By Nirmala Rajasingam –
Nirmala Rajasingam
I write to express my concern and bewilderment over Dr. Murali Vallipuranathan’s recent pronouncements on the legalisation of polygamy in Sri Lanka, in a bid to arrest the dangerous decline in Tamil population numbers. Such suggestions, to be expected from the lunatic fringes of Tamil nationalism, or the Bodu Bala Sena in the South, are especially worrying when coming from a respected health professional working in mainstream academia.
It is often the trope of extremist nationalism and its advocates to draw the demographic and ideological boundaries of the nation on the bodies of their women, thereby claiming control of their sexuality, and reproductive rights and choices. Dr. Vallipuranathan, whose recent comments fall directly in line with the above, laments the decreasing numbers of the Tamil community, and in doing so ostensibly raises the attendant concerns of keeping the ‘nation’ pure, of keeping its women’s sexuality contained, to eliminate the possibility for the transgression of miscegenation. The sexual, procreative energies of ‘our women’ are only to be harnessed in the service of ‘our nation’; this is obvious to Tamil women, beset by the predatory gaze of the Sri Lankan armed forces on the one hand, and, on the other, the disciplining Tamil male gaze, which constantly supervises, circumscribes, and exhorts the woman not to be the agent of cultural degeneration. Much has been said about how ‘cultural degeneration’ within Tamil society has been precipitated by the Tamil woman since the end of the war, and this endorsement of polygamy perhaps laughable and far-fetched at face value, is in reality a foil for all of these concerns.
With regard to the Kilinochchi incidents, where allegedly several women were administered contraceptive hormonal implants without their informed consent, who is it that is accountable for these procedures? Is it only the Sinhala Buddhist state? Or can the responsibility also perhaps lie with those Tamil health professionals who may not think much of poor Tamil women? Would they be able to pull this off on a middle-class professional Tamil woman in Jaffna? And would it not be just as easy to impose these implants on poor rural Sinhala women in Moneragala or Mahiyangana just as in Kilinochchi? To attribute the motivations that undergirded these incidents solely to the issue of ethnicity is to misunderstand the multiplicity of processes at work here. There are criss-crossing patterns of oppression that function together to disempower women at the bottom of society. Caste, class and gender act with equal force.
Equally worrying is Dr. Vallipuranathan’s use of a scurrilous Islamophobic Youtube video, which makes many unsubstantiated claims about the rise of the Muslim population in the world. He later admits in his response to Dr. Kalaichelvan that the Youtube video is an ‘exaggeration’. If so, why use it? Is this not an incitement against Muslims in Sri Lanka, especially at a time when racist groups like the BBS are attacking the Muslim community precisely on these grounds? One has to seriously question the honesty of Dr.Vallipuranathan’s intentions here. Does Dr.Vallipuranathan claim that Muslims because of their ethnicity or faith are somehow more predisposed to procreate and increase their numbers dramatically over others. Class is the most important factor in determining population numbers than ethnicity or faith. Dramatic population decreases are largely due to economic mobility and social wellbeing.
Here again Tamil nationalism’s majoritarian thinking stands exposed. If the Muslims were the second minority and now they are going to pip the Tamils in population numbers, so what? Someone has to be the smaller minority. It was far from okay for the Tamils when the Muslims were the smaller minority and Tamils were a slightly larger community. And if now the Tamils are going to be marginally smaller – what is the fear? This fear arises from the logic of numbers and the superiority Tamil nationalists accord to numbers. How is this different from the Sinhala Buddhist majoritarian thinking? Dr. Vallipuranathan seems to make the tacit admission that in the eyes of Tamil nationalists Muslims being the smallest group can somehow be deemed the lesser beings entitled to ‘less’, commensurate with their numbers. Is this what stokes the fear in his heart if the Tamils were to shrink as a community?
After all, for a long time Tamil nationalist discourse defined Muslims as being part of the category of ‘Tamil Speaking Peoples’, only, at least until the LTTE began massacring and evicting them. After that this line became untenable. It is now not possible to not accept the Muslims as a separate ‘nation’, but the majoritarian mindset has not changed and therefore the fear over the increase of Muslim numbers.
Apart from the question of reductive nationalism and the location of women within the ‘nation’ and their reproductive rights many women’s rights activists are opposed to the indiscriminate and mass use of hormonal implants for reasons other than what Dr.Vallipuranathan identifies, i.e. population control. The hormonal implants are dispensed to women in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in population control programmes where the woman has no informed choice. When I was in Sri Lanka last year, I discovered and was rather concerned that women NGOs and doctors alike were rather unperturbed about the increasing use of hormonal implants such as Jadelle. The anecdotal information I received was very clear that Jadelle was being used across the country, in the South also, not just in the North. It is possible that incidents like the one in Kilinochchi occur in other parts of the country as well and go unreported.
