Sinhala ‘extremists’, ‘moderate’ Tamils and other Tamils

The news media, including The Island, is full of Features by individuals of the Colombo Tamil elite, also referred to as Tamil "Moderates". These individuals are usually associated with or have the same views, as the Peace lobbyists. These latter of course consist of, foreign funded academics, NGO pundits, moralists, intellectuals and pseudo intellectuals or individuals bearing a mixture of these characteristics. They are invariably averse to idea of a unitary state, Sinhala Buddhist nationalism, devolution to district councils, and war against the LTTE. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is not high on their list of priorities. They refer freely to those who approve of the above ideas, as racists, chauvinists, extremists, Sinhala Buddhist nationalists, using these labels interchangeably. Among political parties the JHU and the JVP are specially mentioned as belonging to this group, as are associations like the National Patriotic Front.

This is despite the fact that these alleged extremist groups have not ever declared themselves to be against the rights of any ethnic or religious group in regard to the promotion of language, culture or religion. No group has been obstructed in the establishment of their own educational institutions or places of worship , and are free to observe their religious rituals and cultural customs and practices, lead their own, lifestyle and dress as they please. T hey also never dispute the basic equality of status of all citizens and their fundamental rights.

Tamil Political groups

The LTTE, the erstwhile "sole representative of the Tamils’ is generally accepted as an extremist group, though some intellectuals may call them freedom fighters. However, their terrorist savagery and their violent suppression of the freedom of those whom they control, belies the latter claim. Their goal is avowedly a separate state and they work unwaveringly to achieve it.

The label Tamil "Moderates", applied to the elite Tamil Intellectuals, is a misnomer. They seek to achieve a similar goal as the LTTE, ostensibly by less violent means. There are other Tamils of course, who are as intellectual, on whom the label "Moderate"would be more appropriate, such as Mr. Sangaree and Mr. Devananda, who are willing to work with the government to solve the problems of the Tamils

Aspirations

The LTTE and the Tamil "Moderates" both aspire to a supremacist Tamil homeland consisting of an enforced, illegally merged, Northern and Eastern Provinces where the armed LTTE would be the dominant political actor. The homeland would be ethnically cleansed of other ethnic groups or they would remain as second class citizens. The goal is the same as that proclaimed be Mr . Chelvanayakam over 50 years ago, when it became clear that their patrons, the British colonialists, would not accede to their hubristic demands for communally balanced representation.

The "Moderates", almost never clearly state their aspirations, but they harp and carp about grievances, Sinhalese communalism, and chauvinistic Sinhala politicians Apart from the fact that there is considerable debate as to the justification for these grievances,(complained of by this group of SL Tamils, but not by other minorities such as the Muslims). Moreover, these grievances have been non- existent since 1978. In fact, the late Kumar Ponnambalam, a couple of years before his death stated publicly that the Tamils had graduated from ‘grievances’ to ‘aspirations.’

The Military approach

The current agitated despair of the "Moderates" is due to the President and the administration demonstrating unequivocally, by word and deed, their determination to destroy the LTTE.

The President is accused of having "immorally pushed back our country fifty years to the time when communal feelings were aroused with political agendas and to the attempts by the J. R. Jayewardene Government to solve political problems through violence"(Shanie, 17-11-07).

Mr. Phillips (Isl. 25-11-07 ) says, quote: The military approach, he says, is because "the Southern political class’ does not understand "the symbiotic ties that bind the LTTE to Tamil society" and "the failure of successive Governments to address Tamil grievances and the violent suppression of peaceful protests had led to a nascent Tamil militancy".

Mr. K. David, portraying his mood of despair at the impending fate of the LTTE with literary affectation, titles his Feature in The Sunday Island, 25-11-07 as. : "The prophesied war heralding the end of the world -Gotterdammerung: Twilight of the Gods". He allegorizes "the contemporary story of Sri Lanka" and the Government’s "war" against the LTTE, with a Wagner opera. Mr. David sees "two evil extremisms bound together in a ring of violence and hatred"; He casts the President and the Leader (presumably Prabakaran) as the heroes in the opera which ends with the death of the heroes, and the gods when their palace, Valhalla (Sri Lanka) is destroyed by fire. However in the Island 2-12-07, he sees a glimmer of hope. He says, quote: there can be no military solution; the pendulum today swings the way of the government’s forces, in the coming months it may swing the other way. Arguably, a decisive factor is, if despite its logistical setbacks and supply chain disruptions, the LTTE manages to acquire surface to air missiles; denied total command of the air, the army may be immobilized". Similar rays of hope, amidst the encircling gloom, are seen by others. In The Island, Features, 11-27-07, titled Crisis of leadership in Sri Lanka, by Rohini Hensman, She says, most optimistic characterisation of the current situation, as the former military chiefs recognised, is that it is a stalemate. Both the government and the LTTE can win some battles, but neither can win the war."

