Comments on: A military pathway to nation building

By: Amali

Amali — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:25:33 +0000

I totally agree with the writer about the core issue of the north and east problem. Our politicians lack the political will to reach out for a solution. They don’t want to loose the easy access to power with eternal slogans of liberating mother Lanka through endless manipulations of emotions of the people and by exaltating themselves as the sole saviors of the country…
Leave out politicians. There is another problem. We also are to be blamed. Most of us see our fellow country men and women tagged with their race; as Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese; Thaseem, a Muslim, Dushyanathan, a Tamil and Lakmali, a Sinhala. Why can’t we identify them as Sri Lankans?
As long as this identification gap exists, politicians will abuse us, peace traders and other institutions which market the war will profit. We; Sri Lankans will be defeated.
There is another solution. We can overtake politicians’ lack of will to go for a solution by bridging the gap between other fellow citizens. We make politicians. Therefore, we are more powerful! We can build up the solution our own little way.

By: Uthunga

Uthunga — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:02:20 +0000

John’s comments reeks of red-Rohana Wijeyweera’s famous Indian expansionist theory conjured up under the tutelage of the CIAin the 1970’s to indulge in jingoistic infantile political adventurism and help JRJ’s UNP come to power in 1977.

People like him will of course live in their cloudy cuckoo land believing that Indians were taken to Fiji,Kenya,South Africa,Mauritius,Trinidad and “SRI LANKA” not as indentured labourers but as Venture Capitalists.

By: Velu

Velu — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:35:37 +0000

Well, the Soorya mal campaign and the LSSP (1920) is the start of the left in SL. Gandhi was not so keen on Subash Chandra Bose and Sri Lankan (LSSP) leaders such as Leslie Goonawardne worked with them contributing even towards Indian indipendence while in exile in India.

By: John

John — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:59:41 +0000

The problems of Ceylon (now Srl Lanka) will liger on unless the privilleged Indians that include Tamils are prepared to live as equalls. You find the same problems in other parts of the former British Empire. In fact it was the Brritish Indian Empire. Now it is the Indian Empire. The problems in Fiji, Kenya, Uganda Malaysia and KwasZulu Province of Republic of South Africa.
If not for the Indians the British would not have been able to maintain their Empire. This day an age we should look at the past for what it was.
The roots of LTTE is goes back to the formation of Jaffan Youth Congress in the the nineties twenties with the blessings of people like Mohandas Karamchan (Mahathma Gandhi) and is ofcourse the roots of the left in Ceylon.
We say these countries are free from imperialism, but it is a myth. They are victims of Indian non-violent aggression and oppression.

By: Ekcol

Ekcol — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:03:16 +0000

Prof Navaratne-Bandara,
I appreciate your attempt to clarify the current status of the conflict. I would like to make some observations on some of the points you make. It was a disappointment to me and many of my generation who admired the leftist giants as persons of integrity in their resistence to the Sinhala Language act. But they sold their souls for political power in their waning years. They sacrificed the rights of the Tamils for political expediency. Tamil politicians in government and their actions during the years immediately after Independence were not any better. Your assessment of the implementation of the 13th ammendment is correct, based on my experience as a consultant to one of the NE Prov council ministry in the late ninties. But considering that JR never intended it to be implemented it was a paper that Pirapaharan saw through even before the ink was dry. India knew that too because they did not insist on a referendum of the 13th amendment. JR and India knew that it would not have passed. Your observation on the symbols of identity is valid. It is of course not the symbol, it is the underlying concept the symbols represent that alerted the Tamils. who then wanted to pursue a separate state as they have been separated by the 1972 constitution.
You mentioned that Tamil Eelam will become a Unitary State. I beg to differ. All indication I have is that it would be democratic with rights to all communities, irrespective of their numbers, that were resident in the North-East since before the 1972 constitution. That is when the Covenant was broken without the consent of the Tamils.
Your last paragraph puts the blame on the political leaders. It is true they do not have the political will to go for a solution that would recognise the rights of the Tamil Community. The question that need to be answered is, Why is it that they do not have the political will? Whether it is the full implementation of the 13th amendment, a federal structure or any other arrangement that would recognise the rights of the Tamil community as equal to that of the Sinhala community. My conclusion is that the party that advocate such an intention will be thrown out of power immediately, or if they are the opposition they will never win an election. The Buddhist priests and their elite supporters with the army of thugs will be out in the street. History teaches us that.
The CPA polls show that 60% of the Sinhala voters want a military solution. Earlier poll showed that approximately 35% dont want any more devolution than what is on the books now. They know very well that would not be implemented.
Rajapakse won with 49%. He now has 60% support for a military solution. Rajapakse is following the dictates of the majority, which he, his brothers support and the party stalwarts support. Democracy in effect has failed in feudal Sri Lanka. It has become the tool for the state to terrorise the Tamils, and others who are against the war, physically and politically. Without the LTTE Tamils will be marginalised as a community. All Tamils, even those who despise them, know that.
I would like to see a referendum of the Sinhala and Tamil people, separately, supervised by an international institution, as to the solution they would prefer out of a possible three solutions - Unitary, Federal, Confederal. Those who really wish the opinion of the people will support such a move. But I will not hold my breath waiting for it.