (scientific) say about migration, peopling of this island, language replacement, ……….
–
Why have you completely ignored my people’s history?
Why do you people feel you need to lie through your teeth and a**e about everything from history to war crimes, …. ?
Please stop your bull s**t and get on with truth.
/
Latha / January 31, 2019
Vedda,
Could you give us the rough dates of the origin of Tamils & Sinhalese?
It is your responsibility to give us dates of the origin of Tamil people. First you find out when Tamil people migrated to India & how old your language is.
Comments given by S Marry Pillei will help you.
Our history is well established. Documented in books, evidence in archaeology, monuments, epigraphy supports it.
If you reject all of them & give a different definition you should have to give solid facts & evidence. Otherwise do you want us to believe that Tamils are a stock who change their language & religion from time to time as lizards.
Are you still searching the Tamil name for king Devanam Piya Tissa.
There are recent DNA studies that say Sinhalese, Tamils & Muslims are different ethnic groups from each other. Sri lankan Tamils & Indian Tamil are same. You search on this matter as I can’t provide you specific data because I don’t collect them. You approach to the modern studies.
/
Native Vedda / January 31, 2019
Latha, sach, Nuisance, …. Shenali,
–
“It is your responsibility to give us dates of the origin of Tamil people. First you find out when Tamil people migrated to India & how old your language is.
Comments given by S Marry Pillei will help you.”
–
What made you think I am a Tamil and should know the history of Tamil, its origin or death? My question was a follow up comment/question to your authoritative typing, ““Tamil is a language that existed for more than 9000 years ago.” In your dreams?” I am bit thick hence am still awaiting for your response.
–
Let us assume the young Tamil language originated about 400 years ago by accepting the Tamils copy the Sinhala Gramatical work of Vira Cholium and constructed a new language. According to Champika the Sinhala language is older than Hebrew, therefore it must be at least 3219 years + 1 day old. –
Should that ancientness make any difference in this scientific and technologically driven world?
–
I am only asking you to provide us with credible references for all your sweeping claims, such as DNA studies, archaeology,………………. epigraphy.
If you cannot give us references then I take it you just repeat hearsay, myth or other people’s bull s**t for the sake of keeping your sham pride afloat, in other words you are too lazy and stupid to read original work of the experts/scholars.
/
SJ / January 30, 2019
L
The Tamils can be truly proud of the fact that two of their five major epics are Buddhist and the others Jain. No other language in India has such a claim. Buddhism along with Jainism was the source of secular Tamil ethics.
Buddhism was a liberating experience at the time, and thrived in South India until after Adi Sankara’s mission targetted Buddhism.
*
There are archaeological finds of Buddhist structures similar to those in the Jaffna peninsula.
*
Buddhist revival among Tamils in the North started in 1957, inspired by Ambedkar.
*
As for Sinhala it was a Prakrit in its own right and was strongly influenced by Pali, Sanskrit and Tamil.
Every language benefits from contact with other cultures on equal terms. sinhala did well for itself until after succumbing to imperialist globalization.
/
Native Vedda / January 30, 2019
SJ
–
You are blowing a conch into a deaf person’s ear.
/
Latha / January 28, 2019
Hoole,
Don’t you know western province governor is also a Muslim?
/
soma / January 28, 2019
I appeal to all Tamils to give up their differences in religion, caste and the date of arrival and unite for the achievement of a Homeland. Two Homelands based on religion are difficult to accommodate.
–
Soma
/
Native Vedda / January 29, 2019
somass
–
I support your Sinhala/Buddhist mutant fascist state (10 Square Kilometres in deep, deep, deep South) and are rest assured you will have it once we identified the area.
Please bear with us.
/
Eagle Eye / January 28, 2019
“Democracy goes hand in hand with minority rights. The Sinhalese as a people must recognize that unless Tamils and Muslims are fully recognized as Srilankans, democracy will evade all of us.”
————————-
Can Hoole tell us “What is it that the Sinhalayo are enjoying that the other communities are not enjoying because they are not Sinhala?’.
————————-
If Hoole think that Tamils and Muslims are not fully recognized as Sri Lankans, please tell us what should be done to fully recognize them as Sri Lankans?
/
Eagle Eye / January 29, 2019
Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole,
I am waiting for your response.
/
K.Anaga / January 29, 2019
Eagle Eye!
