Sri Lanka is Our Land Too!
By Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
“There is a great conspiracy for Tamils from the North to link with Tamils in the East, with the Indian Tamils in the estates and with the Tamils in Colombo and trap the Sinhalese on the island. Add to this the 50 or is it 70 million Tamils of South India all waiting to swim over”
- Champika Ranawake, Cabinet Minister and JHU Member of Parliament in the Al-Jazeera TV interview.
The recent Al-Jazeera television documentary ‘Monks of war’ provided a rare insight into Sinhala-Buddhist perspectives on the long running ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka . The objectivity and clarity in presenting the opposing viewpoints within this perspective was admirable. The Al-Jazeera TV network and the presenter Juliana Ruhfus deserve our gratitude for a job well done and for bringing issues long swept under the carpet into the open.
I had read some where, although unable to recall the source that,” Mankind would have invented God, even if such an entity did not exist”. Karl Marx on the other hand famously proclaimed, “Religion is the opium of the masses”. I remembered these and their profoundness as I watched this documentary.
“He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me”. Those who do not harbour such thoughts still their hatred”.
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal”.
-The Dammapada-
These words from the Dammapada came to life in this documentary when the Sinhala-Buddhist mother narrated the story of her son who had served in the Sri Lankan army. She was told that her son was ‘Missing-in-Action’ and subsequently made the gruesome discovery that the army had burnt the bodies of its dead soldiers. This abominable act has not been acknowledged yet. She yet does not know whether her son is alive or dead and is unable to reconcile to the reality of her son’s possible death. She however was very vehement that more Sinhalese, Tamils or Muslims should not die in this war and in simple terms explained the repercussions of the ‘Tit for tat’ revenge cycle. While she yet awaits the return of her ‘Missing’ son, she bears no animosity towards the Tamils. Her son was probably killed by the LTTE in the northern war front. She not only presented the compassionate face of Buddhism, but also epitomized Buddhism. This is the Buddhism that permeates the lives and deeds of an overwhelmingly large majority of the Sinhala-Buddhists in Sri Lanka.
This is the Buddhism that will ultimately rescue Sri Lanka from the madness that has overtaken her. This is the Buddhism that will restore sanity and logic to governance and socio-political life in Sri Lanka. This is the ‘God’ humankind needs to underline its humanity and aspire to sublime values.
“A fool who knows his foolishness is wise at least to that extent, but a fool who thinks himself wise is a fool indeed”.
“One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness thereafter”.
“Those who mistake the unessential to be essential and the essential to be unessential, dwelling in wrong thoughts, never arrive at the essential”.
“Whoever, on account of perverted views, scorns the teaching of the perfected ones, the Noble and Righteous Ones- That fool, like the bamboo, produces fruits only for self destruction”.
“There are many evil characters and uncontrolled men wearing the saffron robe. These wicked men will be born in states of woe because of their evil deeds”.
-The Dammapada-
The graduate student monk, researching the role of war in Buddhism and Champika Ranawake, the minister quoted at the beginning of the article , who is obviously suffering from chronic ‘Persecution Complex’, represent the other ‘Extreme, Militant and Cruel’ form of political ideology pedaled as a resurgent Buddhism by a miniscule minority of the Sinhala-Buddhists. Champika Ranawake sounded like a clone of Osama Bin-laden, when he voiced his extreme (& mad) opinions and threatened the world that militant Buddhism was on the rise. This voice of militancy is being sounded from tiny Sri Lanka that many find difficult to identify in the world map! To me Champika Ranawake standing in front of a map of Sri Lanka and expounding his grand conspiracy theory sounded like a fool who thinks he is wise!
