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By: Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
In recent articles, I tried
to portray the continuing suffering of the Tamils
and their sad plight viz-a-viz the Sri Lankan
governments and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam
(LTTE). In view of the intentions of the
President to introduce a federal system of
governance to Sri Lanka and the efforts of Norway to
establish a coordinating body representing both the
government and the LTTE to handle post-tsunami
reconstruction in the north and east, it is
imperative that the political future of the Tamils in
Sri Lanka is examined with a long term perspective.
For all intents and purposes it has to be assumed that
the proposed joint post-tsunami reconstruction
mechanism may be a prelude to the LTTE being
conferred a dejure status, at least in the areas under
their control.
Tamils have been the victims of chicanery,
humiliations, insults, torment, terror, fear, injury,
pain, blood letting, death, gore, dispossession,
discrimination, displacement and social dislocation in
Sri Lanka, throughout her independent history. Sri
Lanka has been a country governed by the Sinhalese,
elected by the Sinhalese, for the Sinhalese from the
dawn of independence. Majoritarianism, in its most
ruthless and blatant form has been practiced, to the
detriment of all minorities and development in the
country. The concept that minorities too should have
rights equal to the majority in a democracy was
anathema to the ruling Sinhala elite. The drive to
establish an all encompassing Sinhala Budhist
dominance over the entire island was an unstoppable
juggernaut until the LTTE emerged as a strong force on
the national scene. Although patch work remedies
have been instituted in recent years, these belated
responses did not convince the Tamils who have been at
the receiving end of unprecedented and indescribable
insults, brutality and trauma, that they can trust the
Sinhala ruling classes once again and revert to a
status quo ante. Several opportunities that arose
during the past fifty years to revert to a truly
democratic system of governance were deliberately
missed or subverted, in the pursuit of
opportunistic, parochial and racist goals by the
Sinhala ruling classes. The Tamils although a
national minority, are a regional majority with
indisputable historical claims to the north and east
of the island. The Tamils responded to the
undemocratic rule by the Sinhala majority and
concerted attempts to subvert their claims to equal
citizenship, with an equally strong wave of
nationalism, which with time led to the emergence of
the LTTE and a brutal civil war.
The LTTE was a sword forged in the furnace of
events in Sri Lanka and tempered by the blood , tears
and suffering of the Tamil people. Unfortunately, the
sword that emerged was double edged and is being
turned on the Tamils themselves at present. The LTTE
which was given the whole hearted mandate by the
majority of Tamils, to defend and pursue their right
to survive and prosper as a distinct entity in Sri
Lanka with citizenship rights, opportunities and
protection under just laws that are inviolable, has
lost its way, following years of a protracted civil
war. The LTTE which spearheaded the Tamil resistance
to Sinhala hegemony and misrule very effectively in
the battle fields during the civil war, has itself
been brutalized by the long years spent fighting and
its human face has been very badly disfigured, as
events during the past three years have begun to sadly
reveal. This is a bitter pill to swallow for the
Tamils and has to be confronted and dealt with
immediately, if the painful and protracted struggle of
the Tamils is to remain true to its original
intentions and goals.
In the context of this background, the big question
that has to be asked by
the Tamils at this juncture of their history is, What
do we want as a people ? I am sure the unanimous
answer of all Tamils irrespective of origins and
affiliations would be, We want to live free of fear
for our lives, limbs and property, and prosper in a
true democracy, where our rights as a people are
respected. If pressed further, they would also
undoubtedly say, We want to have a greater influence
in managing our affairs as a people in areas where we
have a dominant presence”. The ability to live free
of fear, with the right to influence matters that
concern them in a democratic state, is and will
continue to be the core demand of the Tamils.
How this desire and demand can be translated in to
reality, after fifty odd years of degrading and
inhuman treatment by the Sinhala political
establishment, of which almost two decades were lived
under the shadows of a brutal civil war, is an issue
that should engage the immediate attention of the
Sinhala political establishment, the LTTE, all the
peoples of Sri Lanka and concerned segments of the
international community. Sri Lanka has reached a
critical point in its glorious, but in recent times a
very troubled history, when right, just and fair
decisions have to be taken urgently, to consolidate
the tenuous peace that is currently prevailing and
ensure that the path to development and progress can
be trod without the distractions of
a debilitating civil war.
