28 March, 2024

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 The ‘Ignominy Of 1983’ Still Haunts Sri Lanka’s Collective Psyche!

By Mohamed Harees –

Lukman Harees

Any sensible nation would have learnt from the gory events that changed this island nation’s history and sent a once booming economy into a downward trajectory, with billions of dollars since been spent on and thousands of lives lost as a result of the thirty year old  ethnic strife that followed ‘Black July’. Although war ended in 2009,  Sri Lanka is nowhere yet near a point where bitter lessons were learnt to transform itself into an inclusive nation. With no political will and pseudo nationalist fever running high, turning into racist tantrums, the country which once outshone others in the region, is sadly on the path of self destruction , unless the people shows fresh resolve and determination to change the political course of history and its political culture. 

As the July 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom is fading into distant memory, senior journalist DBS Jeyaraj correctly cautioned, in his column in 2010, that ‘the inherent danger in the pogrom of July 1983 being forgotten is that it may very well happen again. As the truism goes “those who do not remember the lessons of history are condemned to relive it again. Arguably had the memory of 1958 anti-Tamil violence been frequently re-visited, the incidents of 1977 and 1983 may not have recurred…The ugly head of neo-fascism masquerading as patriotism is being raised. The Tamil people in particular and the minorities in general are being pilloried as “aliens” and “visitors”.The purveyors of racial hatred are spreading their evil gospel and irresponsible sections of the media are peddling it regularly. Communalist propaganda in the garb of pseudo nationalism is gaining ground’. This was evidently seen in the Post-war era. 

After 1983, the Sri Lankan State lost legitimacy in the eyes of the Tamil community, as articulated best by former TULF Member of Parliament late Neelan Tiruchelvam, who described it as “the anomaly of imposing a mono ethnic state on a multi ethnic polity”. The Sri Lankan State, began to be increasingly seen and perhaps also acting, as a Sinhala State, rather than a pluralistic, multi-ethnic and inclusive state.

Sri Lanka would have been a paradise and even better than Singapore if not for this conflict. Around 1981-82, Sri Lanka – the first South Asia country to liberalise its economy, far ahead of India – had a booming economy and was heading for the kind of prosperity enjoyed by the ‘Asian Tiger’ economies when the conflict reversed the trend. To our collective shame, an entire ethnic minority countrywide were targeted, innocent men, women and children.

1983 riots however, did not arise due to animosities between the two communities. In fact, during the July 1984 riots many Sinhalese residents saved the lives and properties of Tamils from the gangs defying a curfew to maraud and rampage. Some Tamils were sheltered in Sinhalese houses during the violence as the mostly Sinhalese police and military looked on. It was the absurdity of chauvinistic politicians who were responsible for this situation. 

The crimes of July 1983 | pic by Chandraguptha Amarasingha – A Tamil boy stripped naked and later beaten to death by Sinhala youth in Boralla gustation – 1983 July

The 1983 massacres in Sri Lanka are best understood within the context of the post-independent state of affairs that prevailed in the country at that time. Many negative developments in Post independence Sri Lanka such as the pre-1983 communal riots against the Tamils, abrogation by the Sinhala political leaders of pacts entered with the Tamils leaders, at the instance of the ultra-nationalist and Supremacist Sinhala lobby groups, and many of the colonization projects in the north and the east by the Sinhalese of the south were contributory factors. The government also began to closely monitor all media coverage on the recent developments in the country. On July 2, 1983, the government proceeded to close down two leading Tamil newspapers in Jaffna, the Saturday Review and Suthantiran (Freedom), whose editor Mr. Kovai Mahesan had been detained under emergency regulations. It is within the backdrop of these events that the riots of July 1983 should be understood, behind the seemingly spontaneous eruption of inter-communal hatred lay ominous warning signs which went unheeded by State authorities. Whatever the explanation, the immediate and long-term consequences of the 1983 riots have had devastating effects on the country.

Perhaps the worst consequence of the protracted conflict has been the rising level lawlessness in society prompted by a sense of impunity that some say has origins in the fact that none of the perpetrators of the 1983 violence were brought to trial. Unfortunately, the mentality, the politics and rhetoric which enabled and created July ’83 has sadly not entirely left our public discourse. Indeed, this trend has become worse off after the so-called Presidential election victory of the ‘Sinhala people’.  Human rights violations, including by the law enforcement authorities, have steadily increased over the years. 

