28 March, 2024

Blog

Weaponizing Archaeology?

By S. I. Keethaponcalan

Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan

By a Gazette notification, the Sri Lankan government appointed a Presidential Task Force for Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province on June 4, 2020. The Task Force has been tasked to identify sites with archaeological importance, identify and implement appropriate programs, identify land that should be allocated for cultural promotion, and preserve the cultural value of identified sites. Of significance is that the force has been established exclusively for the Eastern Province, where Tamil and Muslim communities share the space almost equally.

The appointment of an “all Sinhala” task force has already evoked a sense of fear among my Tamil friends. According to Tamil media, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has condemned the move as a step towards Sinhalesization and Buddisization of Sri Lanka. For me, it evoked memories of the end of the war. So, I wrote on my twitter feed, “In the war against LTTE, the government forces took control of the Eastern Province first. Then they focused the energy on the Northern Province, which led to the total military victory.” I guess I am also nervous. I decided to share an excerpt connected to the archeology department from my recent (2019) book, Post-war Dilemmas of Sri Lanka: Democracy and Reconciliation (published in London and New York by the Routledge, pp. 128-9).   

The excerpt 

‘What could be called the structural adjustment programs, where nationalist groups and institutions of the state collaborate informally, are aimed at limiting the presence and influence of Muslims in areas that are considered “sacred” by the Sinhala-Buddhists. One of the often-leveled arguments was that the Muslim structures including mosques, shops, and other religious symbols in the “sacred” territories are “illegal” (Wickramasinghe 2014, 400). The nationalists, at times, violently applied constant pressure on the state and the relevant institutions of the state to remove these illegal structures from the Buddhist sites. Consequently, many institutions, including ministers of the government, the Archaeology Department, the police, the Central Cultural Fund, and the Urban Development Authority (UDA), and so on, wittingly and/or unwittingly collaborated with nationalist groups to restrict the Muslim expansion and, in some cases, to remove their religious and commercial structures (Seoighe 2017). This pattern could be seen in places such as Dambulla, Balangoda, Anuradhapura, Deepavapi, and Devanagala.  

On the premise that the Masjidul Khaira mosque in Dambulla was illegally built on a sacred Buddhist site, a roughly 200 men-strong mob demanded the removal of the structure and attacked it in 2012. In response, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne ordered the “relocation” of the mosque and the UDA asked that about 50 houses and 20 shops move out of the “sacred area.” Condemning the moves of the government, the Center for Policy Alternatives (2013) pointed out that the involvement of the UDA in this issue favoring the nationalist position “raises concerns that there is a concerted effort both by radical Sinhalese and the Government to evict Muslim families from the center of specific towns and cities” (59).

On the other hand, Muslims oppose and constantly protest new Buddhist structures, which the monks claim to have been approved by the Archaeology Department, the Land Commission, and the District Secretaries, in Deegavapi. The Deegavapi issue remains one of the important factors in the now contentious relations between Muslims and Sinhalese. Influenced by organizations such as the BBS, Sinhala Ravaya, and Parakum Sena, an organization in Devanagala, called the Devanagala Surakime Jathika Viyaparaya (National Movement for Defending Devanagala), has been formed to monitor and prevent Muslim expansion in the area (Silva, Niwas and Wickramasinghe 2016). A Muslim person from Devanagala claimed that “we cannot even dig a hole in our land to plant a tree as we may discover some archaeological object that will evoke an intervention by the Archaeology people” (Quoted in Silva, Niwas and Wickramasinghe 2016, 13).’ 

Reference

Center for Policy Alternatives. 2013. Attacks on Places of Religious Worship in Post-War Sri Lanka. Colombo: Center for Policy Alternatives.   

Seoighe, Rachel. 2017. War, Denial and Nation-Building in Sri Lanka, After the End. London: Palgrave. 

Silva, Kalinga Tudor, Afrah Niwas, and W.M.K.B. Wickramasinghe. 2016. Religious Interface and Contestations Between Buddhists and Muslims in Sri Lanka, A Study of Recent Development in Selected Multi-Religious and Cross-Cultural Sites. Colombo: International Center for Ethnic Studies.   

Wickramasinghe, Nira. 2014. Sri Lanka in the Modern Age, A History. New York: Oxford University Press. 

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Latest comments

  • 24
    15

    The country is reeling under Covid19; economy is in dire state; the country is at stand still with never ending curfews; no foreign currency reserves; no FX earnings from tourism, no FXearnings by export of maids for prostitution in the ME ; no exports.

    and the President’s priority is Archaeology Task force…what a farcefoce

    see my separate comment here
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/gotas-junta-consolidates-after-sc-ruling-task-force-for-disciplined-society-ready-for-action/

    • 16
      4

      Rajash, perhaps a camouflaged election campaign pulling all the stops hoping for a 2/3rds parliamentary majority for SLPP & Co. EC can’t stop this endeavour.
      ——————
      Playing all the cards to stir up the kind of emotions that can hugely translate into votes under the climate that resulted in Gotabaya’s presidential election win. However, the one big caveat comes to mind is the worsening economy and the post-covid financial struggles of the middle class and low income groups (particularly of the major ethnic population); where do their priorities lie now? Have some of Gotabaya’s voters left the camp (net loss) or has he augmented his camp of supporters (net gain)?
      —//—

      • 11
        7

        The way things are going, Gota’s regime is setting up task forces do dig up ancient piles of bricks while living citizens are stuck in the Middle East without food or jobs. The govt earlier welcomed rich kids from China with garlands but ignores poor housemaids who have paid insurance money.
        Is there a connection between the archaeological charade and the need to keep starving workers out of the public eye?