The Buddhist monk researching the role of Buddhism in war, might as well have researched (and a little more relevantly ) the influence of Buddhism on Hugh Hefner , as his ‘Playboy’ magazine is largely devoted to female nudity- physical nirvana! I wonder what the Dhamma-abiding Buddhists think of such men. Such men are a blemish on a great people and a great religion. It is unfortunate that this minority pedaling a pernicious ideology that portrays Sinhala-Buddhists as besieged people and re-paraphrases the famous lament attributed in the Mahawamsa to Prince Dutu Gemunu ( That he is trapped between the Tamils and the deep blue sea, when questioned about his curled up posture in bed by Queen Viharamahadevi-his mother), is the bane of Sri Lanka. Buddhism, Sinhalese, Tamils, Hinduism and the deep blue sea have survived the irrational fears of Dutu Gemunu, although he gained the crown from the old and just King, Ellalan (Elahara)! Mosquitoes and malaria did far greater damage to the great Sinhala civilizations based in Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa than the Tamils, Tamil, Hinduism or the Chola invasions ever could have done!
The entire focus of this ideology is to marginalize, brutalize, destroy, assimilate or drive off the non-Sinhala-Buddhists in the island. The Tamils are the immediate focus and the other minorities will follow-suit. Sri Lanka is for only Sinhala-Buddhists is the essence of this pernicious ideology. This is the Nazi-like ideology that has to be stripped of its façade of Buddhism, which provides it legitimacy in the eyes of the innocent. Buddhism is founded on logic, rationality and profound compassion. It has nothing to do with the irrationality and loony theories expounded by these extremists. Such men have seeded the Tamil militancy and help nurture it, while most Tamils have tolerated it for lack of alternatives. These extremists use religion as a slogan to cloud peoples thinking and arouse their animal passions. This phenomenon is what made Karl Marx call religion the opium of the masses. In Sri Lanka the reality of bad governance, failure of the rule of law, corruption and the exploitation of the people by its rulers, are blanketed out of the focus of the people by these elements pedaling their pernicious ideology. The ruling class in Sri Lanka needs such men and women for their survival. S.W.R.D. Banadaranaike had his Mapitigama Budharakita Thera, Wimala Wijeywardene, Prof. Jayasuriya and K.M.P. and Kusuma Rajaratne. J.R.Jayawardene had Cyril Mathew and his ilk. Chandrika Kumaratunge had her JVP ideologues. Mahinda Rajapakse has his JHU monks, the JVP ideologues and the likes of Champika Ranawaka. If such men and women were not readily available, they will be invented by the ruling political class! The decency of a great people and their essential goodness is being raped by these obnoxious elements for their personal gain. This is a truth the Sinhala-Buddhists have to yet discover.
Starting from Don Stephen Senanayake (son of Don Spater Senanayake), through Dudley Shelton Senanayake, Sir John Lionel Kotelawala, Neelaperumalge Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (previously Kalukapuge), Wijeyananda Dahanayake, Sirimavo Banadaranaike (of Mawalatenne Mohattala lineage), Thambi Mudiyansalage Junius Richard Jayawardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa (son of Richard Ranasinghe), Dingiri Banda Wijetunge, Chandrika Banadaranaike Kumaratunge and Mahendra Percival Rajapakse (Son of George Rajapakse), among our heads of government from Independence to date, I find only two men who can claim to have been untainted by the ‘Adaptation to colonialsm syndrome’, in name, religion or way of life. They are W.Dahanayake and Dingiri Banda Wijetunge. Of the others, some are of mixed race- sometimes multiple, most have conveniently adopted western and Christian names, and or religion to suit the periods their families have lived through and most have changed their mode of dress and way of life very quickly to facilitate political survival. Most of these men changed from ‘Brown sahibs’ to ‘Arya Sinhala, Buddhist patriots’ almost overnight. However, all of them including W.Dahanayake and D.B.Wijetunge were standard-bearers for the Sinhala-Buddhist extremist ideology, in its many nuances to some degree or other. If not, they could not have attained power and held on to it. Mahinda ( Mahendra) Percy (Percival) Rajapakse, the current President, has become the current standard-bearer of this extreme Sinhala-Buddhist ideology. Pursuit of power, wealth and the right to exploit the common person and make a fool of him/her has been the only driving force behind these chameleon-like transformations.