Worryingly the same rhetoric is emanating from the self-proclaimed saviours of the Sinhala people today, in relation to the Muslim community. Thus, the common thread for all communal attacks violent acts which extended further , to encompass all communal attacks on another minority community-the Muslim upto now, is a culture of impunity that has persisted in the island from the time Sri Lanka gained independence 72 years ago. Sri Lanka has been unable to hold accountable the perpetrators of these spate of violence, riots or the war that ended in 2009, despite its continued commitments to international organizations – a lack of substantive movement towards accountability pervaded specially in the past decade. The government continues to shield the perpetrators from any form of accountability. Those responsible for anti-Muslim communal violence in Aluthgama in 2014, Digana and Ampara in 2018 and Post Easter in 2019 are still at large. Those responsible at the highest levels of power for allowing Easter Sunday disaster to happen, are also roaming free. What JRJ did in 1983 and blamed the Tamils was repeated almost ad verbatim by Mahinda Rajapaksa when Muslim victims were blamed as perpetrators in respect of the Aluthgama tragedy. 

Even today, the ill effects of institutionalised racism and impunity and assaults and harassment of the media and journalists and social media activists , critical of the government  and its discriminatory policies  have increased. Laws and  law enforcement authorities are indifferent  and go soft when those connected to the higher echelon of power  and those in saffron clothes are involved in hate speeches and racist  crimes. The Presidential powers of pardon is being misused  to pardon criminals in uniform and in saffron clothes. There seem to be no political will to solve the national question or build a sense of togetherness in communities. After 2009, there is a growing polarization among the communities with minorities feeling alienated and marginalized in the political as well as in the social arena. 

In a ICJ report titled The Crisis of Impunity in Sri Lanka (2012), it says, ‘..in Sri Lanka, impunity has over the years become institutionalized and systematized: mechanisms to hold state actors to account for their actions have been eroded; checks on the arbitrary use of power have been diluted, if not dissolved; institutions to protect the independence of the judiciary have been eviscerated; the Attorney-General has become politicized; and political forces have continually sought to influence and interfere with the judiciary. Blatant disregard for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary has crippled the justice system, leaving victims with little or no prospect of remedies or reparations for serious human rights violations’. Thus, instances of impunity shown above are but  part of the story. Unless the crisis of endemic impunity is combated and sorted out, the rot will continue to make Sri Lanka a pariah state subjected to international shame.

As Sri Lanka stands in its own shadow, it should reflect on the harm that impunity and perceived feeling of inequality among minority communities, have caused to its’ international image and the gradual erosion of confidence of its’ people in the process of rule of law. Failing to hold those accountable for their actions, and inactions that lead to harm and loss, and compensate the victims adequately, fails humanity as a whole. Thus, more than 11 years after the end of the war, Sri Lanka is still grappling with its recent past and many challenges remain unresolved and many of the physical, emotional and psychological wounds of war and communal violence remain unhealed.

Perhaps the most enduring lesson of July 1983 should be “never again”. Violent extremism should always be challenged and not allowed to flourish. Entire communities being demonised should stop such as what is happening in the case of the Muslims. Fresh thinking and open minded initiatives are necessary ably promoted by progressive intellectuals and religious leaders and a well-planned strategy to educate the grass-root levels of our society about the need to live and let live as equal citizens. Specially, the peace loving majority community should be made to realize the vicious plans of the political class hell-bent on exploiting their emotions based on their race and religions for petty gains making other minority communities demons who are all out to destroy them. Otherwise, 1983 ghosts will continue to hover and more 1983 style operations will be inevitable.

With many past missed historic opportunities, and more bleeding in the future, Sri Lanka will surely join the ‘Failed States Club’ while the internal and international conspirators will have a last laugh at the expense of the nation, if sanity does not prevail soon in Mother Lanka! Time is running out for the flower of an inclusive Sri Lanka to bloom! If the next parliament consists of the likes of Madu Madhawa, Gammampila and Wimal Weerawansa, and allowed to operate and rule the country on a platform of racism, with the help from rogue sections of the media and Maha Sangha, then it will be death knell for Sri Lanka. The reason why the public activism should renew its efforts not to allow racist politics to take centre-stage in the country!, which is reeling from the wounds of war and hate in particularly the Post war period. After all, politics is too serious to be left in the hands of petty politicians!

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Latest comments

  • 8
    1

    “The ‘Ignominy Of 1983’ Still Haunts Sri Lanka’s Collective Psyche!”

    There is no such thing as “Sri Lanka’s Collective Psyche!”