        • 8
          3

          These are just cover-up mission to mislead the nation. what the german call it -Ablenkungsmanöver -divisionary tactics. … ha ha.. people will see it right in the general election Mr Old Codger… wait and see..

        • 6
          6

          old codger

          The speed with which Gota decrees Task Forces it appears we will end up having to deal with hundreds of if not millions of national functionaries on a daily basis.
          I won’t be surprised if Gnanasara headed a Taskforce which deals with women’s chastity.

          • 5
            2

            Native,
            And Glyphosate Ratana for agriculture.

      • 5
        4

        Chief Thieves became people’s representatives and leaders. Who made them kings ? stupid voters should have thought it before. You cant expect wiser to become leaders if majority of people in a country are born fools. It is like waiting to see pig might fly oneday. Now too late. If anyone would hope much today, it should be a dream.

    • 22
      9

      Archaeology favours Tamils over Sinhalese regarding antiquity. Therefore militarized outfit is necessary to distort this status. Well known racist archaeologist treated in intellectual circles as charlatan in the panel, is for that purpose. Sinhala archaeology is only 2500 years old and lies superficially, while Tamil archaeology is much older and lies deeper. Presence of Buddhist temples does not necessarily mean as evidence of presence of Sinhalese as Buddhism was in vogue among Tamils in Sri Lanka like that existed in South India. Still the tallest Buddha statue in the world is in Andra Pradesh. Prehistoric evidence demonstrate that there were only two ethnic groups inhabited the land, which was once contiguous land mass with present day Tamil Nadu before sea upheaval separated it into an island. The first immigrants are Veddhas who walked from Africa over 60,000 years ago and settled in caves along the slopes of UVA and surrounding plains in eastern and south-eastern parts. Stone and iron tools found in Sri Lanka similar to stone and iron tools found in Africa proves this. Next immigrants are Dravidians who walked from Indus Valley over 20,000 years ago and settled in northern and north-western parts. Several urn burial sites (last one in Ibbankatuwa) found in these areas prove this. (CONTD)

      • 20
        7

        (CONTD) Potsherds found in several parts of north (last one in Mallavi) similar to those found in Tamil Nadu demonstrates that people who lived on both sides of the divide are the same. Recently two sites of over 20,000 year old civilization have been found by chance in Settikulam and around Giant’s tank in Mannar district. This corroborates with the concept of a thriving civilization that existed around port city of Manthai. Fact that Veddhas considered as original people of the land worship Murugan the God who is worshiped only by Tamils in the world, shows that Veddhas came under Tamil influence and that Saivaism is the first religion to be practiced in the country. This is the reason for portraying Ravana as Dravidian Saivite in legend Ramayana. There are several Hindu temples lying buried and others over which Buddhist temples have been built after demolition. Sinhala controlled government will never attempt to conduct extensive studies about Dravidian and Hindu past and resurrect demolished Hindu temples. This task force is not only to preserve ancient Buddhist sites, but also to change demographic pattern and to destroy any evidence which will be inimical to their claim.

      • 16
        18

        Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
        North and Eastern part of Sinhale was predominantly Sinhala Buddhist areas before ‘Para’ Dravida invaders from Hindusthan massacred Sinhalayo and vandalized Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Kingdoms forcing Sinhalayo to retreat to safer areas. This is the cradle of Sinhala Buddhist civilization. The archaeological sites and ruins in North and East provide ample evidences to prove this.

        Demalu who live in these areas are either descendants of tens and thousands of Dravida slaves brought by Portuguese to work in tobacco plantations or remnants of Dravida invaders who could not be chased away due to colonization by Europeans.

        Muslims in the East are the descendants of Muslim refugees from Hindusthan who were saved by King Senerath when they faced persecution by Portuguese and settled in the East.

        If Native Sinhalayo want to go ahead with Sinhalesization and Buddisization of North and Eastern part of the country ‘Para’ people have no right to object.

        • 17
          6

          Mahindapala, there was no Anuradhapura kingdom prior to 2500 years. There were people living there before that. When a bunch of criminals landed in Puttalam area, they killed the chieftain, chased the people away and usurped their land. Then they used thuggery to subdue chieftains in other areas such as Trincomalee, Mannar, Poonagari and Vanni and established their kingdom in Anuradhapura. The earliest stone inscription in Sinhala so far found, belongs to 1300 years ago. It is at that time that Sinhala borrowed Malayalam script and began writing. Prior to that Sinhala was only a spoken language. When Vijaya landed his gang did not speak Sinhala, Kuweni’s people did not speak Sinhala, while Brides from Pandyan kingdom spoke Tamil, but all of them understood each other. This shows that all these people spoke Tamil or some form of Tamil (Elu the original language of the land is considered a precursor to Tamil). DNA studies have showed that core genetic material of Sinhalese is South Indian, which proves that Sinhalese were originally Tamils, who mixed with other south Indians and some north Indians and took up a separate identity similar to Malayalees. (CONTD)

          • 10
            4

            (CONTD) During last century Sinhala Archaeologists attempted to link ancestry with Aryans which has now been trashed as none of the Sinhalese had the typical Aryan gene. Even Bengali connection is only partly true as Tamils too have Bengali genes (29%) compared to 31% in Sinhalese. Now Sinhala archaeologists have started to link Sinhalese with Veddhas and have failed so far after ten years. Sinhalese having 9% Veddha gene does not prove anything, as Tamils too have 6% Veddha gene. How can Veddhas having a different genetic make up, be ancestors of Sinhalese. Veddhas are genetically connected to Adhivasis in Tamil Nadu, and without matching genes of bones collected with that of Sinhalese, their presence does not mean presence of Sinhalese in Tamil Nadu. With not a single evidence for presence of Sinhalese more than 2500 years and number of them for presence of Dravidians for 20,000 years, how can Sinhalese be natives. Law has to be equal to all and similar to excavating and reinstating Buddhist shrines, the same right should be given to Tamils to excavate and reinstate Hindu shrines. If proper archaeological survey is done with modern technology, Sinhala propaganda as sole owners of the land will be put to rest forever.