While one cannot complain against adopting a new name, a new religion or a new way of life among people for whatever reason, what is abhorrent is the ease with which such transformations have taken place in most of these families, defying conscience and logic. Men and women who occupied the front pews during Sunday services in churches became regular visitors to Buddhist temples and patrons of Buddhism overnight. Men and women who had western Christian names, eliminated them from their families very quickly and started using names linked to Buddhism and Sinhala history. How much of this change was out of genuine conviction and how much of it is the continuance of a charade and political expediency? The lap dogs of the colonial rulers of the past, had however very quickly became the keepers of a pernicious Sinhala-Buddhist ideology. Whether these men and women are selected, groomed, brought to power and kept in power, by the purveyors of this pernicious Sinhala-Buddhist ideology or whether these men and women in pursuit of power and wealth use these purveyors of hatred, is difficult to answer. It is however a marriage of convenience that has benefited both. It has given those ruling, the space to abuse power and given those collaborating with them in the name of Sinhala-Buddhism to exercise a hold on power disproportionate to their strength. Both have successively taken the people for a ride for almost sixty years and destroyed Sri Lanka as a nation.
I would like to proclaim to these elements that the decency of the majority of people in Sri Lanka-Sinhalese, Tamils , and Muslims, would ultimately prevail and overcome their present travails. The Tamils will overcome the militancy that has become a cancer and establish their right to live as equal citizens in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is our (Tamil’s) land too and will continue to be so. The north and east will continue to be the land reflecting the culture of the Tamil-speaking people. We Tamils will be always ready to share the north and east with our Muslim and Sinhala brethren who consider these lands theirs as well. They will exercise their rights to their language, religion, culture and way of life untrammeled in any way. We Tamils will exercise our right to live any where in Sri Lanka, if that is our wish and will demand our right to live as a free and secure people wherever we choose to live. We Tamils will also not deny the right of our Sinhala and Muslim brethren from the south to live in the north and east if it is their personal wish. However, we Tamils will resist all efforts to reduce us to second-class status, deprive us of our rights, drive us out of our land and colonize our lands under state sponsorship..
Tamils will not accept government sponsored changes in demographics- linguistically or based on religion any where in Sri Lanka, including the north and east. The Sinhalese, the Buddhists, the Muslims, the Christians and others are our fellow citizens and we Tamils accept their right to prosper in Sri Lanka. Tamils expect the same in return. It is for the likes of Champika Ranawake to accept this reality and in true Buddhist spirit learn to live and let live. Buddhists have their Naga Vihara in Nainativu in the north, where they are free to worship and we Hindus have our Kathirkamam in the South, where we want to worship without hindrance. Buddhist monks who were opposed to caste-based ordination of monks were banished to the north and the Tamils accepted them and treated them with respect. Tamil-Hindus accept Lord Buddha as a saint who tried to reform their religion. Hindus find echoes of their religious philosophy in Buddhism. Buddhism is not alien to Tamil-Hindus because they do not profess to be Buddhists. Buddhism is part of the Tamil-Hindu ethos. We speak different languages. However, they share common grammar and a large number of words. Both are ‘Ela’ languages- Sihala and Demala. Bharathiyar, the great Tamil poet of the last century, was ready to build a bridge to the Sinhala island and refill Sethu Samuthiram to build a highway.
” Sinhala Theevinukku Oorr Paalam Aamaipoem,
Sethuvai Meduruthi Veethi Samaipoem”- Tamil.
Bharathy could have called the island Ealam, the name by which it was known during the Sangam period- long before the Sinhala language and Buddhism became pre-dominant, or Lanka as referred to in the Ramayana. However, he in recognition of the predominance of the Sinhala people, was prepared to call it Sinhala Theevu (island) and was extending a hand of friendship. The Tamils are a people who consider ‘Truth’ a pre-eminent virtue and will never seek to deny what is obvious. The Tamils do not deny that the Sinhalese are the majority people on the island and have no designs to change this fact. However, the Tamils will not accept the Sinhala right to rule and dictate to them. We Tamils want a voice in our governance and the governance of our island. The Tamils are also the children of ‘Mother Lanka’ and demand their share of her milk. Please do not try to deny us Tamils our birthrights, because of your irrational and unfounded fears and complexes. The Sinhala people should not be taken in by efforts to make the Tamils scapegoats for the failures of their leaders. The success of the Tamils will not contribute to the failure of the Sinhalese and the failure of the Tamils will not lead to the success of the Sinhalese. The past sixty years of our history will testify to this. United we will stand, divided we will fall. This is a lesson we have to quickly learn.
