By Reverend PJ Fernando –

Reverend Dr PJ Fernando

All minorities: Tamils, Muslims, Malay, Burgers all to belong to one country and one people of Sri Lanka – Religious leaders a greater role to play.

Listening to the Songs of Mohideen Beg, it lifts up the spirits belonging to Sri Lanka, even though I myself live out of the country. It is even more striking that it is sung by a Sri Lankan Muslim, truly Sri Lankan. I suspect there must be such great people amongst the Tamils, Malays, Burgers etc. that celebrates the language, the culture and the heritage of their country. But could you spot any of them? hard to find, pardon me if I am ignorant.

I remember the young very talented Tamil girl not too long ago singing ‘me rata mage rate, ma ipaduna rata’ (මේ රට මගෙ රට මා  ඉපදුනු රට) and going to win a singing competition in one of the TV channels in Sri Lanka. She surely won for her sheer talent, but I would not doubt for a moment, that it also touched the heart of the nation.  I personally found it to be so inspiring and hope she knows she stands a great witness to the unity and integrity of this small Island Sri Lanka simply by her singing, what and how she did it and stood for. Rightly so, all peoples owe to such a great stand she took at her very young age and many those that encouraged and guided her. It is hard to find such an attitude or an approach amongst the leaders, not even among the religious leaders something for a nation and a country to regret and mourn about.

Sadly, we live in a time and era where such efforts to unite are not harnessed, but rather divisions are nurtured and polarised for one’s own gain and surely not for the best interest of a united Sri Lanka. The political leaders when they are keen for their own gain, or their parties’ and henchmen’s survival the country’s unity and integrity is always ransomed. The articles published today in leading magazines and papers locally and internationally talks about ‘fragmented ……political parties’ amongst the minority communities and longs for a united force towards reaching their goals and aspirations, not to mention the self-governance, separate state and identity. All minority communities have a right to coexist in Sri Lanka and so then if their argument is right, then a separate state for all notwithstanding what one fights for and lobbies for must be true. It then is a utopian having to give self-governance and a separate state for all minorities in this small Island. It is sad that this is not seen by the learned people, leaving alone the political leadership who are branded to be anything but literate. The religious leaders surely must have a moral obligation, but sadly that leadership is simply not there, but the contrary, the religious leaders and institutions in their subtlety has been the hidden hand and the voice for the force that promotes a divided country within the country and internationally.

Hatred against the Sinhalese people is nurtured in families

My experiences with the diaspora and their families sadly have seen how their children who probably never lived in Sri Lanka are brought up with a hatred towards the Sinhalese people and nation. Once they learn that I am Sinhalese, even though I am a catholic priest, I feel that I am not welcomed. I have known many a Tamil, Muslim, and Burgers from my childhood days. There are many who are family friends. Even otherwise after becoming a priest my experience has been especially in the villages and in Colombo, not in the North or East is that they are very welcoming to the Catholic Priest, and did not matter whether I was a Sinhalese or not. But sadly, once they are out of the country it is very different. This I believe is a serious problem we leave for the future if it is not addressed. Once a young child, who never lived in Sri Lanka was talking to me with great anger learning that I was a Sinhalese. He was accusing me that I have killed their people, taken their land and discriminated them. As a priest in Sri Lanka, I taught for ten years in two leading Catholic Schools. I have taught many a Tamil, Muslim, Burgers, others and Sinhalese alike. Never treated them differently depending on their religion, ethnicity or status. I was deeply saddened. I have the feeling that amongst the diaspora even those who would have lived in harmony, doing their learning and studying in our schools, speaking Sinhalese too, now suddenly become conscious of their community and avoid speaking with their Sinhalese friends, distancing themselves. This is clearly seen among the clergy too.

This youngster, and so this generation is not to be blamed but it is possibly the parents, the elders, the leaders who must bear the brunt. I as a religious leader would hold the religious leaders to account above else on their commitment and role in building peace and harmony in Sri Lanka. Sadly, I feel that the religious leaders by their polarised attitudes are responsible for this bleak future of our country.

Speaking Sinhalese is Taboo or looked down even within Sri Lanka

There is an increasing trend amongst the Tamil, Muslim and other communities an encouragement to speak other than the language of the country – Sinhalese. So much so that those who speak in Sinhalese are branded as ‘jathi wadiyo’ (ජා ති වා දියෝ. ). Once I walked into a bank in Dehiwela, and I spoke in Sinhalese. I was refused to be served by this young girl saying that she did not know Sinhalese. I was shocked.

On another occasion one of my students was facing an interview in the German embassy and when he finished his turn another student, a Tamil student wanting to know what was asked by the interviewer approached him, but when the Sinhalese student mentioned what was asked in Sinhalese, the Tamil student told him that he did not speak Sinhalese. Well, there was little choice for the Sinhalese student, other than to say that he did not speak anything else in Sri Lanka.