            • 4
              4

              lol, Just making up nonsense as we go along right. Wtf is a Bengali gene or a Veddha gene?

              This guy is off his rocker? I wonder what is wrong with his gene?

              • 4
                2

                This is the Tamil disease, They live in a world of Alternate Genetics and Alternate History.

      • 13
        18

        Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
        Archaeologists have found scientific evidences that prove Sinhalayo evolved in the land that was called Sinhale at later stages from Homo sapiens who lived in the southern coastal areas about 125,000 years ago. As they moved away from hunting and gathering and started farming they have moved to the northern part which is more conducive for rice farming based on irrigation.
        According to Professor R Champakalakshmi, there had been a number of Sinhala settlements in southern part of India. (Source: Champakalakshmi R. (2003), Trade, Ideology and Urbanization: South India, 300 BC to AD 1300.)
        It could be that Sinhalayo moved all the way to southern part of the sub-continent and settled there before Dravidians who were chased away by Mughals from Northern India moved to the south. Probably Dravidians might have massacred those Sinhalayo before they invaded Sinhale and plundered this country.

        • 19
          6

          Eagle,
          Do not come up with infantile arguments. Or are you actually 5 years old?
          Whether “native Sinhalayo” did or didn’t build a particular abandoned pile of bricks a thousand years ago is not relevant.. In that case, even you can’t live in your house because definitely there is s “holy” brick or two under it. If something is abandoned, there is no need to revive it. In really civilized countries, if archaeological items are found on a construction site, they are catalogued within a short time and construction resumes.
          If this to give jobs to unemployed hamuduruwos, there are better ways, like giving them paddy fields to work in.

          • 8
            7

            old codger,
            “Whether “native Sinhalayo” did or didn’t build a particular abandoned pile of bricks a thousand years ago is not relevant.”

            For the descendants of Dravida slaves who are squatting on Sinhala Buddhist Heritage sites after colonial parasites left, a pile of bricks which could be an ancient temple may be not relevant but to Native Sinhalayo they are relevant.
            We are not talking about archaeological items but archaeological sites vandalized by ‘Para’ Demalu and put up ‘Kovils’ on top of them.

            • 7
              4

              Eagle,
              If there are no Buddhists or monks in the area, what is the use of digging? There are hundreds of Buddhist ruins in Maldives. Are you going to dig them up?
              Buddhism is only 2500 years old. Some Buddhist temples were built on top of indigenous shrines. Are you going to demolish the temples?
              Use some logic please.

              • 3
                3

                Eagle,
                “For the descendants of Dravida slaves who are squatting on Sinhala Buddhist Heritage sites after colonial parasites left, “
                So who are these descendants? People with names like Gardiyahewage Sarath Chandralal Fonseka ?
                Ever heard of him?

            • 2
              1

              Eagle Brain Dead Blind Eye

              Who are these Native Sinhalayos?

              Did their ancestors come from Erivirapattinams in the Chola empire as mercenaries (Vellaikara Padei)?
              Or are they the descendants of monkey engineers/technicians/unskilled workers who supposed to have built Rama’s bridge over Sethu Samudram under the project director Hanuman?

              Did any of those kallthonie Monkies return to their homeland?

        • 2
          1

          Eagle,
          There were lot of Ceylonese settlement in Kerala and TN. They are known as Eelavar. There is no Sinhala speaking ancient settlement in anywhere in south India. Vijaya is not a grandson of Lion. He is the grandson of the Kalinga ling bravely fought with Asoka. Not 700, a number considerable refugees left Kalinga because of Asoka brutal-animal warfare. Like all many stories of refugees, a lot perished in the sea. Some of them were rebels against Asoka. That time even Kalinga was speaking a Dravidian Language. They easily mixed with the Tamils. Vijaya was a “Leader Pirapaharan” class person. Vijaya and his young generation organized a very brave rebel to overthrow Asoka’s brutality and oppression. Unfortunately he too lost war, like grandpa; he and his army was labeled as traitors, rowdies and deported, by subservient puppets (Kathirgamars) of Asoka, sitting on the kingdom. Lankawe Bald Head Modayas has taught to you, you are an animal birth. But you are trying to say you are a Stone Age man.
          Peacock is the vehicle of Lord Muruga. Wild honey and millet mix is the Prasad for Lord Muruga temple. Kathirkamam is the birth place of Lord Muruga, like Siva’s place is India Valley. Siva, from a more civilized time than Muruga, wears leather loin cloths. Muruga is much earlier in civilianization wears leaves or nothing. Siva’s tool is trident. Muruga’s tool is stick. Your imaginary Sinhaloya has no evidences like that.

        • 1
          1

          “Local legend holds that Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local girls. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. “ – Wikipedia. But that is not right, his birth place is Kathirkamam. Saravana Poikai and six faces is only mythology.
          By the 16th century, the Kataragama temple had become synonymous with Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[83] You know I don’t have to deny that. He was a common god for all lived around. Even these days, Muslims take part there.
          “Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple betray Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence they believe the area was of Vedda veneration that was taken over by the Buddhist and Hindus in the medieval period. More reach needed to accept or reject. If Tamils took Lord Muruga from Veddas what is “Vedda veneration” has to be established.

          • 0
            0

            to stop italic

      • 7
        5

        “Archaeology favours Tamils over Sinhalese regarding antiquity. “

        Not just in Sri Lanka but all over the world there is Archaeological proof that Tamil is the oldest language and oldest civilisation.

