Kumarathasan Rasingam
The current volatile political situation is unprecedented in the political history of Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the world when a country is having two Prime Ministers, one elected by the Parliamentary majority, the other handpicked by a misguided President who has breached the constitutional obligations illegally by sacking the elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, when the power of the President for the removal of the Prime Minister was abolished in the 19th Amendment.
Tamil National Alliance Party [TNA] with 16 MPs holds the trump card when the rival Prime Ministers wage their battles in the Parliament to obtain the confidence of the majority of members of Parliament as required in Section 42 [A] . Out of 225 Members in the Parliament of 113 members is needed to win the vote of confidence to legitimize the Prime Minister.
In this unclear and uncertain situation, it is prudent and advisable for the Tamil National Alliance Party to stay and stand neutral without supporting any party, United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party or UPFA party. TNA being the sole representatives of the Tamils have to give priority to the causes of Tamils rather than propping up any party in the south who as usual will treat the TNA like curry leaves, as happened in the past from 1948.
It is not necessary to dwell on the past history of betrayals, pogroms, genocidal killings, abductions, rapes and torture executed by the South Sinhalese major parties. The unassailable fact and truth is no Sinhala Government will meet the grievances and political demands of the Tamils. It is not once bitten and twice shy but bitten several times with no remorse. Tamil National Alliance {TNA] should take a neutral stand and allow the Sinhalese parties to fight it out among themselves to obtain the seats of power. Ultimately one can be sure that one will emerge victorious in the tussle, but without comfortable majority to continue ruling the remaining tenure of Parliament which ends in September 2020, unless the Parliament is dissolved after four and a half years in October 2019.
Tamil National Alliance by staying neutral can use their parliamentary strength as a bargaining chip and put forward the demands of Tamils, as well as calling for the fulfillment of several promises made by the Sinhalese leaders, like release of lands, prisoners etc. Tamil National Alliance can hold the whip-hand and threat of defeating the ruling party with the backing of the opposition party if their demands are not met.
Tamil National Alliance Party and Tamils have nothing to lose but at least they can use this opportunity to show the strength to the attention of the International Community.
However the other and only right and just alternative is to stay neutral and work out an agenda of mobilizing mass protests and rallies demanding the Tamils right of self-determination through a referendum among the Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka to decide their own destiny.
Tamil National Alliance ‘s performance for the alleviation of the sufferings of Tamils and their fight to achieve their basic demands of Tamils such as merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, Federal system of government, international investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity along with several other demands is more than zero. But the Tamil National Alliance leader and members are enjoying their lives with the salaries, perks, privileges etc. doled out by the Government .Crying foul and hoarse now against the President Maithiripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa is nothing but only crocodile tears exhibiting the highest levels of treachery, deception and sell out of the victimized Tamils.
It does not make any difference for the Tamils whether they are ruled by Rama or Ravana or by a legally constituted Government or illegally constituted Government.
THE PROBLEMS OF THE TAMILS WILL NEVER BE SOLVED BY ANY SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT UNLESS AND UNTIL UN AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INTERVENE AND ENFORCE AN ACCEPTABLE PERMANENT AND GUARANTEED POLITICAL SETTLEMENT.
