Opinion:
If Tamils can live in the South why can’t Sinhalese live in the
North?
by Shenali D. Waduge
The very organisations and individuals ever ready to pull out the red
card of international human rights and laws have been chanting the
chorus of a “sinhalisation” of “historical Tamil areas” totally ignoring
that it is the right of any citizen to live within the territory of the
State in addition to the inability to even prove of anything called a
“historical homeland”.
With more Tamils living outside a fictitious “Homeland” and amongst
the Sinhalese further nullifying claims of discrimination the Sri Lankan
Authorities should not allow political pressures to deny the right of
every citizen to live where they like while also delaying resettling all
Sinhalese and Muslims who had been chased out by LTTE and the families
of those who had been ethnically cleansed in the North. If the Tamils
can live with the Sinhalese in the South why can't Sinhalese live with
Tamils in the North of Sri Lanka and if Navi Pillai is bringing up this
item on her agenda this question needs to be posed directly to her to
answer.
What do those professing the theory of “Sinhalisation” of the North
have to say about the
* RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT enshrined in Article 13 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
* RIGHT TO RESIDENCE enshrined in Article 12 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which reads “everyone lawfully
within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the
right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence”
* RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT under the Sri Lankan Constitution
(Chapter 3- Fundamental Rights) (h) the freedom of movement and of
choosing his residence within Sri Lanka.
The Tamils are exercising their right to freedom of movement and
residence, if so why are the majority Sinhalese that comprise 14.8
million of a 20 million population being denied this right? Why have the
Sinhalese been chased out of their homes in the North and why are they
not been allowed to resettle while other Sinhalese who now wish to start
life in the North are also being denied their Constitutional right? What
right does a party like the TNA sitting in Parliament thanks to the LTTE
have to make objections to any citizen of Sri Lanka wanting to own land,
run business and live in the North? Who gave them any right to declare
the North as their own even if they have managed to put a retired
Supreme Court judge to making the eviction calls?
Many of the Sinhalese living in the North were removed from their
original dwellings during the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement for which the
UNP Government and the present Foreign Minister must be held
accountable.
Many of these Sinhalese families have deeds to prove their land
ownership but it appears malpractices taking place are purposely
attempting to deny them their right to live in the North. Even without
the deed it is a right of every citizen to live wherever they like in
the territory of Sri Lanka. Therefore it is not just a question of
resettling Sinhalese (who speak Tamil having lived there for decades)
and Muslims displaced ever since the outbreak of terror and defacto rule
of LTTE but it is for the Government to make a public ruling that EVERY
CITIZEN IS ENTITLED TO LIVE WHERE THEY LIKE and no one can object to it.
While resettling the 165,000 Sinhalese evicted from the North and East
as well as the Muslims, the Sri Lankan Government must put its foot down
and say that TNA, Western Governments, Tamil Diaspora, India, Tamil
Nadu, its Chief Minister or humanitarian agencies have no right to use
slogans of “sinhalisation” to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government
to not allow Sinhalese or Muslims to settle in the North.
Politics and political decisions cannot be determined on submission
of myths just as foreign nations and international organisations cannot
put pressures upon a legitimate government based on those
unsubstantiated myths. Moreso, the Tamils finds the origins of its
culture continuing unabated across the Palk Straits in Tamil Nadu. It is
in Tamil Nadu that the Tamil ethnic cultural originates and where the
real Tamil Homeland is found, why is it that the parties claiming to
help Tamils find their original homeland do not look where it is already
running as a state, Tamil is official language and where virtually all
are Tamils.
The myths have gained false credibility in the light of Sri Lankan
Tamil political parties, some Tamil intellectuals putting their
qualifications on line to falsify history and media ever ready to
publish anything for money.
Some of the lies are obvious:
* Why has the number of Tamils leaving the North to settle amongst
the Sinhalese in the South throughout LTTE reign increased if we are to
accept the notion of “ethnic discrimination by Sinhalese against the
much publicised version that LTTE was the saviour of Tamils?” -
statistical evidence can prove this.
* It is also proved by the fact that the Tamil politicians themselves
live amongst the Sinhalese and not amongst their own people especially
during the LTTE reign where TNA claimed LTTE was the sole representative
of the Tamil people.
* This is also proved by the increase in Tamil businesses, land
ownership by Tamils, increase in Tamil school going children and number
of Tamils in employment in Sinhalese majority areas.
* In contrast, while the elite Tamils nicely made their way out of
the North the ordinary people who were left behind became the guinea
pigs of the LTTE to be used as suicide bombers, combatants, child
soldiers, civilian messengers and to serve in LTTE's administration and
other logistics units.
No Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka - Tamil Nation is in India
* There is and was NO Tamil nation in Sri Lanka - that Tamil nation
exists in Tamil Nadu where Kaweri valley is the center of Tamil
civilisation. Sri Lanka's North or East were never a center of Tamil
civilisation.