        • 3
          1

          Mr Rajash
          Why don’t the Tamils do something about it?

          Soma

          • 2
            2

            Soma “Why don’t the Tamils do something about it?”

            No need to .The whole world knows about it.
            Only some Sinhala Racist want to bury their head in the sand and pretend otherwise.

          • 1
            1

            somass

            “Why don’t the Tamils do something about it?”

            Do what?
            Do you prefer them to commit mass suicide?

            Those crooked Saffron Brigades have been stealing artaffects

            • 1
              0

              NV
              My research has found that the world belongs to South Africa:
              “Anatomically modern humans originated in Africa around 200 thousand years ago (ka)1,2,3,4. Although some of the oldest skeletal remains suggest an eastern African origin2, southern Africa is home to contemporary populations that represent the earliest branch of human genetic phylogeny”

              Soma

          • 1
            1

            somass

            “Why don’t the Tamils do something about it?”

            Do what?
            Do you prefer them to commit mass suicide?

            Those crooked members of Saffron Brigades have been stealing artaffects for many years, in fact they break a part of ancient ola manuscripts and sell them to tourists. There were high ranking police attempted to illegally dig for ancient arteffects on many occassions.

            You stupid racist can see only with your anti Tamil eyes whereas this is a national problem. Don’t be an arrogant little Sinhala/Buddhist fascist.

            One day you will find Saffron Brigade and Military junta have stolen all the old heritage and sold them to your Sudha/Arab collectors. You have already lost your women folks and you are likely to lose whatever you may consider your remaining national assets.

            • 1
              0

              Get some education Native:
              “Peacock is the vehicle of Lord Muruga. Wild honey and millet mix is the Prasad for Lord Muruga temple. Kathirkamam is the birth place of Lord Muruga, like Siva’s place is India Valley. Siva, from a more civilized time than Muruga, wears leather loin cloths. Muruga is much earlier in civilianization wears leaves or nothing. Siva’s tool is trident. Muruga’s tool is stick. Your imaginary Sinhaloya has no evidences like that.”

              (Mallaiyuran on this page)

              Soma

      • 1
        1

        Siva Siva Sankara

        Still the tallest Buddha statue in the world is in Andra Pradesh. Prehistoric evidence demonstrate that there were only two ethnic groups inhabited the land, which was once contiguous land mass with present day Tamil Nadu before sea upheaval separated it into an island.

        Can you enlighten me on the following before I become even more UNBALANCED & STUPID

        Still the tallest Buddha statue in the world is in Andra Pradesh. Prehistoric evidence demonstrate that there were only two ethnic groups inhabited the land, which was once contiguous land mass with present day Tamil Nadu before sea upheaval separated it into an islandStill the tallest Buddha statue in the world is in Andra Pradesh. Prehistoric evidence demonstrate that there were only two ethnic groups inhabited the land, which was once contiguous land mass with present day Tamil Nadu before sea upheaval separated it into an island

        • 2
          1

          Siva Siva Sankara

          Still the tallest Buddha statue in the world is in Andra Pradesh. Prehistoric evidence demonstrate that there were only two ethnic groups inhabited the land, which was once contiguous land mass with present day Tamil Nadu before sea upheaval separated it into an island.

          Can you enlighten me on the following before I become even more UNBALANCED & STUPID

          2nd Tallest in China
          Spring Temple Buddha

          Buddha (Vairocana)
          Lushan, Henan
          China
          128 m (420 ft)[3]

          Dhyana Buddha Statue
          Buddha (Gautama)
          Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh India 38 m (125 ft)

    • 6
      1

      Hi Friends and thanakola eaters of our beautiful motherlanka !
      Srilanken society from sociologial point of view:
      ******
      1. Ethnic Group -Sinhala/buddhagama/ – racism/extremism supporters
      E.g Rajaakshe/Wimalburuwanse doctrine keeping Saffron Clad boys above the law
      These are easy targets so long ILLITERATE buddhagama monks would take the lead because they would not let the people see it right
      Joker monks such as Kotuwe Hamudurwo promotes the rascism so as many other SIVURU wearers in lanken lime light today- they have become superstars of the those sentiments.

      2. Ethnic Group – Sinhala/buddhagama/ leberals
      Pseudo buddhagama Monks (Paradise BIRDs such as Samantha badda )

      3. Ethnic Group -Sinhala/Christianity/ racism/extremism supporters
      Chilaw area – Rajakashe and the like so called leaders aim at them

      4. Ethnic Group -Sinhala/Christianity/ leberals

      5. Ethnic Group -Tamil/Christianity/ racism/extremism supporters

      6. Ethnic Group -Tamil/Hinduism/ racism/extremism supporters

      7. Ethnic Group -Tamil/Hinduism/ leberals

      8. Ethnic Group -Tamil/Christianity/ leberals

      9. Ethnic Group -Muslims/Islam/ racism/extremism supporters

      10. Ethnic Group -Muslims/Islam/ leberals

      11. Egnostic Group -Sinhala Buddhagama immitators

      12. Egnostic Group- Non sinhala leberals

      If lanken Society experts/University dons/Religious leaders of all prevailing theologies could work for rebuilding the society – resulting inclusive society based SRILANKENNESS – they should now invest more in that endeavours more than what they have done sofar, then we could change a lot for the benefit of the youth of this nation.

      • 4
        1

        2. Ethnic Group – Sinhala/buddhagama/ leberals
        Pseudo buddhagama Monks (Paradise BIRDs such as Samantha badda would win the hearts and mind of the youth in the days to come. Then that will be still positve.
        :
        We attack this monk, but alone how he BUILT up that MAHAMEWUNAWA.. by his own vision can be a role model for rebuilding srilanka.