The Sinhalese as a people, have to once and for all
decide, whether they want Sri Lanka to remain one
united country with political mechanisms in place to
share power equitably with the minorities or to carry
on in their usual merry old ways, that will inevitably
lead to an independent state of Ealam being carved
out. The Tamils as a people on the other hand have to
also make a major and very critical decision as to
whether their future lies in an independent state of
Ealam or within a united Sri Lanka, governed under
political structures that will permit them to exist
peacefully and prosper, as every human being has a
right to. Inevitably, the follow-up judgment for the
Tamils to make would be whether the LTTE, as presently
constituted and operational, is articulating their
desires correctly and is capable of achieving them
under the prevailing circumstances, both nationally
and internationally.
Having been a witness to the unfolding political drama
over most of my discerning life, and being a student
of history despite my professional status and career,
I have serious doubts as to the ability of the Sinhala
political establishment to come to terms with the
concepts of minority rights in a democracy and, equal
citizenship and power sharing within a multi-ethnic
and multi-religious Sri Lanka. The lack of political
acumen , statesmanship , maturity and vision among the
Sinhala political leadership of the past, present and
what is emerging for the future is a tragedy the
Sinhala polity is saddled with and it is unlikely to
change in the discernible future, short of a miracle.
The tragedy that has engulfed Sri Lanka in the past
fifty years has unfortunately not taught any
meaningful lessons to the Sinhala political elite. It
is sad to also suspect that they have learnt the wrong
lessons - how to use this tragedy to ensure their
political survival. Despite all the blessings nature
has bestowed and being a people who are second to none
in intelligence, kindness, generosity, decency and
culture, the Sinhalese have been singularly incapable
of producing a high caliber visionary leadership.
The Tamils have to be aware of this fact, when seeking
solutions to their problems in Sri Lanka. Any
political solution that is sought, bargained for and
finalized, should be dealt bearing this reality in
the Sinhala polity in mind. There can be no getting
away from it. The Sinhala people have to be aware
that the Tamil stance in any discussion will be
underlined by an abiding and deep seated distrust of
their political leadership. This dichotomy within the
Sinhala polity- between the people and the quality of
their leadership- necessitates that the international
factor and the influence that it can bring to bear
on the Sinhala political establishment be mobilized
effectively and with a sense of urgency.
The Tamils have to also clearly articulate their
demands and pursue them with vigour, bearing in mind
the imminent need for a solution. The LTTE seems to
be deliberately blinding itself to this dire urgency,
on account of unrelenting pursuit of its own
political and selfish ambitions. The tragedy that has
engulfed the Tamils as a whole and particularly the
suffering of those who have borne the brunt of the
civil war in the north and east , has been immense and
can not be easily erased from their collective memory
as a people for generations to come. This should be
recognized by the Sinhalese and repented. The
Sinhalese cannot run away from this historical burden.
However, their collective experiences of the past
should not preclude the Tamils from making the
necessary accommodations with the Sinhala polity, to
bring forth a long term political solution. The fact
that the Sinhala political establishment is not the
Sinhala people has to be borne in mind and the
identification of the Sinhala people with every tragic
event that has befallen us as Tamils should be
forsaken. As much as the excesses of the Tamil
militants, including the LTTE, did not reflect the
collective nature of the Tamils, the unjustness,
brutality, sadism and racism of the Sinhala political
establishment did not reflect the collective nature of
the Sinhalese as a people. This is something I can
vouch for and will continue to voice as vehemently as
I can during what is left of my life. Herein lies the
secret to bridging the ethnic or linguistic divide in
Sri Lanka.
