Rajani commemoration: An absence of actuality
The evening was good but perhaps Rajani deserved a bit better. She always told it like it was, named things by their name, confronted reality frontally. That quintessential spirit of Rajani, her courageous, critical, ‘concreteness’, was by and large absent in the 20th anniversary commemoration held at the BMICH on September 25th. It was only in the keynote speaker from India, our old friend Nandita Haksar, that one recognized a spiritual sister of Rajani Thiranagama.
Even if a trifle protracted, the cultural component of the evening was beautiful, strong and poignant, with the singing voices of Rajani’s sisters (especially Nirmala’s opening dirge), Liyanage Amarakeerthi’s poetry reading and Rajani’s own writings being the high points.
There was something missing though, an absent presence: the absence of actuality; of the core truth about the tragic event that was being commemorated. This, talented, sensitive, vivacious, brave, and rights conscious woman with a toothy grin, Rajani Thiranagama, who left an indelible impression from our first long discussions in London in 1985 to our last friendly fight on federalism (she arguing for, arms flailing, Dayapala and I studiedly against, and for autonomy instead) in a safe house in the suburbs of a Sri Lankan township in 1986 or ’87, was murdered, not by the Indian Peace Keeping Force, not by the Sri Lankan state, not by the Sinhala chauvinists, but precisely by the LTTE, the Tigers led by Velupillai Prabhakaran. She was one of the many Tamil progressives to be murdered by them, Kethesh Loganathan and Neelan Tiruchelvam being other names that spring to mind.
The contribution to the meaningful souvenir by Indrawansa de Silva, whom I recall from the 1970s as a compelling student leader and orator from Vidyodaya University and now an academic in North America, says that “the assassination of Rajani then was the product of Sri Lanka’s political culture”. The truth which this obfuscates is that the assassination of Rajani was the product of the politics and ideology of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the political culture of the imagined community of “Eelam Tamils” which permitted and justified it. In contradistinction, the Sri Lankan political culture is one that, among its many failures, has sustained the rudiments of an electoral democracy while decisively defeating – irrespective of ethnicity–two armed totalitarian movements, the JVP and the LTTE. If the counter-argument is that the Tamils never had a state to lean on while the Sinhalese did, it is a specious one because the large presence of the Indian Peacekeeping Force in support of the accord and the Provincial Councils provided Tamil polity with the intervention of a neutral/friendly, democratic, secular state, a reform worth defending and an opportunity to break with the Tigers and the project of Tamil Eelam. That litmus test was failed and the test results require the appropriate conclusion to be drawn from them.
The one name I never heard throughout the long evening was that of Velupillai Prabhakaran, and I cannot imagine a commemorative event for Jean Moulin which did not mention Hitler or for Tania which forgot to mention the Bolivian junta, the CIA and US imperialism. The most honest contribution to the commemorative souvenir was by Vijyakumary Murugaiah of the women’s centre Poorani, who has told it like it was and is, setting an example to the sophisticated cosmopolitan intelligentsia that monopolized the BMICH event. It is a pity that her presence was invisible and her voice not heard.
The touching myth of prophecy and ruminations against “power and violence” notwithstanding, the LTTE (though it suffered a debilitating schism) did not self-destruct through internecine conflict nor was it overthrown by Tamil resistance. The LTTE was defeated and virtually destroyed and its leader slain by the Sri Lankan armed forces, the hard drive of the Sri Lankan state. The fascists who murdered Rajani were defeated not by Tamil dissenters but by (male) Sinhala soldiers. The new “space’ that has been opened up and within which the 20th anniversary commemoration took place, was not prised open by non-violent dissent but blasted and carved open by the “power and violence” of the Sri Lankan state. The 20th anniversary of Rajani’s death was aptly commemorated in the year of the defeat of the Tigers and the death of its Hitlerian leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.
No one who dropped in for the commemoration and did not know the historical facts would have learned any – leave alone all– of these truths at the BMICH event, not from her Uncle Seelan Kadirgamar’s opening speech, not from Nishan de Mel’s erudite and passionately declaimed closing remarks, and not from anything that was said or sung in between.
While it is true that an old struggle for Tamil rights remains and new ones (on media freedom, the IDP issue etc) will doubtless commence – and indeed must—it does not give anyone the right to ignore, evade and obscure these massive historical truths. The fact that old struggles remain and new ones must be waged does not mean that the titanic struggle of decades against the fascism of the Tigers, and the denouement of that struggle, can be effaced. History certainly will not. Rajani never countenanced lies in politics and public life. She embraced the Truth as she saw it; wrote it and sang it as a lover. She was never evasive, which is also why she didn’t evade Death. There was however a central truth which Rajani was blind to and it killed her. She thought that because she had saved the life of Seelan at the request of Mahattaya, she would not be killed by the LTTE as long as Mahattaya was in charge of the Jaffna command. She forgot that the deadly rays of Sun God to be, Prabhakaran, could bypass Mahattaya and reach her (or that Mahattaya would not risk dissent and would pretend not to see what was being done).
In my mind I contrasted this with my boyhood visit to Lidice in former Czechoslovakia, the inhabitants of which were slaughtered by the Nazis in revenge for the execution of Heinrich Heydrich by the resistance, and which was systematically turned to rubble, with even the streams being dammed up. These victims of fascism are commemorated in a manner that never lets the visitor forget the identity and ideology of the perpetrators of the atrocity. This is true of course, of Yad Vashem. However, many Tamil victims of Tiger fascism – Rajani, Kethesh, Neelan, are commemorated by the survivors in a manner that obfuscates the circumstances of their murders, the identity of the murderers and lacks the drive to bring the murderers to justice.  “Never forget” is the slogan among survivors of fascism the world over; “Always Celebrate but Never Really Remember, or Remember Selectively” is the Sri Lankan, and Sri Lankan Tamil equivalent.
