There was a time when the LTTE terrorist organization self-claimed as the sole representative of the Tamil people. And at the same time, the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) behaved in the Parliament in such a way that they are representatives of the LTTE terrorist organization.
In a nutshell, it was a known fact that LTTE terrorist organization pretended to represent Tamil People and TNA represented LTTE at the Parliament, or rather in Sri Lankan Political arena.
Now, TNA having acquired power in majority of provincial councils in the North claims oneself as the sole representative of Tamil people. However, the entire Tamil community has not voted for TNA. TNA was having talks with the government for issues in the North, but now have left the discussion table and issued an ultimatum to the government. If examined closely, one can easily understand that if these demands are met, the united country will again be divided – the very need of the TNA.
Ever since Sri Lanka was liberated from the British Empire, it had been facing issues because of corrupted malpractices of some of the political leaders.
There were many at that time – when the freedom was given – who was in the mindset that the English is “THE” thing and Sri Lanka better be a colony of the British rather a sovereign country. It was only Abdul Aziz – a Muslim leader insisted that British should leave the country with no conditions.
Having said that it’ not to be mistaken as Sri Lanka never had freedom fighters. Sri Lanka had numerous freedom fighters with immense patriotism. However, traitors also became stronger while patriots scarified their lives for the motherland.
The British giving freedom to Sri Lanka is an impact of India getting Independence from the British Empire. India and Sri Lanka was rules by the British under a consolidated fund. When the freedom fight in India got geared up, British had to let India free which result the British loosing a huge income. Ruling Sri Lanka incurring a considerable lose was quite difficult and eventually British let Sri Lanka also free.
Resources and prosperity in Sri Lanka attracted many foreign states and during the time which British was ruling Sri Lanka, many Indian immigrants came to Sri Lanka due to that reason. Indian immigrants came to Sri Lanka under British sponsorship to work on plantations in the central highlands. Comparing to labour charges, Indian labour was better and Human trafficking became a profitable business. This illegal trade made some Tamil laborers richer.
Nobody concerned about the consequences of bringing down Indian labour, they only thought about the profit they could make. This favored Indian migrates giving them a better life than the native Sinhalese and the Sinhalese became an orphan in his motherland.
Gradually, the Indian Immigrants were absorbed to the society granting citizenship, power of voting and almost every right to contribute to the country’s ruling, which again made them stronger than the native Sinhalese. They even got the backing of English and eventually the concept of separate regions came in.
This so called “separate region” concept had cost many civilian lives so far. Surprisingly, the Tamil leaders do not see the privileges enjoyed by the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
There was a constant stream of migration from southern India to Sri Lanka from primitive times. Arrival of Vijaya (first informal king of ancient Sri Lanka as per Mahavamsa), Arrival of service castes with the introduction of Buddhism, foreign traders, struggles between the kings of Sri Lanka and southern India, arrival of south Indian armies, Sri Lankan kings bringing down Indian princesses as their queens provide evidence.
Coming back to the current situation, the issues with Tamil population is used by some as a political weapon. Though they claim that the Tamil community faces problems and they are treated as a minority, none had ever specified what exactly are the issues faced by the Tamils.
Sri Lanka is the only country that has Tamil as an official language. As far as TNA is concerned, they are not bothered of Tamil issues but their main intention is to divide the country and get their share. By division, which problem of the Tamils is solved, is unclear.
Divisions happened throughout the history has done no good. Instead of addressing the issue of being united and progressing, still both Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil leaders take advantage of this “made-up Tamil Problem” with different editions just to settle their political scores.
Pilgrims getting attacked in South India in the recent times are evidence as to how bad of the guidance provided by Vaiko, Nedumaran and Jayalalitha has given to their followers.
However, objection of one Indian Political party has shown over Channel 4’s intrusion into Sri Lanka’s matters, must be commendable.
Still some political parties directly and indirectly support separatism and the propaganda of pro-LTTE elements. Thrive for power has made them blind and they are unknown that their own activities favor anti-Sri Lankan forces.
Certain parties which once showed immense patriotism by destroying public property and killing countries valuable intellectuals, is now worried of how LTTE terrorists were died.
Meanwhile, the TNA has now given the government a 10-day period to grant their demands in written. TNA is backed by the foreign Tamil population, pro-LTTE elements and even certain local political figures.