Related YouTube Video:
kumar said,
September 1, 2007 @ 4:16 am
I think You Shud change your Name to Rajasinghe and bash other tamils more than wat you do now and singalas may accept u as son of lanka. Thats the only option left for you man. See how Fernandopulle is doing…..Follow his lead…
xmp said,
September 1, 2007 @ 5:37 am
As a tamil myself who has lived among the sinhalese most of my early 20 years in sri lanka, we are an not innocent people. We are arrogant, selfish and materialists in the extreme. We collaborated with the colonial powers and subjugated the poor (both Tamil low caste and Sinhala people). We bleat about what has befallen us now. For 20 years from 1986 we thought the great Poopa will come and make us the rulers of the universe. Our Indian tamil brethren do not have our negative character and attitudes and are able to work together with the hundreds of ethnic groups in India
ilaya seran senguttuvan said,
September 1, 2007 @ 7:50 am
A good expression of the collective aspirations of the Tamils of Sri Lanka. The ilk of degenerate half-wits like Champika Ranawake and their “advisor” Udaya Gammanpilla will be “discovered” to keep the Sinhala supremacists in focus. The truth is surfacing that Ranawake was, in fact, of Catholic parentage and that he was in a Seminary in the deep South for some years trained to be a Catholic Priest.
So an Austrian Hitler and a Keralite Mahathir Mohamed in Sri Lanka trying to outdo the German and Malaysian ultra-Nationalists respectively. Without a virulently anti-Tamil posture Ranawake, Gammanpilla and Meddahananda are irrelevant in Sri Lankan politics. Ranawake’s rise in the JHU over more moderate Seniors is characterised by violence, threat and intimidation – much of which he has learnt during his wild days as a JVP extremist in his student days.
As the Writer suggests Ranawake and the mad monks in the JHU are a slur to the noble teachings of Prince Siddhartha – Gauthama, a Hindu Princeling. The recent Programme on the Monks of Sri Lanka by AlJazeera has already brought utter disrepute to this country.
Sri Lanka’s tragedy is although there are wonderful Sinhala Buddhists following the compassionate and peaceful teachings of the Noble One the 75% of the country’s population that they are, though literate, lack learning. As a great Italian modern philosopher commented “While the equation between the literate and the illiterate of yore remains, today the illiterates can also read and write” What’s more, many of our Buddhists believe Buddha is the name of the man and the Sinhala Buddhists of Lanka have exclusive monopoly on this name. The fact is “Budh” is a Sanskrit expression of the State of Mind – like in “Puththi” in Tamil – for wisdom. Prince Siddartha attained that high state of mind through pure meditation and was called “Buddha” – the wise one. I do not want to enter into the controversy of his several visits to Lanka, which has been dealt by others like the renowned Archeologist-Anthropologist Senarath Paranavithana In the better traditions of academic honesty many younger Sinhala social scientists-anthropologists-historians are re-examining the historical accuracy of Buddha’s visits to Lanka, the arrival of Mahinda and Sangamitta – among many other significant events in Lanka’s ancient history.
As for the Tamils of Sri Lanka – language, historical habitation in specified areas in the land, rituals, religion contain more than sufficient evidence to suggest conclusively that Tamils have lived in this country continuously even prior to the building of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple, whose antiquity Historian Paul Peiris confirmed was well over 4,000 years old. And, if the efforts to dislodge the Tamils of this land, in the minority for some centuries now, by violence, intimidation, abductions and other forms of pressure continue the world of today will not wait and watch the fun. Gareth Evans, the former Australian Foreign Minister who was here in July, refers to new international law R2P as a panacea for such ills. Besides, South India still looks at the plight of their cousins here with genuine concern and sympathy. And not for the false pretexts warped men like Ranawake suggest in their sickness of “the only majority in the world suffering from a minority complex”
The Tamils of Sri Lanka will eventually prevail and overcome their tribulations. Justice will eventually triumph.
