Hello Friends,
Mohan Sekaram’s private e-mail to some of his friends that I posted on this blog with his permission has evoked a tremendous response.
I am extremely happy about posting it because of the very positive vibes from people of Sri Lanka and of Sri Lankan origin.
For too long we the silent majority have kept quiet while extremists on either side of the ethnic divide have hogged the megaphone.
This post and the overwhelming response to it makes me very ,very happy personally.
In fact I feel touched and a little awkward when some commentators include me along with Mohan in their praise and thanks.
The description “basking in reflected glory” comes to mind.
There is no doubt that Mohan’s views have touched the finer side in all of us and in a way makes us feel good.
But there is no denying that an ugly reality prevails out there and a lot of dedicated work is required to correct the situation and progress towards a vision of a united, pluralist, egalitarian Sri Lanka.
This blog is only a mild attempt at lighting a small candle instead of cursing the darkness.
By the way some family friends of Mohan have informed me that his late father Kathirgamasegaram hailed from Thellippalai in Jaffna and was a planter. Mohan is an old Trinitian and played rugby. He lives in Australia now
As readers would note there are numerous comments for Mohan’s piece. Many of them were rich in content and stimulated positive thinking
What I want to do now is to post two letters sent as a response to Mohan’s missive.
Both are from Sinhala friends.
One was forwarded to me by Mohan himself while the other was sent by another friend
I hope these letters are also received by readers positively
Thank You - dbsj
1. A letter from Cicil
Hi Mohan,
What a fascinating email. I did not want to miss a single point you raised, I read it a few times. It is a letter of hope. Most emails I get are hopeless. Thank you very much for writing it. This is the level the discussion has to take place to achieve long lasting results. Tamil people and Sinhalese people need to have an honest discussion
Since independence, when Tamil people raised their issues using non violence, successive Governments ignored them. The predominantly Sinhala government made a major mistake in 1983 by not imposing the curfew in a timely manner. I am not surprised the Tamil people lost faith with the Government. The riots were instigated by Sinhala thugs and a few politicians. The country paid dearly for it. I can assure you a vast majority of Sinhala people was against the riots and did not take any part in it. I have helped a Tamil person at that time and I am very happy about it. The Goverments learnt the lesson and so were the thugs. They know they can’t get away with any riots since 1983. Most of the thugs were removed by subsequent governments unofficially (I don’t support the way this was done).
While all my Sinhala friends are not happy with what happened in 1983 I haven’t heard any one of them say sorry to a Tamil person yet. Why don’t we take a leaf out of our PM Rudd’s book and say sorry. I am not a community leader in the Sri Lankan community, but a member of the community. I do not have the authority to represent the Sinhala Community. But as an individual I can say it my good friend Mohan.
“For the horrendous crimes that some Sinhala people did to Tamils in 1983, for the pain and suffering, Mohan I say sorry to you. Very sorry, honest.”
I urge my Sinhala friends to do this when you meet your Tamil friends. Start with your best Tamil friend and extend to others. They are trying to put this behind. We Sinhala people should help them to put it behind.
Mohan I can confidently say 1983 will not come again.
As you said Sri Lanka is the only country the Sinhala people have. They can’t divide it. I have observed the gradual change in attitudes among my Sinhala friends. Short of dividing the country all my friends are very supportive of sharing power with the Tamil people. They are very saddened by seening the displaced people. I know some young Sinhale people who are already started raising funds to make life easier for the to settle quickly.
Mohan, if there is anything you are doing to improve Tamil Sinhala friendship please count me in. I like Tamil people, they are a lot of fun. When I was playing Sinhala songs on my keyboard in a Tamil party, they knew the songs and sang the songs. While I could play hundreds of Sinhala songs, I only knew one Tamil song. I am fixing this problem in a hurry. With help from my Tamil friend I now can play very popular 6 old songs. Mohan be prepared to be pleasantly surprised when you see me next time with the keyboard.
My Sinhala friends, I know you haven’t really listened to Tamil songs yet. Guys I am telling you. You don’t know what you are missing.
Thanks again for your lovely email and I am fortunate to have a friend like you. Give my regards to your family and Aunti.
Regards,
Cicil Fonseka
2. A letter from Chaturanga
Dear Mohan
In reply to your letter that you have written on Sunday the 23rd of May 2009, I wanted to acknowledge your courage and wisdom in reaching out to the Sinhalese and Tamil community. I was the person who spoke to you on the phone earlier this morning. I hope you do not mind me making the reply to your letter public as i feel that we should share in this dialogue.
Having seen some of the violence and destruction through the war between our people, I begin to understand the sadness, relief and hope that you share with us in your heartfelt letter.
In the past few years, as the war in Sri Lanka has once again intensified we have seen that individuals who want us to build walls of distrust, hatred and fear has once again taken hold of the voices in our communities, but when people such as you come forward, we begin to see the glimmers of hope that at the end compassion is what binds us all as one.
Our kinship has spanned many centuries and my hope is that it will continue to do so for many centuries to come.
In these words, you may often hear the Sinhalese community call for unity, but I want to truly address what they mean. We cannot be a truly united Sri Lanka, without the Tamil community coming forward to join with us. To be truly equal we must look towards building a culture that respects our differences and celebrates our similarities that brings us together. We cannot be equal without someone to be equal with.
Sri Lanka as a nation did not just survive with the contributions of the Sinhalese people but with the worthy and profound contributions of the Tamil people. It is also without leave to note that our brethren from the Muslim, Burgher, Vedic and all our communities all play a vital part of the fabric of our nation. The heart of Sri Lanka cannot ever function without the diversity we share within our nation.
Our founding fathers never came from one ethnicity; they came from every ethnic community that made up Sri Lanka. The youth of our country, has always stepped forward in times of hope, at the time of a nation, in war, in chaos and now they must do so in a time of peace.
Indeed our own respective cultures cannot be so rich in their contexts without so much exposure to such rich and proud traditions. It is with this note that we hold out our hands for the Tamil community to hold. We do so with respect and honour.
Someone once said to me, no matter our colour, our language, our culture differs in many ways, and the same colour blood runs through each of us and it runs deep. In this, I have every faith that our humanity will once again bring us together and our two communities will once again see each other as brethren and as equals. But the wounds of war will take a long time to heal.
In deed the last few months, I want to acknowledge and understand the pain and fear the Tamil people went through as the war drew to a close. In no way to do I want to brush it aside. At the heart of all this, there is a genuine grievance and fear, even if this was hijacked by people who wanted to promote a group and not the cause of a long suffering people.
At this time especially, I begin to see that this fear not only transcends to the people of the north, but the thoughts of how history will judge them as a people and how will the intrinsic reasons as to why the fight was initially fought in the first place will be protected within the confines of the state of Sri Lanka.
With words such as yours, we can start that process of reconcillliation with dignity.
People ask of us, as the Sinhalese community to hold our politicians to account for their actions and words, but we cannot do this until the Tamil community come forward to join with us and share their grievances and concerns with us.
We individually may not always listen, but as a community we cannot ever ignore your concerns and fears. With violence we have learnt that we cannot ever achieve this, with reason and positive action we can all begin to move forward. We can never sit in silence, or live with fear; we must be the voices of reason. At the end of the day, we are all someone’s son and daughter, and we must be the ones who try to understand what each side is feeling.
Come forward, ally our fears, and then we can walk with you on the path of equality.
Even in the midst of this war, I want to personally say to you, as Sinhalese our hearts never went away from the innocent lives that were trapped in this tragic closure of the war. We as a people understand their pain and suffering. When I say this, some in the Tamil community may ask why did we not say anything or do anything. Because we could not bring forth our concerns when people were pushing the name of a group that sought to tear us apart for over a quarter of a century in the name of these suffering people.
Why then do some ask that some Sinhalese rejoiced when the war was announced over, it was only their relief, after living this nightmare for so long they were expressing a sense of relief, that one way or another it was over.
It was not to celebrate the suffering of their people to the north. They understood their duty to help our fellow Sri Lankans to the North and they began to do so, as soon as those people were in our care.
In this I don’t want to discount individuals in any situation who may view this otherwise because that has always been the case in our long war, but merely to highlight the general sentiments among people.
In the South alone, we lost more than 70 000 lives from the JVP uprising , this with the hundreds of thousands of lives who suffered during the civil war, the cost is too much to imagine for everyone.
As a person of Sinhalese heritage, it is with sadness that I personally find it difficult to reach out to my Tamil brothers and sisters. There are rules to this exception, but all too often I come across the excuse that we all have Tamil and Sinhalese friends and so we do not have to reach out to each other as a community.
But it is this reasons why this war has perpetuated for so long in Sri Lanka. There is no time for token words any longer; we must prove with our deeds, as our children may never forgive us for the actions we take now.
As a young person, I take away with me many happy memories of my Sri Lanka, but I shall always remember as a country at war with itself. None of us are ever responsible if we say that it was the fault of the other. It takes two have a war and we carry the burden of it for as long as I have been alive.
It is time that our two people do not become the laughing stock of the rest of the world.
Sometimes I find it disappointing that the Sinhalese community say they are Sri Lankan, but out of fear and mistrust we do not openly seek to breakdown those barriers, out of fear that our own reputations maybe tainted by taking that risk.
It is time that we step forward to stand with your community as equals. We all have a choice now, we can choose to be safe, or we can choose to be brave.
But we must all address this culture of violence and impunity. None of us have ever walked away unscathed from this war. It is now our time to help those people who are still suffering as a result, instead of letting the bitterness of war, once again take hold.
We know that the path of peace will not be easy, but it is time to shut out the voices of war and division.
We need to rebuild the lives of shattered people and move forward to a better country than a one that was, one that suffered, or a one that we are left with now.
When the nation state of Sri Lanka was born, our people made grave mistakes, and we let innocent people suffer as a result, and that led to a lot of hurt suffering and mistrust. Now all our best people are scattered around the world, dead or picking up the pieces back home.
Whilst our heritage may span centuries, we are still a young nation in this modern age, our errors can only now be measured in blood, for this our duty to address this can only last till our lives end, but we must ensure that our children understand what happened to our country, so that they do not ever have to carry the burden that we are carrying with us now.
Never again shall we let violence tear us apart.
For this our forgiveness can only come from the sense of equality and honour that we share with you now.
For this our we ask you to step forward to begin this journey.
The war and the destruction that was left in the wake of 37 years of fighting can never be measured in lives and buildings alone.
We must look to each other to earn trust. Only through our actions can we truly seek a path of justice, honour and dignity.
In this process I cannot personally make grand promises, it can only come through the willingness of both communities, but I want you to know that there will always be people who
will be willing to push in that direction.
My best wishes and support are with you
In solidarity
Chaturanga Janaka Bandaranayake
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
DBS and others,
While we are on the subject of forgivenss and compassion (which I totally agree with you) I am torn choosing between finding justice and building new bridges.
Would you say we should forget or forgive all the war crimes commited by GofSL (and ltte)?
If we press for tribunals, would our sinhalese brothers like Cicil and Chaturanga join hands with us? Will they still offer me the olive branch?
I agree what’s done is done, but keep in mind, there were a LOT of attrocities that happend just less than a month ago. Vanni’s earth is still moist from the blood of innocent Tamils. How can we let this injustice slide by us?
Seeking Justice and building bridges are not diametrically opposed to each other……..DBSJ
The following article before this on your blog explains every thing.
CPA receives threatening letter
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in Colombo has received a letter at its office titled “Notice to the Traitors”.
NOTICE TO THE TRAITORS (DESHADROHIS)
People danced on the streets and ate kiribath when thousands were killed and suffer in camps.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting these emails and for your blog, much of which I have forwarded on to friends and family in the UK confused by the sparse, contradictory and often ill-research reports in the general media on Sri Lanka.
As a British man who has worked for many years in and around Sri Lanka, it always seemed to me that Sinhala and Tamil people have more in common than dividing them – from a superficial outside perspective at least.
Some words from Yeats have sprung to mind recently while reading emails like this from people previously hard to hear above the extremist noise and clamour:
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity”
Hi everyone,
I have been following this column and especially Mogan’s mail, comments and now two Sinhala brothers’ mails. I am a Tamil living in Australia. I studied with many Sinhala friends and some of them I value more than my Tamil friends. It is true that majority of the sinhala brethern are good, helpful and peace loving people. So are the majority of Tamil people. But the problem lies with the politicians (both side) and also Maha Sanga. History taught us politicians and Maha Sanga took all of us for a ryde and we all simply travelled with them (not necessarity supported them). That was because we did not have either power or courage (or both) to resist againt them. Now if things are to be changed (as discuseed by Mohan & Others) This need to happen. i.e. he majory of the peace loving Sri Lankans have to stand against politicialns (both parties) and the Maha Sanga.
In my humple opinion, it seems to be a difficult task. Look at what happens in Sri Lanka. Not only in North, but in south any one who has the courage to voice against the governnment are either killed or abducted and beaten. We also hear so many sad and heart breaking things happenings in IDP camps. I cried recently after a very long time in my life. In fact I can’t even remember when did I cry before that. So I am not too sure, given the dictatoship rule like MR brothers, how we Sri Lankans would be able to achieve reconciliation and peace in Sri Lanka. We Sri Lankans paid too much price for our problems and we are tricked and played by many countries. IPKF could not win LTTE and they fnally managed Sri Lankans to eliminate LTTE. But how many Sri Lankans lost as a result of this. Probably close to 70,000 (including Sinhala brothers who fought and lost their lives) during this year alone. Apart from that we have got scores of wounded people too. So India managed to achieve their hidden agenda by using Sri Lankans.
If we are a united country, we could lead the whole world as our people are smart, talented and good. Winning a Cricket world cup is a small example for it. But because of our problems, now we are a ruined country full of blood, hatred and debt. Sad to see a beautiful country like this with a good people are ruined because of politicians and Maha Sanga.
I sincerely hope what Mohan & follow Sri lankans wrote here becomes a reality and our counntry and our generation would flourish and lead a peaceful life one day. I use the word “Hope” as the ground reality in Sri Lanka tells me different story. One need not to be Eienstein to realise that the Ground reality in Sri Lanka would not allow such things happen (at least in the near future). I think things would continue to be as it is or even take a turn to worse. I may be proved to be wrong. If that is the case, I would be one of the happiest person on this earth. It is good to have good hopes, but one can’t rule out the ground realities and be realistic about what can & can’t be achieved. I think this was the exact grave mistake commited by the LTTE too. i.e. failing to differentiate between Hope & the Ground Reality. May God Bless Sri Lanka
At a time when you begin to doubt whether the world has lost it’s human touch,These letters in response to Mohan’s touching e mail are a reminder to all, that the silent majority has woken up.Voices of reason are slowly emerging from both sides .This is a good sign.
I wish this takes it’s natural progression to be a mass civilian movement which brings people of SL toghether. Need a lot of hard work , dedication , candidness and not to mention unconditional positive regards.One day all our dreams of a caring, egalitarian, non partisan multiethnic ,multicultural NEW Srilanka, a model democracy for the world will emerge.Count me in on any North American efforts towrds this goal.To quote a popular slogan from president Obama’s campaign”YES WE CAN”
I need a little time to study Mohan Sekarams refreshingly welcome move before I comment. I think I know a part of the family. Mano is a successful IT man and Rotarian more in Cbo than his adopted home down-under. Tall,fair, handsome friendly Trinitian Mano is married to exceptionally beautiful Gita a lawyer and now owner of a fashion clothing Store in Cbo. She is herself from a Planting family from the hill country. I believe Mano made a comment here as well. These are wonderful Sri Lankans to whom everyone else is a Lankan brother or sister no Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher. May the tribe grow.
Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan
Good ones. Really nice and thanks to the two authors. But IMHO the reconciliation proposed in these emails is somewhat easy. After all, I have been in all-Tamil gatherings of my husband and friends cheering on Jayasuriya, Sangakara, Jayewardena and Muralitharan. That gathering of Jaffnese (cannot be accused of being Colombo middle class, by the way) didn’t see one of the above four players as Tamil and the other three as Sinhala; these cheering fans saw them all as Sri Lankan (was the gathering that progressive, or was it the Mendis special they had drunk?).
The challenging reconciliation to contemplate is with the Tamil expatriates who were funding the Tigers and bullying whoever who had a different view (the lucky ones escaped with verbal abuse). On a visit to the UK some years ago, I met a doctor in London who asked me for a financial contribution. “These boys are sacrificing for our cause” she said. Her two children were both in medical school at that time. “Would you ask your children to go and bomb the Central Bank?”, I asked. “Traitor”, she shouted. How am I to reconcile with her? How is DBSJ going to reconcile with the goons who assaulted him in Toronto and shut down his paper?
Right from the early stages of the war, we had hit an equilibrium in which the social class that wanted to keep the war going was distinctly different from the social class from which the cannon fodder kids were being recruited. (To a large extent it was true for the Sri Lankan armed forces as well — how many of our parliamentarians had their children fighting in the front line?). Hence a forward looking peace programme could not be put forward early in the game and have all this nonsense nipped in the bud.
No imagination from one side, no willingness to compromise from the other.
The demonstrations in Europe and Canada, waving Tiger flags and screaming “genocide”, which actually made the SL government ever more determined to win, whatever the cost, are clear evidence of this on the Tamil side. The demonstrations were mainly by people who had nothing to lose. Comfort living for themselves and private education for their own kids, liberation and sacrifice from some poor kid in the Vanni — forced into it with a short hair-cut in recent days. Such hypocrisy! Thank goodness the events of the final days of the war exposed much of this hypocrisy (leadership protecting itself and clinging onto dear life, while recommending cyanide to the lower ranks)!
Someone tell me how we are to reach out and reconcile with the residual hypocrisy in Europe and Canada? What would it take to reform this lot?
“I´m realy sorry for what happend in 1983″ or “I´m not proud of what happend in 1983″, sometimes sorry is not enough. I want justice for not just what happend in 1983 but also the massmurders done in 2009, regardless it is a tamiltiger or sinhala soldier behind the crime against tamils.
Personally I don´t have any sinhala friends, but my father have some. I belive that sinhala people har friendly and all that, but why in hell should we accept their democratic elected goverment. It is sad, but realistic to say that peace is not wihtin reach, and the hope is getting smaller and smaller for every day tamils suffer in “welfare” camps.
Hi DBSJ,
Thanks for publishing. I echo Chaturanga’s and Cecil’s views and am in no doubt this is exactly how the majority of the Sri Lankans feel as well. If all of them were to express their views via your blog, Google will run out of disk space!!! Mate, beers on me if you happen to visit Australai. Anytime! Keep up the good work DBSJ!
Thank you for the article first:
I am a great admirer of Obama kind of politics. It is new to South Asia. No negative views. Focus on the objectives.
You can see youtube for an indian tamil youth (30 yrs) turned politician, named Sarath babu contested from south Chennai electoral. He is the first Obama kind politician in our region I know (he came 4th out of more then 10 candidates). He was from a slum and studied in one of the height management institute in India. I am not sure about his future, but thought to write here.
In the above articles, I am impressed seeing people like this. I think there are already people in SL who did not talk much. Also I am personally not impressed they way of thinking even though I agree many of their views. I am sorry to say this, guys. I will be one of the first people to support you and your thinking of re-building SL and we need to understand some basic things too.
I was born and brought up in north. Studied and worked in Colombo. Migrated to west during peace process days. I have not shown much interest in SL politics until 2005-2006 period.
I was writing too much during 2005/6 period for such above things. But many laughed at me. Obama victory troubled me again on SL dream. Each and every problem will have a solution. We need to be more analytical on these serious issues. We need to understand each and every elements of it.
R. Premedasa removed the Sri rule overnight, which was a big issue in 50s. But that does inch forward the to a solution.
I can think of a small story, if there are 2 families living in a house. After so much of violence, father of one family and 2 of their 4 kids died and one wounded. The other family lost mother and a kid of 5.
Tamils situation is like father died family (I am not referring VP a vacuum for future). The other family lost less but a mother too.
Now, if both families want to forget things and want to re-unite What we would do. As you all agree no body should celebrate victory first. So, how can we turn around things? What are we going to do the wounded kids (no matter how it has happened)?
Look at these videos. Why didnt we support the lady who opposed the war?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyAn0vw70G8&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIsxB-tGBRY&NR=1
Is it possible to turn such a deep ideology to support the wounded kids? Is it politicians make them all? On the other hand, deep followers of national leader, will not accept even if eelam comes under an Eprlf leader.
1. A letter from Cicil:
“Mohan I can confidently say 1983 will not come again ”
What would you do if riot come in Colombo tomorrow (sorry if I hurt you).
2. A letter from Chaturanga:
“…but we cannot do this until the Tamil community come forward to join with us and share their grievances and concerns with us”
It is like we are asking the family who lost father to come to talk to the family who lost the mother to marry? Isnt it? It is like the first family is living under bigger families custody for survival as of now. I may not agree discussing who should initiate? That is one of the problems we had for so many years.
I agree violance will achieve anything if there is process which get support from people.