Sinhalayas are enjoying their language rights all over Srilanka , unlike the Tamils. Even in Yalpanam you find it difficult to put an entry in Tamil, leave alone the south where Tamils are unable to get matters attended to in Tamil . Not only in government hospitals even in private Hospitals it is difficult to converse in Tamil and get things done. All Bank accounts have Sinhala names and transliterations and not translations. Police help the Sinhalese to encroach into the lands owned by Tamils including Hindu temples. Three hundred and fifty word will not be enough to enumerate the difficulties undergone by Tamils. By mentioning matter it is not going to give even an aorta of help, when Eagles and Hawks like you fly over the heads of the Tamils and the Sinhalese who like to help the Tamils. Why wast our time?. Hoole be Cool!
/
Raccoon / January 28, 2019
The garbage truck just left the street after dropping some bio wastes. Let’s see how long this street is going to sting!
/
Naman / January 28, 2019
Sinhalese are so clever and hard working that since independence from British Empire their country has become ‘so rich’ that other countries have to get aid from them.
If only the SBF (Sinhala Buddhists Fundamentalists) had not introduced Sinhala only and treated the minorities respectfully the real story will be different. When will SL truly practice their religion.
/
JD / January 29, 2019
Sinhala people must Learn Tamil and help those Tamuls wh can not understand Sinhala.
/
Jane Doe / January 28, 2019
Today National Peace Council conducted a conference regarding religions to reconciliation.
For those who cannot get over the sick mind of communalism and hatred it is recommended. Actually racism is a intellectual and spiritual sickness.
Hope NPC can reach out to all sectors needing counselling for racial hatred. The Comments in Colombo Telegraph show a great need for that.
The topic of this article is straightforward. Wrong choice. Obvious mistake.
/
JD / January 29, 2019
JANE DOE: That is why NPC’s Parent Organization is very not only anti-muslims, but also they annihilate muslim countries.
/
SJ / January 28, 2019
Was “democracy” upheld by earlier political appointments of Governors of the N-E, N and E?
/
Ayathuray Rajasingam / January 29, 2019
Hindus are not against Buddhists. First they threatened the Hindus and now the Buddhists. It is the Muslims who have threatened the Buddhists in Batticaloa.
You can see below how a Viharadhipathi is crying stating that Muslims are threatening the Buddhists.
https://youtu.be/pJbp9Hi5zmc
By all means the appointment of Hisbullah as Governor will eventually lay a foundation for the growth of ISIS in Sri Lanka. I am afraid that Sri Lanka should not be used as a base for ISIS which will threaten India & other western democratic countries. Democracy in crisis.
/
Abdul Kader. J / January 30, 2019
Ayathuray Rajasingam,
–
“I am afraid that Sri Lanka should not be used as a base for ISIS” – Do you know why the Tamils can never succeed or achieve anything despite big..big plans, investments and education? Simple, your hearts are full of hatred, jealousy and enmity.
–
Don’t worry, if there is a Muslim to support ISIS, rest assured that there will be 100’s of Muslims to oppose it. We wouldn’t support any form of terrorism. It is you who created. funded and gave your school-going kids to terrorists to fight SL forces. And even after a decade of destroying LTTE and its terrorist leader Prabakaran, you still find ways to resurrect the group by any means and worship the dead leader Prabakaran – Some people in Jaffna still keep Prabakaran picture in their wallets and purses.
–
I am very happy to see that you oppose ISIS. If you have had the same thoughts on LTTE those days, we would have saved too many lives and country’s image and progress.
/
Bodin / January 29, 2019
It is amazing how little history is known to this “Prof” Hoole. He is an electrical engineer of some sort and so his history may be as bad as that of Wigneswaran.
These people believe that Tamils were there even before Sumarians, Babylonians etc. They don’t admit that the dravidians (name given by Sanskrit authors to the barbarians living south of the Vindyah mountains) did not have a properly developed language till the time of the Sangam period circa 1st-2nd century CE. Little colanies of maruading Tamils lived in a spotty way in Sri Lanka, mostly under the Sinhalese or raiding the sinhalese.
As the Historian Jane Russell had said, the Malabar Tamils (who have labled themselves as Ceylon Tamils ) have never been able face the fact that they are a minority because the British treated them as a majority.
These Malabars have refused to recognize the fact that when Ceylon became a crown colony the Majority of the Inhabitants in Jaffna were Muslims. Then there were roughly equal number of Sinhalese and Malabars. These Malabars now pretend that the North and even the East are “their homeland”, when in fact they were brought as slave workers from the Malabar coast. They had to wear a metal ring ( Valayam, Villa) around their neck. One was to get rid of the slave ring was to become a christian and suck the bum of the invader and if possible become a priest and wear a different type of ring around the neck. Those who got rid of the Villa were caller vellalar and Hoole’s family are Malabars of that type. So, in 1800 to 1820, Captain Percival in his bok records that the Muslims were the Majority in Jaffna, then the Sinhalese and the Malabars.