Ajay / November 9, 2018
Kumarathasan Rasingam
India will not allow any international intervention or enforcement in its back yard. TNA or any Tamil political party has no choice but to engage with the Sri Lankan government to find an acceptable and permanent solution. Isn’t this the lesson learned after fighting a 30-year futile war sacrificing tens of thousands of lives? All what the people in the north and east want is to rebuild their lives and live in peace. Their needs and problems are very different from those of the toothless tigers like you living the ‘good life’ in the west.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / November 9, 2018
India largely run by Malayalees belonging to certain communities , North Indians and Tamil Brahmins , who despite being Tamil and calling themselves Tamils show a lot of disdain towards their fellow non Brahmin Tamils, especially the masses. All in the name of Aryanism , these people behave very similar to the Muslim Tamils in the Sri Lanka. who want to destroy their own Tamil ethnicity, language and origin in the name of Islam( Wahhabism) and Arabism. Therefor these anti Tamils will be like a dog in the manger and will never allow any meaningful and just solutions for the native Sri Lankan Tamils and will find all sorts of stupid, idiotic and lame excuses to justify this, Eg; Granting Federalism and just Tamil rights , will encourage the breakup of India , as Indian Tamils will want to secede. What a load of bullshit and crap. The great and powerful India’s existence is dependent on the genocide and discrimination of the native Sri Lankan Tamils and the discrimination of overseas Tamils. These anti Tamils and Tamil Brahmin pathetic will keep on pandering to the Sinhalese racists , as their objectives are the same as the Sinhalese , the destruction of Tamils. They will learn the hard way and a very bad lesson for pandering to the Sinhalese who are largely anti Indian , when China will be at their door step soon . Why blame the Indians , when an Indian origin Tamil cricketer for cheap popularity with the Sinhalese , for his survival and to collect more wealth , is now going around making all sorts of cheap , inaccurate rubbish comments. He should stick to what he knows and shut his stupid gob. Uneducated jumped up coolie.
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Punchi Point / November 9, 2018
Why are you so worked up? All Tamils are Indian origin. There has never been a Tamil state sandwiched between Tamil Nadu and the Sinhalese kingdom in the entire history. You want to create one starting in the 20th century and its creating problems for all parties. How many have died because of this sick unattainable dream? Isn’t it better to go back to Tamilnadu where there is already a Tamil state and live peacefully with your fellow Tamils?
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Siva Sanakaran Sharma / November 10, 2018
Punchi Brain we all know that you are a Sinhalese Buddhist Fascist and you little underdeveloped brain thinks that keeping on repeating the same lies that the indigenous Tamils from the north and east of the island are recent immigrants from Tamil Nadu and the Sinhalese are truly indigenous , will be ultimately believed. Is this why you got the selfish uneducated jumped cricketer coolie also to go and repeat this same lie and paid him handsomely? DNA has proven that is the Sri Lankan Tamils who are indigenous to the island and not the Sinhalese, who ironically are largely descended from immigrants from Tamil Nadu and the vast majority of the so called present day Sinhalese are descended from low Indian Tamil migrants who were imported as slave labour from South India by the Portuguese and Dutch. Sri Lankan Tamils only share a 17% DNA with Indian Tamils but the so called truly indigenous Sinhalese 70% . Even the so called North Indian Bengali origin has proven to be a lie , as the Sri Lankan Tamils who do not claim any North Indian ancestry share a 28% DNA with the Bengali and the Sinhalese who go around trumpeting about their exclusive North Indian origin 25% . Sri Lankan Tamils share a 55% DNA with the original Sinhalese proving that both these people originated from the same ancient Dravidian Nagas and Yakkas who spoke Elu a semi Tamil Dravidian dialect. Sinhalese is a mixture of Tamil , Sanskrit and Pali. The Tamil contribution is the most 40% and 100% in everything else. Only Tamil belongs to the region. How can a mish mash language be indigenous. The word Sinhala is a corruption of the ancient Tamil word for the island Chingkallam ( land of red or copper) . Trying to deny the existence of a Tamil kingdom that covered 1/3 of the country and is historically proven is a joke.
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Punchi Point / November 10, 2018
The joke is that Tamil who always maintained until the end of 19th century that they came from Tamilnadu and settled here, are now trying to claim that everything here is Tamil. If you are indigenous to this island, then you won’t be speaking the same language as Tamilnadu, now would you? If your reasons for being indigenous here is all your false claims and thouroughly flawed theories for the Sinhalese people and language, then any Tamil from Tamilnadu and the Plantation Tamils can claim to be indigenous to this island, based on the same arguments.