The speech by Dayapala, Rajani’s bereaved husband was moving and injected a welcome note of the political into the evening, though one doubted the accuracy of his appellation of Rajani as a New Revolutionary. It seems to me now, just as it did at the time, that Rajani at her best, in her courage and concern about democracy within the revolutionary movement and process, was a descendant of women revolutionaries of an old type- a combination of Emma Goldman and Rosa Luxemburg – rather than the new type represented by Celia Sanchez, Haydee Santamaria, Melba Hernandez, Vilma Espin, Aleida March and “Tania” (Tamara Bunke).  Che’s typically laconic yet respectful epitaph for Red Rosa is, mutatis mutandis, probably the most valid for Rajani as well: “she was a great revolutionary who made political mistakes and died as a consequence of them”.
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The author says: “…The truth which this obfuscates is that the assassination of Rajani was the product of the politics and ideology of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the political culture of the imagined community of “Eelam Tamils” which permitted and justified it. In contradistinction, the Sri Lankan political culture is one that, among its many failures, has sustained the rudiments of an electoral democracy while decisively defeating – irrespective of ethnicity–two armed totalitarian movements, the JVP and the LTTE…”
Unfortunately for most of us, this Sri Lankan political culture is responsible for producing the, ‘’imagined community of Eelam Thamils” and the ‘’ two armed totalitarian movements, the JVP and the LTTE…” Because there were no imagined Tamils, LTTE or JVP in 1948. They all became interwoven into the polity of Lanka only after few decades of undemocratic mismanagement of ‘’Sri Lanka” by the majoritarian elites. [Unless these are results of some alien project that NASA has not discovered or the grand ‘'Kumantharana'' theory of most self styled socialists of modern Colombo.]
This is not merely a democracy that is limited to (often manipulated) elections, but a democracy that is turning back and self defeating. One will either safe guard the current state in its decaying condition for their own profits or honestly engage in transforming the same from its decomposing process.
the few names you have mentioned (from neelan to kethesh) they are indeed valuable.
but so many nameless murdered in this was, jailed and tortured till now, in this ta
totalitarian state government.
ah… men & politics!
Rather an agonistic, black vs white depiction of the political situation, which may belie Rajini’s own perception of the situation and her politics. She was killed after publishing a book “The Broken Palmyrah” which looked at violence from all sides. She didn’t see the IPKF as “friendly” and was well aware too of the SL state’s involvement in violence against the Tamils. I doubt very much that she would see the “space” that was “blasted and carved open by the ‘power and violence’ of the Sri Lankan state” as liberatory in any sense, given that she herself experienced literally the trenches of warfare. She may have been killed by the Tigers, but I doubt she thought the SL Tamil situation was entirely due to them. It’s important that her life be commemorated in terms of her values, ideals, politics and vision, and not someone else’s. Her life, lived so bravely, deserves that respect.
I, however, enjoyed the event very much for what I saw and heard, and I did not bother much about VP not being mentioned. I took part in the event to remember HER — someone who I met just once for 20 minutes or so, but whose life and its abrupt end made a profound mark on the way I think about the world. VP and the context of his rise and fall were not relevant for me that evening.
Dayan:
You have articulated well, at least from your view point, and just that. As Suren had rightly pointed out, both the JVP and LTTE armed upsrisings were products of politics and leaderships that failed to grasp the “root”causes of these rebellions, even as we are discussing this topic, the MR regime is now parading in a triumphant and chauvinistic mood instead of resolving issues like the IDPs, etc with a “human” touch. It is here that you differ diametrically with Rajani. She is a beacon of light – she wrote and spoke what she saw on all parties, the LTTE, IPKF and the SL govt. Cynical it may sound, but it was the LTTE who got to her first.
This is where I see the difference between yours and Rajani’s philosophy.
Jansee:
The comment below was posted by you to Susan Goon: the straw man set up by megalomaniac(s) to taunt the Sinhala community, especially Sinhala Buddhists. You had made this comment on Sept 12/09 under the article: “Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka on history of power-sharing in Sri-Lanka and the 13th Amendment” (September, 11, 2009). Perhaps you, Jansee, are that notorious Susan Goon – who knows! Here goes your rancid comment:
“I think something is wrong with history. After all, Budhha must have been a violent person, that in the country of birth he never took root and in the country that is living in violence and blood that he has rooted himself. The actions hardly can be reassuring that he could have been a man of peace. Coming from such a streak, you come by as no surprise”
The above comment reveals an utterly uneducated and blatantly racist mindset. When such an individual sings Rajini Thiranagama’s praises, one is struck by the glaring contradiction here. It would not be unfair to say that, Jansee, has no idea who Rajini Thiranagama is.
While I may not completely agree with Rajini and her sister, Nirmala’s, politics, I respect Rajini for breaking the barriers of ethnicity, caste and class in Sri-Lanka. Even though she grew up in a conservative Jaffna setting, she defied social custom and patriarchy in order to bring about a more just society as she saw it.
Jansee, your above comment would make her turn in her grave.
First of all, Rajani was once an ardent LTTE supporter and member. Her husband was an ardent supporter and member of the JVP (as was Mahinda Rajapakse himself). All of these groups: LTTE, JVP, and finally Sri Lankan State used similar methods & similar tactics. In terms of sheer scale, the Sri Lankan State was actually the most brutal because it had the most resources and manpower at its disposal. Colonization (refer to Trinco census figures), mass graves (whether in Chemmani or Sooriyakana), burning alive of youth, disappearances (Sri Lanka had the second highest number of disappearances for many years), impunity for armed forces and police personnel under the guise of PTA legislation, the 20,000 Tamil civilians said to have been killed during the last days of the “final battle”… the SLA outperformed the LTTE and JVP by a large margin.