    There is “Sri Lanka Sinhala Buddhist Collective Psyche”….but they celebrate 1983

    • 1
      5

      Everybody celebrates 2009.

  • 6
    11

    If Tamils didn’t kill those 13 soldiers, there wouldn’t be a Black July. Tamils also shy away from admitting Black August 1977 where Sinhalese were evicted out of Jaffna and stole their land. This repeated in another Black August in 1990 when Tamils evicted Muslims from Jaffna and stole their land. Today Jaffna is Tamil only. Black July is nothing in comparison.

    • 1
      1

      Repeating the same lie everywhere to justify a state sponsored atrocity will not work. Soldier went to the north for combat not to pick flowers and if they get killed in combat, it is no excuse to unlash violence on a civilian population who are fellow citizens living 300 miles away. There were no Chingkallams chased way from Jaffna in 1977 , another lies and Chingkallams hardly owned any property in Jaffna or in any part of the north for that matter. Neither did the Muslims. Now all this Chingkalams and Muslims owning large amount of property in the north is something now concocted to justify stealing thousands of acres of Thamizh property and distributing to them. Muslims and Chingkallams chased out and ethnically cleansed over a million Thamizh and stole their lands, especially in the east.

    • 0
      0

      Dear GATMA
      Tamils did not kill those soldiers the FP/ITAK/TULF goons did the killings, Indian trained mercenaries did the killing. Yes they were innocent children brain washed somewhere else prostituted by the FP/TULF/ITAK for their own agendas.

      The innocent people had nothing to do with them and mostly never ever even cared or heard what these FP thugs were doing in Jaffna……..we were dying from these thugs in Jaffna well before they even turned the guns on the innocent GOSL soldiers is a fact of life.

      1977 mandate was obtained through the same thuggery is the point with the Indian help to Destry the Nation……who protected the Jaffna mans rights?? not even the GOSL.

      If anybody wanted to take revenge how none of the riot organisers knew where the TULF/FP criminals lived??? could have solved the problems there and then as they would have understood their end as they guided the same children to kill all their opponents?? why did GOSL save them to this date in the parliament and reviewing their manifestos?? Signs of bigger forces working in the country?? so message is leave the SL Tamils alone and do not generalise them please as they have nothing to do with this as they just as innocent as you all are is the point???

      • 0
        0

        Dear GATMA

        The same thing do not pick on the innocent Muslims because of one Muslim thug did a crime and find their so called “Muslim party this and that” and take them out all else will be solved instantly. These parties thrive because we respond the wrong way.

        It is even more uglier to watch our security forces standby that we need to change to show our maturity as people. This is a very third world mentality making the entire third world the way they are….we all need to change this mindset of generalising people. That is why we need to ban the Race, Religious and Language parties as they have become a mafia outfit learn to play the “democratic” UN/World Order game under the disguise of being elected??

        Then the same complain about others electing someone and wouldn’t live by it in a democracy??? A total folly in its “origins/make up” can not serve the citizens of the country in their respective enclave/constituents where they are elected to serve irrespective of their colour and creed is accepted as a Democratic entity??

        • 0
          0

          In our case it is in name FP/ITAK/TULF now TNA and has many colours to its journey a full time thuggery outfit specially after Hon SJV passed away took us all for a ride/no no a roller coaster ride no other mankind has ever seen anywhere else in our planet. The answers lie in the investigation to come from 1970-1977-1981 what did really happen in Jaffna……holds the answers to the Tamil misery and the Nations misery too.

  • 5
    17

    J.R. Jayawardana, right from the beginning knew wealth robbers(Tamils) of Sri Lanka (Heladiva) that’s why he wants to massacre TAMILS. We need leaders like him future also. We all know Tamils and Muslims are wealth robbers of HELADIVA (Sinhalese Aryans Country, Sri Lanka)

    • 2
      1

      Please take some rotten pears ( may be your self) to you relatives living in the Thamizh Nadu kupams.

