Sudath Gunasekara, Mahanuwara 15.9.2015
I for one do not blame or underestimate the attempts made by President Sirisena to appease and reconcile the so-called Tamil problem or his trying to win over the Tamil population to the SLFP as he may be doing so in good intentions as the President of the whole nation. Even otherwise as a traditional Sinhala Buddhist villager it is no wonder he is trying to display his gratefulness to the Tamils who voted him en masse at the last Presidential Election. That is really magnanimous for him to do so in keeping with the Sinhala Buddhist ethos that has enriched our civilization for millennia.
Nevertheless going by our past experience I doubt whether they will vote him or his party the SLFP as the SLFP is usually looked upon as an anti –Tamil Party or at least as predominantly a pro-Sinhala Buddhist Political party by the majority of Tamils. Because, that is the indelible image the Tamil Politicians have injected in to the hearts and minds of the Tamil people for the past hundred years. For Tamil politicians this is their country; Sinhalese have robbed it or are trying to posses it, whereas according to history the truth of the fact is just the other way about. On the part of the Tamil politicians, such cheap political strategy is justifiable as it is the only way open to them to be in power though their intention is definitely not genuine welfare or good of the ordinary Tamils but their own survival as politicians only. This in short is what all Tamil Politician have been doing almost for the last ten decades in this country. They never wanted to be a part of one nation. They never accepted this country as the Land of the Sinhala people. Though they constituted a minor fraction of the country’s population Tamil leaders always acted as a separate nation. That is why their leaders like Arunachalam and Ponnambalan broke away from the Ceylon National Congress and began to agitate before the Donoughmor Commission for 50, 50, Federal status in 1947 and finally took to arms in 1980s claiming an EELAM. Even after the defeat of the LTTE in 2009 these Tamil politicians have not change a wee bit in their communal approach. The following TNA’s election manifesto 2015 clearly proves this point.
(1) දෙමළ ජනතාවට ස්වයංපාලන අයිතිය ඇත Right of self determination for Tamils
(2) උතුරු නැඟෙනහිර පලාත් දෙක එක් කල යුතුය North and Eastern Provinces should be merged
(3) ඒකීය වෙනුවට පෙඩරල් ක්රමයක් ඇතිකල යුතුය Federal system instead of unitary system
(4) යුද අපරාධ ගැන ජාත්යන්තර විමර්ශනයක් කල යුතුය. There should be an International inquiry on war crimes
No Tamil politician, unlike the Sinhala politicians likes to join a national political party like the UNP or SLFP. All Tamil Political parties start with the word Tamil. In 1947 it became Ilankai Tamil Arasukachchi (Lanka Tamil State Party) dubbed as Federal Party in English to mislead the world and in 1980 it ended up as EELAM Party. Note none of them are national parties .All of them are either Tamil or Eelam. See the list below.
Tamil National Alliance, Democratic Tamil National Alliance (aka Tamil Democratic National Alliance), Tamil National People’s Front, Ceylon Workers’ (Plantation Tamils), Puravesi Peramuna(Esate Tamils Ranga ), Tamil National People’s Front, Eelam People’s Democratic Party, Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, (English: Lanka Tamil State Party), National Union of Workers ( Digambaran),Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization, Akila Ilankai Tamil United Front, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Democratic People’s Front, Democratic People’s Liberation Front,,(political wing of People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam Eelam, National Democratic Liberation Front, Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front,(Padmanaba wing), Eelavar Democratic Front (political wing of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students), Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
(English: Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers), Tamil United Liberation Front (formerly Tamil United Front).
Now let us look at the attitude of TNA and allied Tamil political Parties in the wake of the forthcoming UNHRC resolution. They all want an International investigation against the alleged war crimes of the Sri Lankan Government and they organized a protest march from Kilinochchi to Tottupuram in Jaffna asking for an international inquiry against the Sri Lankan armed forces. But none of them ask for any investigation against the Tiger terrorist. No one talks a word about the atrocities or devastation LTTE had done to Tamils. At election time all Tamils, where ever they live, whether North, East, South, West or on the Hills all Tamils get together. The only difference between the Tamils on the Hills and others is, those on the hills like the Muslims join whatever the party that forms the Government changing their allegiance to the new government dropping the previous like a hot potato and get the maximum benefit while Tamils living all other areas fight for separation. Both National Parties on the other hand get elected on the Sinhala vote and sell all their right to the minority Parties with impunity to remain in power. This was the vicious circle that has been going on since 1962 and that is why the country has got reduced to this sorry state affairs.