There are no DNA studies that say any of the stupid stuff you are saying and we do not need DNA studies to find out where the Tamils came from. LMAO. Cinkalam does not mean “red soil land” but is a Tamilization of the word Sinhala. No indigenous people in this island would name it after the colour of the soil, as they would not have anything to compare and contrast it with, now would they? This dumb etymology with falsified references in Tamilnet itself is an unintentional admission to Tamils coming from somewhere else, where the soil was not red. Also, FYI the original Sinhalese language has absolutely nothing to do with Tamil or Pali or Sanskrit. It is an ancient prakrit. According to some scholars it predates even the split between Indo-European and Indo-Aryan, as it preserves many old linguistic features of pre Old Indo-Aryan. Pali and Sanskrit influences came only much later in historicaltimes, i.e after 3rd century BC. Tamil influence came later with Tamil invasions especially Chola occupation in the 11th century-AD.
Basically all what you have written is just made up dumb theories. Read the two links in the following post.
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Rohan / November 10, 2018
The country is going to ruins, due to the actions of opportunistic , racist ,selfish Sinhalese politicians , who have used every card in their sleeves , race , ethnicity, language, religion , region, caste to divided and rule the stupid gullible masses and immensely enrich themselves. Instead of now realising this folly and uniting with the island’s Tamils to bail the country out, these Sinhalese Buddhist Fascist extremist are still beating the anti Tamil drum , baying for Tamil blood and spreading lies. Tamils should move to Tamil Nadu , why should they? This is their land not Tamil Nadu. If anyone has to move to Tamil Nadu it should be the Sinhalese as their ancestors largely arrived from that state in India and their descendants have now changed their identity, language and religion and beating the anti Tamil drum. to hide their true origins.
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SJ / November 10, 2018
PP
All Tamils are Indian origin.
All Sinhalese are of the same origin as well.
All of us have other origins too about which we avoid talking.
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Punchi Point / November 10, 2018
The difference is that Tamils became a people and a nation in Tamilnadu, and then came here, which makes you a diaspora of Tamil Nadu. While the Sinhalese became a people and nation from primitive tribes in this island. Tamils trying to compare their diasporic immigrant settlements here to the indigenous Sinhalese people is unfair just stupid.
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Native Eela Tamil / November 11, 2018
Punchi Brain,
indigenous Sinhalese people???
My Foot!!!
It is clearly stated in the Pali chronicles, and is supported by genetic evidence that the early “Sinhalese” were an amalgamation of the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian (Tamil) women supplied by rulers of the Chera and Pandya dynasties who had formed an alliance with the group early on to fend from the rival Cholas.
We must not forget that Vijaya himself was an incorrigible and violent child who’s father not only threw him out of the house, but also banished him and his 700 gangsta pals from the entire Kingdom; and to the misfortune of the Veddahs, this unruly mob landed on the shores of Lanka and took over. With Vijaya’s and his mob’s genes sloshing around in the gene pool it is no wonder that Sri Lanka is such a violent and indisciplined place.
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Tamil from the north / November 11, 2018
Punchi banda, what a great analysis. Thanks for your wonderful comment. Now just pi*s off.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / November 11, 2018
Nonsense and stop lying Sinhalese racist. The entire island as well as what is now modern day Tamil Nadu, Kerala, large parts of Southern Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka was the ancient Tamil land called Tamilakam , where proper Tamil and various Tamil dialects were spoken. Due to invasions , large scale migration and settlement of other people and new religions introduced like in Southern Sri Lanka , new identities and languages formed and now only modern day Tamil Nadu state and the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka have maintained this ancient Tamil identity language and the Saivite religion, whilst in the rest of the areas , new languages and identities have evolved from the original Tamil people and language , like Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Sinhalese in the southern , western and central parts of Sri Lanka. You are the mutation that evolved from the original and now dare to call yourselves the original and the indigenous Tamil people from the north and east of the island who have retained their original language culture and religion, outsiders and immigrants , just because they did not become part of the Sinhalese identity that gradually evolved in the southern parts of the island, with the arrival of Buddhism and the Sinhalese language that evolved gradually with the corruption of the native Tamil with the Pali/Prakrit and Sanskrit of Buddhism. Hela or old Sinhalese which is a mixture of the local Tamil dialect Elu and Prakrit is very close to its Tamil mother in pronunciation than modern Sinhalese .