The plans and formulations of the LTTE to ensure
their continued relevance, survival and political
dominance within the Tamil polity, should be
identified and separated from the main demands of the
Tamils. It appears that the LTTE has outlived its
usefulness to the Tamils, unless it brings about
serious changes to its intentions, approach, goals and
organizational structure to suit the times. The LTTE
that emerged in the 1970’s as a reflection of the deep
sense of frustration, impotence and rage felt by the
Tamils in response to the dastardly actions of the
Sinhala political establishment, successfully gave
expression to the desire of the Tamils to resist
Sinhala hegemony and defend their birth rights in Sri
Lanka with reference to land, language, identity and
survival. The success achieved by the LTTE, over two
decades of civil war, was the success of the Tamil
people and their collective desire to resist. The
excesses of the LTTE were also the failure of the
Tamil people for having permitted the LTTE to conduct
a proxy war on their behalf, without establishing the
necessary controls and accountability on the LTTE
directly and through a strong political leadership.
The Tamil people are paying a price today for this
failure and will continue to do, unless remedial
actions are forced on the LTTE by the Tamils and the
international community. The Tamils are today pitiably
wedged between the devil and the deep blue sea, with
very little choice and no room to maneuver.
The Tamils and the international community have to
demand that the LTTE transforms itself into a
predominantly political organization and opens its
doors to men of talent, education , experience and
ability to truly reflect Tamil aspirations at this
stage of their history. The present democratic
charade being orchestrated through pliant, visionless
and weak men and women- toadies- in the Sri Lankan
parliament has to be ended. A new name for the
political organization that has to emerge, separate
from the predominantly military set up in the LTTE, is
an urgent necessity as the LTTE has demonstrated
itself to be incapable of liberating the Tamils from
fear, frustration and oppression and, offering them a
Tamil Ealam that will be a citadel of decency,
freedom, democracy , rule of law and prosperity. Only
the term Tiger remains relevant in the title of the
LTTE today! The new name should reflect the
aspirations of the Tamils for freedom, human rights,
democracy and the rule of law. The emergent political
organization has to have an overriding influence on
the military component. While the role of
Vellupillai Prabhaharan as a leading light in the
Tamil polity cannot be disputed or denied, he has to
now redefine his role as a political player and
submerge the military image and ethos he has hitherto
projected.
Pluralism in the Tamil political front should be
welcome and given the space to develop and thrive.
The suppression of rival militant outfits was
justified and was justifiable in the face of military
confrontations with the Sri Lankan government.
However, mono - culture cannot be tolerated on the
political front, if democracy is to take root and
become vibrant. The military component of the LTTE,
which has a proven track record, has to continue to
maintain its battle readiness and size until such time
that the Tamils can be assured of their security and
rights within the Sri Lankan polity. This has to be
accepted and accommodated by the Sinhala people, as an
unfortunate but inevitable historical reality. The
necessity for the military wing of the LTTE to
continue to function and the duration it has to do so,
would be determined by the ability of the Sinhala
polity to resolve contentious issues expeditiously. A
mechanism to absorb the LTTE cadres in to the armed
forces of the new Sri Lanka should be organized under
international supervision. The Tamils however should
very emphatically demand their right to security as a
people within Sri Lanka in to the foreseeable future,
in view of their past historical experiences. The
international community through the United Nations
should provide the necessary mandate and organize
an adequate mechanism for this. This also has to be
accepted and accommodated by the Sinhala polity,
taking cognizance of their past blunders.
The current opportunity to resolve Sinhala- Tamil
and Majority- Monorities problems in Sri Lanka with
the wholehearted, sincere and enlightened
participation of all interested parties, including the
international community should be availed
immediately, with a sense of urgency. This not the
time for political opportunism or settling scores.
The federal alternative to the current system of
centralized governance should be seriously
considered, debated widely, formulated, adopted and
implemented. The Tamils should seriously pursue this
option, while retaining their right to secede if the
Sinhala polity does not concur with this option- as
is their propensity. The Tamils should also turn
their immediate attention to bringing about reforms in
the LTTE and asserting their democratic rights in
dealing with the LTTE.
I give below three quotes of relevance to the
Sinhalese, Tamils and the LTTE:
No man is good enough to govern another man without
the other’s consent - Abraham Lincoln
No mortal has such joy, although
In heaven’s fields he roam,
As in his city, in his land
And in his humble home – The Panchatantra
A heron ate what fish he could,
The bad, indifferent, and good;
His greed was never satisfied
Till, strangled by a crab, he died – The
Panchatantra
(Panchatantra- Translated from Sanskrit by
Arthur W.Ryder)