I doubt Rajani would be pleased at all by the recent pyhrric victory. While it is true that she eventually became disillusioned by the LTTE, she was not the type to believe that 250,000 locked up in internment camps and the promise of a vaguely “home-grown” political solution, was a fitting resolution to the “Tamil Question.”
Just like her husband, and just like Prabhakaran and at one point Mahinda, she would have realized at some point that the Sri Lankan State was a failed one. Under no circumstances would she have lent her support to that failed enterprise. Like Karuna and Pillaiyan, she may have come to the conclusion that military defeating that State was an exercise in futility… in which case she opted for a more proactive solution. In any case, her “commemoration” did not coincide with any momentous occasion… the defeat of the LTTE was probably inevitable… had the Sri Lankan state consolidated its resources and had a draft decades ago, the same result would have been likely. The defeat of the LTTE has simply put the Tamils where they were in 1948, 1956, and 1983 – at the mercy of Sinhala chauvinist elements in the South. The JVP resurrected itself by absorbing into mainstream Southern politics… I am not sure what happened with the grievances they once had. In any case, the JVP of 2009 is not the JVP envisioned by Rohana Wijeweera.. the JVP of today is a party of cowards which will not take on the UFPA. Anyway, the grievances of the Tamils cannot be addressed in a similar manner… they will not go away by being ignored… what is likely to happen is that they will resurrect themselves at a later time and pose a new challenge to the Sri Lankan State. Let us not forget what happened to Janaka Perera… the threat is always there, because Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism is always there in some form or another. It is a vicious cycle that feeds on itself. Let us hope, though, that the Muslims don’t get involved.
Atheist:
What you see in SL is what you get. Have I stated anything incorrect? After all Solomon Bandaranaike was assassinated by a Buddhist monk, instigated by another monk. At the end of the day the monk who assassinated the then PM converted to Christianity before he was hanged. He must have felt terribly let down by the monk who instigated him. That is the history.
You see, divinity may be staged and in this world, and particularly in SL, sections of the Buddhist clergy have wreaked havoc. It is not that you don’t know or I am not stating the obvious. When religion is mixed with politics, not only it gets tainted but must also face the scrutiny it so deserves. Unlike the monks (only sections of the clergy) Rajini, when she realised that violence begets violence, she took a saner path for which she paid a terrible price. As far these monks are concerned, that is another story. I am so flabbergasted that guys like you can even defend the indefensible. Make the monks give up violence and politics, then I would accord them the reverence. Can you do that?
“Jansee, your above comment would make her turn in her grave.”
Really! I thought the other way round – that the actions of those violent monks would make Gautama Buddha turn in his grave. He stands accused for creating or being responsible for a religion that he has no control over now.
There would have been very few – if any – in the audience who did not know that Rajani was killed by the LTTE. It was clearly stated – if not overtly dwelt on. No one could have been in doubt that she was killed by them, and why.
The evening was not to denounce the LTTE – it was to remember Rajani. It was to celebrate her life and the principles by which she lived. These principles led her to denounce and resist all forms of violence – whether perpetrated by a terrorist group, an occupying armed force, or a government. The evening made that very clear – and *that* is what the evening was rightly about. Anything else would have been a half truth.
As someone pointed out, had she lived in the current era, Rajani may have been killed, and not by the LTTE. She might even have been killed, after the defeat of the LTTE. Rajani’s dissent was against all sources of violence – the govt included, and as such she died for dissenting. The hand that pulled the trigger, while relevant, is not as relevant as the reason why she faced the gun, especially today where those, like Rajani, are facing the end of the gun for precisely the same reasons.
No one should die for voicing dissent or dissatisfaction at the trajectory of a government or a group that claims to be a liberation movement. Violence and murder, whether perpetrated by the LTTE or the government is equally abhorrent. The evening’s events, the cultural component and speeches demonstrated the “spirit” of the issues surrounding Rajini’s death.
The commemeration of her life, if it was to be productive, and not mere LTTE denounciation, needs to look beyond the narrow confines of the particular “incident” to the wider issues and see if there are any principles that we can take from Rajani’s life. It is not an examination of the means of death, a review of the organisation tha perpetrated it, recriminations, condemnations that are paramount, it is the contiuance of life, as she would have wanted it that is important. Otherwise she would have died in vain.
As such – this evening was a success.
Jansee:
Kadavule! Jansee, what the devil is “divinity”? Looks like my comment really made you blow your top – taking you on a tangent about Buddhist monks. Oh, Jansee, I don’t think Wikipedia has given much info about our Banda’s assassins. The name of the Buddhist monk who shot him was Somarama and the other Buddhist monk, you were talking about, the conspirator, was Buddharakkitha. To top it off, our Buddhist monk, Buddharakkita, they say, was a real boozer and a womanizer. Yeah… his lover was the smart looking parliamentarian Vimala Wijayawardena. Those days, we kids sang our re-worded rendition of Lonnie Donegan’s Tom Dooley to Somarama: Hang down your head, Somarama/ Hang down head and cry/Hang down your head, Somarama/Poor boy, you’re bound to die. Yes, those Buddhists –especially the girls – are a really bad bunch.
Jansee, you have no idea about us Sri Lankans do you? Sri Lanka has become a free-for-all to all the sadistic dingbats around the world and to their little crumb eating counterparts in Lanka.