But the government should not obey these conditions. There was no TNA when the fight against terrorism was occurring. Even when LTTE terrorism was destroying public property and thousands and thousands of innocent civilians TNA was favoring the LTTE terrorists. So the government is not in anyway obliged to TNA to meet any of their demands.
In world politics there are many instances in which the Heads of States, took precautions to avoid future disturbances with the pro-LTTE elements. Having sensed the future troubles with the pro-LTTE forces during the bogus Thimpu discussions, the facilitator, king of Bhutan – Chanchuk cancelled the citizenship of all non-Buddhists. It protected the natives’ rights.
Kenya deported everyone who failed to become Africans.
In spite of being a country with higher density of Indian immigrants, Uganda departed all Indians and Asians.
Ruler of Burma, deported all Indians back to India making the native Burmese safe.
Fiji made a constitutional change and was able to shield from Tamil influence. Similarly, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore made constitutional changes releasing the country from future problems of Tamils.
Unluckily, the equality policy maintained in Sri Lanka has made the Sinhalese suffer abundantly by the various injustices caused by Tamil leaders.
The Thesawalamei Law – A highly race centric discriminatory law has secured the lands in North for the Tamils. They are allowed to reside any part in the Island but not Sinhalese. Sinhalese were chased from Northern and Eastern regions.
According to the 1981 census, the Tamil population in Colombo was 130,210. It is said that Colombo has around 50 newly-built Kovils and 500 churches belong to fundamentalism Christianity. Most of the “orphans” are now very-well settled in Colombo.
2001 census showed higher density of Tamil Population in the island and by now, the number might have increased.
However, the ethnic clearance happned after 1971, left many Sinhalese orphans in their motherland. Sinhalese in Northern and Eastern regions were either chased or killed but it didn’t make sense to anybody.
Activities of certain political leaders along with the support of foreign Tamil Diaspora and LTTE terrorists favored the anti-Sri Lankan propagandas of foreign forces and INGOs.
Still the extremist groups, drug smugglers, illegal Arm dealers, foreign spy agents, bankrupted politicians and leftists do support these sources. Nevertheless, the facts doctored by the TNA internationally has affected badly on Sri Lanka.
It is said that Norway has also sponsored certain anti-Sinhalese, anti-army forces indirectly supporting LTTE terrorists.
Bogus Peace agreement, Ceasefire agreement, Sinhalese political leaders addressing the injustices faced by the Tamils in the history, Tamil racism, extortion and even discouraging the State Armed forces made the LTTE terrorists stronger in both locally and internationally.
More than 72,000 non-Tamil lives were already sacrificed for the country’s Peace.
Just because one being a Tamilian, there is no special injustice caused. It at all there is an injustice, it is common for all – Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils. The “make up Tamil Problem” is nothing but an arm used by the bankrupted and mentally-retarded politicians and the High class Tamil community.
Though in 2004, the then President Ms. Chandrika Kumarathunga apologized the world for Tamil massacre happened in 1983 July uprising and compensated the Tamil victims, the Sinhalese victims were not treated in the same manner. Both Sinhalese and Tamil were killing in the 1983 insurgency but only the Tamils were compensated.
Government has provided food, medicine to Tamil people and even has paid salaries to the officials worked for LTTE terrorists. Unlike South, Northern region receives immense foreign donations yet most of them ended up in LTTE terrorists’ hands.
“As per our records, there are only 60,000 Tamil orphans on Sri Lanka but the central government releases aids for more than a millions people, where does this go?” told by an Indian commander of Indian Peacekeeping force while commenting on the aids process.
The TNA which speaks about the difficulties of the Tamil people all the time, seem to be unaware of the infrastrucre development happening in the North.
However, the amount of diplomacy shown by the Indian Central government amidst the influence of the South Indian political forces is highly commendable. The advice given by the Indian Prime Minister to Vaiko is also to be understood by the TNA. TNA being realistic and practical is highly required if they truly are concerned about the Tamil people.
But it should be recalled that, there is a leader and majority population who do not fall prey to the TNA and their allied foreign countries.
(An adoption of the Sinhalese article of H.L. Austin Silva for Divaina on 02.09.2011)
- Sinhalaya News
