By Elijah Hoole –
I was in Trincomalee for a few days after a long time. The trip was fantastic. But, fun aside, the trip was also a harrowing experience as a Tamil. The speed at which the history and heritage of the town has been reversed by the hegemonic state is remarkable.
For example, a huge statue of Buddha (annexed) has been erected right below the famous Koneswaram temple.
While I have little clue as to how the hot water springs of Kanniya came about, I know for a fact that the official version has now been reversed. The yellow signboard from 2010 (annexed) has been removed and in its place there is a signboard in Sinhala and English claiming that the wells were part of a Buddhist monastery. While it would take some serious research to actually validate this claim, one has every right to question the motive behind not using Tamil. If the historical claim is indeed true, what purpose does the government hopes to serve by hiding it from Tamils? In addition to the new Buddhist temple that has been built, there are signs of another being constructed. One wonders why. The entire tourism industry is controlled by the military. It was hard to find Tamil vendors around any of the famous tourist attractions that I visited. I wonder what the city will be like in 5 years’ time.
When the collective existence of a group is under threat and their place in history is consistently undermined by the state, what hope is there for peace? What hope is there for equality? What hope is there for justice? What hope is there for reconciliation?
Ravi Perera / November 11, 2013
Banda,
Well said man. If I may give you one piece of advice please do not take this vedda fellow seriously.
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Native Vedda / November 12, 2013
Ravi Perera
“Banda,Well said man.”
No he is a Bull Sh.. man
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Native Vedda / November 11, 2013
Ravi Perera
Its funny Pereras and Banderas have taken the trouble to study and discuss my history and are going to tell me who I am.
Good hobby for good for nothing fellows.
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Ravi Perera / November 11, 2013
Veddo,
Who taught you English. Vanniya Aththo or Rudrakumaran ?
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Native Vedda / November 12, 2013
Ravi Perera
“Who taught you English. Vanniya Aththo or Rudrakumaran?”
Who thought you English, Pereras, Banderas, Fonsekas, Silvas, Black and Deckers, Anagarika Dharmapala (the homeless one), Mervyn, Gota, Pandara Nayakam, Somarama Thero, ………..
If the stupid Sinhalese and their stupid brethren can, we can.
I suppose English is Sinhala/Buddhists’ native language and they took it all over world, thought the language to British and made it popular.
Did Mahanama write his historical novel in English?
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ela kolla / November 11, 2013
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Native Vedda / November 13, 2013
ela kolla
Nopes
VP didn’t commit suicide as you would have expected him of but he was hacked to death.
Do you have any problem with Army’s act of mercy?
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ela kolla / November 11, 2013
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Ravi Perera / November 12, 2013
Veddo,
[Edited out]
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Native Vedda / November 13, 2013
Ravi Perera
[Edited out]
is not a response.
Please try again.
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PBS . Hemachandra / November 13, 2013
We were fighting for 30 years and looks like there is no end to it. If you really want to know the history of North and East please read following books and Maps done by Portuguese, Dutch and English historians and eye witness accounts all of them confirmed that Singhalese lived in north and east in large numbers before ethnic clensing by Europeans and Tamil terrorists. You can check from the links given in the internet specillay parts of the letter written by Viscount Torrington to Load Gray about forced colonisation of Tamils and Mohammedens (Malabars) from South India in the east of Sri Lanka taking over the lands of Singhalese after 1848 Kandyan Rebellion against British Rule. According to Father de Queyroz there was a temple of Buddam in Trincomalee. These are the books to refer.
1. ‘The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon”, by contemporary Portuguese historian Father Fernao de Queyroz. http://www.sinhalaheritage.org/De_Queyroz.html
2. Fatal History of Portuguese in Ceylon by George Davison Winius
3. ‘A True and Exact Description of the Great Island of Ceylon’ Dutch priest Phillipus Baldaeus who went accompanied Dutch forces who took over Jafna.
4. ‘The Creation of States in International Law’ by Prof. James Crawford
5. ‘An Account of the Island of Ceylon’ (1805) by Captain Robert Percival
6. Historical Relation of Ceylon by Robert Knox
Maps with Singhalese names of villages you can view from these links
http://www.jaffnahistory.com/Eastern_Province/Bathkalapuwa_to_Cotiar.html
http://www.jaffnahistory.com/Eastern_Province/Sinhala_Villages_of_Eastern_Lanka_1695.html
you can view Pages of Viscount Torrington’s letters to Colonial office in London from this link.
http://sinhalaheritage.org/Images/Letter_to_Lord_Grey_5.jpg
http://sinhalaheritage.org/Images/Letter_to_Lord_Grey_7.jpg
Please copy and paste these links to your browser read all pages to understand the truth without fighting.
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MHA / November 13, 2013
I expected as much from some Tamil centric morons, most likely those living outside of the country. Everywhere across the rest of Sri Lanka, Hindu and Buddhist places of worship are often found together. If the Sinhalese in the south can have a Hindu place of worship within their most revered and sacred temple grounds, why is it such that when this happens in the East or the North, some people point it out as something bad or an act of cultural genocide. It only goes to show the bigotry of some people with hidden agendas. They know nothing of the spirit of religious tolerance in Sri Lanka. As a Westerner with much experience in the country, it doesn’t long to figure out this cat and mouse game. The real bigots are commenting on this article, thinking they are superior. Think again, you look very very foolish.
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kali / November 13, 2013
MHA you Westerner,
Are you a WOG or English, French, German or Italian.
Let me explain to you how a Tamil Moron ( most likely living outside which is not by choice but out of necessity) will answer your pathetic Question.