What do you know about Rajini Thiranagama? Perhaps you read a bit of the Broken Palmyrah and saw clippings of “No More Tears Sister” during your coffee break. Just can the crap, lady/gent!
You, and your piddly little gang, should not try to dictate terms to Sri-Lankans, especially because you people have never had any real interaction with the people of Sri-Lanka. However, I must say that your sophomoric arguments never cease to amuse – not amaze – me!
Keep riding that “divinity” bandwagon – get as much mileage as you can! We don’t give a flying piddle!
Atheist:
Just last week D B Jayaraj wrote in the Daily Mirror about the episode on Solomon’s assassination with details on both the monks. So, I am quite aware of their names, but just didn’t want to mention them.
Whether you like it or not, when you receive money in the millions from outsiders, then you will have “visitors” who will pass opinions and views. Just don’t be an ostrich. In a global village, there is no such thing as you can do what you like that is abhorred by the global community and get away with it – unless of course you are such a dumb.
Jansee,
“In a global village, there is no such thing as you can do what you like that is abhorred by the global community and get away with it – unless of course you are such a dumb.”
The Government of SL has stood upto the global community so far(including the sole superpower USA) and got away with it. It looks like they have mastered the art of doing so. But whether they can continue to do so in the years to come remain to be seen.
Jansee:
D B Jayaraj? I think you are talking about D B S Jeyaraj. In your ignorance you have Sinhalised his name, sorry to say.
It looks like your “knowledge” of Sri Lanka (and the world) is derived solely from the hackneyed media, Wikipedia and GroundViews postings.
Yes, indeed, we are a global village; that is why separatism in Sri-Lanka has been eradicated by the roots. People of all religions and ethnicities must live together in harmony. No?
If the majority of the population in Sri-Lanka (or any given country) has chosen a particular language and religion, I don’t see why on earth it’s eating you?
You better take a crash course on world politics if you are going to compete with even an average politcally aware Sri-Lankan who will beat you hands down in no time!
Atheist:
If you call the President of Mahinda Rajapaksa instead of Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa then he is not a Sinhalese anymore? Get real dud. You know very well we are talking of the content and message of someone.
Yes, all the races and religions must live together but the majority must allow that? That was what the minorities had wanted since independence but some some hoodlum politicians didn’t want to allow that.
“If the majority of the population in Sri-Lanka (or any given country) has chosen a particular language and religion, I don’t see why on earth it’s eating you?”
There is no problem in this but imposing your beliefs on the minorities will be a problem. Say what you may, and continue to live with your head dug into the sand, so long as you continue with this rhetoric the issue will hurt the country. I am glad that the official view is very different from yours and rightly so.
Well, my dear friend, see how far the knowledge of your “average” SL politician would be able stand against the dilemma and nightmare SL is facing now. Getting whacked from all sides is no joke.
Heshan,
Dayapala Thiranagama, Rajani’s husband, was NEVER a supporter of the JVP. Check your facts.
Jansee,
Well, according to your twisted “logic”, Fernando, Pereira, Herrera, Silva, Soysa, Souza, Cooray, Peiris, Alwis, Costa, Mendis, Salgado, Caldera, Fonseka, Rodriguez, etc…living in the South are not Sinhalese? Likewise, Green, White, Lethbridge, Black, Brackenridge, Mills, Hoole, Finch, Fitch, Emerson, Hensmen, Wadsworth, Daniels, to name a few, hailing from Jaffna are not “real” Tamils?
Your arguments are like the ones that appear on the “Ulaga Thamilar” tabloid. This rag constantly refers to poor Hilary Clinton as “Kilaary”. How do you think Hilary would react to being called “Kilaary”?
At least you people have the hackneyed English Media where you come from; however, the poor Tamil Diaspora in North America is stuck with “Ulaga Thamilar” and company for news on international affairs.
Jansee, if you don’t have adequate knowledge of Tamil, please, ask someone to translate the hilarious propaganda that passes for news in the likes of “Ulaga Tamilar”!
You said: “I am glad that the official view is very different from yours and rightly so”. Unlike you, I don’t believe in the existence of “majorities” and “minorities” when it comes to the wider consideration of humanity. When one practices equal rights, there is no need to make any distinctions between the “majority” and the “minority”. Having said that, only a fool will deny the reality in Sri-Lanka: the Sinhala speaking people in Sri-Lanka are more in number than those who speak Tamil. Similarly, Buddhism is the choice of religion amongst those who call themselves Sinhala.
Equal rights must also be observed when an individual decides to change his/her religion out of personal choice. No one should be coerced into following a particular religion, language, creed, ideology etc… I hope you don’t have a problem with this? This is the norm amongst the people I associate with.
I have no problem with anybody’s religion and language. Like me, my family and most of my Sri-Lankan friends, oh, how happy I would be if other Sri-Lankans, too, spoke in all three – Sinhala, Tamil, and English – languages.
From what I have seen, racists/bigots are uncouth, uncreative and filled with self-importance. Their “contribution” to humanity never goes beyond copy and paste. Assaulting the public with truisms and mawkish poetry is another one of their identifiable characteristics.
By the way, when I spoke of “an average politically aware Sri-Lankan”, I didn’t mean politicians. Basic comprehension is a must even to a grade eight dropout.
Take it easy!
“Dayapala Thiranagama, Rajani’s husband, was NEVER a supporter of the JVP. Check your facts.”
Actually he was. He has so said so himself, in a recent piece commemorating Rajani.
