{"id":227895,"date":"2022-06-26T23:24:09","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T17:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=227895"},"modified":"2022-07-04T13:33:51","modified_gmt":"2022-07-04T08:03:51","slug":"my-dear-sinhalese-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/my-dear-sinhalese-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"My Dear Sinhalese Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sivas Premjeyanth –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sivas Premjeyanth<\/p><\/div>\n

Dear my friend,<\/p>\n

I am not joining your protest (Aragalaya)<\/p>\n

Doesn’t mean I don’t wish you success…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We don’t protest anymore…..<\/p>\n

Because…<\/p>\n

Our voices are never heard….<\/p>\n

Our protests are never cared…<\/p>\n

They don’t matter to anyone anymore…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like you very much,<\/p>\n

I also want our country<\/p>\n

To be corrupt free,<\/p>\n

Ruled not by thugs and racists,<\/p>\n

But by true leaders and visionaries,<\/p>\n

Helped and guided by<\/p>\n

Great thinkers and theirs ideas<\/p>\n

Where Buddhism teaches true dharma,<\/p>\n

Where law enforcement agencies<\/p>\n

Judicial systems and forces<\/p>\n

Protect the country and civilians,<\/p>\n

Not the corrupts and politicians.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But, still I am not joining your protest (Aragalaya)<\/p>\n

Because my association will weaken you,<\/p>\n

Will not strengthen you…<\/p>\n

Because I am a Tamil.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While you can shout loud at Galle\u00a0 Face,<\/p>\n

Stay all day and all night at 3G<\/p>\n

We can’t even whisper here…<\/p>\n

Thinking of supporting you itself<\/p>\n

May become a punishable crime here…<\/p>\n

Let alone participating…<\/p>\n

Because our civil and laws are<\/p>\n

Maintained and monitored by the military…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We don’t live here..<\/p>\n

We simply exist here…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Be they for mothers’ searches for their<\/p>\n

Disappeared sons and daughters…<\/p>\n

Be they for the lands forcefully taken away from us…<\/p>\n

Be they for the release of political prisoners…<\/p>\n

Be they against the sand mafia and their cronies…<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Be they school and children programs,<\/p>\n

Be they social and humanitarian programs…<\/p>\n

Be they cultural and community programs,<\/p>\n

With questionable intentions,<\/p>\n

Or sign of oppression,<\/p>\n

Or sign of aggression,<\/p>\n

Military and intel officers<\/p>\n

Are to be invited to all the functions,<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t feel normal…<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Every morning,<\/p>\n

We always Wake up<\/p>\n

With an eerie feeling,<\/p>\n

Where in vicinity<\/p>\n

Rifle holding, combat ready<\/p>\n

Rough looking army soldiers<\/p>\n

Staring at us as criminals from distances..<\/p>\n

That we always try to avoid the look…<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We know<\/p>\n

He may be nice and innocent<\/p>\n

But, we never smile,<\/p>\n

we never speak.<\/p>\n

We never understand.<\/p>\n

We never know the reasons…<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We receive our<\/p>\n

Documents<\/p>\n

Even birth, and other vitals..<\/p>\n

All in Sinhala….<\/p>\n

And we don’t understand,<\/p>\n

We can’t even check its veracity<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

President and Prime Minister..<\/p>\n

Party leaders and ministers<\/p>\n

Speak, but we never understand them.<\/p>\n

They never bothered us too,<\/p>\n

Because they speak<\/p>\n

only in Sinhala,<\/p>\n

Not even subtitle on TV<\/p>\n

Let alone speak in Tamil.<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We were helpless<\/p>\n

As fathers and brothers<\/p>\n

when our women<\/p>\n

Stripped naked,<\/p>\n

Beaten and paraded…<\/p>\n

Started with Premawathi<\/p>\n

Will not end with Isaipriya.<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We always welcome<\/p>\n

Sinhala friends and neighbors…<\/p>\n

But, all we come to know<\/p>\n

Guarded by armies<\/p>\n

Guided by Buddhist monks<\/p>\n

State aided settlements<\/p>\n

Even though they are innocent,<\/p>\n

Taught to treat us as enemies….<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Great Tamil leaders<\/p>\n

Defended and fought with<\/p>\n

British to save<\/p>\n

Many Sinhala leaders<\/p>\n

From execution to elimination<\/p>\n

But eventually ended up<\/p>\n

Getting expelled<\/p>\n

From the system and governance<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Be it<\/p>\n

National Anthem,<\/p>\n

National flag,<\/p>\n

National flower,<\/p>\n

Our opinions<\/p>\n

Never asked…<\/p>\n

Never bothered…<\/p>\n

Never cared…<\/p>\n

Never mattered..<\/p>\n

In all decisions..<\/p>\n

We are excluded…<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once hard working Tamils<\/p>\n

Along with you all<\/p>\n

Helped build<\/p>\n

Sri Lankan economy,<\/p>\n

Sri Lankan education,<\/p>\n

Sri Lankan corrupt free civil services,<\/p>\n

All were kicked out<\/p>\n

Ended up as…<\/p>\n

Immigrants and refugees…<\/p>\n

In other parts of the globe…<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Economy destroyed<\/p>\n

By riots and pogroms…<\/p>\n

Education broke by<\/p>\n

Sinhala only and Standardization…<\/p>\n

Culture and heritage annihilated<\/p>\n

From burning library to<\/p>\n

Destroying our lands…<\/p>\n

On a daily basis threatened by<\/p>\n

Militarization and colonization.<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even before Emperor<\/p>\n

Ashoka’s son and daughter came to Sri Lanka,<\/p>\n

Many Tamils had already known Buddhism.<\/p>\n

Buddhism is not an alien to Tamils.<\/p>\n

Only religion in the world<\/p>\n

That never used army and violence to spread<\/p>\n

Alienated Tamils for no reasons.<\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still, we don’t protest anymore….<\/p>\n

But My friend,<\/p>\n

I wish you all the best and<\/p>\n

May the protest<\/p>\n

Become successful<\/p>\n

May the system<\/p>\n

get changed,<\/p>\n

May we live in<\/p>\n

Peace and prosperity.<\/p>\n

Once and for all.<\/p>\n

As we lived before our Independence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The list is endless,<\/p>\n

It can keep going..<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear my friend,<\/p>\n

As Budda said,<\/p>\n

A lots of problems would disappear<\/p>\n

If we talk to each other,<\/p>\n

Instead we talk about each other…<\/p>\n

So, I thought of writing to you…<\/p>\n

I am not joining you …<\/p>\n

Doesn’t mean I don’t wish you success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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