The use of hormonal implants is on the increase all over the world especially in the global south despite serious complaints about side effects by women. Implants like Jadelle require a medical procedure to insert and remove and users are stuck with it for 5 years. These implants are known to cause a whole range of side effects and serious detriment to women’s health both short term and long term. The implants are developed by big pharmaceuticals and peddled by international family planning INGOs with the backing of governments, to poor women in the global South. The use of implants more than any other contraceptive device takes away the individual woman’s choice, agency, the control of her own body, her sexuality, her own impetus to procreate or not. They are designed this way because they are easy to administer in mass birth control programmes. Women, especially poor women are considered incapable of using other birth control methods which require daily attention and care; poverty and illiteracy are used as reasons to peddle the hormonal implants to poor women.
Apart from the issue of interfering with women’s reproductive rights, the introduction of hormonal implants are part of the plethora of questionable devices both micro and macro, that are deployed, on women in the global South, linking ‘development,’ ‘poverty alleviation’ and population control as inextricable processes. Dr.Vallipuranathan, recognises the indiscriminate nature of the dispensation of Jadelle but is opposed to it because he believes it is issued to Tamil women to suppress population growth amongst Tamils. He does not appear to be concerned with any of the other harms women’s rights activists are concerned about.
Vibhushana / August 5, 2014
Dr. Vallipuranathan did not start Tamil Nationalism based on Population Control. The guy is just one of the many Lemmings following S.J.V Chelvanayam and Ponnambalam.
Its funny how it appears to have started. The 1946 census indicate 10% rise in Sinhala population in the district of Trincomalee. This is only a year after the Brits left. The population increase was because of an influx of labour to transform Trinco into a Garrison town. The British built fortifications for WW2 still exist.
Then D.S. Senanyake kicks off the Gal Oya project to develop the area. S.J.V Chelvanayam or Ponnambalam demonize D.S. Senanyake saying he was trying to erase Tamils by settling Sinhalales in the East. Although it was not the East – it was the NW province. Not only that, the largest ethnic group settled there were Tamils and Moslems followed by Sinhala people.
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ramona therese fernando / August 5, 2014
If only the Thamils are willing to integrate with the Sinhalese, we’d all be one happy Lankan family – albeit of Sinhala Buddhists, of course, with the hardy Thamil gene. Trouble is Thamils do not want to mix with others at this time, because of the Sinhalese racial-purity stance which twisted our island’s psyche with European racism(courtesy of Anagarika Dharmapala). (they did that in African countries as well). Can’t be sure however, if the Anagarika stance was in retaliation to Thamil hegemony.
In this modern and civilized world of decency and superior evolvement of the human-mind, hope all this tribalism will be eradicated with the governing hierarchy leading the way, rather than resorting to honoring the 150th b’day of this man, Anagarika Dharmapala.
Chandrika Bandaranayake recently and bravely spoke about this dreadful vortex Sri Lanka has been caught up with so long. It is hoped that present Gosl is attempting to break the racist-spell Sinhalese are hallucinating on, and are not getting any encouragement from Russian and Chinese in their bid to outdo the West, to further feed us into this Black-Hole.
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BBS Rep / August 6, 2014
Ramona,
I agree with you that tribalism in Sri Lanka should be eradicated.
However I do not agree that the governing hierarchy in Sri Lanka is going to lead the way in this area. All government hierarchies in Sri Lanka have done just the opposite. And the present government takes the cake by creating a Buddha Sasana Ministry led by a racially motivated blatant liar, mollycoddling a militant Buddhist clergy, and subjecting the Tamil populated areas in Sri Lanka to Sinhala dominated military rule. Sadly the present GOSL is getting more and more enmeshed in the racist-spell rather than doing the opposite.
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Vibhushana / August 6, 2014
Hello there,
There are many nutjobs in every society. Anagarika Dharmapala was not an elected official. Most Sinhalaese know where to draw the line. The mere existence of Anagarika Dharmapala should not be equated to acceptance of his thinking right across the society without any hard proof.
When I say “Hard Proof” I mean things like GGP and Chelvanayagam for instance. They were for Tamil racial purity too and were elected leaders of Tamils.
Tamils do not want mix is fine. Although not at the cost of shared resources. The island is a shared resource. Problems arise the moment one tries to create a reservation to protect racial purity using shared resources isnt it? What do you think Ramona?
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ramona therese fernando / August 6, 2014
Oh noooo….. but Anagarika Dharamapala is much revered as an Arahant. We can elect, dismiss and throw stones at our elected officials, but when one becomes an Arahant such as Anagarika Dharamapala, then the psyche of the population becomes sorely immersed in the Arahant’s dark and unholy soul. This is far more dangerous even than what Hitler meant to the Germans.
Chelvanayagam and other persons on Thamil racial purity were not going into DNA-superiority. They were just crazy about their own racial heritage and had indulgence in all things anciently Thamil.
From the towns or abroad where Lankas are almost one race, can Lankans dismiss the notions of Olcott and AD . But from the SB heartland – now that is where lies the grinding resentment and anger towards all minorities who are supposedly inferior, but somehow are far ahead of them in brains and brawn. And for the minorities, in a lost case – they try every so often, but cannot succeed to be happy with ever trying to integrate.