Quote: “We were also politically different and in reality these political differences played a divisive role in our marriage. I had near religious belief in the Marxist-Leninist/ Maoist political agenda”
http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/09/21/keeping-memories-alive-20th-anniversary-rajanis-assassination
“Just last week D B Jayaraj wrote in the Daily Mirror about the episode on Solomon’s assassination with details on both the monks.”
D.B.S Jeyaraj is a sly fox with a hidden agenda. While some of the articles he collects from whatever available trash heap on the web may appear to be neutral, the comments section of his articles are reserved for LTTE bashing. Try making a pro-LTTE comment and the fox will jump 20 feet in the air. It is no coincidence that his foremost “guest columnist” is none other than the much renowned (maligned?) Dayan J.
@Heshan
I may not agree with Dayan J in some of his political beliefs, or sometimes his way of presenting them, but to be honest, surely he has a right to state it. And be engaged with. Is this not what democracy is about. And is it not a good thing that DBSJ publishes Dayan’s articles? After all, despite Dayan’s avowed Stalinist leanings, his desire to engage with views surely indicates some desire for democracy!
Viewing DBSJ’s website as a machination of cunning may not be fair. Of course none of us have actual insight into the motives and intentions of people. But don’t you think. that like Groundviews, a democratic and open forum *Should* publish articles with varying points of view. Obviously we may not agree with them, but then is the whole point! To engage different points of view. To deny the publication or comments excessively would be to make any forum a “non-democratic” propoganda tool and to some degree tranform it into another strangled media enterprise. I am aware that no one has any enterprise without some form of political stance, but if a forum can allow varied points of view, to some degree, then it is a useful forum.
I do not know where DBSJ gets his articles from, but I am not sure that it is from the “trash heap”! Perhaps he is aware that some of the articles in the so called “trash” are worth publishing and perhaps he queries there source or knows the source.
Actually the fact that the comments are reserved for LTTE bashing is neither here nor there. Ok, so DBSJ may be anti LTTE – which is not a terrible thing to be! A lot of people will leap 20 ft in the air if there is pro LTTE responses. He may even be/have been pro LTTE but not want promote that anymore!
Moreover, in the current day and age of media policing, and the way people are thrown into jail, is there not reason, being a Tamil, to keep the level of pro-LTTE comments a bit muted. Surely, he must not want to end up in jail like Tissanayagam or shot like Lasantha.
I would think it is wise to be careful as one achieves very little when dead or incarcerated. Of course that does not mean you compromise the truth, or deny it, or refuse to publish it, but it does mean that one is more careful than one would have been if not for the white van dynamic with live with.
Just a disclaimer – I have no connections to DBSJ or have even much knowledge of his background as such, having entered into “political engagement fairly recently – but I am just pointing out what I would expect for a forum!
@smoulderingjin:
I have no issue with any particular website hosting the views of Dayan J. Neither do I have any issues a said website hosting anti-LTTE views. I will tell you why D.B.S is a cunning fellow. He has, on several occasions, taken pro-LTTE comments and intentionally distorted them, by inserting his own language, to make the poster look bad. It is a harsh but true accusation. What is worst of all is that the man poses as a “journalist.” Whereas, he has violated the journalists’ code of ethics like no other. This is the reason.
Heshan
Dayan is correct.I was never a supporter of the JVP. Just because I was a Marxist/Leninist/Maoist does not mean that I was a supporter of the JVP. I had ideological and political disagreements with the JVP’s approach to the National Question.
Quite apart from the above issue I have written a response to Dayan’s criticisms of the Rajani Thiranagama Commemoration which has been pulished elsewhere. I have not receieved any response from GroundViews for my request to publisn it .
Dayapala Thiranagama
Have we any proof that the above poster is in fact Dayapala Thiranagama? Funny that he should show up so soon after being mentioned.
Hesan
It was me who posted it.
I hoped Ground Views would carry my reply to Dayan but they did not.Therefore I have decided to post it here.
A real sense of actuality in Rajani Thiranagama commemoration:Response to Dayan Jayatilleke
By Dayapala Thiranagama
Dayan Jayatilleke’s article titled “Rajani’s Commemoration: An Absence of Actuality” published on 27th September in Ground Views deserves some clarification and response in order to put the record straight. I believe this would benefit readers and will provide justice to Rajani’s life and her heroism in taking on the neo-fascistic LTTE so boldly in “a meaningful defiance”. In so doing Rajani and her colleagues in the UTHR never hesitated.
I welcome Dayan’s positive comments that it was a good evening. However, his article omitted many of the factors that made it such a positive event. I consider it a very good evening in terms of attendance, young and old, belonging to different ethnic groups, Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims (some Europeans) and multi religious ordinary people who came from the Sinhalese South, North and East and Upcountry from all social classes to remember Rajani and reaffirm her ideals. There were no VIPs or politicians. In terms of numbers it went beyond the organizers’ expectations and some had to be turned away due to the lack of seats. This illustrates the continuing meaning that her legacy holds in the fight for the democratic rights and the right to dissent.
Dayan’s main complaint was that the memorial event did not name the Tigers as Rajani’s killers. Those who did not attend the event may justifiably feel that this diminished the memorial. Most attendants at the meeting came knowing that the Tamil Tigers were responsible for her killing, particularly from the widespread press coverage including articles by myself in the Island on 16 September and by UTHR (J) prior to the event. Dayan seems to have wanted it to be stated as if it were a court of law with a charge sheet to be presented against the Tigers. Many of the items at the event including the songs, poetry and speeches laid responsibility for the killing at the LTTE’s door. If one could not understand that, one did not understand language, context, poetry and more damningly, politics.