ashoka said,
September 1, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
i would like to elighten the writer about some facts about his beliefs about sri lanka. in the ancient past sri lanka was kown as lanka the land of rawana. rawana was the king of lanka and rama was the indian king. even to this date the tamils consider rama as their hero and rawana was the villain. if the the tamils were true lankans it should be the other way around. this clearly shows that tamils belong to india and tamil nadu ( tamil nation ) is their country of of origin. the mere word sinhalese is wrongly interprited as sinhala originated with the word siv hela meaning the four corners of lanka ( hela ). the sinhala does not mean any ethnic group but it derives from the work of the gret king pandukabaya ‘ s to unite the population of lanka under one ruler ( yaksha, naga and raksha were the original sinhales or helas ). it is true that the tamils today are born in this country and has all the rights to to claim it as their motherland BUT THEY SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE’S NOTHING CALLED EELAM OR TRADITIONAL MOTHERLAND AS THEY CLAIM. THE WHOLE OF LANKA IS THEIRS AND THEY SHOULD CLAIM THEIR RIGHTS WITHIN ONE UNITED COUNTRY. AND THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE OTHER ETHIC GROUPS TO EVEN HAVE RECOGNIZED THEM AS LANKANS EVEN AFTER SUCH DUBIOUS CALCULATED SCHEMING TACTICS TO DEVIDE THE COUNTRY. I WISH TO CHALLENGE ANY BODY WHO COULD PROVE THAT TAMILS WERE THE ORIGINAL NATIVES OF LANKA. TAMILS OR CHOLA’S SETTLED DOWN IN THE NORTH ONLY AFTER THE 14TH CENTURY.
xmp said,
September 2, 2007 @ 12:27 am
A constructive suggestion : Forget our leaders on all sides.
We need to build bridges at the lowest levels. None of us had a choice of our birth, whether it be tamil, sinhalese, muslim, etc. There is no such thing as a pure race. We have been brought up to think in tribal terms while the ruling groups (believe it or not, there is a handful of unseen groups/families who control the western system and the countries like ours) manipulate us to hate each other. We need to think independently and helps each other at the bottom level. It is idealistic, but, this is the only way. Otherwise we will be mental (and economic) serfs for ever.
leemagahakotuwe waidyaratna mudiyaselage mohamed jamaldeen mohamed nowfer said,
September 2, 2007 @ 3:19 am
I agree most of the comments of the writer.as a Sri Lankan muslim we too were insulted called “thambia”.when I was a trainee in Govt service 1983 I met the same fate as Minister Thondaman did.But my case was different, and I dint,t take action like Hon.Minister.I shot back “yes I am thambia, I agree but keep in mind I am not a Paraya,Berawaya,Hena or Rodiya”.my friend never called me “thamboa” again till I retier in 2002 Please belive me Sir.
Walter Rajaratn4 said,
September 2, 2007 @ 11:41 am
Human Rights
&
State Terrorism in Sri Lanka
o There is widespread racism and state terror that has been directed at the Tamil people since Ceylon gained independence from Britain in 1948.
o The Sinhalese came to Sri Lanka about 2500 years back and claim to be Aryan race, which is a bunch of crap
o Tamils have been living in Sri Lanka for more than 30,000 years and called it Ellam.
o In 1769 the British arrived and absorber the Island of Ceylon into its huge empire.
o Before Portugese, Dutch & British came, there were three Kingdoms in Ceylon, Tamil kingdoms in North and East, one Sinhalese kingdom in Hill Country and one in Costal areas of Ceylon.
o British centralised all powers in Capital Colombo for administrative purpose , unified the whole country by amalgamating three Kingdoms into one Country and brought large amount of Tamil Labours from India to Build Tea estates and these Tamils built the national economy and earn highest amount Foreign exchange today ( US $ 900 Millon per year )
o When British left in 1947, they handed over centralised power in Colombo to Sinhalese and the first Sinhalese majority parliament stripped, (which consisted of Racist like DS Senanayaka, SWRD Bandaranayaka & JR Jeyawardena,) one million tea estate Tamils in the central hill country of their citizenship and right to vote, because they voted against the ruling party and happened to be Tamils.
