by Saravan, October 20, 2004
The article ‘An Indictment of the Sri Lankan Government‘ is the first time, to my mind, where I have come across a comprehensive list of discrete actions on the part of the Sri Lankan state at causing genocide of Tamils. Unfortunately, these events have been reported from time to time, but never in full to drive home the enormity of the crimes against the Tamil people. I believe there are a few more items which are worthy of inclusion:
1. The systematic state-sponsored colonisation schemes of Sinhalese, particularly in the east, have also resulted in the carving out of Sinhala electorates and the marginalisation of Tamils, thereby weakening the collective bargaining power with the centre under a unitary constitution.
2. In order to get over the legal hurdle by the judgement delivered in the landmark Kodeeswaran case about the Sinhala Only implementation under section 29(2) of the old constitution, the Sirimavo government scuttled this constitution and introduced a new constitution entrenching Sinhala Buddhist colonialism and imperialism in the country by totally ignoring all the amendments proposed by the elected Tamil Representatives. This undemocratic constiution prepared for government of the Sinhalese, by the Sinhalese, for the Sinhalese is what holds good even today and gives “self-satisfying legitimacy” to all other acts prepetrated by the central government. It lies at the core of the problems.
3. Shortly after the introduction of the new constitution the government introduced the notorious standardisation scheme to discriminate against Tamil children in the matter of admission to the universities on an uneven playing field because they had to score higher marks than their Sinhala counterparts.
4. Tamil public servants at time of joining the public service had to subscribe to ‘anything now done or may be done’ to implement the Sinhala Only language provision with systematic increase in standards at these tests to obtain confirmation, increments and promotions, thus conferring a distinct disadvantage compared to the Sinhalese counterparts.
5. The presence of several mass graves in the NE where the accused are Army Officers from 1983 to 2001 have yet to be investigated and the suspects brought to justice.
Against the totality of the above background can be given the vacuous dreams of the Sri Lankan leaders.
A sample:
– D.S.Senanayake before the Soulbury Commission to the effect, “I give my word of honour and promise to our Tamil brethren that we, the Sinhalese will never oppress or maltreat them.”
– SWRDB in 1956 after the landslide visctory. “My ambition is to end the exploitation of man by man. To make Ceylon, the Switzerland of the east!”
– JRJ in 1977 before the landslide election victory. “I want to introduce a dharmista (just) society and to make Sri Lanka, the second Singapore of Asia!”
– CBK in 1994 before Presidentiall elections. “I want to introduce a human face to government and bring about peace!”
– RW in 2004 in preparation for 2005 Presidential elctions. “I want to make Sri Lanka, the second Japan of Asia!”
So wait for the realisation of all these dreams by Sri Lanka’s No.1 dreamers!
A world-wide advocacy and publicity of all such evil acts and dreams is worth considering.