  • 21
    5

    Sinhalaization, militarisation, Buddhizization of all parts of Srilanka is the prime objective of Gotabaya Government. Mahinda family brought Gota (the iron man Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalist) with the majority of Majority Buddhist Sinhala. In few year years time the whole of island will be converted into a Buddhist Sinhala only land. I don’t know how far this truth is understood by North Eastern Tamil political leadership. Now, there is no parliament. If there is a parliament it will be a parliament of military. We all know How Sadam Hussain had an election where he got 99% vote.

    • 10
      11

      Ajith,
      Sinhale was a Sinhala Buddhist country.
      Sinhalayo who are the Native people in Sinhale want to take this country back to the situation prevailed before colonial parasites brought Dravida slaves from Hindusthan and changed the demographic composition.
      If ‘Para’ people who live in this country because Sinhalayo gave them citizenship do not like that they are free to return to their ancestral homeland across Palk Strait or seek asylum in the West saying that Gotabhaya/Army is torturing Tamils. They can use self inflicted wounds to convince dumbos in the West. Yasmin Sooka will confirm that.

      “In few year years time the whole of island will be converted into a Buddhist Sinhala only land.”

      • 6
        4

        Eagle Eye,
        Open your heart and tell the truth when your ancestors came from India? Tell us how Buddhism came to Srilanka from India?
        How did you become an animal? Is it your father or mother was a Lion?
        The fact is Sinhalyo are not original. It is a mixture of many.

        • 5
          3

          Mahindapala, Ravana was known as Eela Venthan (King of Eelam) and not as Sihala Rajaruva. He is portrayed as Dravidian Saivite and not as Sinhala Buddhist. Veddhas the original people worshiped Murugan the God of Tamils only. Saivaism was spread to all corners of the land with Siva temples in Keerimalai (North), Trincomalee (East), Mannar (north-west), Chilaw (West) and Dondra (South). Do you expect people in the modern world to believe cooked up stories as Male lion mating with Human female and producing progeny, Buddha a human being flying in air to visit Sri Lanka thrice and Vijaya blessed by Buddha landing on Sri Lanka on the day of his enlightenment.

          • 2
            1

            Dear GS,
            .
            Do you have any links to prove that EE is Mahindapala ?
            .
            I was also in the view that EE is Mahindapala but other commenters dont think the same. If you have any source of info supporting your guesses .. would help us all further. Thank you .

            • 2
              3

              Leelagemalli, when analyzing the style of writing, it suggests that it may be one of two people. I went along with others who have said that Eagle Eye is Mahindapala, because I thought they may have got a tip off from the administrators. However it could be Edwin Rodrigo who used to come out with similar racist statements, who went missing, and has appeared in pseudonym of Eagle Eye.

              • 0
                1

                Dr.G and LM,
                Mahindapala was the editor of the CDN , an English graduate writing much better English than Eagle Eye.
                “Edwin Rodrigo” is an electrical engineer with a style all his own and he was anti-Gota. He isn’t EE either.

                • 2
                  1

                  Old Codger,
                  .
                  I am telling you, EE is not ER.
                  :
                  ER has never read any article but attacked the commnters. ER always praised Prof. KD. But I have never seen EE praising about anyone other than ” Native Sinhalayo”: Got it ?

              • 2
                1

                DrGS,
                thank you. No, definitely he is not ER. ER is a person who cant be consistent. Besides, ER never read the articles but attacked always the commenters. This style is not seen in EE s comments. EE has constantly proved that he has been suffering from allergies against tamil srilankens (specially wellala tamils). He also attacks me on and on thinking I am TD supporter. I have never seen the kind of ultra racists in my entire life.
                :
                As you did, I used it because Ms Sharmini Serasinghe once insisted on EEs comments and added that Eagle Eye should definitely be Mahindapala from Melbourne. But lately, Oldcodger made it very clear, EE is not Mahindapala ? ::: And EE has nothing in his head other than a hatred against tamil srilankens. That is it.
                :

      • 3
        3

        Eagle,
        “Sinhalayo who are the Native people in Sinhale want to take this country back to the situation prevailed before colonial ..”
        Really, you want to go back to THAT situation? Think again. It was colonial parasites who made it possible for your kind of Native Sinhalayo to join the Sangha. 500 years ago, your females were not allowed to wear blouses. If you so much as looked at a higher caste woman, you would be strung between two trees.
        Please do think twice before you write such stuff. Why don’t you read Robert Knox’s nice book ?

        • 3
          2

          old codger

          “500 years ago, your females were not allowed to wear blouses.”

          Or compelled/encourage them to provide Kandyan Hospitality for Guests, visitors, ….. foreigners, practiced polygamy, in some cases facilitating the whitening of the inhabitants which let Anagarika Homeless Dharmapala to lay claim to Aryan Ancestry.

    • 2
      1

      Ajith
      All Tamils ( Tamil speaking people irrespective of their religion, .caste or the date of arrival) scattered across the island should unite and demand for a separate Homeland.

      Soma

  • 22
    5

    War criminal wants complete his ethinic Cleansing. International community that supported is answerable to the victims. Unlike in US while whites in the forefront protesting over the injustice to blacks, we sinhala people are not bothered rather encourage the ethinic Cleansing. I ashamed to be a sinhala Buddhist when prelates themselves are behaving like street thugs.

    • 7
      2

      Dear Dilshan,
      .
      They only target their personal gains for protecting family dynasty. See, how abusive the bps should have been, if they make every effort to influence the justic systems in the country today ?
      :
      So long thanakola eaters are the majority, this bastards would be adulated as gods. But they woundt win the hearts and minds of international community as a whole. Consequence would be, real dangerous for a nation of our nature whose poverty levels are really high than ballige puthas doctored for such a long time.