  • 6
    1

    On the 23rd July 1983, I along with my Sinhalese ex-wife a, first cousin a Tamil Hindu who had been an officer in the Navy who had just returned from an overseas posting was occupying the rented house at 494 Nawala Road, Rajagiriya living in bliss harmony and peace.
    We had Sinhalese servants a lady chef, a 16-year-old young dude and an ex-police driver who were all Buddhists belonging to the major race.
    Added to these, we had 2 Tamil visitors from an upcountry estate a kanganny who had brought with him a little about 7 years young girl who was meant to be an addition to the domestic staff.
    =
    On being told about it I went to the moon and steadfastly asked my now ex to when the riots subsided to give a generous cash gift and send the two of them back to wherever they sprouted from…
    The domestics stood tall in their loyalty and did their best to keep us comfortable to the best of their abilities.
    =
    I will never forget my late landlord the now deceased Mr Leslie Perera now deceased along with his brother in law Mr Susantha Ranatunga who protected all of us with tons of sincerity better than my own kind would have done so.

  • 5
    6

    During the process of human evolution, people domesticated several wild animals. Out of those animals, there is one who is really loyal to the person who feed and take care. Strangely, there are humans who do not have the good qualities of that animal.

  • 9
    14

    Not a single world about killing of thirteen ‘Ranaviruwo’ of the Sri Lankan Army by the descendants of Dravida slaves (Boys) that ignited the riots.

    Demalu and Muslims are good in putting the blame on Sinhalayo for everything that went wrong with minorities. Their hands are clean. They did not do anything wrong.
    • In 1915, who started the riots in Gampola? Muslims
    • When Sinhala was made the official language who started violence against Sinhalayo? Demalu
    • When English letters in car number plates were changed to ‘Sri’, who started violence against Sinhalayo? Demalu
    • When Standardization was introduced for the benefit of Sinhalayo, Demalu and others in areas where the education facilities were poor who started violence against Sinhalayo? Demalu
    • Who threw the first stone that led to recent Sinhala-Muslim riots? Muslims
    The list can go on.

    These guys do not see the beams in their eyes but see the needles in the eyes of Sinhalayo.

  • 6
    11

    • Chelvanakam who was born in Malaya and entered Sinhale illegally destroyed the bud for an inclusive Sri Lanka by forming the Federal Party in 1949 and demanding a Federal Unit for Demalu.
    • Same illegal immigrant Chelvanayakam destroyed the bud for an inclusive Sri Lanka for the second time by adopting Vaddukoddai Resolution in 1976 that called for the creation of an independent Tamil Eelam and asking Demala youths to take arms to achieve that.
    • Extremist Muslim politicians also destroyed the bud for an inclusive Sri Lanka by demanding to create a Muslim Administrative Unit.

    Racist Demala politicians and extremist Muslim politicians are responsible for destroying the opportunities for creating an inclusive Sri Lanka. Do not blame Sinhalayo.

    “Time is running out for the flower of an inclusive Sri Lanka to bloom!”

    • 7
      3

      EE
      It may be worth your while to be a little more truthful in your derisive comments on people:
      “Chelvanakam who was born in Malaya and entered Sinhale illegally…”
      “Same illegal immigrant Chelvanayakam ]”
      What evidence do you have for his illegal entry?
      *
      There is plenty more that show utter disregard for the truth.
      “When English letters in car number plates were changed to ‘Sri’, who started violence against Sinhalayo? Demalu….”
      Was the ‘anti-Sri’ campaign violent by any means?
      The first major communal violance against any community was in 1958.
      Does the name Tarzie Vitachchi ring a bell?

      • 3
        7

        SJ,
        S.J.V. Chelvanayakam was born in Ipoh, Malaya on 31 March 1898.
        All the ‘Para’ people who entered Sinhale, The Land of Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo during colonial rule are illegal immigrants.
        I do not have to rely on Tarzi Vittacchi. I have firsthand information on what happened in Yapanaya from a Sinhala person who was born in Yapanaya and studied in the Sinhala School but fluent in Demala language. That Sinhala family had a thriving industry to manufacture fiberglass boats. They were attacked by Tamil thugs in 1958. They lost everything.

        • 8
          1

          Many people have been born outside their own countries.
          You called him an illegal immigrant. What was the law on immigration then or even under the notorious Citizenship Act?
          Please use words with care.
          *
          Do you suggest that the Karave and Salagama people should leave?
          *
          The 1958 incident was not after Sinhala Sri, but after the anti-Tamil violence in the South.
          What was done was rotten. But there were no gangs going on the rampage. Do have a sense of proportion.

        • 8
          2

          Eagle,
          Do you know where Chelvanayakam’s parents were born?
          Do you know where your great-great-great-great grandmother was born?

          • 1
            1

            old codger

            “Do you know where your great-great-great-great grandmother was born?”

            What are you trying to dig out?

            • 1
              0

              Native,
              I am merely trying to find out if she wore a blouse or not.