It is increasingly noticeable among the younger generation of the minority communities that they do not speak Sinhalese, as a reaction, embracing the divisions and the polarisations by their political and religious leaders. Sadly, there seems a stronger trend against learning and speaking Sinhalese, the language of the country even in the minority schools, even in those in Colombo and elsewhere, not only in the North and the East. A simple test would be to read the name boards of the schools. This goes without saying about the state of the institutions of higher education.

One would be surprised to hear that this is very true even amongst the religious too. Most of the religious leaders amongst the minorities would not speak Sinhalese nor show an interest to do so, let alone encouraging their people to do so. I have come across number of Tamil priests in Jaffna, Batticaloa and else where who would say they do not speak Sinhalese or simply avoid talking with me or any other whenever Sinhalese is spoken.

This reflects the attitude which I see even in the shops of Wellawatte, Nuwara Eliya and various other parts of the country, not just Jaffna, Mannar and Batticaloa. They would not serve you when you speak to them in Sinhalese, at best you are ignored, and the next customer is served. If you simply survey the name boards in these areas it is all there to see.   

The only identity for Sri Lanka as a country, a geographically defined island, with its own great history is the Sinhalese language and the historical artifacts which are protected by the culture and the religion of the land. As we all know throughout history this was challenged in various ways and continues to be so. Seeing our people living in various parts of the world, it amazes to see how quick and well they embrace the language, the culture and the way of life making their own in those countries they consider their home. This in no way have made them less of what or who they are. Their culture is celebrated, and language is spoken with great pride. But this small, island, with their people struggling to survive as an independent country in the region and of strategic importance to the rest of the world, are guaranteed to be a tear drop with the vested interests.

The Catholic Church was divided before the country Is divided

I think it is time we speak the truth. Unless and until truth is spoken in real honesty a thrust towards peace and reconciliation, creating a uniting force to define one country would not be possible.

There is a saying that is kept a secret amongst the priests in Sri Lanka, certainly during my time of training towards priesthood, but never dared spoken in public; ‘The church was divided before the country was divided’. There was a time, long before the separatist struggles, when the Tamil seminarians protested wearing black bands on their arms whilst going through the formation in the National Seminary in Kandy. With all the twists and turns, their power and force with the Catholic church in India-Tamil Nadu (the Sri Lankan church certainly a minority), they formed their own seminary in Jaffna with all the funding and blessing from India and Rome. Until then the National Seminary in Kandy with a long history and tradition going back to 1893 as the Papal Seminary established by Pope Leo xiii, formed priests not just for the whole of the country but for other countries in the region and elsewhere too. The National Seminary in Kandy now simply retains its title, but in fact it is no longer the National Seminary, and the Seminary in Jaffer remains the ‘separated’ major seminary. Here the teaching is done mainly in Tamil, and not a single non-Tamil priest is trained and so as a result there is not a single Tamil priest serving in the dioceses of Jaffna, Mannar and Batticaloa.

It must not be ignored that there were Sinhalese communities, villages in all these dioceses and they are now reduced to nothing except for a few pockets of families that live in the boarder villages. The families, villagers that were slaughtered in these areas long before the war started and during the war is no longer heard of and spoken of. No mother is there to hold the photos of their missing children. During the civil war it was no secret that the seminary and the dioceses playing their own role within the country and internationally promoting their cause.

One of my lecturers in the seminary at that time was one of those who was alleged to have had promoted and supported the terrorists. He was known to have been the spokes person internationally. There were many allegations against the Northa and East dioceses at that time. Whilst many lives were lost as victims or warriors, and many trials taken against the army personal that defended the country, there was little done to bring to justice those supported and encouraged such a struggle. I do not think even the authorities in Rome cared less either. The church seems to enjoy this impunity unjustly and unfairly all this while I feel.

I remember how warmly the elderly priests used to talk about the close friendships they had with the Tamil seminarians, and priests but that was something not known to our generations and thereafter since the separation of the major seminary. It is very sad indeed. There is hardly any brotherhood with the priests in the North. The truth is that there is not a single Sinhalese priest ordained for those dioceses even though there are Sinhalese villages and pockets just about surviving. Not a single Sinhalese priest is welcomed or requested by those bishops either to cater to the Sinhalese priests in the North and the East.

I was on a sabbatical in the English college in Rome. There were two Tamil seminarians from another religious house that came to the English college for a lecture they were attending. Hearing about them I stood outside to talk to them, but they had asked whether I was a Sinhalese or a Tamil, as I was a Sinhalese, they did not want to speak to me. These are the future religious leaders of the country.

Many of the religious congregations and orders are all overtaken by the Tamil community as it is a vehicle for their separatist agenda and working towards it within the country and internationally. The recent comments by the now nuncio attending the festival of Madhu at the invitation of the Bishop of Batticaloa was regrettable. It was insensitive to the burning issues of the Sinhalese people simple catering to an ill-informed agenda. A message that bears an invitation to the episcopate in the North and the East, especially the Tamil bishops to work in building peace and harmony and finding ways to work towards a united Sri Lanka, one country, would have been very timely and prophetic, especially after the war. But regrettably his address failed the test of the time.