o The third parliament of Ceylon in 1n 1956, under the leadership of SWRD Bandaranayaka and with the support of UNP, made Sinhalese the only official language and as a consequence large number of Tamils lost their job opportunities. LSSP leader Colvin R De Silva warned one language, two countries, two languages, one country.
o During nineteen seventies the Government of Srimao Bandaranayaka, with the support of Badudeen Mohammed, NM Perera, Peter Kennaman & Colvin R De Silva implemented the standardisation policy where Tamil student have to get much more marks to enter university, irrespective of their merit, and abolished the Constitution Drafted by Last British Governor and deleted the protection given to Tamils under that Constitution and these act angered moderate Tamil Politicians and young Tamil students and provided a strong motivation to start armed struggle, another foolish act of Sindhalese
o Major Sinhalese political parties and Majority of the Buddhist Monks are totally racist and anti Tamil.
o In July 1983 the Sinhalese thugs aided, supported and encouraged by Sinhalese politicians, Buddhist monks and Sinhalese army and police killed thousands of Innocent Tamils, burned down their houses, business premises, medical clinics and lawyers offices and ganged raped Tamils girls and this is known as ? July Holocaust? or ? Black July? .
o The Tamil armed struggle gathered momentum after this foolish act of Sinhalese and resulted in the development of present day Tamil Army known as ?Tamils Tigers?
o Some feel that creation of a Tamil Federal state or a Scottish style Tamil Parliament will bring peace; this solution will not work, because this type of political system to work, the central government should be trust worthy and Tamils have no trust in Sinhalese central government or Sinhalese politicians. They cannot be trusted, because Sri Lankan army, police and state machinery is one hundred percent Sinhalese.
o The only option for Tamils to fight Sinhalese state terrorism is to create their own state which existed before Portugese, Dutch and British came to Colonise Ceylon ? Sri Lanka.
o WITH OUT A TAMIL ARMY TAMILS HAVE NOTHING ? POLITICAL POWER GROWS OUT OF BARREL OF GUN – ARMY IS HE CHIFE COMPONENT OF STATE POWER ?
o The ?Tigers? control their own territory and run it like a totalitarian dictatorship now, after winning an independent state for Tamils, they have to grant democracy to all people, otherwise Tamil people will revolt
o Tamil Army is a militant army with a cause, to disarm them is impossible and no army can fight them forever.
o The ?war on terror after 9/11? has been used by Sri Lankan States (past & present) to suppress Tamils and opposition descendants and get plenty of foreign aid from US, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, China and Israel. Tamils and their Tamil Army are not terrorist, but freedom fighters. The Sinhalese and International media describes the entire Tamil people as terrorist and remain silent about Sri Lanka state terrorism for the benefit of their Geopolitical agendas.
o FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT.
Ananda Wijepala said,
September 2, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
I think some facts about Champaka Ranawaka are wrong.
I studied with Champaka at University of Moratuwa. He did electrical engineering. He was a brilliant student.
He is from Horana in Kaluthara district.
LTTE is spreading lot of lies.
zulu said,
September 2, 2007 @ 10:05 pm
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal”.
-The Dammapada-
Mathma Ghandi followed the above and waged a peaceful war against the British and won it too.
How possible it is to do the same with LTTE a group that enslave its own kind.
It is no suprise they say, ” Sinhalaya Modaya, Kewun kanna yodaya”
No more!!!
The time has come to set aside Buddhism temporary to destroy the serpent that sucks the blood out of everybody regardless of the race.
ilaya seran senguttuvan said,
September 3, 2007 @ 3:45 am
Dear L.W.M.M.J.M. Nowfer,
It was not at Minister Thondaman the words “PD” were used but at Muthu Sivalingam. But, don’t attach too much of importance to this.