Only solution : Have UN and other international bodies do DNA-testing on the SB masses. Then we can lay to rest once and for all, the truth/falsity of the Aryan myth factor of the Sinhala race.
Once this is done, then the masses can either break out of the spell that makes it impossible for them to interact rationally with other “lesser” minorities, or carry on forever as Sri Lanka has been miserably carrying on for the past 150 years (due to the SB Aryan-psyche).
As per Buddhism (irrespective of race) – it was always well in Sri Lanka. It was implicitly part of Lanka’s culture and heritage- Veddhas included. It never needed any revival as per Anagarika Dharmapala. It was an excuse for British such as Olcott, to come interfering in our land, and have a field day of racism. What pride and perverse satisfaction it must have been for him to influence the darkies with such divisions.
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Vibhushana / August 7, 2014
Hello Ramona,
I have 2 things to say here. Dharmapala inspired Buddhist revival resulted in Col. Olcott an American to arrive in Ceylon to build schools such as Ananda, Dharmpala, Visakha etc for Buddhists. Prior to this there were no first grade schools for Buddhists.
The Chiritians especially the local brown sahibs and coconuts were actively engaged in converting Buddhists. The Panadura Debate was another event that prevented Ceylon from becoming a plastic nation like the Philippines.
Apart from religious and educational Buddhist revival Anagarica activism did not cross over into the political sphere.
Periyar was a famous “Dravidian” revivalist similar to Dharmapala. Periyar is in every Tamil political party in existence today. ITAK was formed the same year Periyar inspired DMK was formed. ITAK was formed after Chelvanaygam met him in India.
So in summary, Buddhist revival did not cross over into the political sphere, resulting in terrorism, running for decades which was eventually defeated with 52 countries contributing. It was Tamil/Dravidnian revival that crossed over into the political sphere that did – ok Ramona.
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ramona therese fernando / August 7, 2014
Vibhushana,
Good information- thanks!
However, the end of all this Buddhist revival just didn’t justify the means, did it?
A 1% or so of extra Christian converts would not have destroyed Buddhism. It is the same wrong-logic that is being used to attack Muslims nowadays. In the Panadura Debate, if the Buddhist priests had worked equanimously with the British , instead of being roused up by persons like AD to get one up over the Christian invaders, a more tranquil emergence of Buddhist rights would have come forth.
It must be remembered that at the time of Olcott and AD, Christianity in Sri Lanka was already at its saturation point. The Portuguese had already done all the converting, and the Dutch and British did just a little of it. Olcott and AD were operating at the time of the British, so in the end, it was not so much of a conversion issue, but an issue of arrogance against the British.
As for the Philippines, they did not have the established religion like Sri Lanka, and so converting was easy.
It is good that all the Buddhist schools were built, but yet they had a sinister form. It gave advantage for White racists to come into Sri Lanka on the pretext of Buddhism, and indulge in racism. For White autocrats who had nothing else to do, it was the perfect excuse to vent their divisionary policies. Many more were busy in their own lands building up the Nazi front.
Yes, even the Thamil Periyar was instigated by the damned White men doing their categorizing of races. But the Sinhala side was more sinister as per the pure-Aryan race notion.
Pure-Aryan notion (aside from Buddhism) did not need to cross into political spheres. But political spheres throughout have been crippled by the psyche of the masses. It will take a great leader to put it all to rest and bring Sri Lanka to modernity, democracy, and true Buddhism.
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Native Vedda / August 7, 2014
Vibhushana
“So in summary, Buddhist revival did not cross over into the political sphere, resulting in terrorism, running for decades which was eventually defeated with 52 countries contributing.”
The Sinhala/Buddhist home grown terrorism by JVP was defeated by three countries namely, Hindia, UK and USA. Probably JVP ideology was imported from Russia, a reworked Maoism, a slide variant of Polpotism, enmeshed in Sinhala/Buddhist Theravadam, which caused 18,000 lives in 1971 and further 130,000 between 1987 and 1991.
Indeed it didn’t cross over from South India. However, Henry Olcott crossed over from USA to India and then from Theosophical Society Adyar to propagate Protestant Buddhism.
Before Olcott and Dharmapala the Wesleyan Methodist Monks had already established many good schools in the South.
Please refer to the list below:
List of the oldest schools in Sri Lanka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_schools_in_Sri_Lanka
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S.R.Sivasubramaniam / August 9, 2014
Can you illustrate your view “I mean things like GGP and Chelvanayagam for instance. They were for Tamil racial purity too “. Do you have anything to prove this, other than they tried to argue for the reasonable or legitimate rights of their community?
