groundviews » Koti, Deshadhrohi and UNP-Karayas

Koti, Deshadhrohi and UNP-Karayas

October 23, 2008 at 8:28 am · Categories: Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance | by Duckie

The title roughly translates to Tigers, Traitor and UNPiers.

I’ve come to understand, that the moment you talk about the rights of the minorities, you become a kotiya. If your argument is for a federal system, people’s right to self determination or how minorities are oppressed, you will be tagged a kotiya at the end of it.

I’ve come to understand, that the moment you criticize the current administration, you become a deshadhrohiya. If you talk about how your basic rights like free speech and movement are curtailed, how the system manages to cover everything under the umbrella of national security and get away with it, how the administration lacks vision, how the big guy is catering to the red neck Sri Lankan south, you will be tagged a deshadrohiya at the end of it.

I’ve come to understand, that the moment you point out the faults of the administration system, when you criticize how the administration is, when you point out that it’s becoming a nanny state, you will be tagged a UNP-Karaya at the end of it.

1,255 have read this this article so far. You may also find these articles interesting:

Radical Reforms in Sri Lanka: Realities we are afraid of? Enough conceptual theories are produced and articulated on the need and urgency of the political power sharing in Sri Lanka. Avoiding the torturous repetition and gauging the current diminishing appreciation for any theoretical discourse or appetite for challenging conceptual explanations, we suggest the following five points abstract as a summary of recommendation for a new... Suren Raghavan, August 3, 2010
The Third Option The year 2010 has dawned with two elections round the corner. As voters who are going to write the destiny of the politicians of this country, our day-to-day conversations are becoming more and more centred on what is going to happen on the 26th of January and later on in the Parliamentary election. My casual... Thiruvarangan, January 8, 2010

Permalink | Share this article on Facebook

AJ said,

October 23, 2008 @ 12:13 pm

I’ve come to understand that some people would rather complain than do something productive!

http://www.groundviews.org/2008/07/21/plus-25-things-we-cant-do-because-of-national-security-in-sri-lanka/

Seriously what is the net outcome of these short out bursts? Telling us that you’re frustrated? Write something constructive.

punitham said,

October 23, 2008 @ 12:37 pm

Albert Einstein: ”Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism – how passionately I hate them!”.

Sarwan said,

October 23, 2008 @ 6:26 pm

The traitors of this island are those who commit Tamil genocide.

Lak said,

October 23, 2008 @ 11:29 pm

To the anonymous writer of this article:

Are you either jayalath Jayawardena or Tissa Attanayake? Both are trying to fault the victories of the govt; it appears they are having a hard time coming to the fact that the MR govt is so successful. The UNP was given several chances; but did absolutely nothing, other than help the ltte to re-build.

Go get a life.

Sinaha said,

October 23, 2008 @ 11:51 pm

I come to understand that there are people who are only arm-chair critics ans trash the heroic endeavours of our troops for political mileage. They reach no ones’ ears.

ashok said,

October 24, 2008 @ 3:19 am

What about Prabhakaran’s genocide of well educated Tamils,Muslims and Singhalese? What about ethnical cleansing of North and East by LTTE?
Who are the racists?Why cant India stay away from Kashmir and other neighbours? How about the democracy about LTTE controlled areas?
Any answers? How about PR’s stopping of Tamils during presidential elections?
How about LTTE keeping of Tamil Nadu fisherman under arrest and killing some of them?
I think people have very short memories!!

isura said,

October 24, 2008 @ 10:30 am

Sri Lanka , your time is here.!!!!!
i never thought that i would see a day when Groundviews article on negativbity being hammer so fast by so many, the tide is turning and now the nationalistic and patriotic numbers are apperaring out.

Viva La Lanka, – lets clear these terrorist away.

