Comments on: An ‘Ausgleich’ for Sri Lanka: Equalization – not Devolution

By: Dayan Jayatilleka

Dayan Jayatilleka — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:25:48 +0000

Dear Selvam S,

Here's what's happening in the real world: the Tamil ultranationalists and separatists have lost the war AND the NE merger; even the beloved UK is blocking your issue coming up tin the UN Security Council; Delhi is allowing the lunatic fringe in Tmil nadu to yell and immolate itself; the Tamils Diaspora demonstrates but unlike in the case of Gaza nobody breaks off DPL relations with Sri Lanka, and you think "the Sinhalese ought to quit living in their dream world and come down to the real world"? Aren't you just a little confused?

By: UKman

UKman — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:22:42 +0000

some point on this
1. as tamils, if they are a minority, it seems upto them to move and come into the a whole with the majority. Majority would rearely move (or bend over backwards to make them comfortable). ithe onus rest with the tamils to make peace.
2. for example – when people migrate to aussie now, they have to take a aussie test, sing the national anthem and answer 20 questions. (same with US). i am not saying tamils need to do this, but in similar context, any peron of a minority trying to go out would need to appease the majority.
3. for example if your a Man U fan, would you to a Chelse or liverpool pub and say these teams suck? well if you do, can any HRW gurantee your safty?

lets all be relaistic and practical..

By: SelvamS

SelvamS — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:44:54 +0000

The Tamil nation does not need submit to anybody's wishes, other than the wishes of its own leader. If singhalese ever wanted to live in historical Tamil areas, it would bid them well to learn our language. But, as for the question whether they'd be able to live peacefully in there, that's completely in the hands of the Tamils and we shall decide if it's one way or another. Singhalese ought to quit living in their dream world and come down to the real world.

By: UJAY

UJAY — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:21:37 +0000

Wijayapala, Where is the Sinhalese minority in Northern & Eastern provinces?
Or even the Sinhalese farmers living closer to borders of a.m. areas ?
Butchered, massacred, chased away by peace loving LTTE (100% Tamil)

By: wijayapala

wijayapala — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:13:45 +0000

UJAY,

"Why can't 7 or 10% of the population accept the majority's wishes."

So you agree that the Sinhala minority in the North-East should accept the Tamil majority's wishes?

"Learn Sinhalese (you do when it come to make money) and live peacefully."

Should Sinhalese living in the North-East learn Tamil and live peacefully?

By: UJAY

UJAY — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:25:36 +0000

Trouble with Tamils are whole world should understand their self indulge, selfish sufferings. Well do they have any understanding towards other communities? You want your Eelam where no one else but Tamils can live. Eviction of 80 000 Sinhalese & 500 000 Muslims are best evident. But it is ok for Tamils to have the right & freedom to live, work, do business & prosper anywhere else in Sri Lanka. Why can't 7 or 10% of the population accept the majority's wishes. Learn Sinhalese (you do when it come to make money)
and live peacefully.

By: Dayan Jayatilleka

Dayan Jayatilleka — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:50:43 +0000

Dear Selvam s,

You write that "Therefore, no option remains for the Tamils of the country, than to secede". Now that Mr Prabhakaran has failed, Indian support came and went decades ago, no major power is there to help out, and the earlier nonviolent separatism failed, I would say that option has proved a disastrous non-option. Try something less doomed.

By: Dayan Jayatilleka

Dayan Jayatilleka — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:50:05 +0000

Dear Mr John,

A non violent entity demanding a separate state could exist but will come up against the kind of anti-separatist legislation that exists in most countries. Nonviolent separatism preceded or ran parallel to violent separatism in sri lanka, but failed. A non-violent project for self-rule is different, and can be more successful depending on what you mean by self rule.

By: sinhala_voice

sinhala_voice — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:20:57 +0000

Very funny…Dayan J. Since English is NOT my mother tongue I am allowed to make a few mistakes…..I guess since your mother tongue is English you can correct me if I am wrong.

I take it with the humour and pun you intended….

regards

By: Sinhala_vocie

Sinhala_vocie — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:16:42 +0000

The Nation of Tamils is where the Majority of Tamils live.
The Nation of Tamils is the Homeland of the Tamils.
The Nation of the Tamils, the Homeland of the Tamils is the birth place of their world view, language: Tamil Nadu.

For various reasons Tamils have come to Sri Lanka for along along time…latest being the so called Indian Tamils in the Central Province.

So IF YOU WANT A HOMELAND best place to think about that homogeneous homeland of Tamils is TAMIL NADU. NOT SRI LANKA.

By: Dayan John

Dayan John — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:03:59 +0000

I would like to ask Dayan Jayatileke, an itelectual I respect but don't always agree with, what form the Tamil Liberations movement will take in the absence of the LTTE. Is there a possibility of a non-violent, political entity claiming self-rule or even a separate state.

As a layman,where politics is concerned, I would very respectfully request Dayan , to comment on this.
Thanks.

D.John

By: SelvamS

SelvamS — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:49:03 +0000

What the majority singhalese buddhists do not seem to understand is that the Tamils are a nation of their own and they do, contrary to the majority's belief, deserve better than the singhalese or the muslims.

The singhalese have proven, time and again, that they are incapable of understanding neither this superiority, nor its causes. Therefore, no option remains for the Tamils of the country, than to secede.

This is the simple and plain truth about this conflict of ethnicities and the bloodshed will continue as long as the singhalese continue to live in their state of denial.

By: black

black — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:10:00 +0000

to victor belongs the spoils

By: Dayan Jayatilleka

Dayan Jayatilleka — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:39:21 +0000

And how can we do this without violating the rules of grammar of international languages such as English?

By: sinhala_voice

sinhala_voice — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:39:04 +0000

The question is : HOW ARE THE MINORITY COMMUNTIES in Sri Lanka can be integrated into the governance of the country ?

The Majority in Sinhala Ethnicity and Buddhistic (World View).
The minorities are Tamil Speaking Tamils and Muslims and Hindus.

This is the question that the government in power and the other political parties in Sri Lanka must address.

The nation state is not a question that should come up in Sri Lanka as there is a Tamil Geogrphic area on the surface of the earth with 70 million Tamils (just 70km off Sri Lanka's North-obviously the Tamil homeland)

Muslim nations and countries exist in majority Muslim countries with Islamic law.

By: Brian_Barker

Brian_Barker — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:35:43 +0000

I think we need an international lingua franca as well.

I notice that Barack Obama wants everyone to learn another language, but which one should it be? The British learn French, the Australians study Japanese, and the Americans prefer Spanish.

Why not decide on a common language, taught worldwide, in all nations?

An interesting video can be seen at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-88374389…A glimpse of Esperanto can be seen at http://www.lernu.net“target=”_blank”>http://http://www.lernu.net

By: dayan jayatilleka

dayan jayatilleka — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:09:40 +0000

oh dear, the same old delusions leading to the same old dead end. the Tamils deserve better than wildly inexact analogies and mixed historical metaphors.