When a Sinhalese is mad at a Tamil he screams “PD” and when a Tamil is mad he shouts “KS” So it is between Sinhalese/Muslims, Muslim/Tamils etc This is universal. Anyway, it needs more than insulting each other in foul language to settle our perennial
problem – if it can be settled at all. Some even think it can only be settled the old way when the Chera-Chola-Pandia Vs Hela
affairs were going down the centuries. Only time will tell which way we are going.
kumar said,
September 3, 2007 @ 7:49 am
Mr Asoka said
“I WISH TO CHALLENGE ANY BODY WHO COULD PROVE THAT TAMILS WERE THE ORIGINAL NATIVES OF LANKA.”
well Mr Asoka…. even if i managed to proof it to you what are you going to do after that? Give Eelam to Tamils????
Every one accepts that Vadhas are the native people of this Island. But look how Vadhas are treated by the Singalas. There culture is destroyed , made to study singala. they cannot even hunt animals in their traditional jungle places. As Vadha leader Wanniya said recently ” We cannot fight like the Tamils” implicating Vadhas population size and power is so small and they feel helpless. im sure Within about a decade Vadhas will be extinct. Few of them may be used to perform for tourists.
So Who comes first is nothing for singala goverments. Singala nationalists want to colononise and assimilate the tamils..just like what they did with Vadhas…i have no doubt about that.
Even if i know evidence to proof early dravidian arrival; im not going to reveal it to you ! this is becos if i tell you for eg there is archeological evidence in Kokkatichcholai hindu temple – singala extremists will go and destroy the whole temple just like how singalas destroyed the Jaffna library which held many tamil historical books. Racism makes people to become lowest species of animals.
According to antropologists Dark skinned Dravidians lived in the whole of indian subcontinent…..and some section went to south east asian and into Australasia…. So Dravidians travelled far and wide…..how can they not crossed a small water barrier to enter this Island. It doesn’t make any sense….. any way..
Suresh M said,
September 3, 2007 @ 9:37 am
Ref # 4, Ashoka’s interpretation of Ramayana is incorrect.
Ramayana was written by a Northern Indian Brahmin, named Valmihi about five thousands years ago. Rama, the hero of the saga is an Aryan Prince, and Rawana is an evil ‘Ashura’ or ‘Dravida’ King. Ramayana is denounced by many ‘Dravida’ parties in South India (including DMK) as it has demonized Dravidians (Tamils) as Ashuras (Devils).
The story behind Deevali celebrations in north India is that the day Rama had entered Capital Ayothi, after living in exile for thirteen years, but Dravidians have another story for the same Deebavali celebration. Both, Aryans and Dravidian celebrate the day for different reasons.
R Phillipiah said,
September 3, 2007 @ 2:10 pm
Tamil-Hindus, specifically the Saivites (Siva worshippers), have always revered Ravanan/Ravana as a great Siva Pakthan (devotee), in front of whom Lord Siva appeared and offered several boons, in answer to his penance. He is Ilankeswaran and Ravaneswaran to Tamil-Hindus and a much revered figure. There are regular debates held in Tamil-Hindu literary circles as to who was a better person in the epic Ramayana- the character Rama or the character Ravana. Raman/ Rama is considered a Lord Vishnu Avatar, while Ravana is considered a Rakshasha, who was a great devotee of Lord Siva.
I do not have an inkling of the language Ravana spoke, but legend has it that he was a great classical musician, who was able to sway Lord Siva with his rendering in ‘Naattai’ raga. The Mahavamsa states that Vijaya and his followers on landing in Lanka were attracted by the music of Kuveni’s people- the Yakhas. It is possible the Rakshasa’s and Yakhas were the same people and Kuveni was of Rakshasha descent. They must have been a people well versed in music. Further, the Tamils in India consider Ravana a Dravidian and Rama an Aryan.
I also remember the Late Justice Vaithylingam relating to my father, how surprised they were while on a tour of India as badminton players in the 1940s from the University College, Colombo, to be worshipped as the great sons from the land of Ravana, by the people (Tamil-Hindus) of Rameswaram.