So, how come today these Malabars can with a straight face claim the Jaffna peninsula as their “exclusive Tamil Homeland”.
/
Bodin / January 29, 2019
The book A genealogy of the residents of Manipey and related inhabitancies (re-edited by P. Tambimuttu, 1991) shows that the Sinhalese and the Muslims were the original land owners of the Jaffna area, while the land parcels were brought by up-start Malabar Tamils who had become rich by finding favour with the invaders, e.g., by becoming Christians and in fact by engaging in acts of treason by collusion with the invader, and acting against the local inhabitants.
Didn’t the Hooles become Christians and find favor with the foreigners?
The book Yalpana Vaibhava Kaumudi written by K. Velu Pillai in 19000 devotes a whole chapter to Sinhala place names in Jaffna, and our Prof. Hoole should read that book and learn some actual history as known before it was distorted by the ITAK and LTTE separatist ideology.
/
Roy / January 29, 2019
Bodin,
I think you have created an awareness as to the original people of Sri Lanka. Will some one write about the origins of Sri Lanka? This will defuse so many matters. Even politicians cannot talk as they want.
/
Native Vedda / January 30, 2019
Bodin
–
“The book A genealogy of the residents of Manipey and related inhabitancies (re-edited by P. Tambimuttu, 1991) shows that the Sinhalese and the Muslims were the original land owners of the Jaffna area, “
–
Really?
Could you cite the relevant chapter and verse of your reference.
/
Rohan / January 30, 2019
He quotes all sort of people and links to spread his lies and racist hatred against the Tamils , however when you google you cannot find these links. This person is a liar and an Islamic extremist. So far not even a single Muslim or Sinhalese ( other than Sinhalese man) have apologised for the hateful and despicable act of this so called governor of the east , who not only on this video but on many other occasions , has openly shown his hatred towards the eastern Tamils and was boasting about the destruction of a Hindu temple and stealing of Hindu temple lands , using his political power and giving these lands to the local Mosque . Instead this they start as usual to attack the Tamils to divert attention to their wrongdoing.. Muslims will neve apologise either here or overseas for any act of terror committed by one of them on non Muslims but will cry foul is something is done to them and screech for their rights. The Sinhalese are siding with the Muslims as they are their co partners in the north and east on the Eelam Tamil genocide and ethnic cleansing . Further Sinhalese are also now destroying Hindu temples and building Buddhist Viharas, to they cannot afford to condemn the Muslims. The Tamils do not have anyone to support them , so these people are getting away with anything. ,
/
Muhandiram / January 29, 2019
CT
Seems that Tamil racists like RSS and others are using the CT Comments column to hurl Poisonous Abuse at the Muslims. Even worse is that these Baseless and Vicious Comments seem to attract Unbelievably high positive Ratings. Are the Ratings Real or are they being doctored by these clever Tamil Racists?
CT, should you Not Blacklist these Tamil Racists who are using your columns to spill their Hate Filled Venom the Evil consequences of which need no elaboration?
Looking forward to positive action from you CT
/
Native Vedda / January 30, 2019
Muhandiram
–
Readers understand your desperation to ban everything that you see being racist attack on others. Do you have a automatic filter that does stop you from reading typings of Retarded Shameless Perera, sach, Ravi Perera the Sinhala Speaking Demela, Lal loo, Taraki, wannihami, ……………….. ?
/
Rohan / January 30, 2019
Muhandiram the only thing racist and biased is not RSS but you . You do not like his comments as they state the truth. Too bad, He has never posted comments urging the dispossession and discrimination of Muslims and Sinhalese, on the contrary you have done it and so have many Muslims and Sinhalese here. Stating the actual origin and history of the island’s Muslims is not racist nor the condemning of a Muslim politician now the governor of the east , openly boasting about how he used his power, to destroy a Hindu temple and stealing Hindu temple lands . to build a shopping centre and fish or beef stall , which itself is a sacrilege, for the benefit of local Muslims is not racism . May be for you as you must be happy and agree with this act. This is why you are attacking him and all other Tamils here, as in your warped extremist mind , you thing this Muslim governor , who is not fit to govern is right. Shame on you. Most probably you will now start attacking me . Go ahread.
