Comments on: Banda, Chelva and the Elusive Federal Idea

By: Roopa Chetty

Roopa Chetty — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:19:53 +0000

DBSJ, I was soaked in Federal politics and I can see all these alternates are doing to deflect the attention from our leaders. Alternates have a habit of alternating too.

By: Roopa Chetty

Roopa Chetty — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:20:04 +0000

So what is in stake for the Indians , Americans , the Europeans and the Japanese in our conflict. It is worth pondering and I do ponder and I find no logical explanation for their so called concern.

So what is in stake for these international community ?. Think of it .. …..Is it a desire to encourage militarism in the less developed places , so that they can sell weapon systems ?. Should we even listen to these people who talk by day and sell weapons by night ?. Think about this

By: Roopa Chetty

Roopa Chetty — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 07:18:29 +0000

YB, your question is meaningless

My question is now, is there any Sinhalese living in Jaffna? At least, are they allowed to live in peace near the border? Those critics must take an impartial view. Everone is too emotionally criticise this ongoing problem without due regard to each other. Let’s stop this blame game.
“While there is a lush country with rivers and good irrigable soil in the south , there are not many Sinhalese wishing to live in Jaffna, except the soldiers and a few Bhikkus in the Jaffna Vihara and Nagatheeba Vihara. We always had a bakery run by a Sinhala family in our village, they left because our village became empty due to Sinhala, Indian military occupation. same is true in other parts of the Jaffna peninsula. AFter 2002 Peace agreement , there were bus loads of Sinhalese visiting the north and enjoying meeting the Tamil people and expressing unity. Now , we have a new government or somewhat new government .. and we lost everything we gained after the 2002 peace agreement. As far as Banda and other leaders .. they all did whatever to become the PM.. that mattered more than the peace and harmony .. power is paramount national unity , forget it. Banda did propose Federalism in 1944..but then he grew inpatient and now those good ideals are expendable for the sake of power. SLFP and UNP are in a race of their own and wjat happens to Tamils is no concern and whatever their concern , Tamils become the victims. if you say the riots were by a small group, but the small group was led by a cabinet minister with an electoral list , while armed forces helping with kerosine and petrol for the Aamuthuru and his followers to lit the homes of the Tamils. please read the news around August 1983 by the returning tourists in UK, Germany, Norway and other places they wrote exactly what they saw now time has twisted a lot of facts. Many don’t even know what happened ..

it is good DBSJ can write for them.

By: Roopa Chetty

Roopa Chetty — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:50:59 +0000

I can see the tendency here to keep talking until our death or to our death like the frogs during the monsoon seasons. SJV and his team has done more than enough to talk about Federalism when at least there was one Wilmot Perera , on Edmund Samarakodie , even NM Perera and Colvin R de Silva were sympathizers .. now there are no one and we are wasting time talking Federalism.

By: Roopa Chetty

Roopa Chetty — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:19:06 +0000

Federal Idea is only illusive because of the third column among us and not because Sinhalese are racists or intransient . Time and again we have seen these self proclaimed all knowing Tamil third column paid for by numerous now famous anti-Tamil elements within and outside Sri-Lanka. Federalism would have been possible , if there was and is unity among the Tamils in Sri-Lanka and also everywhere else. .it is nothing new .. we find them everywhere among the Tamils and also among other cultures…well I used to wonder why…but no more.

By: G. Ravichandran

G. Ravichandran — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:42:07 +0000

I tend to agree with Gloria. DBSJ is being too charitable towards SWRD Bandaranaike. SWRD dwelled in dangerous communal politics first …he let loose a monster which he could not control…and which eventually `consumed’ him.

Federalism…I am not sure if it is now too late. It may have worked earlier…but now I am not sure. No politican..including Ranil Wickremasinghe has made any effort to sell this idea to the masses.

By: Metha

Metha — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:47:58 +0000

Not only SWRD had the idea of Federal system, GG also had theis idea before. Because of (Thanthai Chelva) SJV, GG started to oppose this idea later. GG contributed in damaging this idea.
If any one has the chance of seeing SUTHANTHIRAN paper published around Parliament Election time, can find the proof for GG had the idea of federalisam before.

By: Chandras

Chandras — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:19:38 +0000

Very Good article. I wish somebody could collect more details and evidences and publish a book on this.

By: Siri

Siri — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:38:29 +0000

Re, businesses owned by tamils in SL M/r/s Sahadevan says “about the business owned by tamils,Look at Jews more than 50% global economy controlled by them because they are smart”.

Perhaps Jaffna tamils are much smarter to be doing like that The 60m tamils in tamilnadu havent surely fared well in that context, though? Or is it something else; comments?

By: leo

leo — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:46:23 +0000

I think for every challange or problem there is a solution. However the nature of the solution for the ethnic conflict changes with the passage of time. A Federal solution would have been feasible in the nineteen fifties.

I am not sure whether we understand what fedrelism is in the first instance to propose that as a solution. So much blood has been spilt that only a third party imposed solution is possible now.

I beleive he Indian model or the American model where each state is governed seperatly would be worth looking at.