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Native Vedda / November 11, 2018
Punchi Point with Punchi Brain and Punchi Willi.
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“While the Sinhalese became a people and nation from primitive tribes in this island. “
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When, where, how, why, … of what?
Please explain with evidences, references, ………………..
Why do their genetics have almost the same properties of South Indian gene?
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It’s alright if you are ashamed of accepting your ancestral lineage.
How did “your” Sinhala language acquire large elements from other languages?
How did most Sinhalese become sham Buddhists?
How did Pattni Deiyo (Amman, Kannaki) become an important part of most Sinhalese and the culture?
….
….
I have another million and one questions.
If find it difficult to grasp the questions, please wait until your brain grows.
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SJ / November 11, 2018
PP
Then what is the worth of the celebrated work on the great lineage?
You know as well as I do that the features of all but the Attho do not suggest any link to primitive tribes, and that whole caste groups of both nationalities are from South India.
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S Siva / November 10, 2018
You are correct as Corrupt Malayalee Mafias are identified as alleged collaborators to genocide against Tamils in WikiLeaks;
Nirupama Rao had a private visit to Mahinda Rajapakse who is accused of Human rights abuses and war crimes. Now foreign leaders are accused of receiving paid vacations, money, sex and gifts from Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and other oppressive regimes to cover up oppression and war crimes.
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K.Anaga / November 9, 2018
Ajay!
Almost all the Tamil political parties were engaged with all Sinhala political parties from 1948 on words. But all engagements were ‘broken’ by the Sinhalese. India appears to be shivering in its shoes with the engagement of China with Srilanka.. They blow hot and blow cold against China/Srilanak but end up us Cold Samosa, not fit for human consumption. If not for the Indian Intervention against the Tigers they would have been alive and kicking or may have reached their goal where Tamils and Sinhalese by now would have learnt to live happily. Despite India’s double game LTTE would not have gone against them because of the Tamil Nadu factor and China despite their power would not have entered Srilanaka in such large scale. Thus India would have served Hot Samosa and Cold Glob Jam to its neighbors, paving the way for a good friendship between India/China/Srilanka and perhaps Tamil Eelam too. If India was sincere and honest they would have protested against the division of the North and East thus breaking the agreement reached with Srilanaka/Tamils.
After studying the attitude of India only the tigers fought alone and lost a battle but not the war.. The war might take different forms.
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thamizh / November 9, 2018
says a privileged sinhalese, speaking on behalf of tamils
thank you for your kindness
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S Siva / November 10, 2018
Tamils and Sinhalese should support a fair and democratic nations and leaders and not the Indian federation.
Tamils should have cordial and historical relationship with our TN Tamils who too are discriminated and neglected by the Indian federation that is controlled by Malayalee mafias, Brahmins and North Indians. Land of Great Raja Raja Cholan will rise to win people’s rights and sovereignty democratically.
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Naman / November 9, 2018
Give Mahinda the support on the condition that he implements what Tamils had been askingfor within a time frame of 6 months—-
Release the Tamil political Prisoners ; Reduce Armed forces in the North and East of SL; Ban Armed forces getting involved in Business & Agriculture in NPC or Eastern Provinces; Industrial Developments in Tamil Areas
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Champa / November 9, 2018
Naman
You are very much mistaken. If Mahinda gives political promises which is a total betrayal to the country, it is the end of his political career.
Whatever he does, he has to face elections. People’s power is not as weak as anybody thinks. His opponents will highlight his double standards and betrayals (if any) on stage to change the mindset of the masses.