The prior campaigning and the commemoration event as well as the work shop that was held subsequently made it very clear that the Tamil Tiger militancy was responsible for many deaths including Rajani’s. Dayan’s problem lies in the fact that he isolated the event and jumped into his conclusion without focusing on the preparation prior to the event and its aftermath. If there was no Tiger bashing at the event it was not because the organizers were unaware of the need to fight the neo-fascism of the Tigers but rather the political urgency at the current moment and the strategy that would be most suitable and effective in fighting the twin problem: achieving democratic rights and challenging Sinhalese triumphalism. The democratic rights in all three communities namely Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims are being eroded under the cover of patriotism and it is being used to frustrate and postpone the devolution of power to the Tamil community.
Even among the most anti-LTTE segments of the Tamils in the country there is fear and tension as to what would be their future in relation to their democratic rights. If you want to talk about the “the titanic struggles for decades against the Tigers” you also need to talk about the historical injustices meted out against the Tamil Community with equal passion and conviction. It is not a one way street and not restricted to the Tamil community. The right to dissent is taken away with speed in the South and the methods applied here at times are reminiscent of what the Tamil Tigers inflicted on their political adversaries in their suppression of the right to dissent in the areas of their control. The IDPs are still languishing in their camps. In order to fight fascism it is required to resolve the genuine grievances of the Tamils. There is a historic opportunity in the country as never before to resolve the issue that has cost so many lives and our social and economic development for generations. It is entirely fitting that an event commemorating someone with Rajani’s concern for the lived reality of ordinary people’s lives would focus on these issues.
Rajani’s family and the UTHR (J) never had any lingering doubts about the LTTE as Rajani’s killers. We had credible evidence. But at the time there was no law and order in the country and it was reported as one of the war casualties. At the time Dayan had joined the UNP government and was working for President Premadasa.I that recall just before I left for London December 1989, Dayan was of the view that Rajani was killed by the EPRLF and that he had had access to the information not available to us. Dayan wanted me to make a statement regarding this information. At the time the Premadasa government had an understanding with the Tamil Tigers against the IPKF and their proxy the EPRLF. That was the crux of the matter. So much for (in Dayan’s words) “the titanic struggle for decades against the fascism of the Tigers” and the “… massive historical truths” which Rajani’s commemoration meeting failed to highlight in its ‘actuality’. What I have to say, quoting Dayan’s own words again, is that “Rajani never countenanced lies in politics and public life”.
Dayan reminds us that the LTTE was not overthrown by the Tamil resistance. I support the historic victory against the LTTE and their neo-fascistic project. He says the Tigers were overthrown not by “non violent dissent” or by “Tamil dissenters”, thus belittling the work that Rajani and her colleagues in UTHR (J) have done in reporting human rights abuses by all the parties involved in this brutal conflict and the decisive role this brave work and reportage has played. I know at times in the recent past it would have proven uncomfortable reading for him.
Dayan says that Rajani believed that Mahathaya would have saved her life and Rajani’s blindness to this historical truth killed her. Rajani never believed that Mahathaya would save her or indeed that he would be able to do so. More than any of us Rajani knew how the LTTE functioned and she had no illusions whatsoever. She knew that she would be targeted, but her commitment and dedication was such that she believed that it was worth giving her life for when the moment came. Rajani wrote in a letter sent to a friend in these words ‘I will not be killed by an outsider but someone who was born out of a womb of this society of a woman with whom my history is shared’. I would say that Rajani had Che’s spirit in relation to her choice between life and death, and was willing to give her life, when the moment came, for her passionate belief in the preservation of human dignity. Such people are rare in politics and the political classes today. That is also why I introduced her as a new revolutionary. In writing a postscript to The Broken Palmyra (page 408) she stated that “Objectivity was not solely an academic exercise for us. Objectivity, pursuit of the truth and the propagation of critical and honest positions, was crucial for the community. But they could also cost many of us our lives.”
Rajani made a choice, one that I respected in spite of the huge personal loss for our family and the children. Rajani’s life and work continues to instill hope and determination in the minds of people who will have nothing to lose except their democratic rights, including the right to dissent in this country. Rajani’s death and her murderers were not the summation of her life. It was her vision for her community, the principles she fought for and the life she lived that we commemorated last week.
Atheist:
“At least you people have the hackneyed English Media where you come from; however, the poor Tamil Diaspora in North America is stuck with “Ulaga Thamilar” and company for news on international affairs.”
Well, it is still the you versus us. Anyway, any news other than those coming from the SL newsmedia is more worthy for the “dumb” ones that jump on the que to parrot and spin, in a way the regime wants. Of course, I don’t blame the media, failure to observe the official spin would mean more “mysterious” deaths. You must be an ostrich – SL has been coming “tops” in rankings and what I have read on what you have written, I don’t blame you either – writing the truth could mean ………
“Unlike you, I don’t believe in the existence of “majorities” and “minorities” when it comes to the wider consideration of humanity. When one practices equal rights, there is no need to make any distinctions between the “majority” and the “minority”. Having said that, only a fool will deny the reality in Sri-Lanka: the Sinhala speaking people in Sri-Lanka are more in number than those who speak Tamil. Similarly, Buddhism is the choice of religion amongst those who call themselves Sinhala.”
This the double-speak that you guys are famous for and hardly anyone believe in such rhetorics anymore. It is precisely this “majority” view that started the enmity. If, as you say and claim, if the Sinhala majority is the crux of it, then are the Tamils wrong in seeking a separate Tamil nation where this “majority” take would not be an issue anymore? Yes, I share your sentiments that we should see beyond race and religion but we are essentially in the minority. MR now says there is no such thing as majority or minority and hardly anyone with any sense believes him anymore as that was merely coming from MR, the shrewd politician. Was Prabhakaran right when he tells the Tamils that the Sinhala Mahavamsa will never recognise the Tamils as equals? May be his methods and means of achieving what the Tamils wanted could be wrong but essentially you too agree that this majority is and will be there.
