By Ramu Manivannan –
Ramu Manivannan
There is an undeniable Tamil Nadu factor in Indo-Sri Lanka relationship. While successive governments at the centre deem it as a subversive but maneuverable constituency, the political establishment in Sri Lanka sees it as a plain villain.
Now, after the 60-year struggle for political equality and dignity for the Tamils in the island nation ended in May 2009, the role of the Indian government in supporting the military solution enforced by the Sri Lankan government has raised questions.
Among the factors attributed to the defeat of the Congress-DMK combine in the 2011 elections in Tamil Nadu is the UPA coalition government’s Sri Lanka policy. People of the state responded decisively at the first opportunity that came their way.
The Congress party failed to differentiate its anger against the LTTE with the historical ties between India and the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
The Indian government gave an impression that Sri Lanka was in fact fighting India’s war, as Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse repeatedly said on several occasions, and which was not refuted or challenged by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The accusation of Indian complicity to the war crimes in Sri Lanka assumes significance on this ground.
People of Tamil Nadu are concerned about the Indian government’s flawed policies.
The two unanimous resolutions passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly last month also raises serious concerns about the operational ethics and conduct of our Sri Lanka policy since the assumption of UPA-I in 2004.
The first resolution calls for economic sanctions against the Sri Lankan government for the war crimes committed by its armed forces in the war against the LTTE and the second resolution demanded retrieval of Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka.
The resolutions pointedly stare at the Congress led UPA coalition for its complicity in supporting the brutal military approach of the Rajapakse government in Sri Lanka, while questioning the decision of the Congress leadership in ceding Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974.
The two resolutions also raise alarm at the bureaucratic despotism of the MEA in defining the Sri Lanka policy without any political accountability.
The primary significance of these two resolutions arise from the fact that there is a growing acknowledgement of the war crimes committed by Sri Lanka among public intellectuals, human rights advocates, and various international bodies including the UN and the Permanent Peoples Tribunal, Dublin (PPT).
The raising of the issue of war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government and proposal for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka as sought by Jayalalitha has opened the possibilities of review of our Sri Lanka policy.
And Tamil Nadu is within its rights to press for a parliament debate on India’s Sri Lanka policy.
Ramu Manivannan : Chair – Department of Politics & Public Administration, University of Madras
Duminda / June 19, 2012
From the start the writer is on the wrong foot.The heading itself says that “UPA Government May Not Be Able To Continue With The Anti-Tamil Policies”. So he is under the impression that the Sri Lankan government does not do any good for the Tamils. Again he goes onto say “after the 60-year struggle for political equality and dignity for the Tamils in the island nation ended in May 2009”,now if he means a power devolution or a separate land from the phrase quality then he will be another day dreamer like many others since the genaral public of Sri Lanka will not accept it.
People like you always try to blame the Government and the rulling heads but what they forget is that they are been elected by the people who back there decitions.Genaral Public of Sri Lanka will never allow a power develotion no matter who’s in power.So stop writing about it eaither.There are so many development projects going on around the country after the war and if any one could sat only Sinhalees are benifited by those then I dont have any words to describe that idiot.This is not even a topic to talk on the center stage now.
Tamil Nadu has there own issues but they keep worring about the Tamils in the North and East. Also they have forgotten that Tamil Population in the Western/South is greater than the north.All these are just political crap which will do no good.
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Lokka / June 19, 2012
The present UPFA government is Anti-Tamil Sinhala-Buddhist racist government that has done nothing to the Tamils other than committing GENOCIDE. They wanted to wipe out the Tamil nation from Sri Lankan soil.
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Davina / June 21, 2012
You could not be more accurate Lokka. Unfortunately, the media is singing a different song as the Mother Lanka ship sinks slowly unbeknown to the general public and the likes of Duminda also.
Duminda, the Tamil cause is misinterpreted by many to be ‘a seperate state’ which it is not. The cause is to simply use sensitive measures to address post war issues such as relocation, rebuilding etc., rather than the bulldozer approach – so soon after a traumatic experience that you & I will never understand. The people of the north are not all LTTE supporters. Infact you may find that the majority stayed on despite the war because that was their home in the safe enclosure of their own kind which was a safe haven away from the south where many had been brutally killed and suffered racial abuse for decades in the past. Fact.
These ordinary people have suffered loss. Loss of kith & kin. Loss of belonging. Loss of dignity. Loss.