Sam Thambipillai said,

October 24, 2008 @ 1:13 pm

Tamil kings ruled the North East(NE) when western colonisation commenced in the island. The last Kandyan king was a Tamil and the surrender document to the British was signed in Tamil. When Marco Polo visited the island he found a Tamil king named Sandanam ruling the entire island. Therefore, Tamils have a right on the entire island. Such historical truth is never imparted to the present Sinhalese.

Champika Ranawaka, a JHU member and a cabinet minister in the government of Sri Lanka(GOSL), said in an interview a few days ago, that Sri Lanka(SL) belongs to the Sinhalese and the others must live out of compassion of the Sinhalese. Existing ethnic “master-slave” culture and state policy of it became confirmed with his statement. May be, soon another cabinet minister may admit Tamil genocide too.

Consciously expressing his ethnic arrogance, Ranawaka also said that in Sri Lankan democracy, the Sinhalese are a majority and would decide what rights to grant to the Tamils.

Democracy is about equality, freedom, justice and human rights for all. It is not about majority and minority ethnicity or religion.

Those from gutters, receiving gutter education, in schools like Nalanda and Ananda, in gutter language, can only talk gutter politics. Probably, Ranawaka was taught unscientific Sinhala mythology as history and was made to believe that Vijaya mated with a female lion to produce his forefathers ! Many UPFA and JVP men in the parliament are “gutter men” leading the country to gutters.

One thing is clear, and that is, the Sinhalese intent from 1956 was to educate their children with such anti Tamil untruth with the intent to commit the crime of Tamil genocide.

In Darfur and Sarajevo, forced ethnic evictions were named as acts of genocide. Ethnic Tamil inhabitants who lived for many centuries in Kantalai, Amparai, Welioya, Padawiya, Medawachchiya, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura and other places were forcefully evicted by the state to be colonised by Sinhalese from the South.

Mass ethnic evictions by any state is internationally recognised as a genocidal act.

Genocide is an intention to exterminate, either partly or fully, a people of either an ethnic or religious group. The present war in the NE is a genocidal war. The intention was sown through education, ethnic evictions and anti Tamil violence over a period of years.

“war on terrorism” and “war to liberate NE” are camoflagues to dupe the world and distort from the reality of the present genocidal war. “war on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are not being carried out with genocidal acts as seen in SL.

Presently, Sinhalese mothers are crying for their dead and maimed sons who served in the army. Time may soon be coming, when Sinhalese mothers would cry for their handcuffed and jailed sons, who are now serving in the army committing genocide and those in the GOSL who ordered or incited this crime against humanity.

Genocide of Jews was also a reason for the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Tamil genocide would also be a reason to create an independent state of Tamil Eelam.

I am sure I would be classified a traitor for speaking the truth.

Ajith said,

October 24, 2008 @ 3:01 pm

I have talked for the rights of minorities with my friends and none of them have dared nor been uneducated enough to condescend on me the way people around the author has. I think you need to leave the narrow minded people that surround you at the moment and make new friends.
There will always be people who are racist or just live like a frog in a well. I mean there are red necks even in America right?
It is wrong to generalise all people of Sri Lanka the way you have done in this short and purposeless articles not even fit for citizen journalism standards – in fact I see no journalism in this!
I actually take offense to the generalisation you have done unfairly. At least have the courtesy to define the people you’re cursing so it doesn’t include the general population of Sri Lanka. Or take time to explain in detail the experiences that lead you to this conclusion so we can understand the root of your frustrations and sympathise with you. If you have already in this blog, please reference.

CHINTHANA MAHINDA said,

October 24, 2008 @ 3:13 pm

Duckie…we are part of the silent minority that lives in ‘The Land Like No Other!’
The vocal majority can smile a bit due to a couple of victories in the battle front. Lets see what happens once Kilinochchi is finally captured. There will probably be more ‘Anthima Satanas’ or ‘Final Battles’ until the next General Election.

I firmly believe that the only way there will be peace in Sri Lanka, is only if extensive power is devolved to the people living in the North and East and when the vocal majority get it into their heads that this country does not belong only to them.