  • 13
    3

    The writer is correct in mentioning of weaponizing of Archaeological Heritage Management. This was demonstrated with the recently constructed Buddhist Vihara known as Pashara Pappatha Raja Maha Vihara, after destroying a Hindu temple named Sri Malai Neeli Amman Temple which was situated south of Trincomalee District. Moreover, a Buddhist monk (Ratnapura Devananda Thero) with communal line of thinking was appointed with two Police Officers for his protection. This also signals the mismanagement of country’s wealth. If Gota is instrumental for crisis enshrined in the Constitutional, how can justice be established and ensure unity in the country. This is a calculated act of suppressing the minorities.

    • 9
      12

      AYATHURAY RAJASINGAM,
      ‘Para’ Demalu go on vandalizing Sinhala Buddhist heritage sites in the North. In few places they have built ‘Kovils’ on top of ancient Buddhist temples. ‘Jadapalana’ dong kees turned a blind eye to these things because TNA was saving their sss.
      President Gotabhaya Rajapakshe should appoint a similar Task Force to North to protect Sinhala Buddhist Heritage Sites there.

  • 8
    11

    Weaponizing Archaeology? Bull Shit! Dog Shit! Horse Shit!

  • 14
    2

    Londinium was founded by the Romans. Today’s London is not Roman. There were several waves of French immigration into Britain; with the Norman conquest in 1066, later the Huguenots in the 17th Century to escape Catholic persecution. Until a little before the Reformation, French was the language of culture and learning in England. Waves of Nordic peoples came to Britain after the collapse of the Roman Empire and left behind their names such as Whitby and Ruby, so did waves of Saxons leaving behind names such as Eastham and other Hams. Britain today is all of these and not exclusively any one of them.

    Lanka is not different. Archaeological aggression was begun by academics after independence. Regrettably, many big names were involved. Owing to the way state patronage works, Tamil academics have been weak in responding. Nearly all the country’s valuable archaeological findings were completed by independence. It is better for the Army to be doing what the scholars began. Then it is in the open and the world will know what the Army is about.

    This kind of preoccupation to buttress with manufactured history what is lacking in them as individuals, emerges in people with a deep inferiority complex; who in turn communicate it to the rest of their community that may sometimes go berserk. That is why Lanka is famous for mainly the most deplorable kind of human achievement – namely bloodshed.

    • 9
      16

      Rajan Hoole,
      Sinhalayo who are the Native people in Sinhale do not have to manufacture history. They have several books that contain information on their more than 2000 year old history. Sinhalayo do not suffer from Inferiority Complex. It is the descendants of Dravida slaves brought to Sinhale illegally by colonial parasites that suffer from Inferiority Complex because they do not have a history in this country.
      As Jane Russel points out “The Ceylon Tamils had no written document on the lines of the Mahavamsa to authenticate their singular and separate historical authority in Sri Lanka, a fact which Ceylon Tamil communalists found very irksome”. (Russel, Jane: Communal Politics under the Donoughmore Constitution, Tisara Prakasakayo, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, 1982. p.131)

      • 7
        10

        We do not need the Mahavamsa or any other books or archaeological remains to authenticate our history. Our existence as a unique people indigenous to this island is all the authentication we need. Tamils on the other hand have no history here and are a relatively recent diaspora of Tamilnadu, who have taken possession of the north and east by ethnic cleansing the Sinhalese. We don’t need to proof that fact either, because when they open their mouth to speak their mother tongue, they speak the language of Tamilnadu, so everybody knows how they have come to occupy the coastal strip of our island. Over 80% Tamils in the eastern province are Indian indentured labourers brought by the British. They were classified as “Ceylon Tamils” only in 1911 census, because they were living outside the plantations. Tamilization of the Eastern province started with the brutal invasion of Kalinga Magha in 1215, when the mercenaries in his army from Kerala started massacring and ethnic cleansing the Sinhalese and settling there. Until the British started bring in Tamils from India that area was thinly populated. These Tamils practice the peculiar matrilineal kuti family system which is prevalent in Kerala.

      • 4
        1

        Eagle,
        Please give a list of these ancient books that give the history of Sinhalayo that you talk about so much. I am curious.

    • 2
      0

      Dr Rajan Hoole
      Your knowledge about history is amazing!

      Soma

  • 4
    2

    I am not sure of Gita’s motives.
    May be he wants to dig up all the mass graves of Tamil children, old men and women etc and incinerate them under curfew and with that bury all the evidence

    • 3
      1

      I am not sure of Gita’s motives.

      ha ha I mean Gota’s motives

  • 4
    7

    When Tamils hear the word archaeology they immediately think how to lay claims on whatever is found and they vainly try to use archaeological finds to prove an ancient presence here. What the Tamils do not understand is that just like the Vaeddas, the Sinhalese do not need any archaeological finds to prove our antiquity or indigeneity — our very existence as a unique nation indigenous to this island is all the proof that’s needed. What archaeology means to the Sinhalese is the opportunity to study details of our past. Tamils on the other hand have a huge problem when it comes to archaeology since they simply do not have an ancient history in this island, so they try to lay claims on Sinhalese history and fabricate fantasy stories and viciously attack the Sinhalese by making false allegations.
     
    However many anti-Sinhalese articles are written, the fact remains that this island is the island of the Sinhalese. There is no need to Sinhalize this island. It was Sinhalized from the dawn of time by the indigenous tribes that make up the Sinhalese, long before there were any Tamils anywhere near this island or even in south-India.

  • 4
    4

    Tamils think history is about making idiotic theories and etymologies and writing books and articles presenting their nonsensical theories and bogus claims. Soon there are more books and articles with these bogus Tamil historical claims than there are Tamils. Tamils do not understand that trying to claim an indigenous presence here contradicts not only with the history of the island, but also the history of the Tamils and the wider region. The Tamil country has always been in south India with Cape Comorin as the southern border, while this island is the island of the Sinhalese.
     