Ravana and his people may have been our common ancestor at the furthest point in our (Sinhalese and Tamil) history in Sri Lanka. It is pointless to hark back thousands of years in history to prove or disprove, who was in Sri Lanka first. Let us accept current realities and work out solutions to our problems from that perspective. The one trait both Sinhalese and Tamils share with Ravana is our inability to face reality. Ravana was deluded into thinking that he can get away with abducting Sitha and keeping her. He refused to listen to advice to the contrary from his wife Mandothari and his brothers- Kumbakarna and Vibishana. He lost everything that was dear to him, including his Kingdom as a result of his pride. He was unable to face reality till his very end. How pride and delusion can destroy a ‘Great Man’ like Ravana is the principal lesson in the Ramayana. It is time that we-Sinhalese and Tamils- learn this lesson from the life and death of our great, great,-, -,-,-,-,-,-,-, great grand father Ravana!
ilaya seran senguttuvan said,
September 4, 2007 @ 8:16 am
I have no problem with Ananda Wijepala’s claim Champika Ranawaka went to Moratuwa U. The Seminary part begins when
you enter your teens. Personally, I think there is nothing wrong in being a Seminarian and later to become a Buddhist convert. Whether Ranawake graduated is not clear. What is known, however, is he was involved in extreme JVP politics in the University throughout and was reported held “captive” by another murderous gang of extremist student activists for several months within the University Campus. So much for responsible citizens of the future. His incredible and false claim in the AlJazeera TV interview ” Tamils in the North East, the Plantation areas and 600,000 Tamils in the Western Province are conspiring to trap the Sinhalese in the South with connivance from 70 millions Tamils from Tamilnadu is calculated to inflame ignorant Sinhalese, create mass disorder, mayhem in the country and subject innocent Tamils to abuse, hatred and attack – not for the first time in this country. If the Govt is secular, responsible and fair to all citizens this Minister should be asked to explain his position and called to face the consequences of his naked irresponsibility, if his explanation is not satisfactory. I suggest to the Govt to relay the AlJazeera interview for all citizens to see and form their own opinions.
Viewers in the Middle East, Britain/Europe, India and the Subcontinent have seen the interview and are shocked at the state of affairs in this country vis-a-vis Tamil suffering arising from this TV programme appropriately titled “The Monks of War in Sri Lanka”
gAVIN said,
September 5, 2007 @ 12:59 am
I rather not have Eelam than have a country without my Sinhalese brothers and Sisters. What’s the point of Eelam when Tamils can’t even live among themselves without creating factions based on religion, caste and socio-economic levels?
I support a federal solution because I know that Sri Lanka has potential to be better than India and one day better than Japan. WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE PEOPLE LIVING ON THIS ISLAND RATHER THAN KILLING EACH OTHER!
Lanka’s beauty is its diversity. The Sinhala and Tamil extremists who are trying to divide the brotherhood between the sinhalese and Tamils WILL NOT SUCCEED!
WE WILL BE THE GENERATION THAT LOOKS BEYOND PETTY RACIAL DIFFERENCES.
WE WILL REVIVE THE SRI LANKAN IDENTITY
P.Subasi said,
September 5, 2007 @ 2:14 am
Ofcourse Sri lanka is a country of yours and mine whether you are a tamil or a sinhalese or a muslim or a burger if you are born in Sri Lanka and you have all the rights of any citizen of her. But, try to claim 50% of everything (incase of area, it’s 2/3 of coastal lines and 1/3 of the country) without thinking of population percentages, any community should be mad. Or they must have very extreme kind of superiority complex.
Gamini said,
September 5, 2007 @ 2:15 am
I always find these types of articles where the author neatly tries to distil the multitude of views and ideas in to a few choice sentences starting “The Sinhalese believe…” or “Tamils want…” presumptuous to the extreme.
Regarding the JHU, As usual the media and commentators find it more interesting to look at a fringe group rather than the majority , this was evident in Australia when the foreign media focussed heavily on the ultra nationalist Pauline Hanson who garnered less than 2% of the primary vote
Vishvajith said,
September 5, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
excellent piece Dr.