It is also no secret that there is the longing and the move of the Tamil clergy to define the North and the East, the map of the LTTE land as a province of the Catholic church, defining a metropolitan Archdiocese as against the one in Colombo. This would be a sealing of the separatist agenda. Even though the Nuncio might be misled, hopefully such lobbying in Rome may not contribute towards such subtle division of this country along those lines making a lasting impact on this small Island nation that struggles to defend and survive as a country with its unique language and culture as the country of the Sinhalese Buddhist People, with a close proximity to India and Tamil Nadu, the traditional homeland of the Tamil people. It is a shame the church hierarchy as a whole does not seem to be able to embrace a stand uniting the country and its people.

The very bold courageous statement that the Cardinal made at a crucial time in Sri Lanka, that Sri Lanka is a Sinhalese, Buddhist Country have united the people and the country. Even though some condemned it.  It is remarkable to see how our Buddhist brothers and sisters embracing the Catholic church as their own brothers and sisters. The Buddhist monks and the people speak warmly of the Catholics in Sri Lanka as their own. I remember how one of the supreme court judges at a television interview praised the stand Cardinal took contributing to brining about unity and peace to Sri Lanka with such a bold statement. Even with the current political changes that has taken place and with the new president and the governance it is obvious that they see the role of the Cardinal and the Catholic Church in Colombo as one with the nation, brothers and sisters of one country that longs for the change they envisage.

When the cardinal has given such a lead, which makes me very proud that he has done so and is remarkable, what saddens me is as to why the other religious leaders did not and could not follow suite. I would wish all Tamil and Muslim leaders doing so too. Why would they not. What is so disheartening is to see none of the Tamil Catholic Bishops coming up to make such a statement or endorse it. Nor have the other bishops too. Why not? Here lies the one opportunity for the country’s religious leaders to join force standing a witness to a united Sri Lanka, one country, recognising its unique identity as a Sinhalese Buddhist Country and so work for peace, justice and reconciliation.

Minority consciousness has brought enormous suffering and pain

Minority consciousness, especially the Tamil, Muslim consciousness has brought enormous suffering and pain to the normal ordinary peace-loving people of this land throughout history. Besides the thirty years of a brutal war that littered the Island with suicide bombings and killings that came to an end there is little done to bring about peace, truth and justice, reconciling the people. It is always the scores of innocent people that become victims and suffer the consequences. Why did the people in border villages have to die living in their country. Why did normal ordinary people in their workplace, commuting or getting about in their normal life else where from the waring areas were blown off. Generations lost their opportunities in life and were hell bent in poverty. There must be an honest discussion on all sides of the spectrum of people.

The challenges and the issues, including discrimination the people of the country faces are far beyond the fact that they are a minority or not. Even amongst the Tamil, Muslim and other communities, their own people are discriminated, and this is true amongst the Sinhalese too. There are many Sinhalese where they are discriminated even against the Tamils and Muslims when they are from remote villages and from poorer, less affluent or lower cast, not the elite. It is a known fact that is purposefully oversighted, that the Sinhalese people were not given employment because they spoke Sinhalese, the language of the land and not English during the time of the British rule in Sri Lanka. This continued down the history. Even today in certain works of life and certain employments not only in the North and East, it is very unlikely that you would be given employment if you are Sinhalese and speak Sinhalese. There is always the demand and encouragement to speak English replacing Sinhalese. These must be heard.

The Tamils and the Muslims though consider themselves a minority in the country, in the wider region it is the Sinhalese that are a minority. It is the language of the Sinhalese, their cultural heritage that is struggling to survive and needs the care and the protection of the state. What a blessing it would be if all the other communities with the richness and diversity of language, religion and culture could give this assurance. Would it not be to become one with the people and the nation that we all long for.

Would this be the opportune time to change

When we are all glued tracing the political change and an exemplary political culture that is emerging in the country – the birth pangs of a new country, would this be a wonderful opportunity for all peoples to unite and bring about refinement and change in our own divisive and polarising ideologies. It is clear, that we have a political leadership that is longing to bring about just and true governance, at least in principle. It is our duty then to embrace it promoting it ourselves. There was a time in the very recent past where a very negative image was painted of Sri Lanka especially internationally affecting businesses, mainly tourism, by various interested parties bringing about economic and political downfall in the country not to mention the bankruptcy.  This may be seen as a political revenge but there were very good reasons for such too, not to mention the scale of nepotism and corruption that was licensed. Such an approach must not be warranted now.

Instead, this would be an opportunity for all forces, all communities to unite. Rather than thriving on negative and false propaganda it would be best to appreciate and embrace the change for good ourselves, uniting forces as one country. Can and will the religious leaders of our country too give this lead to our people. Should it be a million-dollar question to ask? This election would be a wonderful expression of our stand.