    Boundaries of the Tamil country according to Sikandiyar, suppsedly a pupil of the legendary Agastiyar:
    வேங்கடங் குமரி தீம்புனற் பெளவமென்
    றின்னான் கெல்லை தமிழது வழக்கே.
    Tanslation: Tamil prevails within the four limits of Venkatam, Kumari and the seas.
     
    All known Tamil literary works including Tolkkappium give the same boundaries. If this island was inhabited by Tamils, surely they would have included it too within the Tamil country. Not only do they exclude this island from the Tamil country, Tamil literary works clearly say that the region outside of Tamilakam is “molipeyar thesam”, meaning countries that speak other languages than Tamil.

  • 2
    1

    Obviously, the reason for the creation of the Presidential Commission is the Muhudu Maha V

  • 9
    2

    President Gota desperately needs those 6.1 Million voters to remain with him and his next target is to rope in more to consolidate Power after the General election.
    Covid-19 appears to have weaned off a sizable share of his Far Right electorate.
    The Presidential Task Force on Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province, with a majority Tamil plus Muslim population is his answer to the problem at hand. In the process he hits two birds with one stone.

    Just before the Election we may see another Presidential Task Force on Anthropological Heritage Management in the Northern Province.

    President Gota is taking his Far-Right Sinhala Buddhist voters for a walk up the Garden Path damn the Corona Virus!
    Racism is the sugar coated pill[ or the Vaccine?] to check mate the fallout of the Covid-19. ECONOMIC CRISIS!

    • 3
      1

      Plato,
      .,
      not 6.1 but 6.9 mios
      .
      I think they have now been trying to manipulate the masses for their failures done sofar. Even that Athana Methana Natana Rathana is frustrated as of now.
      :
      His beloved gota has not done any good sofar.

  • 5
    1

    Obviously, the reason for the creation of the Presidential Commission is the Muhudu Maha Viharaya in Pottuvil in the East Coast. The Priests in the Temple claim that the Temple owns 72 Acres of land but is now left with only 14 Acres of land due to encroachment by Muslim villagers of Pottuvil. According to a Gazette Notification in 1965, the land belonging to the Temple is 30 Acres. It seems this has been confirmed by a recent Court Ruling.

    Whatever the factual situation may be, the Muslims in the area claim that they have NOT encroached on the Temple property and they have title deeds to the property that they are occupying.

    It appears that the Director General of the Department of Archaeology Senerath Dissanayake, in an interview with a leading Sinhalese weekend newspaper, has said that not a spot of land with archaeological value will be removed. He has added that the department will measure the area again and believes that the demarcation would recreate a land with an area of more than 72 acres.

    So, the chances are that the Presidential Commission’s role will be to facilitate the provision of 72 or more acres of land to the Temple, never mind the plight of the people who are already living there.

    • 4
      7

      Muhandiram,
      This country is too small to provide land when these guys are breeding like rabbits.

      “..never mind the plight of the people who are already living there.”

      • 2
        1

        E E

        Ancient structures made of rocks and stones can have any amount of land but NOT humans if they are from the minority community. Warped logic from Warped mind.

  • 4
    2

    The government is in dire state.There are corned from all front and they now feeling leave alone 2/3 to get simple majority in the coming elections.there are so up set and in order rouse singala budist majority they are doing what ever possible keep the votes what they got during presidental election.AT THE LAST MOMENT IF THEY FEEL THINGS ARE TURNING VERY BAD THEY WILL GO TO THE EXTENT OF DISPLAY SOME BONES AND BURNT PART OF BODY SAYING THESE ARE ALL REMAINS OF PRABAKARANS DEAD BODY TO ROUSE THE VOTERS TO COLLECT VOTES.

  • 3
    2

    This is what I meant when I commented yesterday that while Mr.Modi is fast asleep Snoaring Gotha is Colonising and before his term ends all historical temples will be demolsihed and replaced by Viharas.

  • 2
    1

    The World is watching Gothas Weaponisation and there are important developments

    EKA) CPA expresses concern over two Presidential task forces

    DEKA) US-based lobby group condemns new Presidential task force

    Soon there might be a THUNA but the number will be stuck at DAHAYA because there is no No eleven in Sinkalam

  • 5
    6

    ” the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has condemned the move as a step towards Sinhalesization and Buddisization of Sri Lanka.”

    This country has been a Sinhala Buddhist country for more than two millennia and what these recently imported Tamils and Muslims whining about ? There is nothing to Sinhalize or Buddisize once again. Preserving Sinhala Buddhist archaeology is an absolute necessity. Because that’s the only archaeology we have in this country. All the cowardly leaders so far have failed to protect our archaeology in the eastern and northern provinces. Eastern province was once part of Ruhuna. The English who jumped in screwed up everything, created an artificial eastern province. LTTE goons have already vandalized a good amount of ancient archaeology in the north and east. Muslims are now taking care of the rest courtesy of cowardly Sinhala leaders who crave for Muslim votes.

    • 4
      1

      Rubbish posted by a Sinhalese Buddhist fascist extremist. The country was never exclusively Sinhalese Buddhist only the south and the north and east had always been Hindu( Saivite) Tamil, at one time many Tamils accepted Buddhism as their religion , however later around the 7TH century most of them returned back to the Hindu fold , those who remained Buddhist got assimilated as Sinhalese. 99% of the ancient Buddhist ruins found in the north and east are Tamil Buddhist and not Sinhalese as now the Sri Lankan government and the extremely racist Archeological department are trying to portray , giving all sorts nee Sinhalese names , to ancient Tamil Buddhist sites and claiming it as theirs , as they can do so.