If you ask me what to do now. I would say, help the people who have wounds of the war either side. And show the world and sri lankans who do not want to support the people and break the barriers from there. No body will authorize any body, until people support them by heart.
That was what the division and war is all about.
HI DBSJ,
Reading Mohan Seagaram’s letter and the responses from his Sinhala friends have given me a renewed
sense of hope: that the bridge has not been burnt down completely and that we still can repair the damage for people to cross safely to the other side. I am confident that we the silent majority will longer be silenced any more. Let the hardliners from either side will be the onlookers if they don’t want to participate in peacebuilding and reconciliation process.
I feel that as people of Sri Lankan origin, we have a moral obligation to help Sri Lanka to become a nation for all people to live with equal rights regardless of who they are.
I’ve always believed in an inclusive not a divisive society. And, I’ve always believed that there
are so many fair-minded, peace-loving, and compassionate Sinhalese that we Tamils could reach out to rather than advocating a violent path to challenge the chavunistic government.
I think people (Tamils, Sinhalese, and Muslims) like us should get to together and have a very constructive dialogue on how to move forward. Any thoughts?
But, I think the immediate concern should be the IDPs as everyone knows the level of sufferings endured by these people even after the ‘end of war’.
A sensible Sri Lankan writing to the Tamil Diaspora and to all Sri Lankans inclusively. Good sense and advise for all to heed. I support your view and hope that soon we all turn it into action and built a bright future with mutual respect and perfect love.
Hi DBS,
It is good to see so many people of both ethnicities clamoring for reconciliation.This will be be the best outcome for all ethnic groups in SriLanka. to live in peace and achieve prosperity.
Also of immediate importance is the financial needs of the two hundred thousand plus innocent refugees in transit camps at present.
If the fair minded members of the Tamil diaspora who care a bout the welfare of their brethren,this is a good time to help them materially.
If each member adopts one refugee family and send a little money( say $25) each month ,the refugees will be benefited imensley.The money will help them buy a few essentials for themselves or their children, without totally depending on the welfare agencies.This will also uplift the morale of the refugees knowing that their better off counter parts do care about them.
Refugee families can open accounts with the bank in the refugee centers and the sponsor can directly send the money in the account. This eliminates the middle men or other un necessary influences.
I am sure you have the contacts to arrange this type of program.
The reason for this suggestion is ,because we have a introduced a similar program in a small scale.It pays a small sum of money to poor secondary students in SriLanka. It has been in operation for 5 years and we are very happy with the outcome.
I am delighted to see some positive and constructive comments emerging. I have lived overseas for the last 20 years. Speaking for myself I have been frustrated by the lack of rational voices in these debates. If we just continue to shout at each other from our entrenched positions, nothing will ever change. My generation and the generation after that and the generation after that will continue to live in someone else’s country. If by some miracle we were able to resolve our issues in a way that we all can keep our dignity, then I for one will return to my mother land. Whatever the benefits of living in these “developed” countries nothing takes the place of our “home”. It doesn’t matter how many years we live here, we will always be outsiders.
The only way a proper solution can be found, is for us the majority that is seldom heard to speak up. For example to say that we think what happened in July 1983 was a shame and our so called leaders failed us. Each of us need to reach out to the other side, then we will see that there is no difference between us. We are all pretty much the same. At the recent wedding of my young niece, my sister who is Sinhalese, insisted on using the greeting Aubowan and Wannakam at the start of her speech. It is little brave actions like this by ordinary people that will melt away the bitterness and alienation that we have felt amongst ourselves. We have stop thinking about “what will people say?” and just say what we really feel.
As long as we leave the finding of a lasting and fair resolution to the extremists, we will go nowhere. Voices like Mohan’s and Chaturanga’s are much closer to the what we the silent majority think and feel. Today I feel more hopeful for our motherland.
Count me in as well.
Now, you are talking about peace and love. Before talking about unity, first thing is to go for a international inquiry on both sides and punish both sides for their wrong doings.
You cannot talk unity while celebrating the victory over killing innocent tamils by carpet bombing.
I am not against for unity but tamils want is “JUSTICE”. You are all in Aus, Canada, UK and USA. Now, you all talk about forgetting past and going on for a future. How can a person forget his/her brothers and sisters who were killed.
You can write letters and give reasons for it. I can forget whatever happened because I live in Canada with luxury life. The decision makers should be Tamils in North and East. However, their mouth is shut by GOSL and they cannot ask anything genuine. If they ask, they will be branded as “Tigers”.
First of all, try to support the inquiry on international standards (not Srilankan standards) because nobody trust GOSL. Then go for peace and love.
There are so many people they don’t want to talk openly. Those voiceless people need to be voiced to make peace and love in Srilanka.
============
Reconciliation is not confined to Sri Lanka alone. The diaspora too must reconcile.Are you not in Canada too?
This is very insulting to Tamils plight at the moment.
While 300000 people live extreme conditions and under conant threat from security forces, when large scale disappearance are still happening.
Its not you who need to reconcile, who live comfort. its these 300,000 people and singalese who supported the war.
Total waste time for ex colombo tamil and singalese trying show they ready to reconcile.
See if you can try that on those people who really effected by this war. the widows and orphans the
handicaps.
==========
Reconciliation like love is ” a many splendoured thing”. All of us need to reconcile in our own way.Each and every person can try in his or her way to seek reconciliation. It is not correct to dismiss it as a waste of time……………..DBSJ
Dear Moha
I believe you are my friend Manos brother.Well said.I think these are hard facts and its time we all reconcile.As Trinitians I dont think that we had any divides on any matter on ethnic or religious divisions.Of course there ar a few extremists but we should not allow them to rule roost
Saliya Udugama
This dialogue brings me hope! Thanks DBS for postings these.
We as a country as suffered enough. Some a lot more than others. Let us try to mend the fences.
Well, do we have much choice? I wish we had; I
I had many things negative and many things positive, both by Singhalese. However, to those in Vanni they saw many things negative from LTTE and much more things negative from GOSL.
I had a friens (Sinhalese) who warned me that thugs are plannning to attach some Tamils in this area and adviced me to avoid the place in the following week. Again, I was punched , spat on the face, and told ‘Para Demaloo’. Oo that moment I dreamt of becoming a human bomb and explode him.
THere will be individual racist any where in the world. But in Sri Lanka only the goverment sponsors them !!
Lets avoid this in future.
Mohan,
A very truthful and a genuine plea for HOPE..
To all:
I am a tamil (also proud one)…Colombo up brininging…enjoyed a mixed race / religious group of friends and relationships through childhood to teen.
The fundermental change …I hope that “ALL MEN and WOMEN” born in Sri Lanka see them Sri Lankan first.
We dont have to become a USA to have a minority president or a South Africa to show what reconciliation between folks are all about….lets stay in the region and model oursleves after Singapore…..where ALL Lankans regardless of Language or Religion and unite….create a leadership of the young “NEW” generation of acedemic and proffessionals (regardless of language or religion) to lead and govern the country to economic well being…..
I live in the west….but my home and heart is still there…
Will I retire there…sure…if we have and do cultivate many home grown Mohan’s in the next generation, to redifine the NEW SRI LANKA.
I went through most of the comments here and I would like to share some of my thoughts as well. Even though I’ve been very angry and frustrated with our own government for killing over 20,000 people in the last two months of the war under its powerful iron curtains, I just don’t think being angry or wanting to take revenge is going to help anyone. It will bring more death and destruction to all while leaving more hatred amongst.
In order to reconcile, we need to understand the causes of this rebellion and most importantly how it grew into a bloody full scale war. We keep hearing over and over why Tamils took up arms against the Singhalese. Common ones are how they were discriminated in education and jobs, how their language was side-lined etc. To make matters worse, there were occasional riots and of course all of them were against Tamils unleashed by Singhalese. But can someone justify these reasons to fight such a brutal war? I don’t think so. Anyone with reasonable thinking wouldn’t want to go as far bringing so much death and destruction on themselves to solve such issues. To me, the cause is not justified for the effect.
But how did this happen? How did a group of 20 odd youngsters on bicycles was able to create an army that fought ferociously for the next 26 years? How they were able go from rag-tags to become one of the most powerful and successful non-state entity? How they were able to go from underground to be able to build their own government and control one third of the country? If you ask a Singhalese, they would most likely to say that it’s because their governments weren’t doing enough to suppress Tamil militants. But believe me, every government from JR was doing their best to destroy the rebellion. But the results were the opposite of expected.
For someone who never lived in North and East throughout the war, it is hard to explain the reasons behind this. But every Tamil who has been there until at least early 90s knows the answer. Answer is plain simple: THE TERROR OF SRI LANKAN MILITARY. The injustice caused to the innocent civilians by their own government is unspeakable. The very same government who is supposed to protect their citizens was doing far worse atrocities than what a so called terrorist organization did to Singhalese. Of course Singhalese will refute this claim wanting us to show them the proof. No, we can’t show you documented proofs, the only proof we have is us and what we saw and what we went through. The agony of being victimized by the people who controls the power can only be understood by those been in such situation. Young people didn’t have much choice; they could either be killed by the security forces or join the LTTE and fight for themselves. Most of the brave joined the tigers, the rest either left country or took the chance of living in hell.
So if we need to reconcile, we need to treat people as people. Doesn’t matter if you are singles or Tamils or Muslims, they are all human beings. And human beings want to be free; they want to have their rights. They want to be treated with dignity and they don’t want to be harmed. Fairness and justice help avoid resentment. We all have a great opportunity to reconcile and live peacefully. Now the LTTE is no more, there is no excuse for the government forces need to treat Tamils the way they used to. Most importantly the 300,000 people in the camps need to be treated as humans. It’s bad enough what they went through already, if the government still kept tormenting them they cooking for more trouble.
Dear Mr Jeyaraj;
thank you for the letters from Cecil and Chaturanga. The apology from Cecil was so good. Chaturanga’s acceptance that there is a divide that still requires to be bridged is lovely.
It would have gone a long way towards healing wounds, had the President of SL made similar statements in his speech. The destruction of the LTTE is no victory for the Sri Lankan people, it is the removal of an obstacle to a lasting peace. I see this obstacle being replaced by an even greater hurdle by this present regime. The question of the IDP’s must be addressed now. The re instatement of these people if done with full openess and promptness the Tamil people will be with the government.
With the hearts and minds of the Tamils won and the chauvanists silenced no seperatist army will be able to rise.
In the most complimentary manner I say this:’ The Jaffna Tamil is the Jew of Asia”- Hard working, Frugal and very intelligent. This is a great resource that SL wants on its side of the fence.
In the 70,s early in my carreer ; I met a group of 100 Young Tamil men. They were quite insistant in a militant course of action. Nothing could sway them as they felt there was no other hope.
I have left SL some years ago as every effort to live there was futile.
Not unless we admit that there is a serious problem in SL can the problem be fixed. Cecil, Mohan and Chaturanga have probably admitted the problem. Maybe a cure can be now found.
SL has been hitched to a country with possibly the worst human rights record in the world. It would appear that SL is going down the same path.
Warning of the Ethnic dived was given by men of the calibre of Phillip Gunawardene, this was not heeded.
We must remember that there are several murders and disappearences that this regime needs to investigate and bring the criminals to court. Who will answer for the death of Lasantha and several others.?. If this regime does this then possibly there is hope for the future.
Thank You again Mr Jeyaraj.
Dear all
Thank you all for initiating this in a very fruitful way. As mentioned in one of the letters above, I am confident a vast majority of Sri lankans love peace. That is their nature, inherited through their religions and thousands of yeasrs old culture. No violence will be sccessfull either in South or North. We all have suffered enough and learnt lessons in the past. Now it is time for us to come together as Sri lankans and smooth out what ever the isuues we have. So far we are fortunate that we didnt end up like Somalia or Uganda. We all are inteligent people with great moral values. I think it is good to reflect on this verse in Dhammapada ” Hatred can be won by nonhatred. Nonvirtuous can be won by virtue. Miser can be won with generocity. Lier can be won by the truth.”
I do want to say sorry as an academic and as an individual on behalf of my Sinhala Buddhist family. My ‘big’ family is Nuwara Eliya we live there in harmony with our Tamil friends for more than 30 years. And also, my brother is working for the SL Army but we are never racist. We condemn extrimist thoughts of ‘Sinhala Buddhist nation’ because there was such nation more than 2000 years ago. we cant talk about that now as we are multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation.
I take this opportunity to say ‘extremely sorry’ for all the Tamil fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and kids who had suffered in 1983 till last months due to extremist Sinhalese attacks both physically and emotionally. Its hard to forget what we have gone thru but we need to be together more than ever before to develop our relationships.
I have gone to Batticaloa – Kokkadicholai and to Kilinochchi under the LTTE regime during cease fire. I feel so sorry for families especially kids who were gone thru hardships. Those people were identical to villages in Panama and some remote areas of Monaragala District.
Therefore we all need to understand the reality and aware the international community who does not know the context. They cannot compare Sri Lankan situation with any other problamatic countries since this is unique. We Sinhalese and Tamils share a lot of religious and cultural values. Its overlapping. So we only need to do is forgive and forget what happend in past. It takes time. we willact towards in positive mind.
Many thanks for DBS and Mohan and also Cisil and Chathuranga who share their feelings with us.
=========
Thank You very Much for this comment, Manori……….DBSJ
DBSJ, I congratulate whole heartedly to you for initiating this very very important dialogue. Because of the sensible people (like you, Mohan and my two sinhala brothers who have written above) only, the world moves on with prosperity and happiness. You have certainly lighted the bright lamp, a lamp shining with hope. We know there are elements on both sides trying their best to cultivate the hatred among our communities. Lets defeat them decisively with these noble acts coming forward from you and our brotheren from all communities who live in mother Lanka!
Dear Mohan,
Its been very! I mean very emotional reading your wonderful letter and saying so with all the replies and comments said therein.
I AM A BURGHER and do have many Tamil friends as well as my brother in law too, we have lived in harmony and I have had many a fond memories that will linger until we leave this land.
This is a great moment of history for us to be proud of our country and rebuild as one nation one people Sri Lankans.
I never dreamed of leaving my beautiful country for greener pastures across the blue ocean, I always had a beacon of hope that one day we will have peace in abundance, today we have archived it and I am sure history will never repeat with distraction of this wonderful mother land in future.
Please come back to your country that you born and let all who left our mother land in the name of peace come back, come back brother! come back sisters and help make this Nation a Proud and DIGNIFIED land like no other.
Ian D Sylva.
Little drops of water makes a mighty ocean. Keep the drops flowing.
Saba
Little drops of water makes a mighty ocean. Keep the drops flowing……
Saba
Its really touching to see two (the ones presented here – there may be more which I had not seen) sinhalese taking time to write these. In the process of writing and rewriting they would have spent a lot of time. That must be appreciated in the first instance. They did not have to but they did.
Path to reconciliation is not going to be easy. For us old pepple who had experienced a Sri Lanka, had friends from the other communities, its easy to think back and cling on to the good memeories of those times.
There are not only whole new generation that never knew of the times how people mingled together and their pleasent experiences, but also those of our generation who stayed in Srilanka and lived through the more recent bitter memories. It is not going to be easy to forget and forgive without environments created conciously by the government and those who want a country that only has Sri Lankans.
I hope and wish that it happens.
Over last 60 years , both communities have been mislead by politicians. We paid and pay heavy price for that. Now it is time to come forward and resolve this matter.
Sri Lanka needs all the communities, without them , there is no Sri Lanka. Can we think a Sinhala Country without Tamils & muslims ? it is impossible, Contribution of y these communities are lifeline of Sri Lanka. whoever born in Sri Lanka should have a equal rights. because mother Sri Lanka belong to eberyone
Hi
I’ve read Mohans email and replied to him via another person. Hope Mohan has received my comments, if not would you send me his email address please.
Thanks
Mr.Sekaram’s heartfelt email has ignited positive discussion within this group. I truly believe that the silent majority have similar sentiments to that of Mr. Fonseka and Mr. Bandaranayaka.
Thank you sir.
dear mohan,
you don’t need to build bridges or make friends. with your history exposed here you have had a colourful life and continue to have with hordes of friends from all nationalities.
but what you yearn is not what others need.
you are aware that the majority 40 or 50% of the tamil population live outside the north and east, sharing schools/ work places ect.,
you too fall into this category.
you are aware that corresponding to the population the number of band A schools in jaffna peninsula and the east. the exclusive universities for the tamils only as other ethnicities are not enetertained in them.
at the same time, tamils share the universities and schools elsewhere in the country as well.
education is free as the gosl invest in youth education.
tamils first love is education and everybody wants to enhance. it was no problem.
however, after getting those especially the graduates expect the civil service to provide jobs. here is the root cause to the problem be it sinhalese or tamil or any other ethnicity.
receiving gosl investment with the knowledge that was accquaired these grads are unable to think and create employment for themselves.
then to the sinhala only issue by slfp was not a problem to the majority because it was 5% of the total population in Sri Lanka only worked in english.
tamil leaders made it a discrimination issue.
did not the tamils and sinhalese who are professionally qualified and out there learn and study in english to be where they are today?
why did they do that? they had a necessasity.
Sinhala / tamil thing was brought to a boil after sinhala only issue.
why not give Sinhala the pride of place in Sl? It is the only place on earth sinhala speakers are in majority.
this ethnicity boil created by the politicians continued unnecessarily to 1983 as lead upto that time the tamils in the north had ganged up and was committing robberies and destruction.
there was nothing the gosl could do as it was instigated by tamil politicians.
so it burst. but all sinhalese were never a part of it. even today i can vouch one person who saved tamils in modera area was none other than the present attorney general Mr. Mohan Peiris.
there were many muslims and sinhalese who assisted tamils in 1983. if you care to conduct a survey in Canada, UK, Australia & Europe, you will find majority of them were from the south of the country and have been saved and sought refuge in western countries.
To these who are qualified today, english education only did not bother. this overseas community is far lesser than those living in the south of the country even today.
Since 1983, despite much provocation was there any backlash untill now ?
then what is the problem for the tamils in sri Lanka?
if the tamils could go to any of these countries and learn their language and qualify, then what is holding back the tamils in Sri Lanka where the majority are are sinhala speakers….
with (30) years of war exposed the amount of money these tamils spent on arms to destroy the gosl and even the remaining tamils of sri Lanka.
then we now see, hate towards gosl by way of their influence. the majority clearly see it through the various newswires, western governments, christian church organisations, various human rights organisations.
then sri lankans saw the agitation & demonstration in various wesrn capitals. there was no cease of hatred.
these overseas diaspora who funded the purchase of unimaginable weapons, did they have an iota of concern for the refugees who are in camps though they were refugees once upon a time.
NO. if these diaspora had to spend several billion $$ to save prabakaran and his corhorts they would have readily done.
This is what is in mind of a certain section of the majority community and this fact is blatantly evident.
Unless and untill such time those media, christian & HR organisations and west change the attitudes towards SL and the diaspora stop financing them,
dedicated individuals like you will have to come forward to make genuine sacrifices with passion and tireless exertions to change the mindset of the majority community.
it wa the majority community who suffered and continue to suffer even after the militarism face have been overcome.
you olive branch is welcomed but you need look into the overall picture.
looking at the diaspora and their achievements, what are the tamils in sri lanka are seeking ??
all that the tamils in sri lanka seek is education and they have it in abundance in sri lanka.
they have a better life as their kith and kin send money to them from overseas.
the tamils monopolise commerece in sri lanka.
i am unable to comprehend what tamils seek in sri lanka?
if it is peace, then it is amply demostrated that tamisl have enjoyed it since 1983 other than the incinvenience due to madman prabakaran and there again funded by the overseas tamils.
Mohan sekeran the colourful trinitian, your olive branch is accepted but you can not restore normalacy overnight as the overseas sri lankan tamil diaspora are NOT SINCERE. mm
————–
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Your comment is released in full as I want a perspective like yours to be read also.
But I must say that your views are irritatingly patronising and extremely insensitive.
Your lack of understanding is an indicator of the problem from another angle.
Do you realise how condescending you sound when you say “your olive branch is but…….”?
You like some others on this site say that you are unaware of what Tamils seek and/or when you say Tamils have enjoyed peace since 1983.
Also when you talk about how Sinhalese saved Tamils during 1983 July in glowing terms you forget three points.
First the Tamils should not have been attacked in the first place.
Second it was Sinhala mobs which attacked.
Third it was a Sinhala dominated government which instigated, aided and abetted it.
This does not mean that I am not appreciating the humanism and courage of ordinary Sinhala, Muslim and Burgher people who protected Tamils. All those people who saved lives deserve the highest praise and gratitude. May their tribe increase.
DBS,
Since this forum is mainly to address the issues of reconciliation, I assume my sharing of the Malaysian politics and community will at least help in some minute way. I hope the Sri Lankan positively assume the role of Reconciliation as a stepping stone towards a healing process.
However, please do not mistake me for such comparison between Sri Lanka and Malaysia as I am duly aware of the magnitude of the war and the brutality caused upon fellow citizen in the name of freedom fighting as comparison to Malaysian whom were fortunate enough NOT to go through such a violent episode. My sole intention is to only share the idea of how things work in some neighbouring countries and how it was handled in a more diplomatic manner.