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AVB / August 6, 2014
I guess, Sinhalese island race is mixed too much, Dutch, Portuguese,Spanish, north-South Indian… Check the number of Sinhalese dinner dances parties (for over 40s) in cities like Melbourne. I believe non of other migrated communities has this many dance parties for mature people, perhaps Sinhalese dance culture match with Colombians & Brazilians… I wonder why SL Tamils do not like to mix with Sinhalese???
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Sylvia Haik / September 23, 2014
It is not that Tamils do not want to mix with the Sinhalese, it is that the Sinhalese are in the majority and in government and they make no attempt to assimilate. Where are the Tamils and Muslims and Burghers in our Army, Navy, Police or Air Force. The Police are mainly Sinhalese even in Tamil or Muslim gettoes. The gung-ho politicians and the monks in Bodu Bala Sena go around banging on about Sinhala superiority and this government doesn’t even raise an eyebrow, because it suits them to keep the communities at each others throats.
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Native Vedda / August 6, 2014
ramona therese fernando
“Trouble is Thamils do not want to mix with others at this time,”
Check Sinhala/Buddhists DNA, 75% of genetic markers are found in Tamilnadu Tamils.
The first Sinhala/Buddhists apes must have populated Tamilnadu in pre historical times. Over many millennia the Sinhala/Buddhists became master race and the Tamilnadu send in Hanuman and his less potent monkey army to beat Ravana (probably the early descendant of the first Sinhala/Buddhist master ape).
So there is no difference between the master race and the hardy Tamils. Both are stupid and self-destructive.
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Anpu / August 5, 2014
Vibushana,
Why do not you go a bit back further?
ANAGARIKA Dharmapala was a racist who shaped current Sinhala Budhism to marginalise and attack the minorities in the name of Budhism.
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Native Vedda / August 6, 2014
Anpu
“ANAGARIKA Dharmapala was a racist who shaped current Sinhala Budhism to marginalise and attack the minorities in the name of Budhism.”
A minor correction if I may.
In the name of Sinhala/Buddhism.
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Anpu / August 6, 2014
NV,
Of course you can and the correction accepted and apology for the mistake.
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karl singham / August 5, 2014
As usual Vibushana has given a very coherent and well-structured response to Rajasingham’s carefully argued statement!Keep it up:We all need such hilarity in these troubled times!
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aratai / August 5, 2014
.
If ‘quantity’ is the problem, then bring back the 200,000 SL Tamils living in TamilNadu refugee camps.
:-)
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ukg / August 5, 2014
Author,
Muslims didnt want to be classified as tamil
And this was long before the LTTE came into existance
The essence of your article suggests that tamils are indeed disappearing from the island
‘But the fault lies with the tamil people themselves’
This is like the way people keep blaming Hamas for Israels genocidal long term plans to totally wipe out Palestine and turn all of into Israel
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Thanga / August 5, 2014
Dr.Nirmala Rajasingam might not care about Thamil identity getting erased slowly but steadily in the Northeast. She is a denationalized Thamil and her photo confirms that perception. The fact of the matter is Muslim population island wide has increased at double the rate of Thamils and Sinhalese. The following figures speak the truth for themselves.
Between 1981 and 2011 population of Muslims increased from 1,046,900 (7.05) to 1,869,820 (9.23) an overall increase of 822,920 (78.60). The comparative figures for Sinhalese and Thamils for the same period is as follows:
(1) Sinhalese 10,979,400 (73.95) in 1981 to 15,173,820 (74.88) that gives an overall increase of 4,194,420 (38.20) and
(2) Tamils from 1,886,900 in 1981 (12.71) to 2,270,924 in 2011 (11.21) an overall increase of 384.024 (20.35) but percentage wise a decrease of 1.5%
The decrease in percentage of Thamils is not only due to migration, but also due to deaths during the war years.
The overall increase of population 14,846,800 from 1981 to 20,263,723 in 2011 is 5,416,923 (36.48%).
Therefore, the population increase of Muslims (78.60) is double that of national average increase of 36.48%. This is due to early marriage of young Muslims and the fact they don’t practice birth control for religious reasons. Their religion exhorts them to marry and multiply.
In the eastern province the Thamils have been pushed to second place from first place both by the Muslims and Sinhalese. The Sinhalese population increased from 279,112 to 1,551,381 in numbers and 3.79% in 1946 to 23.15% in 2011. This is due to the state sponsored Sinhala colonization in Gal Oya, Allai – Kantalai, Morowera, Padavia etc. The population increase is not due to “an influx of labour to transform Trinco into a Garrison town.”
The Thamils have been relegated to second place in Trincomalee and third place in Amparai. The demographic changes may not be a concern to Dr.Nirmala Rajasingam who is a denationalised Thamil. But others do have concern about the future of the Thamil people.
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BBS Rep / August 6, 2014
Thangame,
Stick to the point please.
Dr Nirmala Rajasingam being a denationalised Thamil is neither here nor there. The word denationalised means nothing. Most Sri Lankans living overseas still have their hearts and souls well imbedded in the affairs of Sri Lanka.