  • 4
    1

    Tamil people in the north and east of the island , were not under any Sinhalese rule at anytime in history , except in the world of historical concoction an d misrepresentation before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16Th century. The whole of Sri Lanka had been under Tamil rule for three centuries. The resurgence of of the Sinhalese nation at the expense of a pluralistic society for majoritarian was predetermined. The opportunity for it revival was enabled by the democratic process with all its flimsy projections into the historical past and racial reorientation as Aryan Sinhala Buddhist, that saw the antagonism between the two communities multiply many fold in the independent Sri Lanka, in a way that never existed earlier periods. As the state process and the constitution remains subordinated the chauvinist agenda that threatens the very existences of the Tamils, providing for the self preservation and national well being and coexistence of the Tamil nationhood and Sinhala nationhood within one nation has become inescapable reality.
    The idea of plural society and the Sinhala Buddhist state are incompatible

  • 3
    1

    Muslim Villages in the East
    From very early times the dominant Mukkuvas of Batticaloa and the Muslims seems to have a peculiar relationship between them. The early settlements of the Muslims appear through the Muslims marrying Tamil women in the East. Due to the persecution of the Muslims by the Portuguese and Dutch in cinnamon producing areas of the South, and decline of Muslims influence in trade and commerce, a considerable number of Muslim villages appeared in the East. Added to this was the Kandyan habit of not allowing the Muslim to take refuge in the Kandyan territory but allowing them to go through the Kandyan Kingdom and settle in villages of the East through the back door some of which had become depopulated as a result of Portuguese and Dutch repressive measures. There is no history of any Muslim principality or a territory over which the Muslim held political authority in the East or the North. In subsequent days during the Dutch period smaller divisions such as Sammanthurai Pattu were recognized as Muslim divisions.
    When the territorial demarcation of various communities appeared along with the division of principal nationalities during the early part of this century the maps do not show any Muslim division in the East.

  • 3
    1

    Kudy names of Muslims

    The British civil Servant Mr Hugh Neville Esq. who took great pains to record the socio political conditions of the East between 1860 and 1880 records nearly 21 Muslim Kudy (clan) in the Batticaloa District.
    The Muslims taking the name Kudy or Clan is indicative of them accepting the political norms that were prevalent in the Tamil principalities of the East where they have come to take refuge and settle down. Added to this is the cultural and literary interaction that has existed as a result of sharing a common heritage of ethnicity , language and culture.
    The Muslims and Tamils have lived side by side and shared the economic life of the East. Only after the advent of divisive democratic politics and rise of fundamentalism in Muslim political life there arose discord among the Tamil and Muslim communities in the East. The intricate relationship the Eastern Muslims have developed with the Tamils starting from inter marriage has led to a peculiar love hate relationship between the two communities and their demographic spread in the east is such making any demarcation between them either territorial or otherwise is impossible.

  • 3
    1

    Though Muslim politicians in Colombo who have little understanding of the situation in the East or Jaffna Tamils who have difficulty in comprehending this intricate relationship have done little to help in reducing the tensions that prevail between the two communities. However, the problem of congestion that is found in the East can only be solved through expanding the space and opportunities though the permanent merger of the North East.
    Muslims and Tamils of the East are divided only by religion. Ethnologically. linguistically, economically , territorially and culturally they are so integrated, a separation is virtually impossible.

    • 1
      1

      S.S.S
      “However, the problem of congestion that is found in the East can only be solved through expanding the space and opportunities though the permanent merger of the North East.”
      How?
      Is NE > N +E ?

      Soma

      • 0
        0

        Soma.

        You do seem to have a mathematical mind, not withstanding your preoccupation on these pages!

  • 3
    1

    The Sinhalese Sounding Villages of the East
    Historically, there are five types of villages that have Sinhalese sounding names in the East.
    (1) The Veddah Villages that are part of the erstwhile Batticaloa district mainly from the Bintenne Pattu and Wewagam Pattu;
    (2) The Sinhalese refugees villages before the Kandyan period;
    (3) The Sinhalese village settlements that came along the pathway that was allowed to the Kandyan Kingdom by the Tamil principalities by granting the right of passage to the East coast;
    (4) The villages of the Kandyan Sinhalese seeking refuge from the British take-over and repression against the Kandyan rebellions;
    (5) The villages that came about as a result of State aided colonisation in recent times.
    These are the so called Sinhala settlements in the Eastern Province which have become the basis for carving out new territory by the Sinhalese today. The Sinhalese settlements were known by the name Kudies, a peculiar clan tradition of Batticaloa and were an integral part of the socio political structures of the Tamil principalities.

    • 2
      2

      Mr Siva Sankaran Sharma
      I feel sorry for you. You are writing non-stop. Unimaginable labour.
      Forget the history. Let us concentrate on the present. Until scientists come up with a time travel machine let us discuss about the EXISTING demographic distribution of ethnicities across the island.

      Soma

      • 1
        1

        Somavathi or Somapalan the Chingkallam racist constantly posting racist/extremist comments here but trying your best to make them reasonable . He and other Thamizh have to post correct history , as the Sri Lankan state , their hand maiden in the Eezham Thamizh genocide , the so called Sri Lankan Chingkalla Archeological Department , that is now being peopled by Chingkalla extremists, fake historians and Archeologists , making up history and evidence to support the Chingkalla Poutha Fascist agenda are constantly making creating fake history and evidence to illegally grab Eezham Thamizh lands and Hindu temples.

  • 3
    3

    Going through all the rigmarole above my conclusion is Archeologists are helpless. In order to find ancient Tamil artifacts we have to turn to Geologists.

    Soma

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