“By the way, when I spoke of “an average politically aware Sri-Lankan”, I didn’t mean politicians. Basic comprehension is a must even to a grade eight dropout.”
May be George Orwell had somewhat an eerie futuristic view of SL when he wrote Animal Farm. Politics and politicians in SL? Please throw some other surprises – the state of mind of an average SL is exactly what you mentioned – a grade eight dropout -never able to rise above petty politics – what more with such people around MR.
A good try but not just enough. Try harder to convince me to believe you.
Jansee,
First of all, Jansee, I am not trying to convince you of anything. Secondly, I don’t need your approval.
Moving along now, what do you mean by “you versus us”? Definitely, not Sinhala versus Tamil, right? When I referred you to the “Ulaga Thamilar”, I did not do this under the assumption that you were Tamil; but, I feel that anyone calling themselves a Sri-Lankan should at least know either Tamil or Sinhala. Since you were talking an awful lot about your “love” for Sri-Lankan Tamils, I assumed you at least knew a little bit of Tamil.
Now, now, just hold your horses…don’t jump on the victim bandwagon. You are bound to fall off this proverbial bandwagon known to go off balance at any given time.
Good God, not even MR and/or the Almighty (not that I believe in God) could convince me that there is no “majority”. I repeat – the majority of the people in this little island identify themselves as Sinhala. If MR, you and your crew and the Almighty were to deny this fact, I would say that this trio is very much akin to Hitler and his gang. This being said, you have to get it into you head that the majority cannot overrule the rights of the minorities.
An egalitarian society is a nightmare to politicians, peace brokers, extremists and religious freaks. Oh, I forgot, such a society also strikes terror in fake activists!
Why are you so obsessed with the Mahavamsa? You seem to know more about the Mahavamsa than the average Sinhala person. I suppose people who love to live in a make-believe world spend their time glued to the Mahavamsa; this is no different from people who read the Good Book (and other holy books) believing this will assure them safe passage to paradiso. All these holy books are filled with fairytales written by misogynists who are intent on fooling the gullible. However, if you so wish to be enmeshed in this fantasy world, you are entitled to do so.
Please give Orwell a rest. Don’t go around quoting him…it is getting really boring. We can understand this new discovery is a big thing to you and the crew, but, please, remember that subtlety packs a bigger punch.
Run along now…
Atheist:
“Since you were talking an awful lot about your “love” for Sri-Lankan Tamils, I assumed you at least knew a little bit of Tamil.”
You assumed wrong. If some white guy talks of the problems faced by the IDPs, do you pretty much sit at home and throw guesses and assumptions at your whims and fancy. Wake-up my friend. Living in the dark as most SL do would push the country back by another 50 years.
“Now, now, just hold your horses…don’t jump on the victim bandwagon. You are bound to fall off this proverbial bandwagon known to go off balance at any given time.”
Am I surprised that it comes from a “patriotic”. May be you should learn or revise your probability theory. Balancing the “act” is what SL has failed thus far and looks like it is not going to succeed in the near future either. Does it really occur to you who is on which side of the prison really? Ah, brains, brains, I almost forgot.
“You have to get it into you head that the majority cannot overrule the rights of the minorities.”
I think something is wrong with your head, not mine. When the “Sinhala Only Act” was passed, to quote just one of many changes to the constitution, did the rights of the minorities matter? Of course, where will all these make sense to you? Every establishment or institution that deals with these, including the courts, have become a laughing stock. You would do a world of good in doing something to try at least to do some cleaning your own backyard than preaching the world. It is this majority streak that brought the country to “us” and “you”.
“I repeat – the majority of the people in this little island identify themselves as Sinhala. If MR, you and your crew and the Almighty were to deny this fact, I would say that this trio is very much akin to Hitler and his gang.”
I never denied the Sinhalese as the majority, after all, that is a fact. You don’t need god to confirm that. What I asked you was, and incidentally you didn’t answer, to solve this majority issue, would it be plausible that the Tamils have their homeland where they can be in their own majority. Then the issue of they being in the minority doesn’t arise at all.
Oh yes, I share your view on the misguided trip to heaven (or hell) but isn’t that what the majority in SL believe led by the monks. May be you should preach (instead of me) them to give up such dogmatic views which has ruined the country with monks running the streets whacking people. I haven’t heard of priests from the Christian, Hindu or of any other religion doing street battles and beat people up. I salute your beliefs as I too share similar views but there is no point preaching that to me – do it where it should be done, perhaps you could contribute in a small way to make SL a more tolerant society.
“Please give Orwell a rest. Don’t go around quoting him…it is getting really boring. We can understand this new discovery is a big thing to you and the crew, but, please, remember that subtlety packs a bigger punch.”
He has been laid to “rest” a long time ago. Ah, I see, typical of SL, one must get their permission to quote Orwell. This is a public forum and I am within my right to do so unless, of course, the editor of this forum prevents from doing so. Stop the paranoia and get your act together instead of shooting in the dark.
Jansee,
Stop evading the basic issue: an egalitarian society is a major threat to your identity.
What is the big deal about some white guy talking about the problems of the IDPs? Why are you hung up on his skin colour? There are Afro-Americans/Africans, Latin Americans and Asians engaged in various types of volunteer work throughout the world; however, speaking the native language (at least a little bit) always helps.
