Coming from an Indo-Lankan lineage, in the 50’s – as a school boy – I remember several known people shuttled between Ceylon and India via the Fort Railway Station at very short notice – sans any mandatory papers. The trek by foot, I believe, was prior to the arrival of the railway here (1905?)…. In talking of historians, I do not suggest we go by history written by your men of your own race only – that will narrow your source of knowledge to a very narrow field indeed. Sinhala historians Sir Paul Peiris, Dr. S. Paranavithana, Dr. Colvin R. de Silva did not seek to distort history and remain neutral historians who command respect. Look at what Indrapala/n has done to himself in his latest about- turn. Your analogy of evidence-Court procedure is interesting – and, in most instances, true. But, Sir, in a court of law the presiding judges are not willing to allow time eternal to debunk the other side. Whereas, in a historical work, there is unlimited time to engage discrepencies…… Re. Nalin de Silva – see his comments last week in Island’s Midweek Review. The man has done a somersault about his claim of the time of arrival of Tamils to Jaffna, Lankan royalty etc. Nalin’s claim – which you strangely seem to agree with – that Tamils came to Jaffna only 400 years ago – is preposterous. Nalin is now changing gears on this….. My comments about the presence of Tamils here over 3,000 years ago is supported by not only Sir Paul Peiris – but by the very presence of the holy Tiruketheeswaram, Koneswaram and, across the sea, Rameshwaram temples that have stood perhaps longer. Your man Roberts contests this elsewhere in his rush to become a Sinhala champion. Re. Lankan Citizenship, the 7 year period, I think, was subject to applicant not having remitted any money in recent times to relatives in India, Sir, (Mr. Thondaman) senior himself, my close and good friend, told me that Lankan officials sabotaged the easy acquisition of Lankan citizenship by various bureaucratic obstacles…. As I mentioned earlier, SJV originally was opposed to the Separate State idea but fell in line in the face of Sinhala obstinacy to consider Reasonable Tamil demands…. Please forgive me for some strong words I used in my previous rejoinders to your comments. Let me conclude by saying, in spite of all the deep wounds in the Tamil pysche – like you and DBSJ, I want to still see a united, peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka of tomorrow where any one wishing to live any where in the island should be enabled by the State to do so unambiguously. I think this is still possible and there is space in the hearts of millions of decent Sinhala folks TODAY to realise this – notwithstanding the JVP, JHU, Nalin de Silva, Champika Ranawaka, Udaya Gammanpila, Dinesh Gunawardena and those Buddhist priests of the Sinhala chauvinistic fringe…. …… I extend to you my good wishes for many more years of pleasant retirement…I hope to continue to read your useful and well structured comments.

In your opinion the B/C pact was not implemented because the Sinhalese and the Muslims of the East objected to that not because J.R.with the Budhist monks by way of foot march to Kandy and acts like saboteged the implementation.What was the percentage of the sinhalese as against the tamils in the Eastern Province before the Colonisation of Ampara and Kantalai. If you are not sure I suggest that you go through the census statistics of that era.You agree that B/C was asking for Tamil Administrative regions in the North and East. Do you not agree that had the B/C pact been implemented the Tamils would not have been pushed to a position where they are forced to believe no otherway except go the seperate way. I also can conveniently say that I am an aging tamil .

I have seen the effects and disastrous results of the so called riots(genocide ) of the 1958,1971,1977, 1981 and 1983 first hand.I am one of the few who believed in the Ceylonese identity ,studied the Sinahala lanquage( though I did my education in the English medium like you I suppose) and got through the Sinhala language Proficiency GR.IV.( if you are in doubt I can provide with the proof) as way back as 1967 and even worked in that medium.It did not take much longer to realise what a folly it was. Inspite all these efforts the promotion I deserved was refused to me.

