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Ilankai Tamil Sangam, USA, Inc.
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
by G.Amirthalingam, London
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“Krishna tried to negotiate with the Kauravas (Duryodana and his 99 brothers and, of course, their scheming uncle Sakuni) to get an empire for the Pandavas to rule (because they had lost everything to the Kauravas in Yudishtra's gambling with Sakuni). The Kauravas refused. Then Krishna asked for one nation for them to rule. It was refused. Then Krishna asked for a few villages - that was refused. Then Krishna asked for just one village and it was also refused. Finally Krishna asked for some land and a house for them to live in, the Kauravas refused that too. Only after that Krishna asked the Pandavas to go to war.” |
Struggle is not a new experience for the Tamils of the NorthEast of Sri Lanka. From the time the British merged the NorthEast with the rest of the country in 1833, Tamil Nationalism, political aspirations and the concept of self determination began due to many factors. Most importantly, the feeling of neglect under British rule, the interference of Sinhalese politicians in the administration against the Tamil welfare, and unfavourable and unconstitutional amendments to the Constitution fanned the fire of Tamil Nationalism.
The struggle continued with Independence in 1948. Even though Section 29 (2) of the Soulbury Constitution entrenched a special clause to preserve and protect minority rights, the clause was amended in 1972 with the new Constitution that transformed Sri Lanka into a Sinhala Buddhist Unitary State.
Soulbury Constitution, Section 29
29. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Order, Parliament shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Island.
(2) No such law shall
(a) prohibit or restrict the free exercise of any religion; or
(b) make persons of any community or religion liable to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of other communities or religions are not made liable; or
(c) confer on persons of any community or religion any privilege or advantage which is not conferred on persons of other communities or religions; or
(d) alter the constitution of any religious body except with the consent of the governing of that body. Provided that, in any case where a religious body is incorporated by law, no such alteration shall be made except at the request of the governing authority of that body.
In 1956 the Bandaranaike government passed the Official Language Act, which made Sinhala the official language - another callous move by the Sinhala nationalist government. The amendment of Section 29 of the Soulbury Constitution, and the introduction of the Sinhala Only Act were unconstitutional and the Tamil Members of Parliament walked out and refrained from voting.
I think it is appropriate to include the following paragraph from a website article written by Niranjan in the TAMIL VOICE (SUPPLEMENT) - FALL 1996 under the heading, “The Broken Covenant” :
“By not including Section 29 in the 1972 and the 1978 constitutions, the majority government, which was the Sinhala Nation, broke the sacred covenant between the two nations and returned the Tamils of Ceylon to their previous status as colonial people and subjects of the Queen. If Great Britain is unwilling or unable to accept this status of the Tamil people as its subjects, then the Tamil people become sovereign by virtue of their pre-colonial status as the people of the Tamil Kingdom.”
Every reasonable request for an amicable settlement of the Tamil nonviolent political demand was answered with violence, murder and destruction. The Sinhala government did not understand the political freedom and the fervent desire for self-rule to which the Tamil people aspired. They could no longer tolerate to be subservient citizens under oppressive Sinhala rule. There was no option but to take up an armed struggle to achieve what they could not achieve by peaceful means.
It is no secret how the governments after independence subjugated the unarmed, defenseless Tamils. Each and every Anti-Tamil riot is etched in every Tamil mind and the scar will never be erased. If the Tamils give up the inevitable armed struggle, which forced the past and present governments to negotiate, defenseless they become, turning the clock back to the old state of affairs when the Tamils were oppressed and their demands were suppressed.
Mahabharatha revisited:
“Krishna tried to negotiate with the Kauravas (Duryodana and his 99 brothers and, of course, their scheming uncle Sakuni) to get an empire for the Pandavas to rule (because they lost everything to the Kauravas in Yudishtra's gambling with Sakuni). The Kauravas refused. Then Krishna asked for one nation for them to rule. It was refused. Then Krishna asked for a few villages - that was refused. Then Krishna asked for just one village and it was also refused. Finally Krishna asked for some land and a house for them to live in, the Kauravas refused that too. Only after that Krishna asked the Pandavas to go to war.”
Just as in the Mahabharatha, whatever the Tamils asked has been opposed by the hardliner monks, the nationalists and now the JVP. Those forces will NEVER give anything to us - that is now very clear. The only way to peace is to first make the JVP and the hardliner monks and hardliner nationalists in Sri Lanka ineffective and non-interfering in the peace process. That has not been done, since the ceasefire began.
Take a look at the American Independence struggle. The American poeple know the value of freedom and they also know how they got it. Negotiations did not work; it was through war that they got rid of the British, the Spanish, the Dutch and the French. This has been the case in every freedom struggle. These wars could have been avoided if not for the educated, matured and the so-called wise men refusing the rightful demands of the people. Instead, they succumbed to the rabid racist elements.
Tamils don’t need the consent of the Sinhalese population to determine their political future. Did the colonizers get the consent of the Tamil people in a democratic manner, when the Tamil homeland was merged with the rest of the country? It was the most undemocratic act to merge two different communities, whose language, religion, culture and customs are different.
In 1505, Sri Lankans gave in to the Portuguese invasion. In order to oust the Portuguese they invited the Dutch for help, and then the British walked in without any resistance. All in all the country lost 433 years of Sovereignty. Sri Lanka will make the same mistake again, if there is no settlement to the Tamil cause, and lose the country to foreign rule for another 500 years.
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