In any case, 50% of the population is fear of Rajapaksas. Even I have my reservations to return to a 2010-2015 era.
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S Siva / November 10, 2018
Mahinda’s bahaviour was known well with his siblings Gota and Basil and he lost his head with power intoxication and arrogance.
No ordinary individual will trust Mahinda. Mahinda and his other cabinet leaders should be at the ICC first so that no other leader will dare to act, commit war crimes and abuses.
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Eagle Eye / November 9, 2018
Hon. Prime Minister Rajapakse, Give 20% of land in the North as a separate State for Demala speaking Hindu and Muslim people with the condition that all Demalu who live in other parts of the country should move to their Kingdom. That is the only way to find a permanent solution. Otherwise this so called ‘National Question’, ‘Ethnic Question’, ‘Tamil Problem’, ‘Minority Problem’ will drag on forever like ‘Hingannage Thuwale’ (Beggar’s Wound). This Demala cancer that spread from Hindusthan ruined Sri Lanka after independence.
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Eagle Eye / November 9, 2018
Demalu in Sinhale are scattered in five pockets. Yapanaya, Tirikunamale, Madakalapuwa, Nuwara Eliya and Wellawatta. So do you want five Federal Units?
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These buggers who talk about a Federal Solution are Wellala Politicians in Yapanaya. They do not care for the wellbeing of low caste Demalu in Yapanaya or Demalu who live in other places whom they consider as inferior. Government should never give in to the demands of this tiny minority. Instead, the Government should identify the problems of ordinary Demala folks and solve them. Focus mainly on uplifting their economic condition so that Wellala Demalu cannot keep them oppressed.
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K.Pillai / November 9, 2018
Whatever TNA does, will not bring any solace to Tamils. Addressing our grievances has been mindseted as traitorous treason.
Kumarathasan Rasingam’s suggestion that TNA must stay neutral is to justify the ‘I-said-so’ thingy.
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It is not a ‘political crisis’ Kumarathasan Rasingam.
We have had a coup d’état. Neutral stand is a coup support.
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Punchi Point / November 9, 2018
TNA should do what is best for the country and the Tamils. If what is best for the country is always clashing with what is best for the Tamils maybe its time to get the UN and the international community to help Sri Lanka relocate the Tamils back to Tamilnadu.
People like you, Mr. Kumarathasan Rasingam is a curse to humanity – you lie and live by deception. You and the rest of the Tamil asylum diaspora needs this country to have problems so that you can justify your bogus asylum claims in the west. You have destroyed the Tamil people in Sri Lanka because of your greed for an English education and a better life in the west. Many of you have ended up learning German and French and all sorts of other languages, and treated like third grade citizens in those countries and most of you still do not have an English education.
Tamils could have had everything in Sri Lanka, but people like you always want to make some money and be better than the rest. Look at the state of the Tamil political realities and day-to-day reality here today. People are living under utter poverty and you want to make more trouble for all of us by maliciously manipulating the Tamil vote, which might help resolve the crisis our country is facing. Shame on you.
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thamizh / November 9, 2018
TNA has already lost its trust among the tamils. if they offer unconditional support to any sinhalese party on this second opportunity, they will be in the dust bin of history forever.
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Plato. / November 9, 2018
TNA to remain neutral? This is precisely what MS-MaRa duo wanted from them at the discussions held.Obviously,this would make the Duo win their day in Parliament. The TNA HAS TAKEN A PRINCIPLED STAND , to uphold the Constitution .They have publicly stated that the appointment of MaRa is illegal.
Not only within the country but also internationally the role played by the TNA would be crucial in helping the Tamils to address some of the outstanding issues.
The TNA should not be a party to the Constitutional coup !
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thamizh / November 9, 2018
it seems the tamils are expected to come to the rescue every time to save ‘democracy’ in the south.
what did the tamils gain out of the unconditional support tna gave to bring about this ‘good governance’? they can thank them for a mere ‘breathing space’ and forever be trapped in existential woes or utilize this opportunity to guarantee their rights.