              • 1
                0

                old codger

                You know I don’t trust old chaps.
                Spring Koha understood that.
                Where is he?
                I miss him.

                • 1
                  0

                  Native Vedda,

                  ‘You know I don’t trust old chaps.’

                  I wonder how you trust yourself!

                  • 1
                    1

                    Nathan

                    “I wonder how you trust yourself!”

                    Good question.
                    Do I have to trust myself?

  • 12
    1

    Buddhism came to this island around thousand years before from India and never become a violent religion until 20th centrury and now it is almost a violent blood thirsty religion. It is sad that the Monks and politicians openly justifying the murder of innocent follow humans including children, women and elderly. In a recent video, A monk telling that Sinhalese justified killing of thousands of Tamils in Colombo and Up country because 13 Soldiers were killed by LTTE in Jaffna. Similarly, another monk told that if Tamils ask for Federal solution, we will massacre Tamils in the North East.
    I ask my Sinhalese brothers and sisters, how many of you agree with those statements of Buddhist Monks? Do you agree this is what Lord Buddha preached inhis teachings? Do you want this to happen to your brothers and sisters? This is a challenging time for all. After the end of war in 2009, there was not a single bullet fired from LTTE or any other Tamils. But, Buddhist Monks talk of bloodbath? Why?

    • 4
      1

      Ajith
      “Buddhism came to this island around thousand years before”
      you are missing more than a thousand+ years.
      *
      There is also the idea that Buddhism had several routes, one being that of Tamil Buddhism. (The ‘dagobas’ in the North are modest in size unlike the few n=but monumentally large ones in the south.
      *
      There was violence against Mahayana Buddhism.
      *
      No religion with state power to back it has been above violence.

      • 2
        1

        S.J,
        “No religion with state power to back it has been above violence.”
        True, Buddhists in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam have have been about as peaceful as European Christians.

  • 4
    4

    nobody speak ing about the how indian s got tamil boys to train ing for killing

    • 4
      2

      They trained the JVP lads too for a while.

      • 0
        1

        Dear SJ

        TNA composition party with the Colombo registered address PLOTE was trained and sent/hired to topple Maldives government too the Indians went and saved Maldives thereafter………good-buy to Mahatmas Independence the region is soaking in blood. Our GOSL was saved by the Indians too from the JVP……now they playing a lot of Bollywood stuff in Vietnam too dubbed in Vietnamese and they love it….this ism part of countering the Chinese…………..I really wonder what we would be doing without the 1958?? what are we as people not sure anymore??

        India had many race riots she has done well for herself? she has preferential treatments for the needy she is good to go?? we have to live the fact we had JVP and FP/TULF blunder/killing fields from 1970 – 2009….now continues in different form sitting in the parliament?? Now the Nation things Buddhism is the problem?

    • 3
      0

      singhaputhra

      “nobody speak ing about the how indian s got tamil boys to train ing for killing”

      Nobody speaking about how Hindian military aids were being used to suppress legitimate grievances of ordinary people, infact from 5th April 1971.

  • 4
    9

    I was in Pettah, Colombo those days coming to make overseas telephones calls from Ceylon Telecommunications Office in Fort. I was on ,y way to UK from Australia and was visiting my parents.

    The July episode is a well planned event by the Indian Intelligence Service. The killing of unarmed officers were carried out by the Indian terrorist arm LTTE.

    It was to coincide with the World Council of Churches Congress held in Canada at the time.

    The photo in this article was a staged photo taken by terrorists and sent to Western Media mainly to the Socialist Media of the West. They burned Pettah shops from inside and took photos.

    This event was used by the terrorist to send more than 400,000 Indians, mainly Tamils as refugees to Canda and other Western Countries.

    The current anti Muslim episodes are another work of India and Indian imperialists.

    The writer should pay a visit to India and see the plight of Muslims there including Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.

    • 3
      3

      D
      Have a go at creative writing: you have the stuff in you to be a great fiction writer as you demonstrated earlier in connection with Comrade Shan.
      *
      I thought that there were no Sinhala Buddhist Dalits.
      One learns.

    • 5
      2

      Dalit

      You can’t just take away the rioters’ pride of hosting a internationally renowned pogrom. It took many months of planning, picking and choosing the targets, bringing together all the resources, human or otherwise, coordinating the events and logistics, motivating the participants and the armed forces, appreciating the lead role played by the saffron clad and their sacrifice of their Karma credits, organising the prisoners and reminding their patriotic duties within and outside the prisons, ….. You cannot just attribute all these to India and dismiss these initiatives by patriots.

      soma will be very cross with you.

