By

Thayalan Bartlett

“On a quiet day in August of 1977, the night mail train from Bandarawela was making its way to Colombo. On the winding journey to the capital the train routinely stopped at Nawalapitya at around 1.00am to take in passengers. Breaking the still of the night were blood-curdling shouts from people embarking the train looking for Tamils. This was followed by screams from hundreds of people who were being pulled out on to the platform and beaten mercilessly. The train left the platform leaving behind some fathers and husbands whilst their families were released after being beaten and robbed. It was heartrending as children were torn from their fathers and some were moaning perhaps for the last time. The screams continued and they began to grow, mile after mile and station after station throughout the night as a bloodied train made its way to Colombo. My sister was 14 and I was 12yrs old and we were on that train. We understood nothing but numbing fear because we were Tamils. We survived the attack unscathed only because we had Sinhalese friends who enveloped us with their care and protection but above all prayer which saw the attackers mostly miss our carriage when they passed by. There were times when they boarded our carriage and flashed their torches right in our faces asking “themela the?” (are you a Tamil? ) Miraculously their lights blinded them from us being identified as Tamils.

Two months after this experience we saw ourselves seeking refuge in Jaffna. Leaving my school S’ Thomas’ College and being torn from dear friends who were mostly Sinhalese added to my trauma. I could never understand this move until my father explained it many years later. Unknown to me and my sister we had carried the screams from the platforms of Nawalapitya to our home in Bambalapitya, waking up in the night screaming for help. As a father he could take no more and Jaffna became a justified move.What was planted in Nawalapitya was fear and we spent the next few years in Jaffna, in an environment where we sadly saw that the resentment towards the Singhalese was the ‘right thing’ which eventually brought forth a fruit of false ideology. An ideology that eventually caused a war. A war that would last 30 years. A war that we now realise was useless for the Tamils as much as it was for the Sinhalese and the country as a whole. ”

My blog is primarily for trends related to marketing and advertising and you may wonder why I am posting an article that contravenes that theme. It doesn’t. In fact it complements it. Our primary role as brand advocates is to engage with consumers by understanding their social, cultural and behavioural transformations. Transformation is a natural phenomenon that occurs through time, influencing social and cultural trends and shaping the way consumers respond to brands. However, when one forces time to bring about drastic changes upon society like it is happening in Sri Lanka today, the results could be unnatural and the effects seriously conflict with the aspirations of making Sri Lanka a land of enterprise. The tilling of the ground to seed the nation with yet another tree to bear yet another fruit of false ideology is gradually underway. The time for harvest will be soon and the consequences severe if it goes unchecked. The only difference this time is that the terrain the tree grows in will not be in the North. With the country at heart, I share this space hoping it would enlighten people to ensure that in post war Sri Lanka no opportunity should be lost to hatred for one another.

The atrocities unleashed on the people of Jaffna post 1977, compounded with the government approved riots of 1983 were long before the Tigers ever became a force to contend with. It was this continued intimidation that swelled the ranks of the Tigers and I remember reading somewhere the Tigers triumphantly claiming that their recruiting agent was the government -The more the government intimidated innocent youth, the more numbers the Tigers got. The war was fought and with it vanished the hopes and dreams of thousands of youth on both sides of the divide. But,the bitter lessons from the war seem to be no barrier for the repetition of it as the Muslims become the new target. If I am reading the sentiments emanating in Sri Lanka the underlying message is one of domination, a false qualification in post war Sri Lanka. Lets stop this intimidation of communities.

Recalling the incidents of 1977 is not for harping on the past but because desperation calls for it to enlighten a nation that is unknowingly slipping into a trap of false ideology. Intimidation of any nature instinctively causes humans to defend themselves whatever majority or minority race he/she belongs to. Until this time (1977) to Sri Lankans, ‘Tigers’ were only known as majestic animals. What happened for the next 30 years was perhaps an abhorring reaction to that intimidation that spared none giving a whole new meaning to what a ‘Tiger’ meant. I don’t think even time can heal people of the wounds inflicted by the scars from their vicious swipe. The Aranthalawa massacre is only too fresh in our minds. Economically, socially and morally we became barren for 3 decades and we can’t let another decade pass by not finding resolve amongst ourselves. So let this not happen again.

As much as we accept with reverence the wearing of robes by a monk or a cassock by a priest, the wearing of an abaya or the consumption of halal certified meats should be equally respected in the land. In a democracy, commenting on ones attire should only stop short of exposing one’s nakedness. It’s ironical to me that the religious purity that is being professed through extremism safeguards such liberal attire as swimsuits and short skirts but an abaya is seen as a threat to civil society. Where is the relevance? A hidden agenda may reveal the true motive. As for me I have absolutely no issue with either form of attire.