I pray more and more people of Sri Lanka could think in line with Mohan, Cicil Fonseka, Chaturanga Janaka Bandaranayake. Good luck towards a peaceful Sri Lanka.
Previously I had written to you a glimpse of the discrimination against the non Malays in Malaysia (blog under Prabhakaran: Powerful symbol of armed struggle).
Having said that, I do equally wish to share the positive aspects of living in Malaysian as a multicultural and diverse society living side by side with each other and having something called a racial unity. Judging from the many comments supporting Mohan, I strongly believe there are so many peace loving Singhalese and Tamils, Muslims and others are logging for such a day to come very soon.
In Malaysia, we have had our share of discriminations and riot and so on. But thankfully after the Independence, there were no armed struggle fighting for equality and thus it made it easier for us to reconcile each time there was a racial issue.
Malaysia’s population of approximately 27.7 million consists of the Malays (Muslim) 65% of the population, Chinese (mostly Buddhist) 26%, Indians (Majority Tamil Speaking Hindus) 8% and other unlisted ethnic groups 1%.
During the Japanese Occupation (pre independence) the Chinese were brutally massacred (beheaded and their heads were displayed on poles in public places) by the Japanese. In such era, the Indians and Malays had a fair share of protecting the Chinese from brutality in the hands of the Japanese. The many Chinese children whom become orphans were adapted mainly by Indian families and a handful by the Malays. Such were the relationship we had.
I had also read on similar kindness during the 1983 riot in Sri Lanka where many concerned Singhalese had helped the Tamils escape and gave them protection from the Singhalese mobs that went on a killing spree of Tamils. I guess, rather than remembering only the negative aspect of the riot, the reconciliation process to my mind will be much easier if you could equally acknowledge those Singhalese brothers and sisters whom helped in saving some Tamils by putting their own life at risk.
In Malaysia, the Malay language (known as Bahasa Malaysia or BM) is the official language (National Language Act of 1967) and Islam the official religion but the constitution guarantees freedom of worship, although this provision has been gradually and systematically eroded over the years.
Since BM is compulsory subject in our education system, we tend to be more acceptable towards learning the language. If positively taken, majority of us can be said to be bilingual or in some cases multilingual. A Malaysian Indian for example is most likely is able to communicate in BM, English, Tamil and even in Chinese dialects. Thus, there is no communication barrier in traveling within the country or elsewhere. I for one feel that by being multilingual, our relationship with one community is further enhanced. I wish the similar scenario in Sri Lanka where the citizens on their own effort learn another community’s language.
On top of that, we celebrate festivals like Deepavali, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Christmas and so on (officially declared as public holidays in Malaysia) in the same spirits. These are the opportunity we take to visit our friends of other religious background and join in their celebration and merry making. You will be surprised to see how many Chinese takes parts in the Thaipusam festival (also a public holiday in Malaysia in states which has large number of Indians) carrying ‘kavedys’ and offering prayers at Hindu Temples. The same will be during the Wesak days where many Indians could be seen in the Buddhist temples together with the Chinese. We have no fear or fury walking in the streets afraid of being attacked due to our race, religion or faith.
And these are among the many advantages I enjoy being a Malaysian.
However, the discriminations on the non Malays are so evident and had been very detrimental to the country and community.
Thus, Malaysia went through its share of violence and riots and struggle for equality or due to unhappiness among its citizens.
The worst riot was on May 13th 1969 mainly between the Malays and the Chinese.
The racial tension was raw within the population due to the special treatment of Malays as being the (Bumiputra) where the Constitution of Malaysia provides special quotas for the Malays in admission to the public service, awarding of public scholarships, admission to public education institutions and the awarding of trade licences. It also authorises the government to create Malay monopolies in particular trades.
The riot begun after the 1969 election when the Chinese population took to the streets celebrating their victory and then on purpose entered the predominately Malay areas and threw insults on them (the Malays). Furthermore, there were plenty of negative remarks made on each community in the media over the election results which also further escalated the racial tension. The Malays then decided to organise their own procession to retaliate against the insults hurled upon them at earlier procession by the Chinese. When the procession was about to begin, there was news that several Malays on their way to the procession were attacked by some Chinese mobs while a Malay officer was killed in a predominately Chinese area. The Malays then retaliated by killing 2 passing by Chinese motorcyclists thus beginning a bloody riot where the officially reports indicates 196 deaths (many sources believed the figures to be many folds higher than the reported), 149 were wounded, many cases of arsons and other form of violent retaliation took place. An estimated 6,000 (mainly Chinese) became homeless (there is a huge suspicion that the Malay soldiers on the streets during the curfew were also responsible in setting fire to more Chinese houses.)
The below is an extract from The May 13 Tragedy, a report by the National Operations Council, October 1969.
‘The eruption of violence on May 13 was the result of interplay of forces… These include a generation gap and differences in interpretation of the constitutional structure by the different races in the country…; the incitement, intemperate statements and provocative behaviours of certain racialist party members and supporters during the recent General Election; the part played by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and secret societies in inciting racial feelings and suspicion; and the anxious, and later desperate, mood of the Malays with a background of Sino-Malay distrust, and recently, just after the General Elections, as a result of racial insults and threat to their future survival in their own country’…………end.
Among the very few racial riots was another smaller one in 1998 between the Indian and Muslims in one of the states (Penang) in Malaysia. It started due to the ringing of bell in a Hindu temple which was seen to be a disturbance to the Muslims praying in the mosque nearby. However, the govt. was fast in downplaying the riot and brought under control before it spread to other parts of Malaysia. During this time, we (Indians) vowed to totally boycott all Muslim business and so on. However, much were said during the time when our emotion were running high, we within couple of months went back to our normal routine of dining, and buying from Muslims business and so on as though nothing had ever happened.
We realised then, how difficult it was to continue to be against the very people whom we grew up and came to live together with and depend on as friends. So forgiveness and reconciliation was much easier to us than upholding to our anger and continuing with racial hatred on one another. I guess it somewhat thought us to accept each race as being unique and respect them since we are Malaysians first.
And the country never forgot the black period in the Malaysian history during the 1969 riot either. The Government had effectively played its role in preventing the history from repeating itself.
Over the years, we saw more discrimination from the majority Malays whom uphold to the fullest their Constitutional right. To fuel the tension further, many Hindu temples were starting to be demolished and several attacks on Indians whom were arrested by police on suspicion of involving in criminal activities and atrocities committed upon the Indian whom were under detention.
Thus, emerged the HINDRAF or Hindu Rights Action Force which organised a mass rally in Kuala Lumpur (Capital of Malaysia) in November 2007.
Hindraf which had barely existed for 3 years up to that time suddenly had caught the mood of a large proportion of Malaysians, not only Indians and Hindus but the Chinese and a sizeable section of the Malays as well.
Through their bold move, the group handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister of England, Hon. Gordon Brown. http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=300857
The extracts are as follows:
Subject:
1.COMMONWEALTH ETHNIC INDIAN PEACE LOVING SUBJECTS IN MALAYSIA PERSECUTED BY GOVERNMENT BACKED ISLAMIC EXTREMIST VIOLENT ARMED TERRORIST WHO LAUNCHED A PRE DAWN VIOLENT ARMED ATTACK AND DESTROYED THE KG JAWA MARIAMAN HINDU TEMPLE AT 4.00 A.M THIS MORNING (15.11.2007).
2. APPEAL FOR U.K TO MOVE EMERGENCY U.N RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ‘ETHNIC CLEANSING’ IN MALAYSIA.
3. APPEAL TO REFER MALAYSIA TO THE WORLD COURT AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR CRIMES AGAINST IT’S OWN ETHNIC MINORITY INDIANS.
On our part we are committed to a peaceful and lawful struggle and pray and appeal that the Government of the United Kingdom:-
1. Moves an emergency United Nations resolution condemning these state sponsored atrocities and persecutions of Malaysian Indians in Malaysia.
2. Refers Malaysia to the World Court and the International Criminal Court for Crimes against it’s own ethnic minority Indians
This method proved to be such major victory to the non Malays in bringing the International Communities attention to the Malaysia’s discrimination against their own citizens. The Malaysian government felt threatened by this episode.
The 2008 election further proved the unhappiness within the non Malays. The opposition coalition won 82 seats (37%) to Barisan Nasional’s 140 seats (63%), makes it the best performance in Malaysian history by the opposition, and denies Barisan Nasional the two-thirds majority required to make constitutional changes in the House. This was certainly a political tsunami in the history of Malaysia.
The present Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Tun Razak (whom took over the chair from Abdullah Badawi in 2009) abolished the 30% minimum Bumiputra (Malay) in 27 services sub-sectors. These include health and social services, tourism services, transport services, business services and computer and related services. Najib also liberalised the financial sector by increasing the maximum foreign equity in financial institutions to 70% from the previous 49%.
At least he got the ball rolling for the start.
Dear DBS,
You see! You are not alone. There are thousands like you and I am sure millions in Lanka will be happy to share your message and it is up to all of us to make it a reality. Wish you all the best for your mission.
Thanks a lot for creating a forum for Tamil – Sinhala dialogue, the need of the hour.
Hi DBSJ,
I have no doubt that there are many many more Chaturanga, Cecil And Mohan in our community. DBSJ I am very much indebted to you for having such a wonderful forum. We are born in this planet as human and let us live with humanity in the short space of our time on this planet. DBSJ may I kindly request you to pass my email address to Mohan cecil and chaturanga
Always you guys take the adia from Unti tamil side. That is the thing this problem going on. Now is time to listen from majority taqmils and win their mind.
Cecil & Chaturanga alike are may be in minority in the majority community, will their vote count ?
Also another unrelated point, correct analysis of history suggest majority sinhalese are of south indian origin. Hence their closest ethnic group is sri lankan tamils.
In Negombo, tamils are becoming sinhalese even today. Chettys and Bharathas are some good examples. After 3 or 4 generations, Jaffna tamils who settled in colombo only speak sinhalese and english.
Southern sri lanka being close to northern sri lanka and south india, it doesn’t take much time to work out the ancestry of sinhalese.
Is this helps in future peace reconcilitations ?
I am really happy to learn that there are good examples of both tamil and sinhala communities to understand the inherent problems of minorities. As sri Lankans we must unite and work to gether to achieve long lasting peace in the island. Short sighted politicians should not be given an opportunity to take part in the cabinet of ministers who take key decisions. For example, take Singapore, no uneducated person can enter the parliament. This system should be implemented in Sri Lanka as well in order to prevent some bad elements, no matter they belong which community from, entering the parliament. I wish we will have a new Sri Lanka with peace and understanding of among all Sri Lankans.
Even from Singaleese some one against the government they can not live. They will kill by government. Eg, Lasantha editor of sunday leader. How can live peasefully innocent tamil poor people. Only one solution Tamils give up their mother land to Singaleese and migrate different countries. But it is not that easy.
Oh, by the way fo those who wish to take genographic test ( DNA test) to prove their ancestry, please check the link below.
https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/participate.html
Point I am trying to make is, atleast Sinhalese and Tamils will realise that they are not much different.
” Genetic affinities” in the following article says the same thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Tamil_people
To Chaturanga Janaka,
Tamil people had enough trust in Sinhala brothers and sisters but the Sinhala chuvanism periodically killed that trust and honour. For instance, take a look at JR Jeyawardene’s public statements on Tamils in North & East. He said the more pressure is put on Tamils in North & East, the more happy Sinhala’s are and in the election he was choose mojority winner by Sinhalas. Trust and Love were there but Sinhala’s actions made Tamils loose all the trust and respect they had for Sinhalas. First start your reconciliation by saying sorry, for that you need to be a moderate person. At least try to ask for forgiveness for all the atrocities unleashed on Tamils by Sinhala chuvanist regime then start the reconciliation process.
Over the years, Tamils have lost all the hope in Sinhala regimes and it’s your responsiblity to build trust and love for unified Sri Lanka. I am a Burgher myself and I belong to both groups and I am in the middle of this disaster. I’ve seen many Sinhala’s speaking of reconciliation in public and speaking of destruction for Tamils in their homes. At the same time, Tamil’s stand remains the same, as they are outspoken and they are clear on their demands.
Dear friends, enough is enough. Tamils have lost all their trust & hope in Sinhalas and we have seen many betrayals over the years. Even the IDP camps, NGOs or ICRC do not have the full access yet. Media’s are fully banned and West media’s are reporting of abductions and torture led by Govm’t Thugs. If Sinhala’s are fully concerned about liberating Tamils from LTTE (as Sinhala regime claims), then why concentration camps full of barb wire and why not allow media to show the world of the liberated people? Strange it seems.
Heart is aching that I’ve lost my dear cousins and relatives in this bloody war by unfaithful Sinhala politicians and ruthless LTTE.
Enough propaganda of Sinhala’s liberating Tamils from LTTE. MOST Tamils have clearly said only LTTE represent them. Well LTTE is eliminated as our president announced, now please let the aid reach all those IDPs.
BTW, speaking of reconciliations Tamils have not forgotten that the AID that were supposed to reach them were re-routed to Sinhala areas by Sri Lankan Armed forces.
I have both Tamil & Sinhala friends because I am a product of both. It’s the Sinhala people who need to change their mentality inorder for unified Sri Lanka after all these. Politics will remain the same and if Sinhala’s don’t change in their stand this war will never be over.
Speaking of reconciliations, if root causes are not addressed, this war will never be over and people like myself & you will loose more relatives.
Hi Mohan,
As the many readers applauded your wisdom and courage, put me into same position to salute you. I hope your sincere and honest approach will be afruitful one.
we were deproved from travelling around our own soil. But, I assume, now we have the privilege to do so. This is by no mean to say that we are sinhalese and domonate the entire country. As you know, Tamils had the freedom to go all around the country( there were harrassments) but we did not have that luxury.
I am also happy to join with you and share the values of Tamil people, also, very happy to reach out Sri Lankans. Join together we can survive. I also live here in melbourne, so there is nothing can stop you contact me and move forward with your great aspirations.
Good on you mate.
Nadeep.
If you remember JVP insurrections you would acknowledge the fact that it was only sinhala buddhist youth and their families that suffered for chasing after a utopia. Not a single tamil or Christian youth was harmed as they did not take part in that terror. Sri Lankan GOVT knows its responsibilitie. If not for the ethnic slur this too could have been nipped in the bud. So let us not talk about ethnicity when it comes to the safety of the people and the territory of a sovereign country.
KV
Please remember everyone, we breathe air and its free for everyone, so please think that there is no Singhalese air, Tamil air, Muslim air, etc, etc.
Also;
Jayasinghe = Jayasingham
Ariyaratne = Ariyaratnam,
Wijesingha= Wijesingham,
and the list is so long…
The whole problem happened because neither of us learnt the other’s language and are not able to read each other’s literature.
I’m too old to learn a new language and its literature, so I request all the Tamil newspapers to publish in English too. Yes, please publish all your newspapers for all of us, who cannot read Tamil!
Its very good that Mohan has initiated the discussion and have received good responses. I met Mohan after he wrote his article and I felt that it has come from the bottom of his heart.
Seeing no hope in the horizon for the past 25 years, most people have lived in their own shelves. Some of us have grown in different ways in foreign countries with changing priorities such as childrens education, mortgages, and the works.
All of a sudden the recent war has drawn so much of our attention overseas and it has reminded us that this invisible umbilical chord is still very much alive and connected to the land we were all born in. This is also very evident from Mohans message.
We as brothers and sisters of one country have an utmost responsibility at present. It is to alleviate the suffering of those people who took the brunt of the last battle. They are the IDPs now struggling in the camps; the maimed combatants from both sides and their surviving loved ones. Sinhalese and Tamils should join hands in this mission to look after them to demonstrate that we still care.
A physical touch would heal many wounds of the heart
This is where Truth and Reconciliation begins
God bless all and let peace prevail
Jayagowri Ganeshan #7
Hi there, Who is Tamil Diaspora??? its you and me. Couple of decades of terrorism both in Sri Lanka and abroad is almost come to an end. Its important for those who claims to be Tamil patriotics to rethink and not to mess around the modertates like you and me and many millions of Sri Lankans.the minority group of the diaspora are trying to regroup with personal gains in mind. One should ask the people in SL what is best for them not this small group of this diaspora. Let each one of us focus on what is best for the people in SL.
I do not see any Sinhalese supporting a federal solution. It is good to talk of reconciliation, and what not… however, if those from the majority community do not exert pressure on their political leaders, then what’s the point?
It’s getting kind of annoying to keep hearing how so-so and so had this many Tamil friends at school, or how the LTTE and the Government are equally bad, or how we all just “need to forget and move on…”
Where is the D-MN political solution?
All talk and no walk…………!!!
Reminds me of a priest, who, in the course of performing last rites, promises a dying man he’ll soon see heaven.
Yes, Cicil and Chaturanga are very right ..yes, I too would like to apologise and say ‘SORRY’ for all the Tamils murdered at the hands of the Sinhalese in the 1983 riots!
The Bible says ‘Those who live by the sword will die by the sword’ …and Christ asked Peter to put the Sword away and He reached out and healed the ear that was slashed ..of the man that came to take Him away!
It is indeed Human to ‘Forgive’ ..but its ‘Divine’ to both ‘Forgive and Forget ..reconcile and move on in life!’
It may be difficult but not impossible ..it is in these too words alone “Forgive and Forget’ that Man an ‘Animal’ by birth becomes ‘Human’ and grows up to be ‘Humane’ before he joins ‘Humanity’ …
..if not Man would always remain ‘Animal’ and never reach the Humane shores of Humanity before proceeding on to his next life …!
I urge all my fellow Sinhalese to be ‘Humane’ enough to say ‘SORRY’ for the past and reach out to the Tamils and reconcile!
I say the same to the Tamils ..be ‘Humane’ enough to reach out and say ‘SORRY’, not only to the Sinhalese but also to their fellow brethren the Tamils and to the Muslims who are still suffering silently, when they were driven out of the North by the LTTE …
… or we’ll all die as ‘Animals!!!
Kumari Nayakaratne
I can see a generation gap here, for those who have had horrible things happen to them will be a long and hard journey of forgiveness and reconciliation.
What the GOSL has to do right now, if SL wants lasting peace, it should first draw out a plan to rehabilitate the IDPs and take measures to reconcile with the Tamils, and address their grievances, balance of power.
Actually there’s no time to wast, GOSL has get on with the Job to solve the Tamil issue, SL is being watched closely by the west, so this is an opportunity SL shouldn’t miss to solve the Tamil question.
On another note you would like to know that the 13nth Amendment of the SL’s constitution that JRJ put into place in the 80s rally takes away any reconciliation to work, the 13nth amendment double locks the constitution, it require 2/3 majority vote in parliament and a referendum, and with your Mahasanga I wish good luck with referendum to produce any positive results for Peace.
Sinhalese you lost our trust, now is the time to win it. I will take my hat off to those who are prepared to stand up for themselves, and what they believe in, and influence the rest of the Sinhalese for lasting peace.
Dear Mrs. Jayagowri Ganeshan,
While reading the many so called “Genocide” and the so called “extreme Discrimination” by SL Gov against Tamils and other extreme exaggerations and total lies by the diasporas and LTTE supporters I have been very angry about the hypocrisy and how people can lie with a straight face. I was about to write a spiteful write-up against the LTTE and their supporters as a response to the even the original moderate/conciliatory article by Mohan.
However, after reading your article I decided not to write a negative response after all. Thanks Mohan and Mrs. Jayagowri Ganeshan for some sensible write-ups.
-Siripala
For those who are interested, compare scripts similarities among Sinhala, Telugu and Kannada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_script
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannada_script
Telugu and Kannada are dravidian languages and are from South India.
If you now check Punjabi, Gujarati and Hinidi scripts, they don’t resemble sinhala script at all.
Yet again I am asking everyone to analyse the history more deeply hoping that it will solve the problem.
Even before this letter from Mohan was posted here I got it from another source with Cecil’s reply to Mohan attached. Cecil raised another point we sinhalese should think about. It is an extending an apology to all tamils and their relatives who were affected by the riots of the past any any discrimination they had to undergo. Some may think that this is not necessary as the tamils were not discriminated. Yes, some tamils had it better than anybody else but remember that some did not. If we are serious about mending matters with all ethnic groups and looking forward to build a better Sri Lanka, you do have to extend this apology to any tamil you know to feel him accepted removing the feeling some have that they are not wanted in the country. We do not lose anything by doing so. It only will lay the foundation for a better Sri Lanka we all are expecting to build.
In keeping my part of the deal I have extended my apology to my best Tamil firend of 25 years. Please go ahead and you too be a part of the rebuilding process.