      What an ungrateful dumbass you are.

    • 3
      1

      Dalit
      Something radically wrong with you. You seems to be hullucinating . There are many causes of hallucinations, including: Being drunk or high, or coming down from such drugs like marijuana, LSD, cocaine (including crack), PCP, amphetamines, heroin, ketamine, and alcohol. I am not sure which one is your cause. My best advice, as a fellow citizen, to you is please see a doctor ASAP.

    • 0
      1

      Dear Dalit

      I had few of my neighbours came back in body bags who were not even the FP/TULF supporters I personally know of, one of my family member came through the refugee camps in Colombo and via the ships to KKS/Jaffna port, we were running food/soup kitchens to many who had no where to go in Jaffna as they no longer or ever had any connection to Jaffna except they were Sri Lanknas, even in our village we were going to each and every house and collecting rice/sugar/cloths etc by tractor to the receiving centres….my neighbours were chopped to death, another burned alive with a tire around him (I grew up with him), some survived by sleeping in the bushes/forest cover/others were saved by brave Sinhala homes (all my age group and people I grew up with)..the whole event was a disaster as this then recruited more to the TULF folly causes that intern killed more Sri Lankans. See what we do to ourselves?? what a great achievement etc. People were ferried/shipped in their own land as refugees to another part of the country for their safety?? it was not even their home??

      • 0
        1

        Dear Dalit
        The jist of the story is not about Tamil/Muslim/Sinhalese etc..is about good/bad and the ugly….we were all responsible for the bad and the ugly so we all died standing up against it ……for us all the wounds take time to heal…I know equally bad or even worse things that happened in Jaffna from 1970 – 1977 -1981 yet to be recorded and has nothing to do with the thugs down south too.

        The kids trained in India were taking life’s and human dignity at a faster rate in Jaffna even well before the 1977 and 1983 riots came about and putting the innocent in the harms way was all part of the game plan by FP/TULF/India knowing very well what will happen to the innocent/backlash etc…..so if we were ever to have a trial we need the thugs/FP/TULF/India/SL security forces/Monks walked around with the voters list guiding the thugs to explain matters to the judge and the jury.

  • 0
    1

    Dear Dalit

    Who will be found guilty I will leave to to the imagination.

  • 0
    1

    All was a systematic escalation of matters that never needed to be by any party. We are all equals and some are more equal than the others too…….in out case and in our countries history those who can kill the other wins the day and nothing was beyond the limits of the Ghetto makers who made a living out of this and the once paid the price are the Majority of the SL who lost their Nation/Culture/heritage/Identity/dignity/way of life to thuggery by the few on the rest – some called it federalism/separatism/religious protection/language protection/my country/your country/turn coats/traitors and collectively committed treachery and treason on Mother Lanka knowingly or unknowingly…..some were kids and some were adults, some were so called educated and the others were not so…..but we have collectively played us until; the end of time…….my Fathers school has one saying written on the wall to date………you be honest to yourself in all you do….meaning if were to bullshit others we need to bullshit ourself first leaving no self-respect thereafter.

  • 0
    1

    Dear Mr Harees

    You did not have to put the photo to write the article as we all have horrible Photos of all our children killed by one or the other before/during and after including the innocent Soldiers who died in that occasion.

    When we write we should be fair to all those fellow citizens who lost many things during the war too. We did not write stories of the dead soldiers coming home, other citizens coming home and the impact to their families loosing their loved ones serving their Nation etc…I never seen many political parties laying flowers to all who died in this miserable war?? the GOSL does not go around and buy sympathy for that too.

    Can I ask what was the purpose of your article please?? just reminding the voters to choose the good over the evil?? can you kindly guide me towards your recommendation please?? and why please??

    Can you also explain why you did not share the loss of the Soldiers life and their families feelings too please??

    It will be better

  • 1
    0

    The 1983 Pogrom has left a searing wound in the collective Tamil memory and is mark of intense shame for many Sinhalese. The Govt: of the day had proved itself incapable of fulfilling its two fundamental duties to one distinct segment of the population: The provision of security and Justice.At worst, it had instigated a bloody pogrom at the behest of its ruling class.

    The Civil War that followed for the next half a century or so was ushered in by that govt:of the day.

  • 0
    0

    It should read as a quarter century or so…

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