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K.Anaga / November 10, 2018
thamizh!
Tamils gave unconditional support and Sam Sum tried to ”Condition the Tamils to support the government indefinitely particularly Ranil on empty promises. Fortunately Wicky alerted the Tamils against it.
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Mallaiyuran / November 10, 2018
The essay was written very diligently, but appearing in CT after the fact. No point in spending time to explaining Kumarathasan as he might have already realized a lot more than a small comment like this can tell him.
Leave aside the fault of Innaka Arasiyal TNA followed with Yahapalanaya. But, threatening a weak Sinhala political party and having plugged what it wants from them is an immature dream of Kumarathasan. He missed watching that Ranil and Karu sacrificed their political future during this turmoil only to save the war victory the Old King achieved. If Kumarathasan has missed this clear Sun blasting on the sky, then he is not a Panduit to consult TNA what to do. He is still behind in realizing why not just Tamils, (but other than China-which used computers to control Lankawe) no other super power countries have been able to manage getting Lankawe to move a hair on Tamils rights. TNA has quickly realized where thing are going to end as soon as this turn of events started. It did its best to restore the Democracy. That is how it thought it can cling on to OPL position and meet Colombo diplomats. TNA was reluctant to take it to Geneva. That is where TNA’s failed secret solution ends here.
We thought another way. If the stalemate between PMs had been easily solved, diplomats might have been free to talk with Yahapalanaya about the March 2019, UNHRC sitting. Otherwise they might have been spending their valuable resource, sanction, only to restore the democracy in Lankawe, not to find solution to Tamils. Probably New King’s Appe Aanduwa too realized it. They did know if West is not using sanction to restore democracy, they would be using it to push forward the Resolution 30/1. That is why they brought this kind of end, where Yahapalanaya, TNA, Diaspora, UNHRC, Western nations, UNP, SLFP everybody facing loss.
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thonadamany / November 10, 2018
Wigneshwaran has set on fire the house of the Old Fox the TNA.
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thondamany / November 10, 2018
There should be no more Tamil / Muslim political parties on race lined.
All future political aspirants must join main stream politicals parties to contest anywhere in the Island.
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Shan / November 11, 2018
Some very good arguements had been put forward in the article and comments. Whether Rama ruled or Ravana ruled, discrimination against Tamils won’t stop irrespective of which party rules. This situation will hopefully improve with time and with the help from powerful countries except perhaps our two powerful neighbouring countries.
In regard to actions of the president many Tamils and most thinking Sinhalese are very upset and are anxious about the country’s future. If Sri Lankan government becomes authoritarian the freedom exercised by the Sinhalese will be curtailed. They have good reason to protect the democracy ; as it only benefitted the Sinhalese so far.
A rare situation has now occurred where the Tamils and Muslims have an opportunity to save democracy.
The million dollar question is whether the Tamils must actively work towards saving democracy or take a back seat and let others sort it out. This way Tamils may not incur the wrath of hardline Sinhalese and will Not affect the chance to negotiate with any party in power. This is a powerful argument put forward in this article.
The TNA representing majority Tamils have taken a strong position in saving democracy. They believe that. it’s good for Tamils. But many critics say their only aim is to save Mr RW. It is time they explain why they took this stand.
Many other Tamil politicians are sitting on the fence not knowing what to do. They may have to make comments at this stage. Some other Tamil politicians have sold their soul for money and other benefits.
I have no comments about them.
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Jay / November 13, 2018
No wonder , Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan do not progress. Look at the comments above, most talking of the past; i.e. events which occurred about 2 millennium ago. Who was here first or who came first. Does it matter. Look at Canada & Australia, the progress into 1st world nations, while Sri Lanka is a basket case languishing still as 3rd world category, due bad politics and un visionary leaders.
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