Tamil Moderates & the LTTE

Mr. R. Phillips(Isl. Features 11-25-07) explains the reason for the "symbiotic link " the group has with the LTTE. He says that, quote: "LTTE militarism is the main reason why major reversals have occurred in previously contested areas, namely, the citizenship of the Plantation Tamils, equality in Language rights and the recognition of territorial rights". The LTTE became a military force long after 1978, which was when citizenship rights of plantation Tamils were expanded and Tamil was declared an official Language by the new constitution. In fact, in 1987, the army would have destroyed them, if not for the threat of Indian military intervention. As for "territorial rights", as far as I know the sovereign GOSl has not excepted claims to territory by any group, till in 2002 Mr .Ranil Wickremesinghe came close to doing so by designating "LTTE controlled areas" in the CFA.

Phillips’s opinion that the LTTE’s "militarism" is seen by the Tamils "as a long overdue payback for past humiliations and an effective deterrent against their recurrence" is arrogant and divisive. There is no fear of LTTE "militarism" in the South. If there is a fear, it is the fear of cowardly terrorism and a backlash against the Tamils, with its propaganda value for the terrorists and their sympathizers.

As for the past humiliations, if the SL Tamils consider being a minority vis-a-vis the Sinhalese majority, a humiliation, and believe that it is their right to retain the privileged position as regards education and jobs which they had under the British, and if they have to resort to satyagrahas, hartals, violence and terrorism when the rights of the Majority are restored, and also if they believe that LTTE "militarism is going to give them "a long overdue payback", it is surely a problem for all Sri Lankans. I believe, however, that these sentiments are confined to the "Moderates" and not shared by the and truly moderate Tamils or the majority of SL Tamils, especially not those who are suffering under LTTE fascist terrorism. Mr. Anandasangareee says in an interview AUG 11-07: "I am happy that the eastern province has been liberated. A lot of people have been telling me, "Please ask the government to liberate us". In a letter to the UN (2-2-07) he says, "People live in agony under LTTE boot. They are at the mercy of the LTTE. These people are undergoing this agony not for one or two years but easily for quarter of a century, with no hopes of any relief". He also says, "I am totally in disagreement with anyone who still thinks that talks should take place with the LTTE."

The Elite Tamil intellectual feature writers are deluded when they argue that military action will increase the support of the Tamil population in the North- East. After the LTTE rout in the East, the Tamil population did not flock to the unucleared areas for protection. In fact, the reverse occurred. Also, there have been no protests at the army’s presence. The LTTE cadres are depleted, so the lack of volunteers has forced them to abduct children. There is no reason to believe that the clearing the Wanni is gong to produce different results.

These feature writers must realize that the "symbiotic link" with the LTTE claimed by Mr. Phillips, is not only an impediment but a hazard. History should warn them of the fate of Tamil leaders who nurtured the LTTE "boys" The LTTE is not going to help fulfill their aspirations to a homeland, in a federal state, for the "Tamil Nation" by military means. To believe that the "war" is stalemated, as Hensman states, and that this dream might still come true with LTTE help, is a delusion. The dream is dead, notwithstanding the LTTE, the ARPC and the LSSP Professor with Trotskyite ideologies, the International community, and the foreign funded local peace merchants. The International Community despite ,what seems to be, disproportionate attention to human rights violations of the government, and its aversion to war, are bringing strictures on the LTTE which are stifling its war effort.

It would seem that prudence would dictate that these Moderates should break their "symbiotic link" with the LTTE. Then, instead of harping on non existent past grievances and unachievable aspirations,and bashing Sinhalese politicians, they should cooperate with the government to address the true aspirations and concerns of the Tamils. These might include effective implementation of the Special Languages (Tamil) Provisions Act of 1958, economic development of the North and East paying special attention to people displaced by decades of conflict and returning them to their homes, recruiting Tamils into the police and security forces, and monitoring and exposing discrimination in employment in government institutions. It seems the government is not unconscious of the true grievances of the Tamils, and the cooperation and pressure of all Tamil leaders would hasten action to resolve them. The destruction of the LTTE would be a tremendous step to achieving these goals.

(www.island.lk)