What have we done? Asks my friend :
We are tired of living with the war for three decades
We see the scorched Tamil land and blood stained fields
We have nothing to show but scattered families and friends around the globe
We do not have any Tamil political leadership that can negotiate equity let along dignity
We are at the mercy of the Srilankan state and foreign governments
We are left with little choice than to wipe our tears and move on
What should we do? Asks my friend – I tell him:
I aspire for freedom and dignity for Tamils in my homeland
I pray that my suffering brethren would soon return to their homes and begin a new life
I will strive to defend by brethren rights and bring justice for all victims of crime
I would endeavour to see there is no such thing as IDPs in my homeland
I will strive for peace and progress for my brethren in my homeland
I will not advocate militancy no support anything related to militancy
I will not impose my military or political ideas on my Tamil brethren in my homeland
I will let my brethren back home choose their political destiny with dignity
I will support my brethren to achieve economic freedom and higher quality of life
I do this selfishly of cause – I tell my friend:
I yearn for the times I will take my children to my village and share my childhood memories
I yearn for the day I can walk around the Nallur Kovil sandy paths eating ‘kachchan’
I yearn for the day I will visit my alma-mater and listen to the ‘school bell’
I yearn for the day I will stay at my grandparents’ home and take my kids to the ‘Kireemalai’ beach
I yearn for the day I shall travel in the 788 bus route from Jaffna to my village
I yearn for peace and dignity in my homeland.
Intresting reply , showing there is still hope for peace in Sri lanka.
Important to remember that Reconcilliation is forgetting the past..Not the present. People who are ready to say to tamils sorry of what happened in 83 , should not wait another 26 years to say sorry for what happened/happenning in 2009. Tamil should get justice asap + they should not have the imppression of losing thier indentity in Sri lanka.
All these messages of friendhsip and fraternity will be meaningless and insulting if we learn later that while we were busy writting emails about reconcilliation, tamils peeple were facing human misary and abuses.
So I ask to Singalese people who have heart and will for peace to ask the gvt and to stop abuses on IDPs and to go for tranparency and Justice which will be the only way to heal a lot of minds believe me.
People are talking of genocide of the Tamils. Absolute rubbish! This word has been coined craftily by the dishonest leaders of the Tamil diaspora because words like discrimination and supression are not sufficiently strong and forceful to attract sympathy of the Western World. Originating with Proctor Chandrahasan, son of Chelvanayagam.
In 1989, at the height of the JVP insurrection, when I was travelling at Bambalapitiya, Police boarded the bus and asked all the Tamils to stay in their seats and took out all the young Sinhalese.( I was in my late fifties and they did not bother me.). What happened to the ones taken I do not know. They may have been questioned and even killed in extreme cases if there was any suspicion about their activities. The JVP did not have a “diaspora” to complain of their plight. The Government was doing whatever they felt was necessary to quell the brutal insurrection.
It is similar now with Prabakaran’s insurrection.
Let us be honest. There was absolutely no genocide against Sinhalese then and absolutely and absolutely none against the Tamils now or in the recent past.
Distinguished people in the Tamil Diaspora are dishonestly making these allegations and ordinary people are repeating them without thinking, like parrots.
I was at the University of Ceylon from 1950 to 1954 and count many Tamil Tamil friends. When we see each other (which is very rare because most of them are abroad) we are so happy.
I am sure that the unity we Sinhalese and our Tamil friends had in the early fifties and before will heturn and we can be united once again. This could only be done if there is no discrimination, between Tamils and Sinhalese, whatsoever be it for jobs or promotions, education, and every other matter. All communities must operate in a level playing field.
As Rev W.S.Senior has said in his poem “The Call of Lanka”
WHEN ALL THE RACES HAVE BLENDED ,
AND THE VOICE OF STRIFE IS DUMB.
we will become a great nation!
Thanks DBSJ & all others who initiated this timely dialogue.
I am proud that I was able to save several tamil families during 83′. Yet I wholeheartedly willing to say ‘Sorry, to tamil community about tragic incidents in 83.
I have many well educated tamil friends who did not approve LTTE’s path but who were forced by a section of diaspora to contribute towards LTTE’s terrorism. LTTE used this money to kill it’s opponents, use poor tamil youth as cannon fodders and human bombs, to keep innocent tamils as human shields, to create destruction in the south etc, etc. All these years the diaspora enjoyed all comfort in foreign countrieswhile ordinary tamils in the wanni suffer under LTTE’s bruitality.. They deprived poor Wanni tamil children of their education while their children enjoying excellent education.
I am sorry to say this, but I am yet to hear any one from so called “tamil diaspora’ saying SORRY to tamil community(especially those in IDP camps) and to the sinhalese who lost their innocent kith & kin in incidents such as Central Bank Bombing for all thes crimes committed by the LTTE with their money.. (I myself lost a loved one in this baberian bombing) .
you need both hands to clap. This is valid for reconcillation too. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
OK, enough is enough. Now, Tamils took arms and killed 100s of thousand of innocent Sinhala people. I did not hear a one single apology from any Tamil person. All I hear is how Sinhala people discriminate against them etc. It is as if that we need to apologize to Tamils what we have done to them and give them the rights that even we don’t have.
It is time for tamils to apologize to all sinhala people and beg forgiveness for their bloody war. And they need to start talking about how they can live with all sri lankan people with harmony. If they can’t do that we all sri lankan people have to go through this all over again. All sinhala people talk about is come tamils lets be friends and forget about all bad happened and shake hands.
Why?
Dear DBS,
I thank you for publishing Mohan’s letter which has drawn a lot of support and criticism. This could be a forum for people of both communities to let the steam out or build bridges for peace.
But DBS, people like you have a bigger role to play if you really want peace and harmony in Sri Lanka for all communities. Your connections with media can play a big role in building bridges and influence the thinking of a lot of people that matter.
For instance, when we have to think of the future of our communities Times of London is on a witch hunt, ICES is conducting seminar to take Sri Lanka to ICJ, which we don’t need at this hour.
People displaced and living in camps have to be resettled fast to bring back their sanity and self respect of whatever thats left. Address immediate grievences of the minority community. Make everybody feel wanted as first class citizens of this country. get the kids who never attended school to start with basic education. Forget differences and aspirations and live together to buid up a life for every citizen of this country.
Star talking to your media guys. Together we can make it happen and reunite this country. Do not let the diaspora who do not wish to come back here influence the future with their money and separatist ideas.
Lets do whatever in our capacity to bring back the past glory.
======
DBSJ RESPONDS:
Thank you for the positive things you’ve said but I really dont have the clout and influence you think I have. As the great journalist Mervyn de Silva said “I am only a small fish in a big pond”.
You are mistaken about ICES. It has not done anything of that kind and I dont think it has either.
I think vested interests are setting the stage to cripple independent organizations like ICES,CPA etc.
As for media the immediate priority is to stop the witch hunt conducted against some journalists by the state and its minions…………DBSJ
I’m in Australia, I would loove to be part of this wave, and contibute in any way I could, even though I’m not there in SL Icould do other things and contribute in any way to keep this going. a good start. My family has lots of tamil friends, and I personally had a lot of tamils friends from school, uni and US. I would like to see victims of 83 riots being compensated and perpetraitors punished. last few year I watched the war and got radiaclized seeing the protest and genocide ralies, as some of my relies and my father and brother were defence force officers i tend to be biase toward them.
DBS and many others were always right.
Reconciliation is the only way. SL Tamils and Sinhalese are brothers.
Stop the foreigners who are exploiting us. Please we are brothers. united we are so strong. it is unimaginable what we can accomplish. please forgive yarlpana tamils. give us first class citizenship. and the future will be ours. Sri Lanka will prosper, i am sure.
Forget the Tigers. please. enough of war and divisive politics. These people who support reconciliation have always been correct. It is the ONLY WAY for all of us.
Gentlemen like Cecil and Chathuranga were there always. For that matter Tamils among the Sinhalese lived very well and still do. This granular level amicability and friendship has absolutely no place at the top where the power lies – the government of SL and its arms of power.
The hand that holds the spoon always hesitates and slips when the Tamil man turn comes around. This malady is more pronounced now than before (contrary to what is bandied around)
These two gentlemen are genuine I believe. Tamils with long Colombo roots would gladly believe it because they are far from the evil that has been going on. But tell this to the masses from North and East.
Well let’s see what would be the solution SL govt is going put in place. I for one will not hold my breath… it will be a pittance.
Dont hold your breath. Could be dangerous. Just keep your fingers crossed…………DBSJ
How very strange that all these private emails are circulating so widely.
Even I got these sent to me – six degrees perhaps.
But why are they so superficial in content? Why do they skirt over the main matters?
And even though they are all nice and sugary sweet I feel uneasy – somehow there is no resonance with reality.
Actions speak louder than words!
Actions such as incaceration of many thousands of Tamils (young and old) behind razor wire and armed guards, threats to CPA, grievious assaults on journalists who dare to write the truth, access to the war ravaged regions denied etc.
—–
DBSJ RESPONDS:
The heart has reasons which reason cannot understand
As I wrote earlier these missives and many responses are written in the language of the heart. It resonates with those on the same wavelength.
It is basically personal inter-action but thanks to “WWW” it is in the public domain.
If these mails are being circulated widely so be it. I am happy to see mails of this type rather than those spewing hate and venom all the time.
People of the same mind from different ethnicities have been the silent and silenced majority for long.
Its refreshing to see the megaphone liberated at least in a tiny sphere from the vociferous minority that monopolises it.
Again it is a matter of opinion whether these views are “superficial in content” or not.
Most of these commentators are not learned academics or seasoned analysts. They are simply expressing their feelings.
To me these views are richer in content because of their well – intentioned sincerity.
It seems the SriLankans (Tamils and Singalise) are smart. Good thinking guys. Keep it up.
What ever happened is happened.
Forget the past. Dream the future. This is Asia’s century, SriLanka is in the middle of the potential Asian super powers (India & China). We SriLankan’s have a bright future.
The email from Mohan and the overwhelmingly positive responses indicate that the ultimate solution to the ethnic crisis is within us. The genesis of the problem is rooted in the “divide and rule” approach adopted by colonial powers around the globe. Although there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to prove one race is intellectually or otherwise superior or inferior to any other such notions were spread deliberately. Examples of this devious strategy can be found in almost every country occupied by the colonial powers. Such “divisions” made the task of occupation easier for the occupiers.
After independence the Sri Lankan leaders should have adopted an all inclusive policy and concentrated on proper and progressive governance. Sadly this was not to be. To deflect a Sinhalese backlash against abysmal governance that saw Sri Lanka regressing on several fronts the powers that be took up the ethnic issue; just blame the Tamils. Let me pronounce without any reservation WE WERE DOOMED BY OUR SO CALLED LEADERS ON BOTH SIDES. Let us not just blame Sinhala leaders or the LTTE. Even the so-called moderate Tamil leaders have no moral standing.
As a Tamil I do not think that my Sinhala brethren need to apologize for anything. How could an entire race be held responsible for atrocities committed by a few thugs whose sole motive was/is to hold on to power at any cost. My experiences vis-a-vis my Sinhala brethren have always been very positive and pleasant. I remember once way back in 1984 when my family was driving through Badulla; tire got punctured; my dad was struggling the replace it . We were standing around and watching. A (very poor) family in the vicinity invited us to their home and served us their best meal as a couple of their men helped my dad fix the tire. They didn’t know Tamil at all and on my side only my father could speak Sinhalese. But we got along very well through signs and smiles. So, my contention is that the average Sinhalese or Tamil is forever willing and able to live in peace and harmony.
Now the onus is on the government of the day to commence and lead the process of reconciliation. But I am very skeptical. How could I not be when my Sinhala brethren who disagreed with the powers that be are being subjected to threats and violence and when Tamil doctors who should have been commended for their services are being detained.
I salute everyone who give their voice for peace and reconciliation.
These letters, posted by expatriate Sri Lankans currently, domiciled in Australia, are no doubt sensible, thought provoking and heart touching. These letters may be considered as the responses from the silent majority of Tamil & Sinhala Diaspora. However much we cherish such thoughts for reconciliation among Sinhalese, Tamil & Muslim communities in Sri Lanka the ground realities back home are undoubtedly much more complex to achieve the anticipated reconciliation.
For example, MR is surrounded by his hardliner brothers, nationalistic chief of armed forces, chauvinistic political backers and racist cabinet ministers. They would definitely push him for an agenda to militarize the North and East of the country for an ostensible reason of keeping any future Tamil rebellious movement from taking root. Moreover, the fate of captured LTTE carders is also in a balance. If the current development of East is a precedent for the future then MR’s Brother Basil is the one who will be calling all the shots by-passing the democratically elected provincial council administration; which is not an acceptable devolution of power to any dignified Tamil administration.
It appears that MR will soft peddle the ethnic issue until he gets re-elected for a second term of presidency; after that a more hardliner approach will be meted out to the defenseless minorities.
In the mean time pro LTTE Tamil Diaspora will relentlessly pursue the human rights violations committed by GOSL during the war at international forums, in turn the move will further infuriate the position of the majority community against the minorities in Sri Lanka.
As we have seen that all moderate voices from the Sinhalese community during the war were branded as unpatriotic and pro-LTTE. Even after the war is over major political parties are reluctant to raise their concern for the minority due to the fear of a repercussion from the majority community that will affect their political survival.
The major blunder that LTTE did to Sri Lanka, in my opinion, is that it has facilitated for the creation of Sinhalese hardliners who have resorted to the same deceptive, ruthless, inhuman and oppressive methods to win this war and to subjugate any minority grievances.
There will be no doubt peace in Sri Lanka but the fear and uncertainty in the minds of minority and those who speak for them will continue to haunt this post LTTE Sri Lanka. I hate to sound so pessimistic but the prevailing political culture in Sri Lanka, especially within the ruling coalition, does not give me any respite to think otherwise.
Dear Mohan
I highly appreciate your views and the way how you look at the current situation of the Tamil speaking Sri Lankans. You have mentioned politely the 1983 riot and are with a view that the riot resulted badly to the Tamil speaking Sri Lankans. Some of the friends who have made comments on this forum have apologised from you and worried about the 1983 riot.
But I see 1983 riot as an event set by LTTE and its supporters for their future benefits. Why do I say so?
LTTE master brain tank wanted to create a massive social riot within the country that Sinhalese attack Tamils. They used the experience gained through the 1953 riot. They killed 13 Army soldiers and used the Sinhalese supporters in Colombo to provoked innocent Sinhalese to attack Colombo Tamils (The LTTE do not value lives of Tamils. If they do they never keep 300,000 Tamils as human shield and attack them when they tried to escape).
They had planned to record all the burnings, killings and harassments and conducted a huge propaganda in the west to seek refugee status in those countries for many Tamils who lived in Jaffna, Batti and Trinco from where no troubles were reported in 1983.
They sent as many Tamils as they could. I believe some of them were LTTE carder. They organised Tamil Diaspora to earn income to LTTE, They organised Tamils Diaspora to invade international mass media like BBC, international organisations like UN, UNESCO and created many international NGO to support to their cause.
Even after the LTTE was defeated by up rooting its leadership it is the Tamil Diaspora who makes foul noise against the Sri Lankan Government.
Therefore it?s my personal view that the 1983 riot was created by LTTE and Sinhalese should not apologise.
You are hopelessly mixed up substituting effect for cause…………DBSJ
I did not read Mohan’s letter but reading most of the letters in response makes me happy and I am very encouraged. In Srilanka we have everything but unity. If we manage to correctly forge the unity we could become a powerful nation. The unity has to be achived through openess and honesty. I honestly think that goverment of Srilanka has to work hard on wiining Tamil peopl’s heart and mind rather than just doing lip services. They always said they wanted to rescue tamils from the LTTE, now they have done that ,their future plans has to be more tranparent so that their actions are genuine in order to gain the trust of the diaspora allowing them to work with them and not working against them. Iam living in London for the past 30 years and always want to go back to contribute something back at least for the free early education I received. I am sure there are many who think and want do the same as me. I am glad there are somany coming forward making comments in reconsile and forgiveness. We must keep this kind of discussions encouraged and live if we are to reach our goal in making Srilanka a pearl the name it deserves.
( I did post this with the other tread. It would be appropriate to be included here ad well )
Cicil and Chaturanga and many others are humble and magnanimous in their words and owning up to their responsibility and put of their hands. I salute all of you and this is the start of the reconciliation process. Reconciliation has several strands, dimension and levels. So, this is a very small step in one of these strand and hope this will trigger other strands and expand to other dimensions.
Having said that I have two concerns about these blogs.
First, from the comments and responses, it seems the participants of the blog are a very elite group, primarily from Colombo/Kandy who happen to know each other, either at school or work and social gatherings in the past. Due to the situation prevailed after 1983, they have lost contact and getting reconciled. I appreciate this and welcome the 1st step. However, what is bothering me most of the owning up is about 1983 which is primarily a Colombo affair. This was a dreadful event and rightly they apologized. Since, many of them didnt mention about all the other state sponsored violence, I am questioning whether this is just an elite group which was together before 1983 and that event has put a barrier among them and now, they are trying to raise the curtain. I have no problem with it. But, this cant bring reconciliation among the communities at large, unless we widen this to take responsibility for all events over the past 30 years ( all sides ). It is well and good for ordinary people, mainly living outside the country, to do this as you can relate to each other; Mohan and others. How about all the thousands of people who suffered over the years. I have to say I havent seen any evidence to this yet in this blog. Bloggers, prove me wrong on this.
Second aspect is, reconciliation can only be sustained when people fell that justice has been done for the atrocities committed by all sides. This aspect is not expressed forcefully by the majority in the blog. This concerns me and the atrocities committed against ordinary people will be forgotten in the name of reconciliation by few of us. For LTTE, they have paid the ultimate price. But, on the state side what we see is congratulatory and victory celebrations and no accountability. So, lets take this to the next step. Let the people in power to own up to the responsibility for the events. To start with, let me make a plea to people who have influence with the ruling elite to make this 1st step as Mohan and few of us have taken. So, I call upon Dayan Jayatilleka who writes in these blogs and write in his own capacity also to own up.
by loking at this i can see only one thig, that it is still not over yet. people blame each other but never want to make things right for their childrens future. as i see the only one problem which divided us was removed by force from the picture creating space to lern from the past for the betterment for the future. but hatred still roaming through some minds but remamber the end of the world is near and which gives life will take life enjoy the peace while you can.
It is very interesting to see the responses. DBSJ, thanks for providing the platform for this kind of exchange.
Here is the problem though. The views being exchanged here are that of the sensible moderates who have always had this view. The problem was that their views are not aired in public, and will therefore not influence the happenings in real life.
There have to be compromises from both sides moving forward. To say one hurt the other side more than the other is rubbish. Hope there will be leaders who can come forward and act impartially putting sri lanka first and their communities second.
Let this silent majority at least be heard now.These voices strenghen our hopes……DBSJ
Thank you Mohan for initiating this letter. we are really fortunate to sit and comfortablly write this mail while many innocents are struggleing for the basic necersities.
There are many silent majority both form majority and Minority race saddly watching the evvents unfolding. We all hope and pray that this is and end to one chapeter and a begining to another chapter.
It is always better to view form the summit rather than for the base. The summit view gives always gives a better view. We should move forward with a long process of reconciliation and healing to health and prosperity this wonderful island nation.
Recently I received a Buddist Mantra of healing which was sung by a group of Americans and I found same mantra sung by Ani Choying Droloma who is a Buddist monk born to tibetien Parents and living in Nepal . She is full of compassion and it is worth watching her messages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBQfUqd8pqI
Through Love she is uniting the world . Tamil Struggle is not much diffrent to the Tibetien Buddist struggle.
Remember in 1964 SriLanka was ahead of Singapore and look at the state now.
Let’s unite and resolve this. YES WE CAN
#2. villa | June 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
“People danced on the streets and ate kiribath when thousands were killed and suffer in camps.”
Tell me, did you dance and eat when the LTTE carried out its many atrocities on civilian targets? If not, did you raise your voice to condemn it? This is what Tigers never get, intransigence and inflexibility never get anywhere. Can you make a similar statement as below, condemning LTTE acts of terror?
This is what I say: The anti Tamil riots in 1983 were unpardonable, and an eternal blot on our country. That they were preceded by the massacre of soldiers by the LTTE in NO way affords even the flimsiest excuse for them. Attacking innocent people who had nothing to do with that act of terror by the LTTE was NOT justice. It was inexcusable and deplorable.
Can you say the same about the LTTE terror tactics? You see, here’s the thing.
Crying about discrimination rings a little hollow when it is accompanied by the most vile demonstrations of discrimination such as ethnic cleansing. The complaint of genocide coming from the LTTE sounds a little lame when for decades they did nothing but murder people based on their ethnicity. Shouting for inclusiveness and representation sounds rather hypocritical when you do nothing but murder everybody who has a different opinion. Complaining about lack of aid is a touch disingenous when all aid money was used to buy weapons and line pockets of senior Tigers. Outrage about not being allowed to surrender is frankly quite ludicrous, when it is preceded by statement upon statement of fighting to the death, and white flags are used to facilitate suicide bombers. Lamenting about heavy-handedness comes across as quite duplicitous, when those who lament use it as the main strategy to suppress dissent and extort money. Claims of representing the Tamils sound ridiculous, when military placements are buried within civilian populations, and artillery attacks are provoked to use any ensuing casualties as a bargaining chip.