When the ‘Prevention of Terrorism Act’ is revoked, and there are no more ‘check points,’ and the armed forces are confined to their barracks with only the police handling the day to day law enforcement in the whole of Sri Lanka will be the day that we the ‘Silent Minority’ believe that the war has finally ended!

Until then, “God help us all!”

Ajith said,

October 24, 2008 @ 4:27 pm

[Edited out - please refrain from personal invective]

Just to point out the fact that you’re just blabbing with heinous racist agenda, I’d like to point out how a US air strike took out 8 civilians yesterday http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/world/asia/24pstan.html – a case of collateral so to speak. Now you’re here white washing those actions “war on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are not being carried out with genocidal acts as seen in SL.” while at the same time when SLA has a similar rare collateral incidents like above you shout “genocide”. All the time not uttering a single word when LTTE suicide attacks kills dozens or 100s of civilians in some case in public places. I utterly despise people who use that word for cheap political goals.

It doesn’t matter though, independent monitors know if there is actual genocide or not. I challenge you to produce any link or reference by any INDEPENDENT aid organisation using that word to describe in an official statement the current Sri Lankan regime.

If you google such made up phrases, they all orignate from Tamilnet, Tamilcanadian, Tamilsydney, etc. all biased Tamil chauvinist web sites.

Then talk about ethnic evictions. Didn’t the LTTE either murder or drive out all Sinhalese and Muslims from N&E?

I invite anyone to pick up a state issued text book, highlight and scan a single sentence that speaks ill against any race! I know you can’t because I went to one of those schools mentioned above and I have been through all the lines. However, we do have gutters around our school though – heck we used to smoke in them and I am more than happy to show them to you if you want Sam

Ajith said,

October 24, 2008 @ 4:39 pm

just an add-on since I can’t edit the post, the US air strike was on a school apparently
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/23/pakistan-usa
– but US says militants. This reminds me the Sencholai training camp incident!
These are all common issues countries face when fighting militant insurgencies. Condoning the same actions in one country for political leverage and calling it genocide in another is hypocrisy!

isura said,

October 24, 2008 @ 5:20 pm

SAM – you see the problem?

you say ‘Democracy is about equality, freedom, justice and human rights for all. It is not about majority and minority ethnicity or religion”

but actually democrasy is ” majority, freedom, justice and human rights for all”

see if the majority decide to change a government, law, or anything, techincally they can as they remain the majority and should be allowed to do so and and not held hostage by a minority. (this is the way of the world)
hence, when you understand that, this fight will be over.

Wisanka Amarasinghe said,

October 24, 2008 @ 7:53 pm

Dear Sam

It was sad to see what you have written about my school;

‘Those from gutters, receiving gutter education, in schools like Nalanda and Ananda, in gutter language, can only talk gutter politics. Probably, Ranawaka was taught unscientific Sinhala mythology as history and was made to believe that Vijaya mated with a female lion to produce his forefathers ! Many UPFA and JVP men in the parliament are “gutter men” leading the country to gutters’

I am sure you have never visited Nalanada College or Ananda College and I am not sure why you are deliberately targeting above mentioned two great institutions of Sri Lanaka. These two schools have produced many Doctors, Engineers, Accountant and collectively most number of test cricketers as well. Above all our great leader His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksha has studied at Nalnada.
I have come a cross many people like you, who would love to criticise my school. I believe your main reason is jealousy, for not having a privilege education at a great school like Nalanda as for ‘gutter’ education that you mentioned. If hindu’s of Sri Lanka can have Jaffna Hindu college, Muslims can have Muslim Ladies college and Christians can have many saints schools? Why do you people always have a problem with Ananda and Nalanda?
I bet you have not met a single Anandian or a Nalandian in your life and I do feel sorry for you. May I ask where did you study?
As for ‘gutter’ language, I am sure a tamil is a beautiful language hence you think all the other languages are ‘gutter’ languages. Who lacks the tolerance and respect now?
One of the great things about Ananda & Nalanda is that, they give people from poor social background a real chance! You may call them ‘gutter’ people; don’t they deserve a chance for good education, ethics and morals? I have heard that in your community, you tend to discriminate less privilege due to there caste and social status. I would like to ask this question from you again, who lacks the tolerance and respect now?