Think. Keeping abreast of the Muslim population will not get you anywhere. The problem for the Tamils has always been Sinhala racism. If you and Dr Vallipuranathan are concerned about Thamil people, then try and overtake the Sinhala population.
But I recommend that if your real concern is for the Thamil people move away from tribalism and this nonsense about racial purity. I recommend the same to the Sinhalese and Muslims as well.
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Ripvan W / August 6, 2014
@ Thanga
Thanga, what does your photograph show?
How big are your kadukkan, poddu, kudumbi and munmandai-vazippu?
Would be nice to see your un-denationalised look, if you send it to CT.
Or is it only women who can get denationalised?
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Native Vedda / August 6, 2014
Thanga
“Therefore, the population increase of Muslims (78.60) is double that of national average increase of 36.48%.”
Therefore let the Sinhala/Buddhists and the Tamil/Saivaite can jointly work to pass a law which might prevent “unreasonable” increase in Muslim population.
All Muslim men who have more than one child must present themselves to be castrated by the state. The responsibility of this benevolent act should be given to Ministry of Defence, under the chief executioner Gota assisted by BBS.
Hope Banda, Mechanic, Jimsofty, Navin, Ravi Perera, Ramu, wathie, OTC Maveeran, Kali-ban………. would be happy to provide their services.
Modi would be happy to provide expertise and resources.
Would you still be happy?
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kali / August 6, 2014
Grandad:
Why are you bringing me into this you swine. My services are not available for non worthy causes.
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Native Vedda / August 6, 2014
kali-ban
Countdown: 10 days to go.
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Javi / August 7, 2014
“Modi would be happy to provide expertise and resources.”
Menika Gandhi is the appropriate person for that and to stop the female gentile mutilation of muslims by fat_imam.
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Bedrock Barney / August 5, 2014
I too was ‘mildly alarmed’ when I read Dr Vali’s presentation. ‘Mildly’ cuz there was no hope in hell that polygamy would become a common practice in Tamil/SL’n society and ‘alarmed’ cuz he thought the situation was so dire that he, being a Dr and all, decided to go with the last imaginable resort to maintain pop growth.
Hate to say it but even among the Tamil and Singhaleses educated classes their is a sometimes not so hidden Muslim bias.
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Davidson Panabokke / August 6, 2014
”Apart from the issue of interfering with women’s reproductive rights, the introduction of hormonal implants are part of the plethora of questionable devices both micro and macro, that are deployed, on women in the global South, linking ‘development,’ ‘poverty alleviation’ and population control as inextricable processes”:
Sri Lanka Heath Service,
Pl note and act on it.
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Fathima Fukushima / August 6, 2014
Muslims are the largest minority in SL because Tamils used child soldiers and suicide bombers.
Tamils used to be Muslims before Portuguese killed Muslims in the country. Some Muslims in the north feared and converted to Christianity and Hinduism to survive.
It is time Tamils became Muslims again which means going back to their roots. Only then can Tamils truly claim their homeland.
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Tamil from the north / September 6, 2014
Hey FATSHITMA FUCKUSHIMA, thanks for you wonderful advise. We Tamils never knew our history and your wonderful lecture on how Tamils in Sri Lanka came to be was indeed enlightening. Thanks and now you can take a break.
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 6, 2014
One thing the Vellala TNA can’t pin this Hormone Implants in Mullative,on our bad Sinhala Buddhists. Right
As the writer correctly points out it is all NGO work fully funded fby the West.
Some Diaspora as I understand already into sort of polygamy on their visits to check on the dowry real estate which are now free to claim ..
If made legit,this Polygamy may be well received by some of our mates in Sinhala Diaspora.
Perhaps this Dr Guy has finally found some common grounds to unite the these two warring factions.
But our local Sinhala Buddhist inhabitants couldn’t afford even one , according to the Economic reports from the Rainbow Riders.
But what the Missus would say perhaps may be unthinkable or unpalatable..
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bodin / August 6, 2014
In the old days Vellala youth had free access to all the “low-caste” women who were their rightful play things, and certainly produced a lot of “Tamil kids”. Even now there is some of it going on. May be the Upper-caste Colombo TNA MPs who are in the North on “government business”, holding MP positions by the grace of the Colombo government can take “low-caste” concubines (I mean, double the usual amount), and there by render unto the race, what they have failed to do otherwise.
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Native Vedda / August 6, 2014
bodin
You forgot to mention the small Tamil shopkeepers who had their businesses in rural Sinhala/Buddhists area how they fathered many children with poor Sinhala/Buddhist women.
The very children turned out to be the ones who destroyed Tamil shops during the riots and most of them are suspected being the murderers of their own fathers and step brothers.
The grand children might have joint the armed forces and later committed war crimes.
Banda, OTC, Mechanic, Ravi Perera, K A Sumanaskere, wathie, …. could be the their descendants.
Banda
Your father could have been a Tamil who might have owned a shop near your mothers home in the village where you were born.
Please confirm.