Please understand that I am trying to make a point here; do not defend the indefensible, whatever side you are on. Criticise anybody who offends against the law and the tenets of common human decency, whoever they are. That is the first step to moving forward.
If you are a Sinhalese, accept Tamils are your complete equal, and have the right to live completely free of discrimination, anywhere in the country, and be responsible for your OWN actions in furthering that ideal. Imagine yourself in that camp as a displaced civilian, and understand their misery. Try and bury your anger at the LTTE, whatever your personal loss – whether you lost a loved one who served in the armed forces, or in a suicide bombing, as I have – because thankfully they are no more. Rejoice in their defeat for indeed they were the vilest of the vile, but let not triumphalism breed further divides.
If you are a Tamil, speak up against the LTTE, now perhaps you can do that without fear of death, and make it clear that protesting against an offense by commiting that same offense magnified a ten or a thousand times is not in any way acceptable. Completely condemn at least their terror tactics, and you may be surprised at the positiveness of the response.
The real Peace is when Sinhalese are ready to accept separate state for Tamils and when Tamils say No, let’s stay together as one nation.
.
.Whilst admiring the effort made by some fresh new entrants to the discourse on Tamil National Question, I was hoping that this ‘discussion thread’ would acquire depth in substance. Today, I see that happening and am very pleased with it. There is still a long way to go. Then again, a journey of a thousand leagues begins with the first step!
I am particularly pleased when DBSJ delivered a riposte to Appuhamy’s patronising jibe.
BTW, where Shanthi Krish? I am already beginning to miss her. We need her to give everyone a grandmotherly clip around the ear and put the wrongs of the world right. Right!
Everybody, please stop saying sorry for what happened after 1983 riots, rather it would be more appropriate if you do something constructive about the recent killings of innocent civilians.
Forget about Diaspora’s demands for independent inquiry but perpetrators must beg for the forgiveness of those who are still suffering in Sri Lanka.
Anyone willing to say SORRY?
Anyone suggesting that we should bring the war lords to the court? Or should we just forget about the whole thing and pretend nothing has happened?
The criminals behind the 1983 riaots were never brought to justice but it seems though Tamil people must have forgiven them (or they didn’t have any choice) and those criminal leaders must have got away too?
Now, the majority must act FAIR & FAST.
I support the silent community.
I am ready to lent my hand to rebuild the country.
I am ready to do what ever it takes to bring back peace to the country.
BUT I AM NOT THE PRESIDENT though.
This is a huge challenge but it must go on.
The reply to Mohan’s emails are very encouraging indeed so thanks guys.
All this blood shed of the last 30years was for what?
Tamils felt that they were discriminated against. The solution was so simple. All the govt had to do was, decentralise power, change it to a federal system like in India. The territorial integrity and continuity would have been maintained and the tamils would not have had to resort to extreme violence.
LTTE was the violent incarnation of legitimate tamil grievances. Now the tigers are vanquished, what is the solution for Sri Lanka? Carry on like the last 30years did not happen and continue this centralised parliamentary system where the majority decides for others? 13th amendement is weak. The provincial councils are toothless, what happened to Pillayan, the honourable chief minister of eastern province?
The Sri Lankan govt has no reason to initiate any change. It is riding on the wave of Sinhala nationalistic euphoria. My heart warms with a tiny flicker when I read these letters from Sinhala brothers. But you are powerless and baseless in your society at present. I fear your moderate opinions will always be in the fringes rather than in the mainstream. Sri Lanka has never had a secular party. It is either Sinhala/Tamil/Muslim led blocks.
It is about time we stop saying there are no minorities or ethnic communities but only patriots and non-patriots. We need to appreciate that the Tamils, Sinhala and Muslim people have distinct cultures and traditions. Each need to have equal recognition regardless of numbers. We should start with the lion flag of Sri Lanka. When we acknowledge our differences, learn about each other and respect our separate ways, we can form a united Sri Lanka. I know this sounds like a contradiction. Just look at our closest neighbour – India. They have separate states for the major ethnic communities, each ruled by their own. Nationally, this difference bonds them together. They are proud to be Indian.
If you ask most tamils without the threat of persecution, most of them would say they are not Sri Lankans or feel part of Sri Lanka. For all this talk of olive branches, I see no real action. The SL military is to add another 100 000 to their ranks. Tamils in the internment camps are still living in appalling conditions. If you want to weed out the terrorists, at least look after them while you do so. The muslims chased by the LTTE in the 90s, still languish in camps. WHY? The govt captured Jaffna in 1995.
Looking at current developments, options are available to the tamils are;
1. Stay in Sri Lanka, dont speak for your rights or voice your concerns. Just get on with your life and family. If you are silent and dont agitate for your rights, you will be safe.
2. Disappear or be abducted.
3. Do what my parents did – leave the country.
“It was not to celebrate the suffering of their people to the north. They understood their duty to help our fellow Sri Lankans to the North and they began to do so, as soon as those people were in our care.”
I understand yet it sounds a bit like justyfication.
First step for Reconcilaition has to come from GOSL.
1) by the way of how the IDP’s are treated.
2) No Sinhalese to be settled in North & East ( I am not opposed to opening security establishments but not on land & property owned by people)
3) STOP the RAPE & KILLING immidiately .
4) Allow INGO’s to help Tamils Directly.
If the above is not done we who don’t believe in LTTE ways won’t be able to win the debate against the supporters of LTTE ways.
This is the time to STOP the LTTE from regrouping again and if GOSL does what I mentioned above that will be the first step in eliminating LTTE from Regrouping.
It is upto you my Sinhala brothers to change your I mean your LEADERS so that one day we can also proudly say with you that it is our LEADERS as well.
It is over to you.
Remeber South Africa. TRUTH & RECONCILAITION. Atrocities are commited by both sides in the past and both sides have to accept it.
Always remember prior to July 1983 there were less than 100 youth who wanted armed struggle. By the end of 1983 the #’s jumped to 5,000 and by the end of 1984 it jumped to 20,000. Why in Jaffna we couldn’t move about freely after. Army goes on shooting rampage when ever the Freedom Fighters ( I will not call the LTTE freedom fighters after 1986) attack them. This made the youth to join the various organizations in huge #’s.
But unfortunatly for TAMILS VP became a POL POT / LENIN what ever and how ever you want to comapre..
A few days after the LTTE were defeated, I was asked by an expat, who had lived 10 years in Sri Lanka, as to how I felt.
My only comments were that my heart actually went out to the tamil people who are suffering currently, to the tamil people living today who knew nothing but the war and how we would go about in regaining that trust which was broken, many years ago.
Having lost my only sibling to this war in combat, as any other human being, I should’ve felt otherwise. But life is too short and hatred does tend eat away the very soul you try to nourish.
Certainly Mohan, Cicil and Chaturanga has brought in more than a ray of hope!
There’s so much to be done in reconciling and bringing those wonderful smiles to the Sri Lankans faces, once again. I’m happy to make amends and do whatever to rebuild the lives of all who has lost someone in this war – like me – and to ensure that both Tamils and Sinhalese live in harmony from here onwards amongst the Burghers and Muslims!
Krishan Perera – London
A small contribution of an extract from Sri Rabindranth Tagore ‘s prose -drama Natir Puja(Worship of the dancing Girl) based on an old Buddhist legend;
“The world today is wild with the delirium of hatred,the conflicts are cruel and unceasing in anguish,crooked are its paths,tangled its bonds of greed,
All creatures are crying for a new birth of thine,O thou of boundless life,
save them, raise thine eternal voice of hope,
let Love’s lotus with its inexhaustible treasure of honey open its petals in thy light.
O Serene,O Free,
in thine immeasurable mercy and goodness wipe away all dark stains from the heart of this earth.”
Dear Mohan, Chathuranga and others,
What is so refreshing in Mohans and Chathuranga’s writing is the sensitivity and empathy expressed.
My best wishes.
May God bless our Sri Lanka
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is continuing to inflict Nazi-type crimes and atrocities against the Tamils even after their alleged excuse of fighting a “war against terrorism” has been exposed as a bogus pretext to annihilate the Tamils and to steal their lands and natural resources. This is what Hitler and the Nazis called “lebensraum”–”living space” for the Sinhala at the expense of the Tamils. The GOSL’s “ethnic cleansing” of the Tamil Homeland for the benefit of the Sinhala is now underway,” warns Francis Boyle, professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Knowing the above how can we get together.
While we are dicussing about reconciliation and building bridges, triumphalism based on questionable history ( not for the majority ) is going to be replayed again through new film. President has congratulated the director and given his blessings.
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_091/Jun1244021819RA.html
* Greatest Sri Lankan king Dutugemunu born again in silver screen
Wed, Jun 3, 2009, 03:06 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
June 03, Anuradhapura: Following the unification of the country, Jayantha Chandrasiri, a well known film director in Sri Lanka has taken steps to make a new film on the biography of great king “Dutugemunu”.
The initial religious ceremonies of the film was held last evening in front of the Ruwanwelisa Dagoba in Anuradhapura, one of the greatest creations by the King Dutugemunu in his life time.
King Dutugemunu was a Sinhalese king who reigned from 161 BC to 137 BC.
The most significant event of this occasion was the congratulations made by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa through satellite to the director of the film and its actors.
Thumindu Dodanthenna, a new comer is to act as King Dutugemunu while Jackson Anthony plays the role of his rival, King Elara.
I would like to see the response from our Sinhala cousins to see how this affect the reconcilliation and devolution if there is going to be any.
Even though I came from Jaffna, no point we keep talking about history, if we want peace and better future we need to reconcile at one point. Please forget about corrupt politicians and racists.
If Nelson Mandela would have thought about revenge, we would have not seen the South Africa what we see now.
Mohan and Cecil, please keep your hopes alive and coming years we will all watch together International Cricket match in Jaffna or Tricomalee..
Sri Lanka’s president called for a “new era” in foreign relations as the island staged a military parade to mark its victory over separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
President Mahinda Rajapakse, whose government has been threatened with a possible war crimes probe over the manner of its military success last month, said it was time to launch a fresh diplomatic strategy. Instead changing different diplomatic strategy Srilankan Government should restore Tamil’s right of self determination in words and deed . Other wise these words of reconcilation etc are false pretends. Now SL government has the power (the support of Sinhala mass and the world including India) to do that. Why Gotabaya is crowing to remove democratically elected TNA(tamils ) from parliament?.
I have heard some criticisms about Mohan’s piece, stating that comes from a middle-class guy, and thus not very relevant to ordinary Tamils (read working class/poor?). I would like to point out that change always comes from the margins. In the current context I do see that change coming mostly from the middle-class Tamils and Sinhalese who have had exposure to each other’s communities. It is very unlikely change is going to come from a Jaffna girl or boy who was born in the North (or down south for that matter) and have not been exposed to the other community and know the “other” only through poisonous propaganda.
My house in Wellawatte was burnt down during the 1983 riots and we moved to Jaffna soon after that. My very favorite teacher at Vembadi, Mrs. Qadar was ethnically cleansed out of Jaffna because she was a muslim. I later entered Jaffna university in 1988 and saw the best amongst us killed by the LTTE. I am a middle-class woman but yet, I have been touched by the violence on both sides. I have a perspective that is critical of violence and racism that has been unleased by both sides. I would hate it if somebody dimissed my views just because I was a middle class woman. So all power to those of us who are in the fringes….we bring in another valuable perspective to this whole mess.
A common theme in Mohan’s letter and Cecil’s and Chaturanga’s letters is that they cherish their past, studying, living and playing together. Some would say that the Suyabasha education system, though helping the rural students to climb up the ladder, devided the ethnic communities in the Island, making it difficult to appreciate and understand the other community.
Most if not all, who sincerely advocate national reconciliation are those from the pre Suyabasha era, or studied in two-media schools like Royal, St Thomas, Trinity, St. Benedict, Gurutalawela St.Johns and the like in Colombo or Hill country, or who had done combined courses in Medical college, Law College or Chartered Accountancy Institute, The other group of understanding people are those borne and lived among the other community, went to church together or lived together due to work or education related transfers.
Just forcing one to learn the other language would not assist the process. Neither, building of Viharas orTemples amongst the other community would spread the teachings of the Nobles and advocate Ahimsa. We have to touch their heart and soul.
Another observation I made is that the comments made by the diaspora are mostly in an understanding and reconiliative manner as opposed to those living in the Island. There is a saying that you would only appreciate the benefit of a shade only when you go out in the sun. Living abroad, I have seen Indians and Pakistanis watching Hindi movies together as well as Ethiopians and Eritrians playing soccer together. We are all minorities here!
Can SL government will release all the people from concentration camps to their native place to live ? Can you all give pressure to release all the innocent youths from Boosa and welikade prisons? Can you support the international community to make an independent inquiry regarding war crimes including heavy weapons. You will never do any of these things. War is over. But more than 13,000 people are missing from the camps. What happened to them? Because your brothers or sisters are not there. Our people in camps are begging for a meal. Children are separated from their parents.First you all try to sto these things. You give pressure to SL government to allow third parties to enter war zone and bring the truth. You can easily say that 1983 will never happen. I also agree it will never happen. Instead of that our people will be kidnapped in white vans. If you sinhalese really respect Tamils you wouldn’t have celebrated this. You did not think about the people living in camps.
Now we Tamils don’t believe anybody. If you want a united Sri Lanka first you majority sinhalese first should show that they are ready to treat our people equally. Just to say that riots will not happen again is not enough. I don’t agree that all the problems started with LTTE. My grandma was a victim of 58 riots.
Please first talk about our peoples life. Otherwise we will never forget or forgive what SL government did for us
Appuamy # 34.
When a brother offers you a olive branch you accept it without reservations thats what Buddhism teaches you …. You are a shame to our country.
DBS , Mohan Cicil and Chathuranga you are all Blood Brothers …. One Mother’s children as H.E says. Your noble deeds has the blessing of the majority…
Thank You DBSJ and Mohan and friends. I am pleased the seeds of reconciliation are begining to sprout. If we all say it is not possible it will never happen. I saw 1983 and have seen the Tamil community in the UK doing it’s genocide cry. However most of the silent majority of us wished for the day when it would be possible to start re building trust and mutual respect, as one blog said we have far more in common than differences. I was choked to see the suffering of children and the masses of the north probably more than some of the smarmy apologist for the LTTE for whom this was yet another opportunity to spread propaganda.
We need to speak now to prevent this ever happening again to any one of our people regardless of their race.
The money spent and the lives sacrificed by both sides were an utter waste, if we had used the same for development we would be living content and prosperous lives now, not watching people in refugee camps, or mothers weeping for lost sons and daughters.
The thugs are plentiful, they will again try to push a wedge between our communities, that’s how they live but the rest of us must open our minds, extend the olive branch and look for ways and means to reconcile not seperate and segregate.
It would be fantastic to go back in time to pre July 1983 but even those good memories are just the past, lets look to the future thats where we are all going,.
May we all have peace!
Maithri.
President Mahinda Rajapakse’s encouraging hint for all the Sri Lankans to forget differences and unite when he declared that from henceforth there will be only two types of Sri Lankans,those who are loyal and those who are not while addressing the countrymen at the opening of the parliamentary sessions would have brought some relief to readers of DBSJ blog. It is very interesting to find many Sri Lankans gathering around DBSJ in the hope of bringing unity among Sri Lankans and rebuid the country as the proud home of all Sri Lankans. The President now keeps reminding all Sri Lankans to forget thoughts of being divided in terms of cast,creed and race and belonging to the majority or minority communities but think that all are Sri Lankan nationals.. This would eleminate thoughts of dividing the country to have separate homelands for each race and create doubts and dissension among communities.Now it is our turn to encourage all Sri Lankans to unite as Sri Lankan nationals and forge friendship amoungst all Sri lankans.DBSJ has all the capabilities to organize all Sri Lankans and then to pool all available resources to help those who are in dire need and also help improving conditions in mother .Lanka. Hope concrete steps will be taken in this regard without delay.
It is disheartening to see on one hand that there are Tamil hardliners who are so unwilling to reconcile and determined to continue the war from the comfort of their western dwellings, while on the other hand the Sinhalese hardliners are denying (simliar to holocaust deniers) that Tamils have even suffered at the hands of SL gov’t. What is worse is that they even try to justify the actions of the SL gov’ts. It is so insulting and insensitive.
Reading many comments posted in this forum as well listening to many ex-war supporters cry for peace (not revenge or hatred) make me believe that these hardliners are a shrinking minority.
I have noticed in recent weeks that there have been a great shift in people’s mentality about how the ethnic problems should be resolved in the post-war period – which is definitiely not by waging another war. On a popular Tamil radio station which almost always presented one-sided views in the past is now allowing people to express alternate views. The prevailing sentimenets are that war has brought nothing but destruction to Tamils and that some expat Tamils are trying to make it harder for people back home by staging unncessary protests and radicalizing younger (even kids as old as 5) generation of Tamils. To me, it was a
surreal experience listening to these alternate views as they were completely shut off from Tamil medias in the past.
Even if the hardliners are a minority, I think it is a challenging task of the moderate thinking people from all communities to change their mentality. Those Sinhalese who think that Sinhala (and Buddism)
is superior to others thus should be given more pride should realize that this very mentality (the protectionism) is the one that gave rise to the militancy and what followed was the 3-decade old destruction of people and the whole country.
It baffles me that even in this 21st century where we know more about human evolution and human history than 3 decades ago, some people are so backward in their beliefs that there is such a thing called pure
or superior ‘race’, ‘ethnic’, religion, or even language as we know these have influenced one and another over the period of human history. Some are even refusing to accept that the cultural history of people of Sri Lanka are so intertwined that trying to separate one group from another is meaningless. Claiming that country belongs exclusively to Sinhalese or that North/East belongs exclusively to Tamils is ludicrous.
If the root of the ethnic problem is the descrimination of the Tamils by the Sinhalese, then it is the unwillingness of the Tamil Tigers and their supporters to compromise that made the war to drag on for this long. There were many lost opportunities to the say the least. However, finger pointing and claiming that LTTE is still alive would only provoke government hardliners to falsly accuse all Tamils as “LTTE cadres” and thus prolong the suffering of the Tamils.
Talking to many relatives of the IDPs, I know that all those people want is basic neccessasities for now and be resettled in their traditional places soon. They definetly do not want war. Therefore, I fail to understand how protesting (even today) on the streets of western countries that “Tamil Eelam is our only solution” would help the Tamils back home heal their physical and emontional wounds. This is clearly forcing their views and desires (for war) on the wounded souls.
Yes everybody is talking love and reconciliation now….now that the slaughter of innocent civilians in their thousands is over.
There will be no investigation in to the appaling human rights abuses as long as Rajapaksa’s in power. His new found friends at the UN will back him up. I talk here of the well known upright democracies that backed him recently like … China ( one of the worlds worst abusers ) Libya , Myammar, Pakistan , and that well known upholder of human freedoms Robert Mugabi of Zimbabwie
I am for reconciliation. I am also for equality for all citizens. The manner in which the war was prosecuted and the way the Tamil civilians are being treated does not in any way reflect the wish to reconcile. If those wishing to reconcile are genuine and are the silent majority let them be silent no more. The first steps for reconciliation should be taken not by those who have been wronged, but the other side. If my memory serves me right, the hawks from both side came to play ball after the supposedly democratic moderates for both sides blew the whistle to start the game.
On behalf of the sinhala people i would like to apologise to all our tamil brethen who went through a nightmare in 1983 even though i was n’t even born yet at that time.
Soft words win hard arguments…..
I would like to point out only one point here. Some say, majority of the Sinhala people wants to live with tamils. Yes, they want to live tamil to avoid the separation. They don’t want to give a single right to tamil. I can say this with facts:
1. When “Sinhala only” rule was on the table, majority of the Sinhala people supported it and elected the government for that.
2. After the riots (1956, 1977, 1983, etc) there were no words from any of the Sinhalese parties. Some people warned tamils to leave without taking any goods.
I have a clear proof : My we live in Badulla. We had big hours and yards. In our area, most of them Sinhalease and some of them Muslims. There are some tamils but not closed by. When the riots happened in 1983, the same neibours we were forced to hide in bushes for 2 days. Then went to a School (I don’t remember the name of the school) with a help of a muslim family.
I press the enter before I finished. sorry
I would like to point out only one point here. Some say, majority of the Sinhala people wants to live with tamils. Yes, they want to live tamil to avoid the separation. They don’t want to give a single right to tamil. I can say this with facts:
1. When “Sinhala only” rule was on the table, majority of the Sinhala people supported it and elected the government for that.
2. After the riots (1956, 1977, 1983, etc) there were no words from any of the Sinhalese parties. Some people warned tamils to leave without taking any goods.
I have a clear proof : My we live in Badulla. We had big hours and yards. In our area, most of them Sinhalease and some of them Muslims. There are some tamils but not closed by. When the riots happened in 1983, the same neighbors along with the mobs came to attack us. we were forced to hide in bushes for 2 days. Then went to a School (I don’t remember the name of the school) with a help of a muslim family. We were sent to Bati then sent to Jaffna by Ship.