I can vouch for certain this scenario will never change as long as the sun and moon will last unless and until a Sinhala Buddhist National Leader like Dutugemunu will emerge again in this country. Immediately after the 2009 with the defeat of the LTTE here was a ray of hope among the patriotic people that Mahaind Rajapaksa will emerge as the Sri Lankan national leader of the 21st C who will fulfill the aspirations of the Sinhala people. In a series of articles I appealed him to scrap the 13th A, abolish the Provincial Councils that has come to stay as a political and economic disaster and a veritable canker in the body politics of this country for the past 3 decade. I gave the plan in details and pointed out how the Government could reduce the present 890 odd guinea pig politicians to about 290 and cut down the state expenditure by 2/3. I also pointed out how the ancient Tunrata geopolitical structure could (Rhunu-Pihiti and Maya) could be used not only to put an end to the present ethnic problem and bring about permanent ethnic reconciliation but also to usher in an era of balanced prosperous economic and social development. But neither MR no his so-called advisors had eyes to see or ears to hear what I said. May be that is why today they are paying the heavy toll in retribution. Apart from his downfall the country also has once again fallen in to a no return situation
Mr. President Your visiting Sampoor, releasing some lands to Tamils and even closing down Omanthe check point is not bad. But please remember Tamils ever remain Tamils. The Tiger’s spots will never change. If you look without coloured glasses you will definitely see the vast amount of work done by MR to the N and E. But is there a single Tamil who speak a word in apreciation. You will get the same treatment if you don’t grant all their requests, and aspiration. They want the exact pound of flesh like Shylock the Jew. Even if U gives the Sun and Moon they want be satisfied until they get their aspirations fulfilled. They vote you last time not because they like you but only to get rid of MR. Therefore your hope of getting Tamil and Muslim support for the SLFP is only a pipe dream. It will never happen unless and until someone ban all communal political Parties in this country and only allow national Parties to remain. That will turn a new page in politics of Sri Lanka paving the way for national reconciliation as one nation. To enable you to take that kind of decisions first you need to unite the Sinhala people under one national policy, one flag and one National anthem without fighting and killing each other on petty personal agendas.
I know you will also not agree with me as MR did. Nor will your advisors and new political allies will allow you to take such drastic measure as such action will destroy their personal political agendas. You might even get annoyed and angry with me and prefer to listen to petty and selfish sycophants hanging around you and who praise you for everything you do for that is the time tested secret to win royal favours. But I don’t have to do that as I don’t expect to get anything from anybody at the expense of my country or my principles
Returning to your Tamil and Muslim reconciliation theory contrary to your great expectations on their return to the SLFP under your leadership I will vouch you they will never change their diehard ethnic approach to Sri Lankan politics. They will get the maximum from you and join the political force emerging at the next election dropping you like a stinking rat.
Looking at the way how these minority politicians were sworn in as Ministers shows how communal minded and how anti Sinhala they are. All Tamil MPP did it in Tamil while all Muslims did it in English not because they cannot speak Sinhala but merely to assert themselves as separate from the Sinhalese. Next time the Muslims will definitely want to swear in Arabic. It clearly shows they don’t want to be identified as sons of this soil. Though their bodies are here in their minds they always live in India and Arabia. None of these people are prepared to accept this as the Land of the Sinhala Nation. Here lies the crust of the problem. I always ask them as to why they don’t go back to those countries to which their love and allegiance are wedded to without trying to make this country an India or an Arab country. On the other hand none of the Sinhala politicians dare to speak a word on this issue. They all are engaged in a hide and seek game of selfish politics devoid of any love to their own country. This country will never be able to punt on the correct tract until it gets patriotic national Sinhala leader who could stand up on his own feet and call a spade a spade.
Now as you have given new wings and a horn too to Sambandan, he and his communal gang will definitely work forward relentlessly day and night, to get the government to commit to grant their demands in their election manifesto for making you the President. That is the time where you are going to get bogged. If he doesn’t agree then Sambandan will go to India, UK and USA and get them to give a direction to Ranil and you. Then you have only two options in this game. That is either, agree or disagree.’ If you disagree then you too will have to face the same consequences MR had to face. Then they will install another puppet government in the South West. The West and India together will install Sambandan, Hakeem and Digambaran in their respective Kingdoms. The new puppet President and PM will reign in the rest of the country until Digambarans Hill Country is also attached to the North-East EELAM as a consequence of the ongoing 10 year Tamil village development programme deployed by the present government and heavily funded by the West and India. With the South Asian American Command bases in Trincommallee (naval) and Katunayaka or Mattala (Air) or both this Island will end up as the replacement for both Diego Garcia and Okinava. The new puppet President and PM will reign in the rest of the country until the Hill Country is also attached to the North-East EELAM as a consequence of the ongoing 10 year Tamil village development programme deployed by this government
The only way out for this catastrophe in my opinion is building better relationships with China the emerging world leader of tomorrow while keeping India at arm’s length. In view of the emerging geopolitical and economic importance of the Indian Ocean in the future as has been observed by eminent analysts on emerging global political and economic changes like Samuel Huntingdon the competition between India, China and USA for control and supremacy is obvious. As it is called the Indian Ocean India would naturally like to have the command over that. While trying to assert so she is also aiming to dominate and consolidate its hegemony over all her neighbours. This is where the real threat especially to Sri Lanka lies. Considering the strategic location at the centre of the Indian Ocean it is always better for Sri Lanka to remain non-aligned to any power camp. Alignment towards USA or the western camp who wants to keep Sri Lanka divided and under internal confusion will be disastrous.
That will give birth to a new Island baptized with an American or English name very soon, cursed with eternal ethnic conflicts where the remaining Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims will kill each other until all are wiped out. Then finally the curtain will fall on the 2500 year old Sinhala Buddhist civilization of this beautiful Island.