* To define an area as a homeland, there has to be a distinct
civilisation emerging from that region, a politically autonomous entity
has to exist over a length of time, a long continued habitation of the
same people, concept of homeland must prevail in the minds of the
people, the cultural landscape must reflect the culture of the people
with credible evidence - none of these criterions can be proved in the
North or East of Sri Lanka except perhaps the last but Tamil Nadu meets
all these criteria for a Tamil Homeland and given that 65 million of the
world's 72million Tamils already live in Tamil Nadu it is the Homeland
of the Tamils.
No independent Tamil Kingdom in Sri Lanka or Traditional Tamil
Homeland in North or East
* If such a kingdom existed on its own where is evidence of such when
in comparison to Sinhalese-Buddhist hydraulic civilisation binding these
two provinces?
* The British demarcated provinces based on easy access to coast,
administrative convenience and cartographic convenience. The British did
not demarcate provinces based on any Tamil Homeland! If so there should
be separate agreements/treaties signed between the colonials and Tamils.
* While no distinctive Tamil civilisation existed in Sri Lanka the
Sinhala Buddhist civilisation spread throughout the island and never was
the North and East ONLY inhabited by Tamils.
* Toponymy (place names) indicate that original Sinhalese names have
been translated to Tamil (not the other way round). Refer Prof. Chandre
Dharmawardana - http://dh-web.org/place.names/ The Government of Sri
Lanka must ensure that these original names continue to prevail.
* Records of Portuguese, Dutch and English amply proves that the
North and East were under the Sinhalese Kings.
Tamils were not the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka to claim
inheritance
* While Tamils accept the existence of the tribes Yaksha, Naga and
Deva they also claim to be original inhabitants of Sri Lanka but are at
a loss when asked to prove their historical continuity with
archaeological, documentary or even oral-tradition evidence.
* However there are over 600 ancient Buddhist shrines all over the
North and East provinces (most of these evidences have been destroyed by
TULF and LTTE). People continue to worship sacred Buddhist places in
North - Nagadipa, Seruwila, Dighawapi, numerous stone inscriptions of
Sinhalese-Buddhist kings are found in the two provinces.
* Tamils did arrive when South Indians invaded Sri Lanka - which
makes them invading immigrants. Tamil settlements started only in the
12th century - but there was no distinct Tamil-Hindu civilisation
different to that of Tamil Nadu.
The Sinhalese have however formed a distinct
language-culture-civilisation which does not exist anywhere else in the
world.
Tamils have Freedom of Movement but Sinhalese do not
* Tamils were always moving throughout the country even at the height
of LTTE terror but the Sinhalese could not
Tamils have political freedom proved by
* Registration of Tamil political parties
* Tamil political parties contesting elections
* Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka's Parliament/Tamil MPs/Tamils
in Cabinet/Tamil Deputy Ministers/Tamil Provincial Councilors/Tamils in
local government bodies
* Tamils voting throughout the country
* Thus there are no Sinhalese Governments proved by minorities
holding Government portfolios.
* Both the two main political parties in Sri Lanka are multi-ethnic
parties whereas Tamils and Muslims have mono-ethnic political parties.
The two multi-ethnic parties have even nominated minorities for
electorates where Sinhalese Buddhists are majorities.
* Sinhalese have grievances is proved by the appointment of a Sinhala
Commission to look into the grievances of the Sinhalese.
* No Government has supported the Sinhalese, promoted or protected
Buddhism, the Sinhalese language or the Sinhalese culture since
post-independence. This is proved by the fact that Sinhalese are
economically below minorities, traditional Buddhist sites are not
protected or given exclusivity and minorities would not be allowed to
bargain with Sinhala Buddhist ethos - in France, the majority are called
French so why is Sri Lanka not referred to as Sinhaladesa
Have we forgotten the Sinhalese who lost their lands/lost their
lives?
* Did the Accelerated Mahaweli Development project not result in over
200,000 Sinhalese losing the ancestral lands in the prosperous valleys
of Teldeniya and Kotmale Oya and were settled in System C and B of
Mahawelia?
* Did the British after the Uva Rebellion in mid 1800s selectively
kill Sinhalese in the central highlands and converted them to
plantations and settled Tamils brought from India as slave labourers?
* While Tamils live in Sinhalese areas no Sinhalese or Muslims were
allowed to live in LTTE controlled areas.
* Over 400 Buddhist monks had been killed by LTTE terrorists.
* Over 300 Sinhalese babies were killed in their villagers by LTTE
terrorists
It must also be reiterated that contrary to the discrimination that
is being used as a punchline in practice it is quite the contrary.
Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims go to the same restaurants, travel in
the same buses, use the same public utilities and live and work amongst
each other. However both Tamils and Muslims demand separate schools,
separate mediums in schools and universities, no sooner an area becomes
populated with more Tamils or Muslims the area is turned into an
exclusive area where only their Kovils/Mosques, eating places etc must
prevail. How just is this if they claim to be integrating with
communities and desiring peaceful co-existence?
The lies being promoted are many: from a mythical homeland, to being
treated as second class citizens, Sinhala extremism and intolerance,
discrimination. oppression under “Sinhalese” governments, “Sinhalese”
army occupying “Tamil Homeland” are all stories being used to facilitate
the goal of creating a separate state.