The very strange part was, when we went back to Badulla after all done (few months later), there were no stuffs in our house. A persion, who lived closed to our house, with some other people came and gave Rs 10000 and ask my dad to sell our house. We did not have any choice but left with just Rs 10000.
You think, I will forget all this and extend my hand for peace with those same people. A big NO. We just lost assets and money and stuffs. But, so many people lost their lifes. What you all will say to them “Forget everything, and go for future of SRILANKA”. ????
The reconciliation is well and fine.
Is there a way to bring back the Srilankan Govt and Army from its present state of war hysteria ?
Army is planning to jumbo size its strength in the coming years.
That means the Govt is yet to be confident of fully eradicating the militancy . War is not over ?
The Govt may be envisaging counter insurgency plans by installing army camps in all villages. (Where else otherwise ? )
That situation will be equivalent to the one years back prevailed in VVT which some way caused the rise and growth of Prabhakaran phenomenon.
The home cooking of Rajapakses looks fishy.
Watching the functioning of Govtof Srilanka, one thing is sure. The Govt is impartial. The govt treat everyone equaliy.
If you raise your voice , you are done. Irrespective of your caste, religion or race.
The Govt has forgotten diplomacy .
It is continuously exhibiting a confrontational attitude to foreign nations and international organizations.
It looks the Srilankan Govt can not survive or carry out its business without an enemy on other side.
I think the Srilankan state is erected on a single pillar only. My perspective is superficial, may be wrong.
The challenge of the hour is to rein the executive and install the four pillars of a democratic state.
There should be public concern and collective voice for a change. Forget your race.
I would like to add to what Gopal said in comment 35. I am a Malaysian Sinhalese and have lived in Malaysia for 5 decades. Malaysia got its independence from the British in 1957, about 9 years after SL did. Population of SL is about 20 million while Malaysia’s about 25 million.
Both countries at time of independence had a lot in common – Malays were largely in the rural areas, Indian Tamils were mostly in rubber estates working as tappers, Chinese were doing business in urban areas or working in tin mines, Celyon Tamils, Malayalis and some English educated Malays were in government service and universities. The army and police though dominated by Malays, had a few Indian Tamils and Sikhs.
Currently non-malays ( the minorities ) make up about 35% of the population. Gopal has highlighted the discriminations that currently occur, and the riots that have taken place. There were no public apologies from any party over the riots. Islam is the foremost religion and Malaysian flag has the crescent representing Islam but no other symbols to represent other religions. This was never an issue. Tamil and Mandarin are not considered National languages, and hence Tamil and Mandarin Universities are not allowed to be built here.
Just like SL, Malaysia practices standardisation for university entry, the only difference is system practised in SL is far better, in that affirmative action is practised in favour of rural students regardless of race. Affirmative action in Malaysia is ( due to majoritarian policies ) heavily biased in favour of the Malays ( bumiputras ) regardless of whether they hail from rural or urban areas. The same affirmative policies for the majority also apply for government scholarships, contracts for government projects and entry to government jobs. Hence about 85% or more in government service today are Malays, and they occupy about 98% of the armed forces and about 90% of the police force.
So why haven’t the non-Malays who comprise 35% of the population taken up arms to demand equal rights like the SL Tamils? Well the fact that Malaysia does not have India and China as immediate neighbours ( we have instead the worlds largest muslim nation as a neighbour ) is perhaps a reason. But there are other reasons – you see non-Malays have alternatives or options and we were pragmatic to realise that taking up arms would leave us in a far worse position. Let me explain.
Unlike SL, Malaysia embarked on job creation though industralization very early. A visiting SL economics lecturer in the early 1970s ( a family friend ) was very unhappy upon seeing the numerous Japanese, European and American multi-national factories here – he remarked “ Take a look at this country ( ie Malaysia ), about 80% of its economy belongs to foreigners”. As if having foreigners invest here by building factories is akin to giving up the countries independence!!!
Every time I visit SL, I’m sad to see the cars on the road, because every car, truck, bus or motorcycle in SL represents a loss of thousands of jobs. I’m told that almost 100% of vehicles on SL roads are imported ( either new or reconditioned used ones ). This contrasts sharply with Malaysia where 90% of the cars are either locally manufactured or locally assembled. The population of SL and Malaysia is only slightly smaller than Malaysia which means both countries have the same consumer base. By using tariff structures in favour of local assembly, SL could have easily encouraged car manufactures to assembly vehicles in SL and getting them to increase local content year by year. Each car has thousands of components – start by setting up factories to manufacture simple stuff first like car mats, carpets, seats, lights, rubber tubing, tyres, batteries, spark plugs etc before going into more complicated parts. The same existing distributors can be used to sell the cars.
Use the same local assembly concept for all other consumer products like fridges, TVs , washing machines etc. About 70% of the population of any developing country will have quit school before O-levels. These so called screw-driver factories have helped immensely to up lift the standard of living of this group. One of the first things we noticed when factories came up is the difficulty in getting domestic maids. Today you never hear of Malaysians working as maids overseas, whereas a lot of SL maids work overseas and some are abused. When 70% of the population is up-lifted, a cascade effect takes place – people buy more clothes and other consumer products, new houses etc and more businesses sprout up to cater for this demand.
One of the first things you notice when you develop the private sector is rural – urban migration. Malaysia has been so successful in developing the private sector that our 25 million population is not enough, and today we have about 2 million foreign works in Malaysia ( mostly from Indonesia and Bangladesh ) working here legally or illegally. Over the years hundreds of Indonesians have drowned crossing the Malacca Straits in over-crowded boats, attempting to get to Malaysia illegally.
Now the land area in SL is smaller that that of Malaysia, hence SL may not need as many foreign workers. My point is if you really develop the north and east, after some time you will find the 15% population of SL Tamils to be grossly inadequate to fill all the jobs there. There will be natural migration of Sinhalese to these areas, and this may be a far better thing that attempting to create instant colonies in these areas.
Now were countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand fortunate to have visionary leaders? Maybe and maybe not. In the 1960s the Vietnam war was on-going and the US believed in the Domino theory, and bodies like the World Bank may have nudged these countries to aggressively go for job creation, in the belief that if a person has a decent job he or she is less likely to be a communist rebel. The same advise would have been given to SL at that time, and it is the fault of both Sinhalese and Tamil politicians as well as Sinhalese and Tamil economic advisers of that time not to heed such advise, and encourage foreign investment and implement economic polices that did not merely rely on agriculture, textiles and tourism for growth.
I dare say that if correct economic policies were implemented in the 1950s, 60s and 70s the two JVP riots, the LTTE uprising and even the 83 Colombo riots may never have occurred. If the rural and urban poor had decent jobs and there was a larger middle class, it would not have been so easy for either Sinhalese or Tamil politicians to recruit thugs.
On the education front minorities here have some options. When SL created the private North Colombo Medical University, Malaysia borrowed a leaf from SL and allowed private universities to function. Today we have local and foreign private universities ( Monash , Curtin, Nottingham and even Manipal Medical College ) here. We all know what happened to the North Colombo Medical University.
Additionally, because Malaysia developed fast, the strength of its currency was always much stronger with respect to foreign currencies than the SL rupee, and hence it made it more affordable for minorities to go overseas to study. That is why for many years Malaysians were often the largest overseas student group in the UK, Australia, NZ and the US.
Attitudes of the ordinary citizen is also important. For the Jaffna Tamil, no university entrance = no good government job = end of the world. For the Malaysia Chinese, if he can’t get into a college or university and can’t afford to go overseas to study, he might for example, join a motorcycle repair shop as a junior mechanic and learn what he can while on the job. In a couple of years time, he might set up his own one man shop under a tree or a large umbrella to service motorcycles. After a few years, he’ll set up his own shop and earn far more than a graduate in government service.
Malaysia is not perfect. There is corruption and society is polarised. During the office lunch interval, it is common to see Malays, Chinese and Indians sitting in separate tables. SL is fortunate that some Sinhalese and Tamils are of the same religion ie Christians. In Malaysia all Malays are Muslims, and any attempt to convert them is forbidden by law.
Many SL Tamils feel that federalism is an answer to their problems as minorities. That has not proven to be the case in Malaysia – since time of independence, Malaysia has had 13 states with own state governments under a central Federal government. This state government system have not mitigated the discriminations mentioned above.
Many SL Tamils also favour meritocracy when it come to university entrance and entry into government service. I diagree. It is important to realise that rural students are disadvantaged not just in the quality of facilities and teachers. A rural family or an urban squatter faimly may have 8 kids living in a ghetto house with parents because of poverty less interested in education and more interested in getting the kids to quit school early to contribute to the family income. Such an environment is not conducive for studies. It is very important that affermative polices are in place for these rual folks, otherwise very serious rural – urban tensions can result. When the whole country is an urban area or city state like Singapore, then only meritoracy become feasible.
On the political front, younger Malaysians have come to realise that the existing race based political parities can no longer effectively serve their needs and is a root cause of racial polarization and the country is now in the early stages of creating multi-race political parties.
The real lesson for SL is that aggressive job creation via development, ( despite or in spite of perceived or real discrimination existing with regards to language, religion, government jobs and university entrance ), can help avoid civil wars.
And Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Brazil, Bolivia, in fact the UK motion only got one vote outside the European/North American block.
# 81
Selva
R u realy stupid or pretending to be so?
1.I wont say that sinhala only policy was good but if u say to people now all ur work wud be done in ur language not english wud people object to it? It s the nature of the people and they all ways think only about them selves.
2.U dont know even the basic rules of politics if u admit ur wrong ur doomed thats it.IT wasnt because that they were sinhala parties that they didnt say it was wrong but thats POLITICS for u.they knew that if they say so which thats the end of their political careers .
So please present a valid argument next time around.
There is a big task in front of every right thinking Sri Lankans. There areover 200,000 in the camp awaiting mopping operation. If all can unite and accelerate this process that operation itself will help healing the wounds.
There are fears of “ethnic cleansing” and colonisation while keeping tamils in the camp and numerous rumors about activities around the camp.
If the singhalese friends can pay attention and assist the Government to do their operation in months rather than years the unity you are looking for will come on its own.
Dear DBS and others,
I have been an ardent reader of the writings of DBSJ for a while, although this is my first contribution to the discussion in terms of a comment. In this time it became quite apparent that readers often try to situate commentators based on perceptions of their ethnicity. So before I proceed any further, let me introduce myself so that you can use whatever coloured lenses you choose to gauge the merits or otherwise of my comments.
I am a probably a Sinhalese, although I claim this identity with due caution, knowing full well that the ethnic identities we take for granted today are largely an outgrowth of colonial (and postcolonial) efforts at classifying and categorizing populations. From the perspective of the Sri Lankan state (and that of Sinhalese nationalists) I am probably a ?deshadrohiya? (a traitor) for refusing to endorse its hardline, chauvinistic rhetoric. And from the perspective of the LTTE and some of its acolytes, my life is probably worth less than an ants because (a) I am probably Sinhalese and (b) I would like them held accountable (along with the SL state) for the gross human rights violations it has committed over the past 2-1/2 decades.
With that out of the way, please allow me to strongly endorse the general sentiment expressed by all three writers that some form of reconciliation and amity needs to develop between Sinhalese and Tamils. I am particularly heartened by the comments by two Sinhalese who have been fairly magnanimous at a moment in history when a sense of victory and euphoria is sweeping through the Sinhalese nation.
I hate to strike a discordant note. But It is, however, time to take stock of the realities we face regarding inter ethnic relations if we are to take any meaningful steps so that the society envisaged by all three writers can become a reality. While I would like to believe that most Sinhalese would like to treat Tamils as equals within a multiethnic, multireligious society, this is unfortunately not reflective of the ground reality in Sri Lanka.
When we received independence in 1948, we chose to define the state as ethnonationalist (ie. Sinhala Buddhist), quite in contrast to, say, India, which adopted a secular constitution. For generations, many of us grew up within this hegemonic milieu, uncritically accepting the doctrine of Sinhalese supremacy, and taking for granted that the ?minorities? need to ?learn to live? peacefully within a society dominated by the Sinhalese. I cannot absolve myself of this offence, and for that, I am truly sorry. Even those of us who were privileged urbanites who got to attend prestigious schools ? in my case, the school by the sea ? were hardly subjected to any kind of formal, liberal, education where equality was stressed. Rather, it was assumed that just because I got to hobnob with Tamils and Muslims in the classroom and during extracurricular activities, I would grow to respect and understand difference. That this experiment has been an utter failure is evidenced by the fact that many of my Sinhalese friends are spouting volumes of nationalist mumbo jumbo on facebook after the recent events in SL, while my Tamil friends are largely quiet on the subject.
In many ways, many of today?s Sinhalese political leaders are themselves the product of this milieu. While people like SWRD towed a chauvinist line knowing full well the errors of their ways, folks like Mahinda Rajapakse, his brothers, and many other rotters we have in parliament (on both sides of the aisle) are firmly committed to the cause of Sinhala Buddhism. They are aptly supported by hypocrites like ex-liberal party stalwart Rajiva Wijesinghe, and Palitha Kohona, who should know better but choose to do so in the interests of power. And of the communists who are in the Rajapakse cabinet, the less said the better, because it boggles the mind even to try to envisage how that lot can justify their support for a chauvinistic regime.
The point, of course, is that the Sinhala Buddhist hegemony is well-entrenched at the uppermost echelons of society that I would be most surprised if any meaningful steps are taken to address the decades of systematic discrimination against the Tamils.
But most important, perhaps, is to understand that the Sinhala masses are also products of this milieu of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism. It is these young people, who despite having lacked the privileged opportunities many of us on this board may share, were presented with a hegemonic Sinhala Buddhist ideology in a way that would encourage them to lay down their lives on behalf of a state that had failed them. If you care to read any of the Sinhala language newspapers, you will see that the strains of hegemonic SB nationalism continue to be strong, and are in fact widely endorsed.
There are, of course, parallels among the Tamils and DBSJ has highlighted on many occasions the pitfalls of strident Tamil nationalism.
What we have then are two polarized ethnic groups who would see themselves as superior to each other, clamour for human rights as long as it affects only their own, and have been rendered largely incapable of respecting and accepting differences and of viewing each other as full citizens in what should be a secular state.
How we can proceed from here is anybody?s guess.
=========
Thank you for this honest, thoughtful response………..DBSJ
#99 Pramod
I absolutely agree with everything you had to say. So far too much emphasis have been placed in the differences that exist between Tamils and Sinhalese, certainly in political terms.
However, as you rightly pointed out there are commonality between the two communiites, and indeed with the Muslims as well.
It would grately help all of us to find those common ground and work closely to rectifiy those difficiences. Bearing in mind, however, grate differences do exist between the communiites, politically, and they too need to be addressed amicably, however long it may take to resolve them.
I sincerely welcome all the sentiments pouring out so far and great calls for reconciliation. And we all know the sentiments takes us only so far, reality on the ground is right opposite.
Reason is that sentiments are usually without any meaning full actions. If only sentiments and altruistic words take care of the problems it would have done the job in 1958.
Truth is that moment you start talking legitimate grievances and constitutional reform the sentiments goes out of the window and daggers and guns are pulled out.
If people are serious about sentiments of reconciliation I expect the so call silent majority shouting from roof top for justice for the people who live in IDP camp behind barbed wire like cattle( they are not the elites of srilankan society participating in this forum)
At least people can turn their sentiments into action by shouting for free media and they are the corner stone for any reconciliation. Media members are threatened and assaulted as we speak and the president (King) is still celebrating victory.
Unfortunate truth is that geopolitical game has already started and China and India like to see a predictable one party ( like Ba’ath party of saddam) in Sri lanka.
Tamils are already drowned in the geopolitical game, hence our reconciliation or sentiments do not have much weight.
If any good is going to happen to Sri lanka, the so call silent sinhala majority sentiments should not stay with beautiful sentimental words but real action on the ground.
Otherwise you will come to regret the monster you created trying to drown you as well. ( may be too late)
( Think of this if anyone knows the founding fathers of USA and the constitution they created and the amendments based on individual rights and freedom.
They did not trust their sentiments, nor their future generation when they sat down to draft the constitution for future of the country.)
Quid Pro Quo #104, thank you for articulating my thoughts better than I could ever dream of! How we proceed from here is captured best in Frantz Fanon’s words:
“The life of the nation is shot through with a certain falseness and hypocrisy, which are all the more tragic because they are so often subconscious rather than deliberate … The soul of the people is putrescent, and until that becomes regenerate and clean, no good work can be done.”
The regeneration has begun with Mohan’s letter. Let the ripples spread my brother!
Hello:
I really thank these two gentlemen from the bottom of my heart.
BUT I also feel that the same type of thinking should come from the sinhalese political leaders.They should show by their actions that they can be trusted.Unless they show the courage to make changes in the political system to accomodate Tamils in a meaningful way suspicion will continue
Friends, please let me share this experience with you.
Sometime in early 1990s when the army entered our little town in Kayts, they randomly decided to occupy an aunt of mine?s house. That?s how the army behaved in occupied places. And, once they decided to stay there, they also decided that the houses surrounding that house would block their view if they were attacked by the militants. So, they dynamited all the surrounding buildings (about seven to eight big houses including our own ancestral home) and using bulldozers, they erased all the buildings to the ground. We were told that the truck drivers who brought food to the army were given the option to buy those houses and their contents. Everything in the houses, including doors, door frames, windows, wooden pillars, cupboards, beds, almeiras, dining table, chairs, clothes etc, were all SOLD to them. When I visited our property in 2004, there was only the foundation left and the land was covered with bushes and over-grown trees. Passers-by advised me not to go in, saying there might be unexploded bombs there. So, I did not.
My mother was living in our ancestral home with my sister when the army came. Then they were moving towards our area, the militants advised my mother to go to the closest church and come back after the army had passed through the town. Unfortunately for her, the army decided not to move on but to stop there. When the neighbours came to know that our house had been demolished, they told my mum not to return home and persuaded her to go straight from there to Colombo. Heartbroken, she travelled by tractor, bicycle, bus etc and came to Colombo with nothing except a towel and a spare set of clothes in a little bag. Fortunately, my brother was then living in Colombo and she was able to stay with him. I flew up the very next day and bought her a whole lot of things, just to show her that we cared. I remember my brother and I were very angry about what happened but, she was philosophical about it. She seldom showed her anger or sadness. She said that she was only sorry that she lost our family albums and the Sacred Heart picture that was hanging in our house.
A few years later, on one of my visits to Colombo, I was at her house in Wellawatte one evening chatting to her. Then a woman living down the same road came in with her son, a young man, with a tray of beetle leaves etc. They came in and stood with great piety in front of my mum. First the woman said something to my mum and then the young man fell at my mother?s feet and asked for her blessings. Mother blessed him and said she would pray for him. They both left smiling happily.
After they left, I asked mum who they were and she said, ?That?s Menike and her son, he came to ask for my blessings before going to Jaffna. He has joined the army. Poor fellow, he can?t find any other job here?. I was shocked to hear this. I gently reminded her that it was the army that demolished our ancestral home etc. My mother said, ?So, you can?t hate all the people just because some of them did something bad?. I was lost for words. My eighty eight year old mum was still able to teach me a few lessons.
Friends, can you imagine any other part of the world where this could happen? A young man who is joining the army to fight against a community asking the blessings of an elder from that same community and who has earlier been a victim of that very same armed forces. People who talk of ?thousands of years of enmity? should look around them to see who our enemies are. Our common enemies are those people who tell us that we are different.
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DBSJ RESPONDS:
Thank you very much for relating this moving anecdote.
The young man joined the army not to fight a “community” but to fight against “terrorism” and safeguard his country. Intuitively he knew the difference between your mother and the “enemy”.
Your mother recognized clearly that this boy who joined the army was not an oppressor. She could differentiate between those who harmed her and this lad. I think she understood the action of even those who did the damage and forgave them
There are innumerable acts of humanity transcending so called ethnic hostility between people of all communities in Sri Lanka.
Likewise there are many acts of cruelty too towards people of one ethnicity by another.
Unfortunately the discourse has been dominated by references to the latter.
It is time for us to focus more on the former.
I am very sad to see the plane the recent discussions taking place in this blog.
I would say it is childish.
There were no gaps in the personal relationship between sinhalese ans tamils. (Even the top leaders of Tigers had parteners from another race).
The plain and simple truth is Tamils are politically not treated fairly. This is a “rights” issue.
Most of sinhala media and politician hates Tigers (they later made ordinary people do the same) and its leadership, not because they were responsible for bumb blast in south, but they were the strength of Tamil people by all means, who otherwise pleasing and praising majority for personal gains.
They know (some times they don’t want to know) Tigers attacked civilian targets in response to the act of sri lankan army in northeast (If anybody doubt this can check it). But they purposefully hides.
Somebody gave assurance regarding 1983 that it will not happen again. Is there any assurance regarding what just has happened in Wanni.