At critical times like this, I would expect leaders of Corporate Sri Lanka to voice their opinion so that the government has some idea how to deal with this matter. HR’s “Code of Conduct” in companies have zero tolerance for racial prejudice and discriminatory behaviour within their walls. It’s hard to believe that what is right for a company is not good for a country. Today companies are managed with a strong focus on TBL (Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet and Profit), which is a manifestation of the balanced scorecard. Behind it lies the fundamental principle of, what you measure is what you get. Only when companies measure “People impact” in its right perspective will we have a socially responsible company that lends to overall social stability in a community. Whilst Profit seems to be the only measure, it’s troubling to see the very source of their business that comes from the most important P(eople) is being neglected. In a Sri Lankan context we should include another P to Triple Bottom Line. In a fractured society like ours, it becomes even more essential to measure companies on how they respond and contribute to “Peace” that becomes critical to sustain business. The cost of a war is measured by the number of people that died and the amount of money spent on it. Whilst that remains to be one form of measurement, the brain drain it triggered was immeasurable. Today, economies are measured by the talent they hold because of the belief that wherever there is knowledge there will also be prosperity on every scale. As Sri Lanka seeks to be such a nation, the chord of racial discord continues to tie us down. It’s cheaper to make peace than to make war.

I am not an economist or a financial expert by any means to expound theories for a sound economy but with every complex theory precedes very basic learnings. People, cultures, their ethnic groups and their respective trade practices are all important to form a robust and vibrant economy. Ethnicity gives identity to people, People form communities, Communities form markets, Markets create economies and Economies shape countries and when one link in this chain is weakened it is not only disruptive it will be destructive as it has proved to be in the past. In a world of complexity we miss finding the solutions in the simplicity of life. Corporate Sri Lanka very well knows that Bangladesh has overtaken us, Myanmar is hot on our heals and as a nation we are being left behind by a world that is speeding by. I love the vision ‘Wonder of Asia’ but if you don’t act to arrest this dissension we will be known as a country that is ‘Wondering in Asia’. Instead of defending the price of a sausage lets get real and may Corporate Sri Lanka rise to lend its voice to the injustice being caused to a minority community. How absurd can we be as a nation to see our future in a sausage at the cost of its people.

What is happening in Chennai is equally and seriously deplorable to what is happening to the Mosques and Churches of Sri Lanka today. Whilst it is right to see wide condemnation of the Chennai incidents its disappointing to see that the very crusaders highlighting the Chennai issue are blinded to the intimidation of the Muslims and Christians on the very soil they stand on. I take it that their silence is their approval. Opinions cause division but its one’s silence that causes the biggest division. Fairness to all communities and religions should be never brought to reason and is non-negotiable. President Obama in his address to the nation of Israel on Thursday night spoke of tolerance between communities and respect for each other and he made a pertinent observation that applies, to Sri Lanka. He said, “as a politician I can say that unless we are pushed we cannot create the change people want to see”. So speak up! Sri Lanka.

Thankfully my life has been enriched with access to all communities, which has enabled me to judge for myself. In June 2006, I recall with mixed emotions my appointment as the CEO of the company I work for. On the eve of the announcement my regional head was cautioned that the appointment of a Tamil would cause clients and staff to leave. I felt embarrassed that as Sri Lankans we were exposing our appalling intolerance of race to foreign visitors. As there is zero tolerance on matters related to racial inequality in my company, my appointment went ahead unabated. I led the company for over half a decade through the height of the civil war and the 2008 global financial crisis. My team consisted of a majority of Sinhalese, Muslims and least of all Tamils, without all of whom the impressive success we achieved as a team would have only been an illusion. Over 90% of my clients were Sinhalese and not one day did they ever remind me that I was a Tamil. Whilst I only have praise for the loyalty of my team and clients I harbour no grudge against the people who held the belief of my imminent failure as a Tamil. To me they are not “ Sinhala racists” they are still my friends. I share this story to tell you that the majority of Sinhalese are not representative of the extremism they are identified with but it is the influence of political culture that cause a few to stumble. Be cautious Sri Lanka!

To the diaspora that has relentlessly worked to support a cause during and post the war should realise that the ‘Tigers’ had their time for a good 30 years. Nothing came out of it for 30 years other than for carnage. Your agitation is intimidation that instinctively causes people to also react appropriately and in equal measure, which causes dissension. When they do please don’t complain. Give peace a chance….and should you want to fight this cause further then it should not be done from your adopted country but from the soil of your birth. Even if a separate state is to be granted it’s unlikely that you will leave the comforts of your country to live and make Sri Lanka prosper. Whilst the opposing sides are busy painting a picture of their innocence only we as onlookers know, that nobody can absolve themselves of their crimes against humanity. If one can prove otherwise it will be the first in world history. From the talks in Timpu to the war in Sri Lanka, every conceivable method has been tried. So give peace a chance where communities can forgive and forget the past and live in a coalesced land. Now its our time in Sri Lanka!

We are all victims of prejudicial thoughts and actions at some point in our lives. It will be a lie if you think otherwise. Let me conclude and say “sorry” to the Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers, Malays and all other minority communities if I have knowingly or unknowingly offended you with my thoughts and actions, but I have never had any animosity towards any race – I am a Tamil, married to a Sinhalese and I have two great sons who bring the best of two beautiful ethnic values into our lives. All we need is one land to live in peace. I am quite aware that this post can have me killed. So be it! because I have done my bit by speaking up. For it is better to die for your country than waste death on a useless heart attack.
COURTESY:blogbarty