A very proud Nalandian.

groundviews said,

October 25, 2008 @ 1:17 am

Editors note: Sam Thambipillai’s comments about education in Ananda and Nalanda are not those that I agree with and would have published had I not been in a hurry at the time I approved his comment.

My sincere apologies to anyone who rightfully takes offense at this nonsensical comment.

wijayapala said,

October 25, 2008 @ 7:12 pm

Dear Duckie,

Looks like your less-than-enlightening post is not being well-received by anyone here. I would venture that you are suffering from what is called “hypocrisy”- complaining about a problem which you very well are a part of.

Allow me to present the following:

“how the big guy is catering to the red neck Sri Lankan south,”

So in the same sentence where Duckie complains about having a label tagged on to him (“deshadrohiya”), he tags another label on those whom he disagrees with!

I’ve come to understand, that the moment you praise the current administration for standing up to the LTTE, you become a red neck. If you talk about how the international community played double standards by remaining silent over human rights violations during the ceasefire, how the Colombo NGO circuit including the CPA was complicit in this silence to the point of being unable to name the organization which killed Kethesh Loganathan, how the ethnic sahibs and peace pundits lack vision, and how the aforementioned chattering class is catering to its western donors/paymasters, you will be tagged a red neck at the end of it.

Sam Thambipillai said,

October 27, 2008 @ 7:27 pm

Groundviews

I commented about Nalanda and Ananda colleges because of the products I see advocating politics, which is based on the low type of monoracial education imparted to them, though Ajith disagrees with me but admits on gutters. In this same website another student Wickremabahu Karunaratne, admitted being taught that Sinhaleses are the only inhabitants of Sri Lanka and that the others are visitors to the country who would leave.

Isura,

you have a wrong concept about democracy in relation to the majority. Yes majority decision is used in the process of democracy but it is solely about equality, freedom, justice and human rights for all. In otherwords, the process of decision making which is by majority votes should be for matters concerning equality, freedom, justice and human rights for all.

groundviews said,

October 27, 2008 @ 8:22 pm

Sam, please read the submission guidelines that clearly note, inter alia, “…[focus] on the substance of arguments as opposed to their presenters. It also means avoiding insults and other forms of ad-hominem comments. We encourage you to make your case as vigorously as possible without being rude.”

More importantly, singling out two schools and judging them based on the alleged actions and statements of a few old boys is unfair, at best.

Kindly desist.

nagalingam said,

November 4, 2008 @ 2:25 am

Sam.T.
Wisanka. A. and groundviews are right. I am sure you did not mean it the way it got expressed. My first reaction when you mentioned Ananda and Nalanda is, Oh. No! I appreciate your frequent comments.

I had the pleasure of living in a private house/hostel with students from Ananda, Nalanda, Zahira and other schools in the North and East. We had all meals and tea together and had a great time for two years in two different hostels. Of course it was in the mid fifties when all students knew English. I visited the Nalanda grounds every day and saw Anadians, Nalandians and students from schools without grounds share the Nalada grounds (Ananda did not have a sports field then.) The Prefect of Games Mr. Rajapakse (Later Ananda Principal) and teachers/coaches encouraged all participants.

The wijesinghes, Kulatinges, Weerasurias, Wijesekaras, Dissanayakes, Rajasingams, Kanagaratnams, Raheems all studied and played together, without an atom of discrimination. With the loss of the link language, through which we shared our friendships and fears, the generation after us had drifted apart.

Singling out one or two institutions does not help. The whole education policy went astray and need to re-tool itself, in more ways than one, if schools are to educate the future generations to live in peace.

RSS feed for comments on this post · TrackBack URI