1)If the Sinhalese in the south can have a Hindu place of worship within their most revered and sacred temple grounds, why is it such that when this happens in the East or the North, some people point it out as something bad or an act of cultural genocide.
***We are minority in a Predominantly Buddhist Country without the means to protect our Language and Religion and therefore vulnerable to gradual eradication of our identity and Colonisation .
Just for example take Tamil Nadu and with power at their disposal they are able to protect and preserve Tamil Culture and Heritage a Luxury which we don’t have in Sinhala Lanka .
If you don’t understand this you as a Westerner is not qualified to comment.
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MHA / November 13, 2013
I expected as much from some Tamil centric morons, most likely those living outside of the country. Everywhere across the rest of Sri Lanka, Hindu and Buddhist places of worship are often found together. If the Sinhalese in the south can have a Hindu place of worship within their most revered and sacred temple grounds, why is it such that when this happens in the East or the North, some people point it out as something bad or an act of cultural genocide. It only goes to show the bigotry of some people with hidden agendas. They know nothing of the spirit of religious tolerance in Sri Lanka. As a Westerner with much experience in the country, it doesn’t long to figure out this cat and mouse game. The real bigots are commenting on this article, thinking they are superior. Think again, you look very very foolish. When you right the blatant politicization of Tamil / Sinhalese history for the cause of the LTTE idiology, how is that wrong.
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Rakitha / November 13, 2013
Please Tamils have taken over Colombo and that’s ok for your Tamil extremist but the East which was always having all 3 communities and also lots of Buddhist history is a problem for you Tamil extremist… NO Sinhalise could live in the North and Jaffna and they are chased and it was opening mentioned by a TNA MP and that ok for you Tamil Extremist. Tamils today live more in the south than the North and you take Wellawatha its all Tamil in the heart of Colombo and they chase all Sinhalise and also don’t sale any land to Sinhalalise… The guy who wrote this article has forgotten all these details and surely seems to be very objective for the Tamil extremist terrorist groups who survive with these nationalist topics!!!!!! Go get a life Man..
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kali / November 13, 2013
To All the Sinhalese Racists:
This is our claim to the East and we are determined to Reclaim it and after March 2014 the Tamil Nadu Army is scheduled to arrive to make our Dream come true.
EAST WILL BE REUNITED.
Ancient period[edit]
Evidence of a settlement of people with burial practices similar to that found in the Tamil Nadu region in India and further North was excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu in the western coast and in Kathiraveli in the eastern coast. These are dated between 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD.[6] Although it is not known when ethnic Tamils first settled in Sri Lanka. Tamil royal dynasties in this period are known to have patronized Tamil Saivite culture in the east that paralleled the growth of the community in the area, and by the 6th century, a special coastal route by boat was functioning to the Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee and Thirukkovil temple of Batticaloa. It wasn’t until the 13th century that there was firm evidence of the rise of a significant Tamil Hindu social formation in the Jaffna Peninsula, complete with a Hindu king and a palace, in the aftermath of the collapse of the classical Sinhala Dry Zone civilisations.[7] By the 11th and 12th centuries AD the upper half of the eastern province had a large Tamil community.[8]
Eastern Tamils had feudal organizations that centered around Ur Podiyar[9] at a village level and the Kudi system that controlled social interactions. They also were organized politically as Vannimai chiefs[10] who came nominally under the Kandyan kingdom. The most important social group were the Mukkuvar who had originated from South India and had repeatedly invaded Sri Lanka as evidenced by Sinhalese literature of that period called Kokila Sandeśa as the Mukkara Hatana. One of the local traditions that records the landing and settling of eastern Sri Lanka is called Mattakallappu Manmiam (Tamil:மட்டக்களப்பு மான்மியம்).[11]
Among the medieval Vanni cheftaincies, those of Panankamam, Melpattu, Mulliyavalai, Karunavalpattu, Karrikattumulai an Tennamaravadi in the north of the island were incorporated into the Jaffna Kingdom. The chieftaincy in Trincomalee was at times incorporated into the northern Kingdom. Hence Vannimai’s just south of the Jaffna peninsula and in the eastern Trincomalee district usually paid an annual tribute to the Jaffna Kingdom instead of taxes. The tribute was in cash, grains, honey, elephants, and ivory. The annual tribute system was enforced due to the greater distance from Jaffna.[12]
We are determined to Unite East and the Northern Province when we have a change at the top in India.
For your Information the Control Under Kandyan Kingdom was Nominal meaning for a very short and limited period.
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Native Vedda / November 14, 2013
kali
“This is our claim to the East and we are determined to Reclaim it”
East is also our ancestral land and I am determined to reclaim from Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims. So don’t waste time and energy.
“after March 2014 the Tamil Nadu Army is scheduled to arrive to make our Dream come true.”
Why didn’t they arrive in 2009 just in time to save your VP?
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shankar / November 14, 2013
“after March 2014 the Tamil Nadu Army is scheduled to arrive”
kali,don’t forget that appointment with the shrink.
tamilnadu does not have an army.
“This is our claim to the East and we are determined to Reclaim it”
East was part of the kandyan kingdom,not jaffna kingdom.So tamils have no claim to ownership of the east but do have a valid claim for the north.If you ask for the north based on the jaffna kingdom then you lose the east based on the kandyan kingdom principle.
So tamils are trying to get the east based on the external self determination principle of traditional homeland concept.
Waste of time.Bird in hand is worth two in the bush they say.
kali,don’t ‘think’ too much about what i have said and stress out.
.
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Elara Pandiyan / April 28, 2017
Cause Sinhala Government Backed Sinhalisation
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