The reason I was a tamil.I left the job and the country. There are 1000’s of cases like me. So Mr.Rasalingam tell me ,is it my fault? You are conveniently forgetting another part of the history. I am refering to the standardisation in the eductional system. Are you aware of that and the purpose of that system.Is it also the fault of the tamils? I do not deny that there are lots of good hearted ,decent and just Sinhalese in Srilanka but unfortunately when they speak for the truth they are branded a terrorist or LTTE. So they are simply bulldozed down and their opinion does not count . I can give you a very good recent example. Are you aware that a Budhist monk in Batticaloa started a fast unto death protest today( 3.3.2008). Do you know why? He was only trying to be just and a honest Budhist. He is branded as LTTE by no other than the JHU. I have observed so many individuals writting comments under tamil pseudo names like Karuppiah etc. comments attacking the tamils. But I can understand that if those comments are written in Sinahla names nobody will belileve it as the case of the ministers of the GOSL,so much so for the integrity of the GOSL and the present day Sinhala leaders.

I was reading this article to find out what this aged author was prescribing for the ailment. At last it was there in the last sentence. ‘We need to soften our acrimonious uncompromising stand’. Rather than concentrate 99% of his thesis on his version of history, he could have elaborated on how to ’soften’ our stand which would have been useful to our younger generation who are carrying the can.

He wisely says in the previous statement ‘Blaming the Sinhalese for all our ills won’t do’. Sure, I agree. Somehow, I can’t help names like Karuna, Sangaree, Devananda, Pillaiyan and a few others coming to my mind. Or was the author referring to himself?

Many are in a deep dream. Sooner they wake up the better for everyone.

Incidentally, the key to discovering solutions may be for Sinhalese to view the challenge exclusively from the minorities (Tamils and Muslims) vantage point and for Tamils to view from the Sinhalese and Muslim perspectives and the same for Muslims – to perceive it from a Sinhalese and Tamil point of view. The biggest impediments to this exercise are the negative garbage dished out by extremists on both sides – the ultra nationalists Sinhalese-Buddhists on one extreme and the ultra separatists on the other. I concurr with #5 Dayan what is badly needed is a statesman who has the spine to stand-up what is “right” by all the communities of the nation.

And to call SJV ultra-nationalist is ignorance of the highest order. “Adangaath Thamilan” Professor Suntharalingam, who was an advisor to DS, or “Puliyankoodal” (Kayts) Navaratnam might have been ultra-nationalists, but SJV?

Of course I have met quite a few Tamils professional who were born in Colombo or who lived there from childhood, who say that because Tamils are a minority they need to meekly accept their second class status and not protest at any discrimination. Such people felt that any agitation by the North-East Tamils for their just rights would rock their relatively comfortable existence in the South. In every instance, they were ignorant of what the Tamils in the North-East had to undergo, what the Tamil leaders had been agitating for, etc.
So, if Mr. Rasalingam is indeed a Tamil, he can speak for himself. Once a Tamil homeland is established, which is inevitable with or without the LTTE, the likes of him can complete their assimilation by continuing their flattery of the Sinhalese (He can call Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to get some tips) and live in the South, leaving Tamils in the North-East to take care of their own affairs.

I have always said that those Sinhalese who have historically lived in the East and the Eastern Muslims will need to have their interests protected when a Tamil homeland is created. The ITAK especially had plenty of support among the Eastern Muslims at least until the early eighties, so to say that SJV’s proposals were opposed by the Eastern Muslims is not entirely correct.. Names like Dr. Ilyas in Puthalam, the late Mr.Ashraff in Kalmunai, one Mr. Mahroof come to mind. Even Masoor Moulana (the brother of Alavi Moulana and uncle of Alisahir Moulana) of the UNP was initially part of the ITAK, I believe.

But it is one thing to take care of the interests of those Sinhalese who have in the normal course of life lived in the East, and quite another to consider those who were settled there after chasing away Tamils from their lands to complete the ‘Sinhalization’ project starting in the early 1950’s. The issue of what to do with such settlers will remain a thorny one, as is the illegal Jewish settlements in Palestinian land. The demand that such settlements need to be dismantled and Tamil refugees/ IDPs resettled in their original homes is just and deserves to be made consistently.

Any Tamil claiming to be a leader who ignores the demand of the IDPs to resettle in their lands will justly face their wrath.