Sinhala Only Policy and Practice
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| These are the values that truly entitle us to Sovereignty as a Nation. The land could still be part of Sri Lanka as a country. But our Consciousness needs to be through the values of Thesa Vallamai and its administrative processes and facilities. Otherwise we are actually claiming ‘independence’ by attaching ourselves to the status of the opposition of the Sinhalese Government – the colonial rulers in various forms. |
(May 02, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I first respond to the article ‘UNSG playing his fiddle to a deaf elephant' by Sri Lanka Guardian Editor on Labour Day 2011.
The Editor questions the validity of ‘Accountability’ demands by the International Community through the United Nations. The demand has been made of the Sri Lankan Government – which is the level at which the UN and those recognized as International Community interact and engage with Sri Lanka. They have asked the question from their positions of responsibility. The ordinary Sri Lankan does not relate to this directly. The Government, to the extent it responds through ordinary Sri Lankans, is confessing to limiting itself to ‘voter level’ – which certainly reduces the value all our work at international level. When that value is reduced, the self confidence of every true Sri Lankan at international level is reduced.
Yesterday, at a meeting of the Sydney Reconciliation Forum, at which a former Attorney General of Sri Lanka was also present, the language Policy that triggered off the civil riots in the 50’s was discussed. Wikipedia says about this Sinhala Only Act “Supporters of the law saw it as an attempt by a community that had just gained independence to distance themselves from their colonial masters, while its opponents viewed it as an attempt by the linguistic majority to oppress and assert dominance on minorities. The Act symbolizes the post independent majority Sinhalese to assert its Sri Lanka's identity as a nation state, and for Tamils, it became a symbol of minority oppression and a justification for them to demand a separate nation state, which resulted in decades of civil war.”
To me the summary of this is best described through the expression of Gandhi ‘the local leaders are trying to step into the shoes of the British’.
In today’s Sri Lanka Guardian, Lenin Benedict says in his article ‘Isolate TNA until they denounce Vaddukoddai resolution’ – [ The seed for Mullivaikal tragedy was sown by S.J.V.Chelvanayakam on 14th of May 1976 which reads as below:
“This Convention directs the Action Committee of the TAMIL UNITED LIBERATION FRONT to formulate a plan of action and launch without undue delay the struggle for winning the sovereignty and freedom of the Tamil Nation;
And this Convention calls upon the Tamil Nation in general and the Tamil youth in particular to come forward to throw themselves fully into the sacred fight for freedom and to flinch not till the goal of a sovereign state of TAMIL EELAM is reached.” ]
The perceived meaning of the word ‘Nation’ is different to different people. God is perceived by many primarily through various forms of statues and Religious symbols; a few as their own soul and the rest as whatever they find through a combination of the two through various processes – some common others personal. It’s like an individual being perceived through body, soul and mind. Similarly, Nation could mean country to those who are attached to Land or those who have not gone beyond local borders – physically and/or mentally. Nation is Consciousness of Sovereignty as a Group to those who are driven by Common Values. Status in International Community to the rest. To majority Sri Lankans on both sides of the ethnic war it is Land. The lower we go without higher consciousness, towards voters – the more we also get infected by their perceptions and hence those of us who are usually driven by Status, tend to perceive Nation as Land – the perception of the ordinary voter for whose greater benefit the system of democracy exists. Only one who is truly independent and is conscious of Sovereignty of her/himself and therefore her/his Nation – would leave behind the lower interpretation once that project is completed. One who is ‘attached’ to votes – would have great difficulty doing this.
If Sinhalese leaders had been confident that to them Sri Lanka was ‘Sovereign Nation’ – they would have not reacted to rename ‘Ceylon’. That confidence would have come from within – through those who fought for Sri Lanka’s freedom as Gandhi fought for India’s and/or through appreciation and inclusion of Gandhi whose work resulted in Freedom for Ceylon. The regular changes to form confirm lack of self confidence and a fear of take over.
Tamil leaders who could not reach the international community despite their investments in international principles and values – primarily through colonial leaders – took revenge for Sinhala Only Act which would have been seen by the voter as a defeat of Tamil Leaders by Sinhala Leaders. The pain felt and loss experienced through 50’s riots dominated by Sinhalese thugs and was the real mandate that led to the declaration of Vaddukkoddai Resoultion. This through its very wording was/is confirming that the intended influence over youth – who usually perceived nation as Land. The seeds were sown by the JVP uprising in 1971. Velupillai Prabaharan was Rohona Wijeweera’s parallel of Tamil Community. To the extent the Vaddukkoddai Resolution was to get even, it was right. We got even through the 1977 elections when Tamils became Equal Opposition in Parliament. That to me was confirmation that the forces of Tamils’ global investments worked through Sinhalese leaders who also had made global investments. They demoted Mrs. Banadaranaike and cleared the way for Tamils to take up their earned place. But Tamil leaders failed to come out of the influence of Youth / Voters and hence became victims of younger generation Tamils with ‘local’ investments. We as a community abandoned our leadership through education and hence our investments as a Sovereign Community, at International level. We abandoned because most of us did not practice our education to take up community leadership positions but were pre occupied with making money and later / now with revenge attacks on Sinhalese.