/
Mythbuster / January 29, 2019
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
Raja / January 29, 2019
One would have thought the reason to place Sri Lanka as a failing democracy could be due to:
1. Postponement of Local Govt elections by years till the Govt was forced to hold it;
2. Postponement of Provincial Council elections by over an year and still not held;
3. Appointment of Ranil Wicks as Prime Minister, when there was another Prime Minister holding that position and when Ranil was from a minority party;
4.Appointment of TNA leader to the position of Leader of the opposition, when the TNA had only about 16 seats, as opposed to the main opposition UPFA which had over 50 MPs
5.Appointment of a Chief Justice when there was already a Chief Justice in that position:
6. and many more similar violations by the President and the ruling party
/
Dr Dolittle / January 29, 2019
Dr Jeevan Hoole,
“These Election Commission regulations are all flatulence and no substance.”
Thank you.
/
soma / January 29, 2019
Muhandiram
Tamil racist donkeys on CT have taught me one lesson. They fear Tamils being reconciled and living peacefully alongs hiide the Sinhalese for that is the very antithesis of separatism. They hurl unconscionable accusations at the Sinhalese in order to corner us from the international community while they being the most ruthless, most cruel terrorists the world has ever known. These foolish ******** are unconcious of the fact that Sri Lanka is an island and there is absolutely no way punishing the Sinhalese without facing a 10 times stronger opposite reaction. At the same time nothing terrifies a Tamil racist donkey than the possibility of living in a Tamil only enclave. So I keep on reminding them that the day a Tamil only enclave is formed all other +50% Tamils (all Tamil speaking people irrespective of their religion caste or the date of arrival ) presently living outside NE will be relocated into that hell hole. Their strategy is to stay put in the Sinhala majority areas while at the same time pushing down their Islamic sect to the south. Join me educating the Sinhalese over the danger of this deadly conspiracy and warning these Tamil racist donkey that s it is not going to be a walk in the park.
–
Soma
/
Native Vedda / January 30, 2019
somass
–
Please bear with us a short while until we allocate your Sinhala/Buddhist mutant fascist land.
/
sach / January 29, 2019
Why isnt Hoole going to courts over postponing of PC elections?
/
Kumar R. / January 31, 2019
Jeevan,
(1 of 2).
.
I am surprised you would be that naïve to make a statement such as “Sri Lanka seems fated to suffer more violence and tension and instability in the years ahead. This would be what the President wants if he pardons the man.”
.
When has “more violence, tensions and instability” been anything but an asset to Sri Lankan political leaders?! Conversely, don’t you think that indeed it is “more violence, tensions and instability” that they deliberately seek and often promote to meet their narrow and selfish ends.
.
As for the idiotic “It is time we Tamils admitted that … and Buddhist is not always a dirty word,” that coinage can only be taken as your underhanded effort at intentionally stirring the pot – made entirely in malice, mischief if not bordering on immoral.
.
Can you cite any incidence where any Tamils have characterized Buddhist as dirty?! Distinctly different from select monks and others doing dirty deeds while draping themselves in the Buddhist garbs!
.
Frankly, if there is one who has consistently charachterized communities, religions other than his own, that would be YOU! Let me remind you of some of your previous “jewels” in these columns, namely your conclusion of Hindu Temple dancers as in orgasmic convulsions, Katubedda street-pipe bathers (“young girls and even married women” as you explained) as whores and tarts enticing cultured Tamil boys, and your explicit promotion that Christian majoritarian advantage should be leveraged at Northern elections. If there is a dirty, partisan mind, there is none worse than yours.
/
Kumar R. / January 31, 2019
.Jeevan,
(2 of 2)
.
Finally, I think there are three principal reasons why you should reconsider continuing at the Commission – after all wasn’t it just a hand out as a temporary parking spot!
.
First, you hold far too partisan, bigoted, compulsive views and obsessions for the country to expect effective, fair and neutral conduct of duty at a senior level at the Elections Commission. Second, you are unable to even make the mildest dent in what you feel are legitimate, significant issues. You are incapable of influencing or effectively bringing in necessary resolutions or remedies as you yourself concede. Take the Vijeyakala Maheswaran incident for instance. Next, you have also repeatedly, and disappointedly whined about some trivials – a $15 driver allowance and $100 nightly batta as lame excuses for the inability to keep up meeting/quorum commitments for essential decisions at the Commission. (Note: We all know this only because you yourself wrote about them!)
/