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Bodin / August 7, 2014
Indeed, lokk at Aton Balasingham. The “Sinham” name ending does not exist in Tamil nadu, Malabar coaste etc. It is from the Sihala who were ejected from Jaffna by Sankili, as explained by Fr. Rasanayagam in his historical account of Jaffna.
Those who as strong tamil nationalists were at one time Sinhalese, and vice versa in their ancestry.
The whole point is, this Tamil-Sinhala ethnicity stuff is not the real issue as there is only a cultural difference and no ethnicity difference. The issue is the wish of the Rich Colombo Tamil Lawyers to continue to control their Land holdings in the North.
Most major rural sinhalese villages had a Jaffna “Mudalali” selling suruttu (cigars) and groceries. They still exist. If you consider that there are 25 districts, and each district has about 30 major cities on the average, we have 750 Tamil Muadalailis in sinhalese villages. All of them did not necessarily have extra-marital affairs, just as all of their wives did not have extra-marital affairs with the local sinhalese to sire half-sinhalese boys in tamil garb. if you assume a 30% incidence, you still have only a small figure.
Compare that with the large number of Tamil kids kidnapped by the husband of the current TNA Sithathiran MP and put out in front of the war lines and offered as human sacrifices to tamil Eelam.
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Native Vedda / August 7, 2014
Bodin
I am told there still exists a holy place (Nazareth)and a Catholic church in the UK popularly known as Walsingham.
I take it that Walsingham was named after Sinhala/Buddhist Singhalese.
What a great honour, 1000 years ago.
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 7, 2014
Dear Native,
Why are you so harsh , to call us bastards created by Tamil shopkeepers.
Now there is no need for these shopkeepers to sell Bombay Onions from Jeyalalitha’s Farms to our poor Sinhala Buddhists as John Keels and Cargills are looking after them well.
Although JJ’s Onions are all one hundred percent natural organically grown, I still prefer the red onions from Vellala Farms..
Another thing you ought to remember is, our Sinhala Buddhists have given your mates from Vellala Gardens , the keys to the North so that they can sell JJ’s onins to the Dalits there.
Besides even our bad Gnannissara loves you guys. Doesn’t he?..
So why do you need to keep spitting venom at the poor Sinhala Buddhists?.
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Native Vedda / August 7, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
Here is a story narrated to me by a lefty luvie from Jaffna.
There was a time your Vellala cousins prevented “dalit” Harijans (Children of god)youth from entering a prominent temple in Jaffna. The youth from both communities locked horns. The Elders from decided to talk this matter over.
Your Vellala elders wanted the Harijan Elders to stop their children and asked them to promise that the youth would not enter temple.
Harijan Elder told your Vellala elder
“Aiya our children are already in the temple. You are preventing your own children being let in.”
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 8, 2014
Dear Native,
But Harijans from Hatton never get a mention in LTTE proxy Sambandan and Apprentice Abraham’s list of demands ?. How come ?.
No Hatton Harijans in Diaspora perhaps , Right ?..
My Elders tell me most Dalits in Jaffna have entered Bishop Raiappu’s temple and there is no need for them to go to Nallor to get a blessing ..
The Bishop even sends them on roadshows to the Capital with the help of NGOs and their Western backers providing guard of honour..
Are these poor people still being used for Vellala and Diaspora needs?.
LTTE political czar Ellilan, the spouse of Ananthia, came with the Tigers and collected many children and youth to protect Prabakaran in Nanthikadal ..Right..
Do you think our Muslim turf Maradana is the right place to look for them?.
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Native Vedda / August 7, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“So why do you need to keep spitting venom at the poor Sinhala Buddhists?.”
Its not venom, I am only pointing the other side of the story and don’t give a damn whether a child is born out of illegitimate liaison or bastard or not as long as they aren’t brought up bigots like you and your Tamil brethren.
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BBS Rep / August 6, 2014
Nirmala Rajasingham,
You said all what I wanted to say about Dr Vallipuranathan’s alarmist and racially motivated diatribe. And you said it more succinctly. Well done.
Dr Vallipuranathan besides advocating polygamy to upstage the burgeoning Muslim population should not rest his advocacy just there. Why limit himself at keeping abreast of Muslim numbers only. Why not put other controversial programs than polygamy and beat the Sinhala population as well. After all the real problem for Tamils in Sri Lanka is not Muslim racism but the racism practiced by the Sinhala.
Dr Vallipuranathan of all people should understand what racism does to a country and a people. Why fan a new Tamil racism against the Muslisms? What is his agenda other than to play into the hands of Gota and getting a promotion in the government health sector?
Population control if needed should be universal. Or better still aim for better education and economic development and this will automatically bring the population explosion under control, irrespective of ethnicity, cast, culture or religion.
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Abhaya / August 6, 2014
Very Simple solution .,
Ban TV in the tamil areas , when there is no other entertainment they will breed like rabbits .