These uprisings would keep happening again and again from both sides of the Race Divide. The Age Divide adds to the consciousness or urge to fight and possess. When the two youth forces combine, before the elders merge, we would be in Libya’s shoes. Prabaharan’s group was seen as seeking ‘Revenge’ for the previous pain and loss by minority Tamils due to Sinhala only policy. The apparent source of Prbaharan’s authority was the Vaddukkoddai Resolution. Without feelings of Tamils – that Vaddukkoddai Resolution would have remained ‘local’ protests which the Tamils would have easily managed.
To the extent the word Nation as perceived through the Vaddukkoddai Resolution is taken as Consciousness of Sovereignty of Tamils as a Community, that resolution still holds value. Majority Tamils are not able to perceive ‘Sovereignty’ through Sri Lankan Government. They were/are able to, through Tamil Leaders in Government (including TNA) and Common Sri Lankan Administration and Administrators. Due to the war and it actions and reactions/revenge actions, we Tamils have become like majority race and are therefore ‘forgetting’ our own ancestral strengths/roots. Hence to majority Tamils living outside Sri Lanka – ‘Nation’ means Country/Land.
How many Tamils living outside Sri Lanka for example, practice ‘Thesa Vallamai’ – the customary laws of the community ? How many of them continue to realize Independence through Thesa Vallamai and other cultural laws ? How many of them respect and value their elders even after the death of their elders – and seek their blessings to merge their values with the current ones? Most of all how many of them make gurus of their teachers ? These are principles that would lead to independence through Community. Merely showing them to others, disconnects the roots and scatters the branches. Are we committed to believing in them and feel naturally connected to those who practice some parts of it even today – back in Sri Lanka ? How many of them opt for Thesa Vallamai based distribution of wealth at various stages of life?
These are the values that truly entitle us to Sovereignty as a Nation. The land could still be part of Sri Lanka as a country. But our Consciousness needs to be through the values of Thesa Vallamai and its administrative processes and facilities. Otherwise we are actually claiming ‘independence’ by attaching ourselves to the status of the opposition of the Sinhalese Government – the colonial rulers in various forms. To Sinhalese that is the return of their own Sinhala only karma through which they claimed separation from the International Community. That was also separation of all those who invested in International Community. This is why any government that is driven by local voters – would very much be Sinhala only – alienated by the International Community. Tamils outside Sri Lanka are enjoying the investment of Sinhalese also in International Principles and Values. Hence the force with which the return karma comes to Sinhalese leaders is stronger. It has exponential value through every unit of investment made by either side in International Values. Until we raise ourselves to get even, instead of taking revenge, we will see continuation of this cycle of attack and counter attack. That was the birth/Genetical Guna/attribute of the Sinhalese of the 50s and before, when Independent Sri Lanka’s body was born - which has now infected Tamils also. If Tamils had practiced their educational values firmly – they would have been immune from this revenge disease –
an attribute of those to whom nation is land and the individual is the body. Hence the more they win, the more they ‘see’ Land and hence invade and colonize or separate and shrink to think they are kings and queens.
Sinhala only is for those who cannot perceive beyond the ‘seen’ and the ‘heard’ i.e. – for voters. So long as it stays within that local area – it is natural and good. But the moment it is used by one who has had International Education – such as SWRD Bandaranaike and later JR Jayawardene for Sinhalese and Tamil Diaspora leaders for Tamils – the true forces of International Values would attack them Naturally – like Tsunami. For example, if these local leaders had remained local and allowed the truly international minded leaders to lead Administration, Sri Lanka would today be enjoying leading status at Global level. More importantly, would be function in harmony. Similarly, if Tamil leaders had allowed the Administrators within themselves to lead Opposition after the 1977 election victory as Equal Opposition in parliament, we would now be taking our earned place in that International Community to work it as owners and not to ‘ask’ it to ‘give’ as if we are minorities. One who feels ownership from minority status is far more powerful than one who realizes ownership from majority position. This is the opportunity Tamils all over the world, including Sri Lanka, have. Those who sow at that level would certainly realize at that level.
This system of Karma is Beautifully Perfect.
When the Individual is Sovereign, so is the Family
When the Family is Sovereign, so is the Community
When the Community is Sovereign so is the Nation
When the Nation is Sovereign so is the World.
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