Looks funny!
There is nothing more Tamils can do. They fought for their rights peacefully – failed. Violently – again failed. So sinhalease has to come forward to solve this problem. – only if they really worry about peace and …….
Please don’t hide the truth for the sake of anything.
PS: One thing for sure without LTTE in the future, we can learn songs in others languages, we can go to “Big matches” together and can have Beer and come back home without stoping at the checkpoints!! – great achivements.
DBSJ RESPONDS:
You pompously dismiss these sentiments as being childish.
You are entitled to your misplaced arrogance but let me point out that Jesus Christ asked us all to be like little children.
WE need to be like children at times
It is better to be childlike and innocent rather than be adult like and pooh -pooh everything.
You seem to have contempt for those who sing songs in other languages,going together for big mstches and drink beer.
Let me tell you all these things were happening in Colombo, Kandy and abroad even when the LTTE was ruling the roost.
One of the few binding factors and symbols that withstood the ravages of ethnic enmity was the “Old School Tie”.
Wherever and whenever possible the old boys irrespective of ethnicity rallied around their college flags, staunch and true.
At the same time the reality in Sri Lanka has been that due to the educational system and demographic patterns opportunuities for inter – ethnic schooling and solidarity has been denied to the vast majority of people.
It is indeed a pity.
Still there is no need to scoff at or mock people who have had the benefit of mixing amicably with others transcending ethnic differences.
Your postscript indicate where your sympathies lie.
Before I stop let me also remind you that there are other “benefits” too in a post -LTTE scenario.
For one thing young children will not be conscripted forcibly and sent to the frontline as cannon fodder.
Now the children can go to school, study, play , get jobs and who knows go for big matches, drink beer and sing songs in each others language
Alternatively what we need is an external “enemy” that we can all focus on…. how about them cocky Maldivian bastards eh?
Ah come on, it’s only a joke…..
Just saw a bunch of clips of the “victory” parade…. the cash could have been put to much better use in improving services in the IDP camps. Yesterday, the Italians celebrated Independence Day in a low key way so that they could send the money saved to L’Aquila for the earthquake victims. If Berlusconi could do some thing like that…. why the hell?
Here’s another way forward – Mahinda is probably going to call for a general election soon so that he can come in with a majority. How about we send him a message saying, thanks for winning the war but we are going to elect someone else!
Banu,
I just pointed out where is the majority of singalease . Fact is, I am not talking about the politics, I am talking about the losses (life). I know people, who live with cry. Go and find out. You idiot sit in luxury house and talk about some friendships.
I felt the pain from my heart. I am not against any sinhalese. Even, I have sinhala friends. My point was, whatever your comments from UK, USA, Canada, etc. won’t help. You live in civilized western Country you were taught how to respect others. The lesson is “Respect others then get respect”. In Srilanka, the policy is “Get respect but don’t respect others”. is it stupid enough for you?
This is from Prof. Boyle:
“The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is continuing to inflict Nazi-type crimes and atrocities against the Tamils even after their alleged excuse of fighting a “war against terrorism” has been exposed as a bogus pretext to annihilate the Tamils and to steal their lands and natural resources. This is what Hitler and the Nazis called “lebensraum”–”living space” for the Sinhala at the expense of the Tamils. The GOSL’s “ethnic cleansing” of the Tamil Homeland for the benefit of the Sinhala is now underway,”
Is it stupid for you Banu?
As per theory “if there is a national mis-understanding between nationalities, they should seperate”. But as per the situation even fedralism is a remote one, as someone mentioned above.
I am not sure how Chaturanga, Cicil or Mohan are thinking about federalism. But before that, we have to see some reality.
See Mohan says like this “How can you help? Tamils should reach out to the Sinhalese and speak about the grievance you have, and ask them to help you achieve security and equality.”
Nelson Mandela, said “lets forget and reconcile” – remember Mandela is going to get Majority before saying this message. Similar words MR said on parliament ‘victory’ speech. But totally different world.
But I am a tamil I do not have the power to forget and re-build. Also I willl accept all the bad things tigers did to Sinhalease, and I can feel for them. I will not forget those. As well as I will not forget the mass murders.
Basically words does not heal. While we are kissing each other here, colonization is being planned. disappearances are happening. injured soldgers are dying. Kids are lost almost one year of study…
Guys: “We cannot just talk while all these things are happening”. Thease are not grievance. Thease are some serious issues to dealt with immediately. words does not heal but we can voice to heal. If we do not at least voice to those issues… forget it.
Hi,
Though my name sounds typical English, I am a tamil, was born and bred in Jaffna. My entire education to secondary level was in Jaffna and then I moved to Colombo to work and study. I have many singhalese friends and they are very true to yourself. The whole infrastructure of the North in ruins and so many innocent lives were lost. All these innocent civilians died not knowing why they died. I BEG, I repeat, I BEG all media not to indulge in hatred views and let us all give these innocent children to live in this world in peace and harmony. Let us give peace a chance.
These letters are most welcome in today’s time and place. yet as Timhorton said in post#1, we should also take the steps necessary to ensure lasting unity between the communities. This entails a neutral investigation into the crimes committed by BOTH sides.
I’ve seen enough people brush the need for an independent neutral investigation& trial for the human rights abuses in the name of “reconciliation”. As I, and many others pointed out in the previous article by DBSJ(where he posted Mohan’s letter) , The only way to ensure that we do not repeat the past is to see to that Justice is served. One cannot move “forward’ from a position of ignorance. We have to understand and deal with what transpired as a nation in order to lay firm groundwork for a united lanka. Anyone who has seen a building being built knows that the “foundation’ has to be adamantine. If its built in shaky ground the building will come tumbling down. No amount of “patching up” will prevent the collapse of the building if the groundwork is not solid.
otherwise any “reconciliation” would be but an illusion that habours simmering ill intent within. Also its time, that we look deeper , rather than skim over the causes and grievances. It would entail many a person to rethink his most cherished convictions, but that’s what happens when we need a paradigm shift. Lets hope that people are brave enough to undertake this essential task.
The South African experience tells us that:
“the path to reconcilliation is through truth”
what Sri Lanka needs is a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and whilst there is no hope of any meaningful government support for such an initiative, the Anglican and Catholic churches can together be the catalyst for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that has pan-religious sanction.
aratai | June 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 am
“The real Peace is when Sinhalese are ready to accept separate state for Tamils and when Tamils say No, lets stay together as one nation”.
Interesting… but that will never happen as the mutual trust is not there. In establising that trust both races have to work hard, not just one.
It should not be forgotten there was a way soft liner community within sinhalese when CBK came to power in 1994 which was the ideal situation to address the minority grievences with majority being fully convinced.
But, LTTE overestimatedly or greedily ignored that golden opportunity and worked towards more killings giving the birth to a much hardliner community of sinhalese where they switched to the other end for meeting their new found grievences at LTTE’s presence.
I can only think of Tagore’s poem to describe our future road:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action–
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
— Rabindranath Tagore
First of all I would like to thank DBSJ to create the opportunity via this forum to have healthy discussion from the all sides. This is the first step towards the long journey towards peaceful nation building. Owing to the past gun culture many of us even outside of Sri Lanka kept quite. As result we have lost too much. Our country turned into the battle ground. Now, almost everybody understood the cynical ideology played by the selfish political leaders and the so called freedom fighters. We can’t let these culprits ruins our life once again.
I have read all three letters written by Mohan, Cicil & Chaturanga with DBSJ’s introduction few times. Even though I do not agree with few points on these letters I really appreciate and encourage their ultimate intention to bring unity of both Sinhalese and Tamils by easing tension, distrust and hatred. Actually this is every Sri Lankan’s duty to rebuild and reunite each community together and bring the peace and harmony to our county. For our future and our children future, everybody should take part this sort of activities on their level best.
Those days, whenever I spent my summer holiday at my Uncle’s place in KKS (Cement Factory quarters), I used to play with kids who are Tamils, Sinhalese & Muslims. Still, I have those sweet memories in my mind. When I was little boy I went to the “ Tamil Research Conference” in Jaffna with my family and we got beaten up by the police(most of them Sinhalese) without any reason when Government police started rampage. Still in my mind I have those bad memories too. Even during the ethnic riots lot of Tamils got Killed and affected by Sinhalese. They still got those bad memories. Lot of Tamils (including my sister family) got protected by the Sinhalese. They still remember those friendships with gratitude… Since this war started, there are little percentage of the people had chance to get integrate with other side of the community. If you ask young Sinhalese they may say most of Tamils are “Kotti” or “suicide bomber”. Same way young Tamils may look Sinhalese on the face of the brutal army. When I and my family went to Jaffna four years back, at Mugamalai check point, when army officers (male & female) saw my two years baby daughter, they ran towards to her and start cuddle & kiss her. Even I saw tears on a lady officer’s eyes and she said she miss her baby daughter back home. Me and my wife were shocked that emotional way they behave in camouflage uniform. Basically everybody may come across different kind of situations and experiences and they earned different kind of opinions about our communal relationship. There was right and wrong; good and bad. There was reason to love each others and there was reason to hate each others.
We have to realise one thing clearly. There was situation that pushes Tamil youths to engage in the armed struggle. I think that was the failure to the political system. Our Sinhala political leaders fail to prevent that situation, which turned in to full scale of war. This terrible war has divided this nation. It has bred mistrust and contempt among some for others. These emotions won’t disappear with the end of the war. There will be lots of work to be done. Armed forces won the battle on the ground. Now Government and Sinhala people should started the battle to win the hearts of the Tamil people. Tamils not begging for mercy: Tamils not expecting any sympathy. But we ask for what we deserve. This is very promising to see from many of the Sinhala brothers and sisters’s comments on this forum and I can see how believe they have on peace. I’m pretty confident that Sinhala friends from the outside of this forum have similar attitudes towards the peace and reconciliation. I would like to ask my Tamil friends Please keep faith on peace full reconciliation. Armed struggle brought/brings nothing other than destruction. Please do not get hoodwinked by others. Think wisely and act smartly.
We have discussed many things in the recent days and may be this is the right time to move next step forward. I think first, Diaspora from both side get together and form a Global Body based on mutual understanding and from there they can build the blocks forward. I would like to see more comments on this regard in the near future. IF DBSJ AGREES!
Chaturanga Janaka Bandaranayake, you say:(quote)
‘People ask of us, as the Sinhalese community to hold our politicians to account for their actions and words, but we cannot do this until the Tamil community come forward to join with us and share their grievances and concerns with us.’
But anybody who comes forward and share their concerns about the way the Sri Lankan government have dealt with war, is either threaten, abducted or worse, killed. Be that Tamil or Sinhalese.
You also say:(quote)
‘Why then do some ask that some Sinhalese rejoiced when the war was announced over, it was only their relief, after living this nightmare for so long they were expressing a sense of relief, that one way or another it was over.’
But yet, 2 weeks after the war was declared over, you are still celebrating with a big ‘victory’ parade(On 3th June). I think it’s utterly rubbish that Rajapakse says he’s opening his arms up for the tamil community and then insults them by celebrating the ‘death’ of their leader.
And obviously this parade must have cost a lot of money. Money that could have been used for something much more useful, such as food and medicin for the displaced civilians in the refugee camps. Especially when they are not allowing any international aid agencies to access the camps.
Considering these things I find it hard to believe that the Sri Lankan government is gonna do much good for the Tamil people. Even some of your people don’t believe your government, how do you want us to believe them as well?
My personal opinion is that in a few months time when Rajapakse and his people have pleased the international countries and they then turn their eyes away from Sri Lanka, it’s just gonna go back to the ‘good’ old days, when everything had to go the sinhalese way. The Tamil population on Sri Lanka is a minority and will be so forever and the Sri Lankan government will keep reminding us of that.
The LTTE have done some cruel stuff over the years and so has the Sri Lankan Army, but because of LTTE and V. Prabhakaran every single Tamil person have in the last 25 years been able to walk the street with their heads held high and be proud of themself for being TAMIL. And they still can and should.
DBSJ RESPONDS:
I dont know whether Tamils harassed and humiliated at check points would say they were able to walk the street with their heads held high because of LTTE and V.Prabhakaran.
The battered and broken Tamil IDP’s in Vavuniya are relating tragic stories and cursing the LTTE and Prabhakaran.
This is the reality.
Why is it that not even a single memorial function has been held anywhere in the world to pay homage to Prabhakaran and other LTTE leaders who in your words enabled “every single Tamil person in the last 25 years to walk the streets with their head held high”?
JM Pillai’s (#109) is a story that brings out the best in the human species and spirit. Bless his dear Mother.
A great service towards peace and unity will be served if this discourse secures a wider audience throughout the Sinhala and Tamil newspapers. Does the govt and its
hundreds of “advisors” care to learn from these
heart-rending stories.
Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan
The views expressed in this blog need to become the mainstream in order to conquer the divide. I do agree that it is extremely crucial that the people of sri lanka put appropriate pressure on the government immediately to allow foreign aid workers in. Tamils do not trust the gov’t to provide them with funding to assist the IDPs. The funds will wind up lining the corrupt politicians pockets or strengthen the military while the people affected are left to wither in camps. Aid organizations are prepared and ready to move and should be given the opportunity to prove it. It would give substance to this discussion and move reconciliation in the right direction. DBSJ – you are a true citizen of the planet!
Sinhalese friends think that 1983 riots was the last riots against the Tamils. They forgot one fact that riots was moved to north and east from colombo and still it is continuing in various forms. The same thugs were given legal rights and well polished uniform and payment to kill Tamils in north and east. Tamils don’t feel in their heart that Sri Lanka is their country. You can not heel our wound. We are not from the same country.
This response is for the comments made by Shalini,
Probably minority Tamils who live in overseas may think that their heart is not in Srilanka. But Tamils living in Srilanka think that they are liberated and their hearts and souls are with mother land. It is a privilege to live with Sinhalese brothers in Srilanka rather than live and work as slaves in foreign countries.
It is too early to discuss or think about reconciliation. Nothing is genuinely going to happen till the war criminals responsible for the mass murder are punished by the International court and the paramiltary groups are also wiped out from the Srilankan Community by the Government. They are the one who makes more damages to our community.
It is very heartening to see most welcome reconciliation and to live in peace as Sri Lankans.
During my school days it was a memorable trip with two of our Tamil Masters accompanying and we stayed one night at my master’s home at Chavakachcheri. We saw the prestigous schools in Jaffna, the grape vyne yard and the famous “Welden” baniyan ( i still miss these soft well woven long and short sleeves baniyans i used to wear as a school boy) factory and crossing over the ferries and lagoons
Again as a young adult on the invitation of my fellow officers in Jaffna , we had the most wonderful visit and memories still linger in our minds.- palmarayh toddy , kotta kilam , and famous nandu curry etc.
I am expressing my sentiments of the past only as most welwishers had given their thoughts on IDP and various other issues.
It’s better to listen to your heart at this time of need!
Now just passing 61 , I request from all brethern not to spread hatred and enemity and drag to another bad phase as you will have misery again, nothing else.
I am counting my days to visit Jaffna again
Yo Ylysses,
Still demanding to see a head at the end of the stick?
I really like to know whose batch you are. If you knew Mr Cooray then you are from my era.
BTW, what’s your favourite Aus beer? Mine was VB
Dear all
All these time, we fought each other with bullets and shells.
Looks like, we all have, understood the uselessness of such acts (to a some degree), the waste of life as a result.
This forum it self is the first step towards reconciliation. People who never knew our intent, people who whole heartedly supported war on both sides come to a dialogue.
No body expects us to give up our thoughts and fears overnight.
How can I forget that the war killed my mother or farther or my kith and kin?
If any thing can help us to forget what happened in the past, what it would be.
Is it a shame to be in the side that lost the war, or is it a jubilant to be in side that won the war. Am I hurt because, I lost my representation of my beliefs or do I have a fear of misrepresentation by the conqueror.
This war, anger and not understanding the aspirations and fears of communities have kept our people from, a proper decent indulgence of life, it has taken away the due place and recognition of our people. It has made us all pay with suffering and loosing what would have been a more prosperous and developed land where all enjoy life at equality.
We have missed the chance and given our opportunity to succeed as a nation to other regions of Asia. We simply have missed the bus while pointing finger at each other.
It is true, we all may have complaints, but can their be any nation or community, who does not have such? We need to burry the hatchet of hatred and superficialness in our attitudes, I know it is harder than said, but if dont do it now, we shall, our people, who are not represented in this forum, who does not understand the language or the media we use here, the very innocent of all being living in our communities will suffer for many generations.
While our people suffer, while they have lost life and limb and a decent living, can we help to drag this duet for our own ego and petty differences conceived by us?
I know we all may reconcile, if and when we are shown, repeatedly that what is said was truly meant. Needs to be shown we mean what we say as a nation. Need to make this bridge of reconciliation, when people understand what is required it is their choice to make or break a governments.
It is the people who need to trust each other, reconcile, and shed of age old beliefs, myths, and misunderstandings.
Governments will always do what the people want.
All of us can help to heal this division of opinion and make our Tamil people believe in us. We as a RECONSILED COMMUNITY shall force our representatives in the governments to do the same. If we stand together as SRI LANKANS, we can force our governments to keep our promises to the Tamil people.
Great conversation and hats off to you for starting this. I always knew that you’ll end up creating this very dialog. Yes, I too wish to apologize to our own sisters and brothers very deeply for what happened way back in 83. It was truly a shame. My only consolation of the era is a fading memory of us keeping four young boys; 3 from the North and 1 from the East on our very ceiling for 3 nights and saving them from the mobs who came looking for them from the beach in Mount before they were escorted to safety of the cop-shed in the middle of the night, in the most adventurous manner! Yes! looking back I hold the then Govt totally responsible for what happened. They failed miserably to protect their own citizens.
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since then!
I take this opportunity earnestly to invite all who left to come back and be with us once again, claiming their due RIGHTFUL places in the new SRI LANKAN society. Perhaps only then that we can truly be proud of all victories!
Kumar
” But Tamils living in Srilanka think that they are liberated and their hearts and souls are with mother land.”
so what are we talking about. How come 13,000 disappearance happened after war officially finished?
my eyes were flowing with tears when i was reading the response of mr cecil i dont know why. thanks mr Jeyaraj for your this site. i am a keen reader of your articles in the newspapers. I even switched sunday papers. So much so i dont buy nation anymore. May God bless u. I pray almighty Allah bless our beautiful island with peace forever. Aameen.
Dear DBSJ,
You made a comment to a comment;
“One of the few binding factors and symbols that withstood the ravages of ethnic enmity was the Old School Tie.
Wherever and whenever possible the old boys irrespective of ethnicity rallied around their college flags, staunch and true.”
I think you have hit the nail on the head!
All Sri Lankans should rally around the National Flag!
It is people like Mohan, Cicil, Chaturanga keep the Sri Lankan hope alive and we owe DBSJ a lot for providing such a platform for fruitful discussions.
Many Singhalese have raised this question:
What is the problem that the Tamils have in Sri Lanka?
There are many writings about this in the public domain, if one really wants to find out.
One of the main problems faced by the Tamils is that the unequal treatment given by the Sri Lankan polity. It should be noted that in the statute books today we are supposed to be near equals.
One could give many examples of such inequality. Let me give a couple of them to demonstrate my point.
EVENT: People in and around Kankesanthurai (KKS) electorate was ordered to leave by the SLA in 1989 for a cordon and search operation. They left KKS with the clothes they were wearing and was never allowed back. This is not because the KKS people were terrorists, but the SLA wanted to link KKS harbor and the Palaly air base. These people (I guess about 40 000) have been IDPs for the past 20 years. There was no compensation, no resettlement plan and no mention in the media. Most in the South are still unaware of their plight. By the way I am (was) from KKS and I know most of the IDPs settled in the Wanni area and quite a few of them or their children joined the LTTE.
QUESTION: Do you think this would happen to the people of Galle?
EVENT: Jaffna Library was burnt by the Sri Lankan police. No action was taken by the government.
QUESTION: Let us say Kandy library was burnt by some Tamil Policemen. What do you think would have happened?
“My Sinhala friends, I know you haven?t really listened to Tamil songs yet. Guys I am telling you. You don?t know what you are missing” – Cicil Fonseka.
Dear DBSJ,
Firstly your articles and comments are outstanding, entertaining, unparalleled and beyond commendable as is noted by the myriad of visitors to your insightful website. God bless you and your family!
On Fonseka’s note, I have to say growing up in aus i have had many sinhalese friends and coincidentally not a single SL tamil friend -closest is one singaporean tamil – but I know WE sinhala and tamils share a culture, food, music and awesum dance baila/bila aka dapan guthe!!
I love my fellow lankan brothers and sisters because we are down to earth people who know how to have fun aka “muspathi”. I can only hope one day, maybe in the distand future, this will come to be the future in sri lanka as well. I’m not sure about others but this is my personal experience so please dont vilify me for my experience.
I wish Sir you had choosen the land down under as your choice of residence since you are (excuse my language) – bloody brilliant and as a lankan aussie know many would embrace your views and appreciate your humour!!
