Sudath Gunasekara 19.7.2016.
I note with grave concern the reported attack on Sinhala students of the Jaffna University by Tamil extremists and thugs. It reminds me of the events in 1970s by the LTTE and creates impression of deep rooted extremist Tamil syndrome emerging against the presence of Sinhala students in Jaffna. This trend must be arrested immediately lest it go far, back in to pre -2009 situation.
If Tamils still say or think Jaffna University is only for Tamils and Muslims say Batticalloa University should be only Muslims then there is something radically wrong with the Tamil and Muslim minorities in their approach to live in this country any more. Either they have to accept that this is the country of the Sinhalese people and they are only minorities who had to adjust tot that situation or decide to go back to countries from where they have come without making this country an eternal battle field for everybody or on the other hand adjust to the local situation and learn to live amicably with the Sinhala nation without waiting for USA, UK Norway or India to come and sort out our problems. There is absolutely no point in talking of reconciliation or peaceful coexistence without making these basic psychological adjustments. The most vital need required is a change in attitudes. Tamils must understand that they have India to go and Muslims a whole world of Arab countries where as Sinhalese have no place, even a square inch of land, anywhere in the world to go since this has been the only Land of their birth and death for millennia.
In this backdrop it is the primary duty of the Government of this country to protect the rights of Bhumiputras of this country first. Therefore under the present situation the Government should take immediate steps to arrest this situation and steps should be taken to guarantee that Sinhala students enjoy the right to study in those Universities and their lives are safe as much as those of the Tamil and Muslim students in other Universities all over the Island. Are we going back to Prabhakaran times when Sinhala students were brutally murdered and chased out of Jaffna in 1970s. Although Prabhakaran is no more, his ugly ghost seems to be still hovering among all Tamils in the north. If this was an attack on Sinhala students by Tamil students and if they say no Sinhala student should come to those Universities all Tamil students in all other Universities in the rest of the Island should also leave those Universities and go to India, their historical Homeland. Similarly Muslim students should also go to Arab countries from where they have come and to where they want to go. Because we cannot allow mono Tamil or mono-Muslim Universities to exist in this country as this is the Land of the Sinhala people. All Tamils and Muslims should accept that this was the Homeland of the Sinhalese at least for the past 2500 years in known history and it will also remain so for many millennia to come..
Further more
1 Both these Universities should be closed down immediately and remain to be so until these parties concede to this status and are made safe and free for Sinhala students as well
2 If that situation cannot be brought about the Minister of Higher Education must resign immediately for his failure to implement the Government’s education policy, if it has any? There is no point in sending other Ministers in processions to Jaffna.
3 Then the two universities should never be opened until normalcy is restored
4 And the Government must close the doors of all other Universities in the country for Tamil and Muslim students and make them out of bound for them so that they will realize the plight of the Sinhala students in the Jaffna and Batti Universities.
This decision should never be withdrawn until and unless the Tamils and Muslims living in this country accept the right of Sinhalese people to live, own property, do business and educate their children in any University anywhere in the Island without any discrimination what so ever which both Tamil and Muslim people enjoy this privilege right through out in spite of all discriminations they do against the sons of the soil.
The Government of the country should make the Sinhalese feel that they are not living in India or Arabia and they live in their own land in which their ancestors lived and found the civilization. All polit5ical parties should immediately stop playing narrow politics and look at this issue as crucial national subject that needs a serious approach above Party politics.
All Tamils and Muslims also should accept without any reservation that this was and is the historical Homeland of the Sinhala people who have built up the civilization for the past 2500 years and it is non-negotiable. They also should understand that in spite of their sinister manipulations throughout history still Sinhalese number over 75 % of the total population of this country and that situation will continue for many more millennia.
Present day Tamils and Muslims on the other hand are only the left outs of invaders, illicit immigrants, traders who have come to this country and slaves brought by the Colonial Dutch and British and masters to work on their tobacco and tea plantations (In Jaffna and on the Central Hills) abandoned behind high and dry as non citizens when the colonial invaders were forced to leave the shores of this Island. That is an undeniable truth no one can contest on any ground, either historical or archaeological. As such none of them have a legal right to treat the Bhoomiputras in this barbaric manner and claim ownership over an inch of land in this country. Therefore they all should leave the shores of this Island to Tamilnadu or the Homes from where they have come in south India an Arab lands if they are not ready to concede to this non-negotiable fact and live peacefully integrated with the Sinhala people. Not only Tamil and Muslim politicians but even Sinhala politicians who cajole minorities for their vote like the proverbial fox that followed a goat for many years expecting something hanging between the hind legs and the so-called intellectuals among the Colombians as Gomin Dias call them will lock horns with me. But this is the bitter truth that everybody will have to concede one day or the other.
The need of the hour is a strong patriotic government that can drive this point to the heads of the minorities and bring back sanity and peace to this cursed country without any delay. If the present Government cannot restore this legitimate status then they should resign immediately and hand over the country to someone who can do that. We are not concerned as to who will do that, whether it is Ranil, Sirisena ,Rajapaksa or even Chandrika or any other we are not bothered. We only want someone who can stand up to this yeoman challenge and will do it just like the ancient Kings did it.
I believe that to do that first and foremost we must get rid of the present cancerous political party system and the electoral systems that have become the banes of political stability of this blessed Island nation for the past 68 years. Let us invent a homegrown political system that can bring back political, economic and social harmony that was there in the days of the yore and restore the Sinhala Buddhist Kingdom that was once Sri Lanka there for over 2500 years that captured even the envy of the whole world.
What we need is a patriotic leader who can make that dream true. Even a herd of buffaloes grazing in the wild jungle has a Leader. But as Rev Ellawala Medhananda Thera once said, unfortunately we Sinhalese who boast of a 2500 year old glorious civilization do not have one. Under these circumstances, and my knowledge of the past history of this country, my strong conviction is the Buddhist monks who had been the guardian deities of this nation from the advent of Buddhism to this country in the 4th Century BC must once again take over the reins of leadership of the country. It is high time that we change the practice of leaving the destiny of this country completely in the hands of rogue politicians. Because of cause all those present day UNP, SLFP, JVP, CP and LSSP nikaya monks should renounce their party political robes and once again become the followers of the dispensation of Gautama the Buddha and become protectors and guardians of the Sinhala nation in order to fulfill this onerous task. This process has to begin from the Mahanayakas of the respective nikayas. If they can once again revive the ancient village–temple relationship and restore the role of the temple and the robe in the process of governance and nation building in this Island nation, I think the answer to all our burning problems would be found there.
Because this is the only Land of the Buddha on this planet, thrice blessed by the Lord as the land where his dispensation will last for 5000 years. 2560 years have already passed and the balance too has to go definitely uninterrupted, as the Buddha had predicted.
Rev Sirs, it is your noble mission and your proper time too, to see the Masters word is proved a gospel reality.
If you ignore this warning and remain in deep slumber inside your cloisters like Nero who played the harp while Rome was in fire and fail in your historic duty you will be cursed for eve, for allowing the demise of a great civilization from the surface of this planet due to your negligence and sloth. Following the great tradition of Theraputthabhya Maha Thera, shun all party politics and corrupt politicians and please come out of your cloisters and Arabbbhatha, nikkamatha and yunjatha Buddha sasane.
Kalo ayan te Bhante! To get down to the yeoman task of the protection of this country, Sinhala nation and the Sambuddha Sasanaya.