Has any serious effort been made to consider their plight and educate the rest of the island by learning from the mistakes in the past on the need for a new relationship with the Tamil people which will automatically wipe out the need for a repeat of the LTTE? No.
Understanding another’s circumstances is the best foundation for true long-term reconciliation.
The GOSL is saying what they think the masses want to hear. The reality is quite a different one – but one has to open their eyes to see it & their ears to hear. Give it a try…
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Senguttuvan / June 19, 2012
The Rajapakse regime has not paid sufficient attention to win friends in Tamilnadu as an instrument to meet the growing anti-Rajapakse sentiment in the State. This is articulated by CM Jayalalitha, former CM Karunanidhi and a host of other significant and lesser players in the State like Vaiko, Tholar Thirumavalavan et al. Our DHC Krishnamurthy in Chennai made many valiant attempts to build bridges but did not get the necessary support from the Lankan MEA – in regular conflict between forces of Dr GLP, Sajin Vaas and MEA officials.
Sentiments in Tamilnadu are not against Sri Lankans but against the Rajapakse government and some of his Cabinet colleagues.
Meanwhile, feelings for Lankan Tamils is on the rise – which people in the State of Tamilnadu feel, are virtually ignored. GoSL still counts on Delhi to dilute strong feelings in Chennai but this is clearly the wrong approach. There are many on both sides outside the political landscape who want to work for closer ties between the two sides but
this section is not sufficiently focussed upon. Prof Manvannan =- a great social worker within the State and who had done much to the people of Myanmar in India, can be counted as a friend of Sri Lanka if he is regularly kept in touch with.
Senguttuvan
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gamini / June 19, 2012
It is very obvious that India and Tamil Nadu have got played out in the manoeuvring of the American involvement in the staged war drama for the US to have their ally MR to succeed. It is for this reason both India and Tamil Nadu kept quiet when the MR govt. drummed to the whole world to hear that the LTTE will be wiped out militarily. They believed MR once consolidating his position will grant devolution to the NE. Now that it is not happening the rifts between the Centre in India and the Tamil Nadu Govt. has started to appear and India will have to pay dearly for her part of treachery.
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jagan sriram / June 19, 2012
from the start duminda who has responded to ramu manivannan’s article has got it wrong and if this is the sinhala mindset then forget reconcilliation in srilanka.world wide federalism and devolution is not a dirty word.rather it is a sign of a matured state which has got confidence in its own people.problem with sinhalese is that any concession given even after it has been accepted by the government namely 13th amendment has to be revisited.tamils who are predominently in north and east cant aspire for a meaningful political powers despite being discriminated for 60 long years.reconcilliation in srilanka starts from 13th amendment and it can be 13 plus or 13 plus plus as articulated by rajapakshe but not less than that.tamilnadu politics has also changed a lot since 2009.it has witnessed exit of patriach karunanidhi who has been selfish throughout his political career never cared a bit for tamils in india or overseas.public opinion in tamilnadu has also witnessed a sea change.if rajapskhe administration had done anything meaningful after 2009 may victory world would have sided with srilanka but it was never serious about devolution and it paid a price for it in the form of united nations resolution against it.i hope that my sinhala friends will realise this.
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Punchinilame / June 19, 2012
It is basic knowledge as to what MR has done since May 2009 to-date
for the North and East, dismissing the word DEVELOPMENT for awhile,
is widely evident and the continued damage is happening even this
minute, despite UN Resolution/LLRC Report/M.Chintnaya etc.
The sheer impunity in Governance is beyond words,for a Democratically
elected State. Indian interference is now reaching unavoidable stage,
all due to MRs mindset.
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Sumanapla .M / June 19, 2012
Why Indian intervenation is unavodiable? If Tamils want state thier homeland in Tamil Nadu.We are not Indian colony?We are an indepandence soveriginity state.Tamis who had been to Island recantaly,how can they claim and seek indan assiatance to be esatblihed or divied sonverginity and terrorial rights of people of Sri lanka?
We have history of 2600 yaers as nation and guided by Buddhist Teaching.Ours have not only culture ,but we inherated ancient civilization separted from Tamils and India.
We have right live and right to resist any form intervantion from outside any evil forces.
We are nation follow all democratic principles far beetter than any developeing countires in Globe.The samll community of Tamils who are political backward-groupes cannot dominiated,advance civilization of our nation.Sinhales not backward race groupe,she has ancient advance Philosoaphy of Bhddhist Theory of Knowlegde,irrgiation system, arts patitings, scriptes, language and written history over 2600 years.