Regardless of where you are and whatever you choose to pursue I hope God grants you every wish and your thinking is imparted and lives on for generations to come “nooru varsham vaalga” – funny I cant read/write tamil but i can understand and speak well =D
Peace to all!
Uma
re DBSJ’s reponse to #64. N2:
Since DBSJ you have mentioned Jesus Christ (response to #110. Nasikethan) I think I can express my point about the lack of resonance with reality thus:
James 2: 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
It is all well and good to call for reconciliation and brotherly/sisterly love etc. but that must be more than words and feeling nice and cuddley about oneself.
There must be a response (perhaps as words to start with) in regard to the real pain and sufferring of one’s brothers/sisters.
And on this matter I congratulate Chief Justice Sarath Nihal Silva for speaking out about the suffering in the internment camps.
Also I think #110. Nasikethan has a good point that there is no need for any kind of reconciliation between normal minded Tamils and Sinhalese as there was never any enmity between them.
So it is not Tamil Sinhala reconciliation that needs to be discussed but the deeper problems brought about by the more deranged elements of society who often claim patriotism etc.
Reply to #128
yeah machan, im still gonna keep on doing it. not for the head on a stick, but for a proper trial. surely you can see the difference; especially cos the fate of the nation depends on true reconciliation
no offense, but i deliberately kept away narrowing myself down with details. I don’t give personal details to people i do not know; especially during these times. not because i don’t trust you or anything..heaven forbid! but because its a policy i’ve been following for a while after a few unsavory experiences i had.. I hope you are not offended and I apologize for this behavior of mine
Mr Cooray is indeed a memorable character. He was the terror of the lower/middle school kids though.lol. later on we realized that he is in fact a very affable person. Btw, you might have known Mrs Ratwatta too, the english teacher. I know her pretty well. Her uncle was Anududdha Ratwatta. Ironically she is a staunch UNPer though.
I dont live in Aussie mate. In the past few years ive become a vegetarian and a teetotaler..no more beers
, in order to reduce my carbon footprint. To create a pound of meat, it takes 5 times its calorie output in the form of grain…its a very inefficient and wasteful process, so i’ve opted for vegetarianism. There are way too many starving people in the world for me to indulge in them anymore 
Continued from post 132,
If interested ,do read Orson Scot Card’s the “Ender’s game” and its sequel “the speaker for the dead” .They are very good books, especially the speaker for the dead. applicable to the current situation, even though they are science fiction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_for_the_dead
It is really heart-warming to see all sides of the story – A story that we might as well forget. However we should remember the lessons – the hard ones that it has taught us. I am sure there are many stories to relate. But let us look at the future.
There is much talk and feeling of discrimination. True engough there is much of it. However I see the lines are not necessarily on ethnic lines. It is very much on the ‘fafouritism’ lines. The youth Unrest Commission that investigated the JVP (so called Sinhala insurrection) made many recommendations on irorning out disparities between the ‘haves’ and have-nots’ (I think it is based on power and not money). One major recommendation that I believe had been in it and a one that was implemented by the then (Premadasa) govt. was in the provision of state sector jobs. It was 100% based on merit and there were no political influences. In my belief, this would be an ideal situation to implement such a fair policy – may be to illustrate that government means what it says. This policy will provide equal opportunities to all and will ensure that those who secure state jobs are the best and the most eligible.
Steps like these would lead the path to equal and fair play – whether you are a tamil, sinhalese, rich, poor, urban or villager etc.
Let us pray that the government will gather a strength to show everybody that they mean their words.
I have been browsing lots of Tamil related web sites last 2 weeks. You know what they all have in common. CONTRIBUTION or DONATION link. (Not this site). I think these people are taking our Tamil brothers and sisters for a ride. They are robbing your hard earn money. 10$ hear and 10 $ there soon you are talking billions.
#109 JMPillai
Similar to the story you related about the Sinhala youth who sought your mother’s blessings – which was correctly granted to the young man – is the story late Raviraj, MP Jaffna district, related in the national television and reported widely.
When the A9 was closed in August 2006, I beleive, Jaffna populace hit near starvation from unavailability of food and essential items to price hikes that put them way beyond the reach of the ordinary masses.
Soon afterwards, Raviraj flew to Jaffna. When he got off the plane at Palaly and reached the lounge a Sinhala soldier approached him with tears brimming in his eyes and told him that the Sinhala Army is only in Jaffna to fight the LTTE, and not to starve women and children. He went on to say that he too had children – that explains the tears in his eyes.
Sinhalese are generally friendly, hospitable people. It is extremely unfortunate their political culture has deteriorated to become the world’s worst fascist culture. Those in power in Sri Lanka are pampered by the international community to become the world’s worst fascists and murderers!
Dear Rashan, wars are not good, it kills people, and bullets or whatever doesn’t choose a person by ethnicity. I’m sorry, if you’ve lost your mother to this war. may i take this time to wish us all that we’d never have a war again in this country on whatever the reason!
I was not in this country when bad things happened in ’83. But, let me tell you a story. We had a shop in Colombo and most of our workers were from Jaffna. Actually, we called some uncles, some were our age, so were like our brothers. Except me, my whole family had been Jaffna on invitation by one of our uncles, and had a jolly good time in one of the villages. I didn’t have that luck, because I was away in another country, studying.
On that day, when something terrible happened in Colombo, my mother was coming to open the shop, together with one young person. Before she came there, someone had told her that something is happening and better go home. My mother is a frail person, not more than 5 feet tall. She held this young persons hand and walked more than few miles until she could persuade
a taxi man to take them home. The taxi man was afraid, but my mother has a very strong character and he had to agree to take them, and my mother kept our young person’s head on her lap all the time. After driving about 10 miles, he suddenly refused go further, so my mother walked the rest of the distance, about 3 miles, still holding this boy’s hand. This was Singhalese area, but all she wanted was to take this young person home. This young person lived in our home for nearly 3 years. Later he went to work somewhere. Nearly 15 or so years later, he had heard that my mother was sick, and he searched for our house, and he found my mother and didn’t go until she was well again.
He is our brother, I hope you understand, he will be always our brother.
I never saw my mother doing all this, because I was out of the country for so long. And she never said anything about this either. I got the information from others. Everyone in the village knew that this young person was living in our house, but no one ever troubled my mother. My other brothers and sisters were very young those days. There was always danger hanging on our family, but nothing happened.
In the dark days of JVP times, nothing happened to our family.
And all this time I was out of our country, and I was never informed of bad times here by my parents.
Coming back to the ’83 days, our shop was looted and our family had to live on one parent’s salary for quite a long time.
My mother is one of the silent Singhalese heroes of those days.
Lot of people here say they cannot forget. Ok, don’t forget, but forgive and then re-conciliate!
Where else can we have a great cricket team with every ethnicity and every religion represented, except in Sri Lanka.
I’d be happy, if we can make a huge 20 million cricket team in Sri Lanka!
Ps: my neighbor, a Tamil told me today, that he doesn’t have to cross over to the other side of the road, or turn back, if there is a suspicious looking sili-sili bag on the pavement. I suppose you, dear all understand the relief everyone feels!
DBSJ:
Please write an article about the 13,000 disappeared if you can. Here I was happily reading these kind messages for reconciliation. But then to read that 13,000 disappeared! I do not know how true it is. I do not have access to the proper sources. But I am sure you do, given the revealing nature of this blog. Thank you for your efforts.
P.S: Key for peace is reconciliation plus awareness. Without proper awareness, any reconciliation is just a superficial effort. I think most are ready to reconcile. But there are too many who are just not aware. Your blog helps to fill the gap.
FAO Ilaya Seran Senguttuan (122)
Thanks for your kind note about my mum. Sadly she is no more. She was unique in being able to find forgiveness and kindness in her heart for everyone. Bless her.
My sister that I referred to in my note is a Sinhalese lady who came to be a help in our house in Jaffna when I was still a baby. I am now sixty one years old. She stayed on and became a daughter to my parents and a sister to us. In the midst of all the troubles in Jaffna, she stayed there, she was one of us. She always protected mum, especially when they both travelled from Kayts to Colombo. She looked after mum till she died a few years ago. I can boldly say, I have a sister who is a Sinhalese by birth.
The truth is that there are very many kind and loving people in both communities. Unfortunately, they have been silenced by the noise of the guns and bombs up to now. I remember soon after the last peace accord was signed, when I visited Colombo from London, I met many ordinary people openly telling me, “Aney Mahathaya, I don’t know why we ever fought. We are like children of one mother. We could so easily live with each other”. I am sure they meant it.
The noise of the guns and bombs are now gone, hopefully for good. It is now dead quiet, except for the sound of the IDPs crying. We also hear the silent sound of the people who died in Mullaiteevu. They are crying out for justice. Should we ignore them? Should we strive for peace when that sound, that noise is still in the background?
They want to know if there were war crimes committed by the Tigers and by the GOSL. They want justice. Not revenge, but justice. When they get justice, then everyone can truly say sorry and mean it. When that happens, there will be silence. There will be peace.
Until that happens, there will be that wailing and weeping sound in the background.
JMPillai
Dear Friends,
I take this opportunity to thank all those “Noble” present and the past human beings of Sri-Lanka for their assistance in “Peace building and reconciliation”.
Let me mention one of them, only one, otherwise my comment will be too long and I have to write other things as well:
Brigadier Larry Wijeratne –
The one and the only “Sinhalese high ranking Army officer ” ever to enjoy tremendous support and respect from the northern Tamils, especially of Point Pedro area for his Noble service.
He was indeed “Gem of a man”, who won Tamil’s “Hearts and minds” with his services.
For peace to succeed in Sri-Lanka and for Tamils to feel equal citizens, the government should immediately work on following issues:
1) The easing of the restrictions imposed on IDP camps. This will enable relief agencies as well as any one wish to help, to provide assistance to the dire needy.
2) Release the elderly, sick and women and children immediately so they can go on with their lives. When asked Dr. Kohona, he gave this answer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8083505.stm
3)Induct Tamils in to the armed forces and the police. Diluting the armed forces will prevent them from perpetrating atrocities against the Tamil civilians and also will enable local communities to communicate effectively in their own language.
Here is an example of Navy’s brutality in Mannar in 2006
This was published in the June 14th, 2006 Morning Leader newspaper..
http://transcurrents.com/tamiliana/archives/180
As for police, it’s imperative that Tamils and Muslims should be recruited immediately. There are almost none exist in the North and the east while the majority of the population is Tamil speaking.
4)Stop the witch hunt and lets forgive and forget the past and march forward.
5)Provide incentives for the displaced persons to get back to their original places and dismantle the High Security Zones. This will not only make people to get back their lost houses in these area and also will bring back our Colombo “Fort area back to live.
Hope to see Sri-Lanka get back to “Glorious Ceylon” era in very near future, when there was ethnic harmony and Ceylon was the envy of all our neighbours with high standards of living.
Peace!
Yes, Sir, Mr. JM Pillai, let’s have a 20 million Cricket Team!
Yes, Sir, Mr. Siva Thiagarajah,
“Key for peace is reconciliation plus awareness. Without proper awareness, any reconciliation is just a superficial effort. I think most are ready to reconcile. But there are too many who are just not aware.”
My sincerest hope is that this government would bring about success to all of us!
We should do our little bit and help it to achieve success, what do you say, dear all?
Shall we say, the opposition, whatever that is, just don’t be in opposition, but be creative and positive?
Shall we say, we the ordinary people, smile at each other, whatever our personal problems are?
For all of us, our little personal problems are so massive, but in the context of the country, these problems are just a drop of water in the ocean, so shall we say, that everyone of us find a way to be nice to the other person?
Or am I being terribly idealistic?
Though out the War I have been in contact with Sinhala folks who could make a positive difference collectively calling out for THEIR Govt to act responsibly. Govt was acting with total impunity, surely they know themselves what Sri Lankan politicians are capable of, the fact it is a Govt that managed to label the LTTE as a brutal terror organization STOOD FOR NOTHING BUT TERROR, Govt behaved worse than any Govt in the world of such standing. None of the Sinhala folks I know took the kind of responsibility to save humanity, instead they called me a TIGER even the Sinhala centre of London wrote irresponsible emails forgetting the fact they stand to represent Sri Lanka in a Western Country.
Tamils take these kind of initiative like Mohan is a desperate measure only because every Tamil is a victim in the hands of the political bully Govt elected by the Sinhala majority. Now, all these wonderful Sinhalese people calling this current episode as water under the bridge to move on ..amazes me. Is it possible in the extremist driven Sri Lanka where the moderate Sinhala people stay quiet and gloat about the fact they saved a Tamil victim. That is one consolation for them and they drive me to believe most Sinhalese are there to justify the politicians and forgetting the fact if Rajapakse dynasty is justified and approved they will have “hooliganism” as the method of running the country for centuries to come! Sinhalese need to take responsibility NOW to show compassion for 330,000 Tamils in camps while the number keeps dropping by the day through mysterious means I hear. It is your responsibility guys, we Tamils don’t seem to have a say because we are all “Tigers” in your Govt’s eyes so instead of starting to work on the UNITED SRILANKA theme fullfill your responsibility towards a fellow human being in the hands of the brutal military force under the abusive Govt of Sri Lanka elected by YOU. It is mind boggling to read your expectations ignoring the main point. Every Tamil and all human beings feeling the pain right now while the victory celebrations and United Sri Lanka campaigns are simultaneous! All humanitarians should be ashamed of the present state of affairs and the GOSL methods and do what they can to put pressure to make it better.
Dear DBSJ anna,
I can foresee your miserable situation as you are one of the prominent journalist here in Canada, India and SL. However, from my point of view that, we can’t blame the President of SL as he have much better things to do so. Lake House is just 20 minutes walk-away from my back-home in SL, and it is one of my favourite place, because of so much of newspapers and books.
As “Native” said, I’m falling into the category of 3. Where upon I had a chance to mingle with majorities and minorities since my birth in the heart of Colombo. We all lived as a single family, be it Sinhala, Tamil or my Muslim brothers and sisters. I left my country when I was 22 years old, and now am 37, so do the math.
Those Vesak days in Pansala was cool (offering cool drinks, and lightning was fun). Sharing kokkis, Kaha bath (Yellow rice), Kiri bath (milk rice) & pol sambol with my Sinhala friends. Those days with “Kodi Naduthal” (posting high poles in every corner of the street in Colombo – Kotchikkade area during St.Anthonys festival) was fun. Sharing my Muslim brotherhoods with foods was fun. Can you find a proper “Vattalappam or good Briyani in Toronto? And why not Vell Vilzha in Wellawatte? Do these Tamil diasporas know how much of Tamils and Sinhala and Muslims brothers and sisters used to attend those events together?
When I was young, if I fall in sick my father used to take me to Mosques , where upon an Hajji will wrap a thread on my wrist (for free). Second step would be, my grandmother who used to take me to Armour Street Buddhist temple for a pray.
I pretty much sure, our main problem is language. We should respect languages, be it Tamil or Sinhala (in that case our Muslim brothers are escaped, as most of them can manage 2 of the major languages in SL and plus English. I know this, since I’m mingling with all of these 3 communities as of today, here in Canada)
Long ago, in Canada there was an election held against Ottawa and Quebec. Ottawa narrowly escaped by 4% majorities. That is because of multiculturalism in Canada. Even today, if you travel into the inner cities of Quebec, they will NOT respect you otherwise unless you speak French (although they can understand English). The same attitude apply to SL too. It is a best practice to shuffle the SL people across the country, thus providing some sort of mutual understating between majorities and minorities. Msia and Spore are better exemplar. A comment from Gopal (refer your post http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/697 @ comment #35) is a nice observance. They are our model countries.
Now the question is how we can accommodate/facilitate those innocent IDPs?
1. Most of the IDPs relatives are living abroad, perhaps those relatives can help them financially (It is an evident that how LTTE received so much of advanced weapons!, Sure for sure these diasporas helped the LTTE for their arm procurements, no one can deny that. Having said that, if they could have spend their hard earned money towards those innocent people, then there wont be even a single IDP camp, period!). For me, these diasporas are really a nuisance value. They all want a separate state rather than United SL. They are dragging their own children (who are less than 5 years old, who are obviously born in Canada and who are unaware of the current SL situation. And, I know what is the reason is. That is because, police cannot use tracer gun against kids. Other opt is, they could not find a babysitter/day care for their financial situations)
2. When it comes to IDP without any supports from overseas, it is our responsibility to take care of them as a fellow human being. They are our own brothers , sisters, mothers and fathers. They have almost lost everything in their life. They need our utmost help now. Please help them. As an expatriate I could not do much toward these people.
WE ARE ONE NATION, sharing same cultures, same tradition and why do need to fight against each other?
This business of feeling as a “2nd class citizen”. I ‘m sure this “feeling” was instilled by politicians, who had living in Colombo 7, for them to have enough votes.
I had been living in an European country, where everyone was white, and I was brown. But did it ever cross my mind that I was a foreigner in that country? No, it never crossed my mind. I never aimed to get just a job, but a job according to my qualifications, and these “white” people, in the company was subordinate to me. I didn’t consider them as white, or me as brown.
Interestingly, it was “they”, who insisted that I take their citizenship, while I was holding fast to my SL passport .
So, you see, I believe, if anyone has a “2nd class citizen” feeling, then it is a ONLY a state of mind.
How about getting out of that feeling? I don’t think my very prosperous Tamil friends became that rich by having that type of a state of mind.
That’s why I think, I strongly believe that Prabakaran had a feeling of inferior complex. Anyway, he could have any complex he wants, but he shouldn’t have led the innocent Tamil farmers, workers, teachers, school children,etc, etc to their death.
You see, the only thing Prabakaran achieved was a staggering amount of his own Tamil deaths and destroying of the economy of the country of his birth.
How can anyone wants to kill the country of his birth and destroy it? That’s why I think, he was not exactly a Tamil, but of some other ethnicity (Keralite?)
If he was a Tamil, then he wouldn’t have ordered another Tamil to die by suicide, would he? He was “supposed” to save the Tamils, but not to destroy them, well?
# 134. Marcus Marianayagam
Yes you are correct. I know the tragedy of the people of KKS
Say peace to the little girl who has been raped by the soldiers in the detention camp. Say “peace” to the mother whose husband has been seperated from her family by the soldiers and has not been seen since;say peace to thousands of women, girl students who have been abducted and raped and some of them killed by the soldiers who were supposed to be looking after them. Say “peace” to sarving civilians in the camp; say “peace” to the injured and the hungry civilians in the camp. Say “peace” to the thousands of civilians who have been killed and maimed by the Sri Lankan forces in the final days of the war.
# 151 KTV I
Say “peace” to the poor little girls and boys who has been raped / hacked / killed by the LTTE in the border villages. Say “peace” to the mothers and fathers whose partners has been separated from their familys by the LTTE and has not been seen since. say “peace” to thousands of women, girl students who have been abducted and raped / hacked / killed by the LTTE who were supposed to be fighting for them. Say “peace” to starved civilians who was in the LTTE held ares. say “peace” to the injured and the hungry civilians in the camps. Say “peace” to the thousands of civilians who have been killed and maimed by the LTTE in the last 30 years.
Much more.
Say “peace” to the Rajiv Gandhi. Say “peace” to the Ranasinghe Premadasa. Say “peace” to Lakshman Kadiragamar, Nilan Thiruchelwam, A. Amirthalingam, Uma Maheshwaran, Kethesh Loganathan and 51 high ranking Tamil politicians. Say “peace” to all the assassinated Sinhalese politicians whose name list I cant put hear. say “peace” to thousands of Muslims and Sinhalese people chased away from their home lands by rootless LTTE.
I don’t think we have enough space here.
I have 2 kids. A boy and girl. Aged 8 and 13. We need peace for them. Lets keep in our minds the lives lost.
But lets get together and work towards a end to all these things.
# 152 Sriyan Chaminda Pasqual
the Ltte killed many, no one disputes that, but you sir are a prime example of the result of propaganda spewing from the government sewers
Of all the atrocities the Tigers did, the one they did NOT do was to rape. i suggest that you check your facts before posting anything, because such ignorant posts would only serve to underline your lack of knowledge about the issue #151 was talking about.
peace does not come forth from ignorance, but from knowledge. unless one knows what transpired, people will make the same mistakes again and again.
such posts like yours do not even merit a reply; but i replied once for the sake of decency. take back that false claim if you are a honorable gentleman.
# 153
OK.
I will readily admit that LTTE didn’t rape Rajiv Gandhi, Ranasinghe Premadasa, Lakshman Kadiragamar, Nilan Thiruchelwam, A. Amirthalingam, Uma Maheshwaran, Kethesh Loganathan and 51 high ranking Tamil politicians. And they didn’t rape thousands of Muslims and Sinhalese people before chasing away from their home lands.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has said that she believes that “accountability is a prerequisite for the attainment of justice and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans and thus, a foundation for lasting peace.” According to Reuters news agency, she has said that the U.N. Stands ready to support an inquiry into abuses in Sri Lanka’s civil war.