Cheers
Abhaya
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kali / August 6, 2014
Goth-Abhaya:
Y[Edited out]
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Native Vedda / August 7, 2014
Abhaya
“Ban TV in the tamil areas , when there is no other entertainment they will breed like rabbits .”
If you really care about them you would send them lorry loads of Durian from South.
Since you haven’t there is nothing to be cheerful about it.
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 8, 2014
Dear Native,
It is Prabakaran, the idol of your Vellala CM, not the lack of Durian.
He wouldn’t let the boys go near girls for 30 years.
The boys probably lost it after that long abstinence.
Do they have Durian in the Diaspora?…
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Javi / August 7, 2014
Abe how can you ban waves?? When you cant stop the wind.
late 80’s (with GUI of windows) I used Analog TV tuner card, then dawn of 21st centenary I used Digital TV tuner card. There is USB chip too and very convenient to watch in a park on your tablet- So that is what happens when you ban TV you get no licence fee.
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Tamil from the north / September 6, 2014
Hey Abhaya, Tamils have loads of text books to read. Today you racists are concerned why the Tamils are so educated. While a dumb arse like you was watching TV, the Tamils were busy studying. So keep your TV, better yet stuff it up your arse.
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Mallaiyuran / August 6, 2014
“Such suggestions, to be expected from the lunatic fringes of Tamil nationalism, or the Bodu Bala Sena in the South, are especially worrying when coming from a respected health professional working in mainstream academia.” Alas once more, one of the Royal Government’ propagandist is pulling the name of our Kovil Mealam “BBS”. Everybody is in favor of putting their hand on BBS for a giggle. Apparently, MOD has floated BBS to use as distraction by its propagandist like Nirmala Rajasingam. It is wonderful, she can think of BBS, only when there is fertility and populations question. Too sad, our lady was sleeping all these time not knowing what the BBS has been doing in Lanka, If she like, at least, here after when discussion of BBS is going around, she can come to CT, read and once in while too, she can write her comments. She needs not to see the BBS in the dream and panic when there is only a population growth in question.
“The sexual, procreative energies of ‘our women’ are only to be harnessed in the service of ‘our nation’;” “Such suggestions, to be expected from the lunatic fringes of Tamil nationalism” “It is often the trope of extremist nationalism and its advocates to draw the demographic and ideological boundaries of the nation on the bodies of their women, thereby claiming control of their sexuality, and reproductive rights and choices. ” Could Ms Rajasigam explain this a little more these baffling garbage, if she understands what she mean by ‘our nation’ which she has highlighted to show the King her dedicated devotion of his majesty? Did the King promise her to a share of ‘our nation’? But, doesn’t it lokks like even the Mahavamsa Modaya who voted to King and brought to the power seems to have lost their shares in ‘our nation’ of the Sinhala Buddhist Lanka. Does our lady know the ‘over nation’s intellectuals are now struggling to remove one EP somewhere in the world? Is she a party to that to save ‘our nation’ or against for that? What a gimmick this woman is playing as she is the only one who have the rights to advocate for women right.
“this is obvious to Tamil women, beset by the predatory gaze of the Sri Lankan armed forces on the one hand, and, on the other, the disciplining Tamil male gaze, ” This is another BBS gimmick of Ms Rajasigam. She sees Army also gazing at Tamil women only when she can arbitrarily accusing Tamil men of gazing at the Tamil women. Well she is very hard on army of their gazing of Tamil women when she compared them to the vulturous Tamil men who too doing that (is really a Tamil women, can she prove Tamil men are equally sexual predatory people like the Lankan army, who went on UN trips also gaze on rainbow color women). What a jealous Tamil men are these people. They are too gazing on Tamil women, because the Army can do it. By the way our lady has forgot to sight some of the incidents of Army gazing of Tamil women; out vegetarian gazing, deer like gazing animals has been listed as one of the 21 ‘our nations’ that go on war with minorities for women gazing expeditions. So just to mention one or two, these gazing, these vegetarian army became one of the wildest beast ever man can imagine, when caught Issaipriya and other Tamils girls. Sorry to mention, they could not gaze anymore, but I do not know the word of eating method those wild beast used in the Mullivaikkal war to eat the bodies of Tamil girls. That is why Ms Rasingam is accusing the Tamil men too wanted do gazing like that. Still, it appears to be she is too hard on the vegetarian Army it only gazes. Sorry, I cannot Tell Krisanthi to the Karainakar 11 year’s old girl, almost a Lakh of Tamil women, the Ms. Rajasingam’s vegetarian Army has gang gazed. It is the reader’s responsibility to read about it. I cannot leave it Ms Rajasigam also, because she will be too harsh on army and too soft on blaming the Tamil intellectual who try to see a thing on a different angle.