Of cause Tamils have own culture and Civilization in Indain Tamil Nadu their Homeland.
But no such histrocial Tamils cultural roots in Sri Lanka.They create myth of so-called Tamil homeland by Malayasian born SJV Tamil racsit leader of Tamil.No need to talk on there past history we cannot give land and police powers to Tamils only north.Tamils are living all over the island buy land propeties, doing busniess,education and all social welfare are enjoying without discramnations.
Tamil leader had been proved there are not reapsect democarcy ,they respact terrorism in whole island last 30 years war against people of Sri lanaka.
Leader of Tamils belived to take politial power by bullet indide or ourside forcres, but indeed they don’t trust ballot or consent of majority nation of Island. Tamil racsiam in Sri lanka by power derived from gunpoint.
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Velu Balendran / June 20, 2012
A bit of history (at least from the internet) will sure help you to get a grip:
In the manner of Christian missionaries converting Buddhists and Hindus to Christianity in the 16th century A.D., Arahat Mahinda converted the Hindu King Devenampiya Tissa and his Hindu subjects (Tamils), to the Buddhist faith in 246 B.C. The vehicles of the Dhamma were the Pali and Sanskrit languages. Sinhala evolved through the intermingling of the Tamil, Pali and Sanskrit languages.
The term “Sihala” (lion in Pali) occurs for the first time in Sri Lankan sources in the Dipavamsa (4th-5th century A.D.) In this chronicle the term occurs only once, and in this cryptic verse it is stated that the Island was known as “Sihala” on account of the lion. “Lanka dipo ayam ahu sihena sihalaiti.” Dipavamsa Ch. 9. VI. In the Mahavamsa (5th-6th century A.D.) the term “Sihala” occurs only twice.
In the epic Ramayana (400 B.C.), this Island was known as Lanka. There was no Sinhala race in Lanka before the Dipavamsa described the Buddhists as such. Even in the 4th and 5th centuries A.D., what was to eventually become the Sinhala language had not evolved to the point where it was suitable for the compilation of important treatises like the Dipavamsa, Mahawamsa etc.
Mahanama, a Buddhist monk, the younger son of King Dhathusena, observing two groups of people in the 5th century A.D. – Hindus, speaking Tamil and the converts (Buddhists) speaking the new language (Sinhala) – hatched the story of Vijaya and his 700 followers (Bengalis), about 1000 years after their alleged landing, with the motive of projecting the Buddhists as a separate ethnic group, the Sinhalese…..
Your ancestors probably spoke Tamil and were Hindus! Remember, there were Tamil Buddhists before there were any Sinhala Buddhists. cf. Sīlappadhikāram/Manimekalai.
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2012
Velu Balendran says:
“Arahat Mahinda converted the Hindu King Devenampiya Tissa and his Hindu subjects (Tamils), to the Buddhist faith in 246 B.C. “
Could you cite your source.
You say:
“Sinhala evolved through the intermingling of the Tamil, Pali and Sanskrit languages.”
In a hurry to take a short cut you have inadvertently or intentionally ignored Elu which was also a vehicle for language replacement.
You say:
” Remember, there were Tamil Buddhists before there were any Sinhala Buddhists. cf. Sīlappadhikāram/Manimekalai”
Could you cite your source. The possible date of Manimekalai was 2nd Century AD, 700 years after Buddhas period. Are you suggesting Manimekalai was converted to Buddhism by Sinhala Buddhist monks back then?
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Duminda / June 20, 2012
seriosuly ?? from where did you get this source and on what world do you live in? King Mahinda was Hindu Tamil??? stupid people like you will never want to know the truth even.You will belive anything another person say. I nealy fell off my chair when I saw your comment. haha.seriously???
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2012
Duminda asks:
“King Mahinda was Hindu Tamil???”
If not Hindu Tamil, who was he?
Was he born as Sinhala/Buddhist?
Did he speak Sinhalese?
If not what language did he speak?
Was he a Sinhapurian, from Lala land in Venga?
You say:
“stupid people like you will never want to know the truth even.”
What was/is the truth? Was King Mahinda a percentage of lion?
By the way which king are we discussing here in this comment? Mahinda was never been a king he was a prince. King Devenampiya Tissa was the King, the convert. According to Mahawamsa his ancestors were convicted criminals.
You say:
“I nealy fell off my chair when I saw your comment. haha.seriously???”