But it is ridiculous to claim a separate state when 2/3 of the Tamils
live outside of their supposed “Tamil Homeland”. BUT, we do empathise
that with 72 million world Tamils it is unfair that they do not have a
State of their own while the 14.8 million Sinhalese have a state but
cannot call it a Sinhalese state because it is not politically correct!
Nevertheless, it is upto India given that India became India after the
British put territories and boundaries together to form it and therefore
Tamil Nadu has every right to demand to separate and Sri Lankan Tamils
should go there where they would be happier than feeling like “second
class” citizens. If they are unhappy in Sri Lanka (but happier to be
amongst the Sinhalese rather than live in the North) it is best that
they go to a place where they are happier.
Sinhalese Buddhists need to be proud of their culture, heritage and
civilisation.
* Ancient sites under excavation at Pattherajawala dates back 120,000
years
* The Pahiyangala rock findings date back 35,000 years where the
people dug 35 feet in stone where food was stored (depicting agriculture
existed) even housing prevailed 30,000 years ago
http://www.sinhalaheritage.org/Pahiyangala_caves.html
* Evidence of agriculture dating 17,000 back as well as production of
barley and wheat dating 12,000 BC found in Maha Eliya (Horton Plains) -
the same was found in Sumer Iraq around 6000BC only.
* Concept of Medicine initiated over 10,000 years ago - Rawana had
written 7 medical books which continue to be published in India. He
found 444 diseases and said that eating beef made a person vulnerable to
93 diseases.
* First hospitals (Mihintale, Medegiriya)
* Use of mircolith technology used 35,000 years ago is in par with
South Africa while the Indian subcontinent was 15,000 and Europe 12,000
* American and Swiss archaeologists confirm that acupuncture was
founded in Ceylon 34,000 years ago
* Necklaces and earrings dating 30,000 years back have been found in
the Central province
* First and only ancient people to use wind power technology (to
produce non-rusting steel) by 1500BC and exported. The technology was
investigated by Jill Juleff and sites can be seen in Samanalawewa.
Development of a new technique called wootz steel as far back as 300BC.
The ancient steel swords made in Lanka found in the Bangalore National
Museum even after 3,500 years have not rusted!
* Use of pump as early as 300BC - to water the Jasmine flowers on the
Maha Stupa but the West has attributed that invention to the Greeks in
100BC, shows how Eastern inventions are purposely being shunned.
* First use of hydro technology - invention of valve pit
(Bisokotuwa), spray jets and spa centres in Ranmasu Uyana before the
Romans
* In 1st AD the Roman tax collector Annius Piocamus was stranded at
sea and was rescued by Sinhalese ships and thereafter the Sinhalese king
sent a mission to Rome (Vol VI Pliny the Elder) reveals that the Romans
had never seen ships as big as the Sinhala ships (also confirmed by
Chinese records)
* The Great Jetawana Dagaba built by King Mahasen in 4th century was
described by the Romans as the 3rd wonder of the world (400ft high -
third largest monument of the ancient world and biggest brick monument
of the ancient world)
* Dr. Hawkeys of Arizona State University claims dental traits of
Indus Valley People match the Austro-Asiatic tribes of North East India
(Naga) and the Sinhala of Lanka. The DNA from both have been found on
Egyptians and ancient Nubians (Ethiopia). Her findings are supported by
Cornell University that the first anatomically modern humans in South
Asia are from Sri Lanka (this opposes the Out of Africa theory) which
can be contested with the discovery of the 35,000 year old Balangoda Man
whose traits are found in both the Veddahs and the Sinhela communities
(Dr. Shiran Deraniyagala). This clearly puts to rest that Sinhela's
trace their origins to arrival of King Vijaya and Sri Lanka's Government
needs to promptly change all school textbooks that are giving a
distorted historical version to future generations of children.
These are just a handful of achievements by the Sinhalese which Sri
Lankan Tamils cannot even match to prove a separate civilisation existed
to even justify a claim. In every aspect of life the ancient Sinhalese
civilisation has left remnants for us to put together how they lived.
Moreover, there are no other civilisation similar to the Sinhalese
elsewhere in the world. Anyone visiting the recently concluded SHILPI
exhibited at the BMICH would have found further evidence of why the
Sinhalese refuses to give up their civilisation, their culture and their
heritage though a handful are willing to betray their ancestors for
multicultural remunerations.
The importance of the Sinhalese civilisation can best be described in
the words of the Tamil philosopher Ananda Coomaraswamy who, while
testifying at the Manning Commission under the British invaders in 1906,
said “Take anything from this country. But please don't corrupt or
destroy that beautiful Sinhalese culture that survives in villages.
Because someday when you, with your greedy and selfish policies,
destroy this world both materially and spiritually, the answer to
rebuild that ruined world can only be found in that beautiful Sinhalese
philosophy.”
For trying to protect for future generations the Sinhala
civilisation, the Sinhalese are branded as racists, chauvinists,
warmongers and what not by those who have a history of nothing to be
proud of.
What the world should ideally do is to help the Sinhalese preserve
its ancient civilisation not attempt to destroy it. |