I am really confused of her discussion of Dr. Vallipuranathan’s use of a scurrilous Islamophobic Youtube, polygamy, ‘our nation’ service and the women’s right. Can she explain clearly, denying the right of polygamy relationship is violating women right or not? Is she suggesting that Dr Vallipuranathan is advocating forceful relations to women? I am confused of reading many arguments on the Tamil Medias too, on this this subject. There are 90,000 war widows in the north. Many are blaming everybody. Many are advocating many things. Government is blocking any reasonable help for them from any party. Their partners are killed by Ms Rajasingam’s gazing army. Do they have to live like it as a punishment for their some kind of fault? Could they not go and live in a house where another woman already lives. Is that denial of her woman right? Where could professional women coming to this. I that Ms Rajasingam declaring women of her status will never let a dog creep in to their house. Is that why she is jealous of Tamil men gazing?
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andy / August 6, 2014
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/gender-rights-and-tamil-genocide-a-response-to-nirmala-rajasingam/
Here is the reply by Dr.Murali Vallipuranathan, he has done a good job addressing Nirmala Rajasingam’s criticisms of his presentation. This show you have to read and research an article before criticizing or commenting someone’s opinion. You cannot randomly write whatever you think. Nirmala really think that she is defending the women right but using it for her own popularity which has been exposed by Murali’s response. She is really a fake defender of women rights.
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Fathima Fukushima / August 6, 2014
I should have added that as the Muslim population is increasing at an alarming rate we the Sinhalese should convert to Islam before we are overwhelmed.
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Rationalist / August 7, 2014
FF- “…the Muslim population is increasing at an alarming rate…”
From where do you get these Population Statistics?
Or are you just repeating what the Anti Muslim Apologists say?
Muslims are more visible now because of their obsession with the Hijab etc. If they dress like everyone else there will be no problem here, or anywhere in the World.
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Tamil from the north / September 6, 2014
Hey fatshitma fuckushima, one day you tell us that you are a Muslim, the next day you tell us you are a Sinhalese, what are you really? or are you so confused which area your mother slept to manufacture you? Tomorrow are you going to be a Tamil?
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ajith / August 6, 2014
Nirmala Rajasingham,
You are trying to be pretend as an women rights campaigner but you are not. We have never heard your voice when thousands of Tamil women and children were butchered by Sinhala Nationalists and racists. The actions of Sinhala nationalism is the primary course for the reduction of Tamil population. It is the primary course for creating over 100, 000 Tamil Widows and fatherless children? Requesting the fundamental rights is not Tamil Nationalism. Can you tell us what sort of governance in this island ensure the fundamental rights of the Tamils such as security from Sinhala nationalism and racism, rape of Tamil women from Sinhala racists?
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jansee / August 7, 2014
Nirmala Rajasingham:
When Truman bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, millions died. There were those who hailed it as a heroic act to save millions of lives by losing a million lives. Then there were those who accused the act as genocide. It boils down to which side of the history page you are.
While I do not wish to make your argument the lesser of than that of Dr Murali, let me simply ask you these simple questions, which need to be asked to straighten your mind:
There are more than 70,000, if not more, Tamil war widows in the North. Are they to seek comfort with their own kind/sex which, I am sure, would be looked at with horror? or
Let the sinhala soldiers “graze” them as it is happening now and there is nothing YOU can do about to stop it, save to write your hilarious pieces, or
Leave it to god to satisfy their urges, or
They (the widows) gratify themselves, if you know what I mean.
These are human beings and your relegation of them to “statues” is pathetically a reflection of your own understanding of the basic human needs of any human being which, incidentally, seem to have escaped from your vision and possibly that you may be devoid of yourself. They have gone through a horrendous war and now facing a very uncertain future. No, I am not supporting man to be vultures but hardly your ground is not only very shaky but that you stand on is hypocritically selfish that what you feel and desire should not be so with those devastated women.
Just like what Truman did, the departure from a “norm” argument that you are bashing through dismisses the nature of what a woman is that you seem to be so devoid of. I am not saying that these women should rush to satisfy their gaping hunger indiscriminately and that will solve everything but desperate situations warrant desperate measures. The “iconic tower” from where you deliver your judgement is very from the reach of these women and from that pedestal it will be difficult for you to reach the ground. If you are the woman you claim to be, try to save these women from prostitution, otherwise what you write would only appear to gratify yourself. I SALUTE THESE WOMEN WHO HAVE BECOME NOMADS IN THEIR OWN LAND AND WHATEVER THEY DO, HOWEVER WRONG IT MIGHT APPEAR TO OTHERS, THEY ARE THE REAL HEROES.
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lalala / August 7, 2014
polygamy any day is better than prostitution. nirmala seems to attack the writer due to his gender and tamil nationalism than offer any solution to the problem.
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NR / September 23, 2014
@Thanga, Have you considered that with higher levels of education, the level childbirth goes down? And Tamils have always been serious about education, while Muslims and Sinhalese have been serious about religion. This is partly a natural phenomenon, and partly due to the war. So what if the number of Tamils goes down? It is the quality of life they lead and what they achieve that is the hallmark of their lives. Do you envy the Muslims how their religious focus limits their achievements in other areas? By basically disempowering their women they have halved their abilities. Is that what Tamils should aspire to?
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