Did you fall and then laughed for being a slapstick commedian?
Did you laugh and then fell for being a stupid?
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Davina / June 21, 2012
Colombo Telegraph, you ought to check what people write to ensure that they themselves are not the stupid ones & that it makes some sense to the rest of us who are trying to make a positive difference for our land by addressing reality.
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gamini / June 23, 2012
Velu I tend to agree that this story of Prince Vijaya landing with some seven hundred is a concoction of Mahanama who wrote Mahawamsa. The reason being there is no corresponding history of this Prince Vijaya being banished with seven hundred in the Indian side recorded History. This is something like how the story was spread here of KP being abducted by our sleuths in a Malasian Hotel, whereas the named Hotel was unaware of such an incident having taken place nor such guest as KP was booked in as a guest.
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Native Vedda / June 24, 2012
gamini says:
“Velu I tend to agree that this story of Prince Vijaya landing with some seven hundred is a concoction of Mahanama who wrote Mahawamsa. “
I agree with you that the story was a concoction by Mahanama. What are we doing about the state perpetuating the same myth as history through school text books?
Any honest/decent/wise educationist would have chucked the text books in the bin. But only in Sri Lanka these stories are thought as national history. The LTTE too attempted to include thrash as history.
It is not the state nor its rulers guilty of destruction of history it is the people who should have rejected that part of rubbish as trash.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / June 24, 2012
Interesting bit of history.
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RGR / June 20, 2012
No Sinhala Government will ever solve the Tamil problem!
If only India, America, Britain can intervene – this problem will be solved and the North & East of Sri Lanka will be administered by the Tamils. Talks between the Tamil & Sinhala politicians will be a waste of time!
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Thalaivar / June 20, 2012
Don’t you Tamils feel disgusted about your self. Tamilnadu has so many problems. The most disgusting thing is they don’t have toilets. That is just one very visible problem. The Karnunanidhi family is governing Tamilnadu for some time. Now, they are filthy rich.
In Sri Lanka, Tamils will never get anything else beyond the 13th amendment which they got in 1976 ? when JRJ was living. Now you people became refugees in all the world, come became international criminals, So many innocent tamils died not because of the govt but because of your own Sun god. But any of you have ever reflected back to see what you have done to your own ?
I wrote very briefly. You people know the holy truth ?
Do you feel proud ?
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2012
Thalaivar
does not know whether he is coming or going as he says:
“In Sri Lanka, Tamils will never get anything else beyond the 13th amendment which they got in 1976 ?”
This comment alone says it all, how stupid he is.
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gamini / June 23, 2012
Thalaivar you being so anti-Tamil, how are you coping with a Tamil name?
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Hade Sheriff / June 20, 2012
The singhala Buddhist chauvinist who does not know English are real communalist & pain in the back for reconciliation, they do not know international politics, they think after defeating LTTE, they can match any Army of the world, such theory is pumped into their heads by racists Buddhist Monks & Politicians in the JHU, they are infecting hate virus into their heads during their Temple ceremonies & Bana preachings.
Now they say this is Buddunge Desaya other communities has no place in SriLanka, recently they have directed their attack on Muslims in many areas, depriving their obligatory prayers in Mosques, not allowing business as usual in many districts, thus provoking the Muslims. Govt seems not bothered, but intellectuals should rise up & put an end before its too late.
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2012
Sumanapla .M says:
“We are not Indian colony?”
You will be soon, if your government continues with anti people state policies.
When people are empowered (signs are that will not happen in the near future)within a democratised state no foreigner can afford to colonise the island.
You say:
“We are an indepandence soveriginity state”
When did you acquire the taste for luxuries?
You say:
“The samll community of Tamils who are political backward-groupes cannot dominiated,advance civilization of our nation.”
Could you first define what is “backward-groupes” and what is ” advance civilization of our nation”
Why do you think yours is “advance civilization of our nation”? Give me reasons for me to buy your idea of “advance civilization of our nation”.
More importantly could you also clarify what you understand by nation and sovereignty. These words sound pompous to me and I never understood these as you know I am bit thick.
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2012
Ramu Manivannan conveniently failed to mention the selection of Tamil groups, provision of selective training and supplies of arms and funding and the stupid covert programme to destabilise the island by the bureaucratic despots of the MEA.
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vikki / June 27, 2012
We , the tamils, made one mistake by going to India and Tamil nadu for our own problem.
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