I think you need to wake up and accept the present reality in Sri-Lanka: the LTTE can never rear its ugly head ever again! As for being paranoid, I think you are a master at self-delusion – sitting in your corner reading the Mahavamsa. People who indulge in fanciful tales, written in all types of holy books, are the ones who suffer from a persecution complex; ironically, these are the very people who, then, turn around and accuse others of “paranoia”.
As for that proverbial bandwagon, it behaves very much like those organizations founded on terror – it swings to the side of opportunity no matter the consequences to the ordinary people. This is what happens when one mistakes cunning for intelligence. Don’t worry; given such a circumstance, you will definitely win the medal.
Okay, head specialist, why don’t you clean up your own backyard, if you have one. I would help you out, but I think considering some of the junk that’s been kicking around in your attic, I shudder to think what I might find in your backyard. I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole!
I am glad you have finally accepted the basic fact that the Sinhala people are the majority of Sri-Lanka. As for a separate homeland for you and your preferred minority, I am afraid you and the crew have been voted off the island! Besides, this kind of argument can only lead to infinite regression.
Yes, one does not need God’s permission to live on this marvellous planet; the existence or non-existence of God is irrelevant to how we behave in the world. The “Almighty” is just a figure of speech. I am sorry you didn’t catch my drift.
I didn’t talk about religion because I don’t need one, but you seem so hung up on Buddhist monks and the Mahavamsa. Oh, I didn’t know Buddhist monks were going around “wacking” people into believing in “heaven” and “hell”. Well, well, I’ll be damned, ‘cause forcible conversion should be a crime. I say, throw those Buddhist monks in jail! Since you seem to have a close relationship with Buddhist monks, I suggest, you fight it out with them. They are not going to listen to a ‘homeless’ person like me.
Get your head out of the Mahavamsa, the Buddhist monks and the Sinhala people and live a little. It’s a pity you’ve taken my words on Orwell so literally. As far as I am concerned, you can sing any tune you want to, but, unfortunately, it will never be what we call rock n’ roll!
Atheist:
“What is the big deal about some white guy talking about the problems of the IDPs? Why are you hung up on his skin colour? ”
Of course it is a big deal because now with India having sold its “soul to the devils” and with wily hyna that Sri Lanka has become, and with guys like you pandering to the only news you seem to believe, and with the IDPs facing guns at them, it may be a slim of a hope, but yes, for all their short-comings, they (I mean the white guys) certainly gave better housing and life as refugees than the shameful internment camps to SL’s own citizens. You dude mind doesn’t even allow for a fair comparison.
“I think you need to wake up and accept the present reality in Sri-Lanka: the LTTE can never rear its ugly head ever again! As for being paranoid, I think you are a master at self-delusion – sitting in your corner reading the Mahavamsa. People who indulge in fanciful tales, written in all types of holy books, are the ones who suffer from a persecution complex; ironically, these are the very people who, then, turn around and accuse others of “paranoia”.”
I agree with you, the LTTE won’t rear its ugly head, and we welcome that. I feel rather safe sitting in my corner, rather than getting blown up to pieces, just the way Lasantha was (deeply sorry Sonali to use this term but these SL guys never learn). Despite our differences, feel sorry for you because who knows that you may not be the next target – such is the uncertainty of the land. One minute you are there, the next minute you are gone. Even if the devil doesn’t get to you first, the white vans may. At least you can breathe a sigh that the chances are it may not come from the LTTE. Despite 9/11, Americans feel a lot safe than anyone walking the streets of SL.
“As for that proverbial bandwagon, it behaves very much like those organizations founded on terror – it swings to the side of opportunity no matter the consequences to the ordinary people. This is what happens when one mistakes cunning for intelligence. Don’t worry; given such a circumstance, you will definitely win the medal.”
I thought I should be telling you that, anyway thank you for reminding me because the state terrorism committed by the SL regime is legendary and that is what exactly is happening with the IDPs. When you mention, “it swings to the side of opportunity no matter the consequences to the ordinary people”, do I have to tell you that most of the IDPs are also ordinary people but that doesn’t enter your head, does it? SL possesses a rare trait, the cunning invasion of truth. Ah, and yes, for guys like you it is a matter of winning medals, may be equated in SL terms as coffins. May be I can give a few pennies to buy a better glue for your labels to stick.
“Yes, one does not need God’s permission to live on this marvellous planet; the existence or non-existence of God is irrelevant to how we behave in the world. The “Almighty” is just a figure of speech. I am sorry you didn’t catch my drift.”
Who cares about gods these days, it has even become a sort of joke, having seen “these gods” taking sides and whether you might have used it in the literal or figurative sense doesn’t sound a bit to me. So, what is there to even talk about a drift?
I didn’t talk about religion because I don’t need one, but you seem so hung up on Buddhist monks and the Mahavamsa. Oh, I didn’t know Buddhist monks were going around “wacking” people into believing in “heaven” and “hell”. Well, well, I’ll be damned, ‘cause forcible conversion should be a crime. I say, throw those Buddhist monks in jail! Since you seem to have a close relationship with Buddhist monks, I suggest, you fight it out with them. They are not going to listen to a ‘homeless’ person like me.”
I like this part. May be we can one day sit over a cup of coffee/tea and share our thoughts on something that appears common to both of us, the non-issue or non-relevance of god. What rattles me is or rather baffles me is, either you really don’t know or pretend not to know about buddhist monks ( I hasten to say not all of them but nevertheless that is stigma they, too, have to carry for the foolish acts of their brothers) doing “street battles”.May be I can do you a favour and send some clips through these columns for you to stop dreaming about cinderella and woke up to the realities happening in and around SL.
“Get your head out of the Mahavamsa, the Buddhist monks and the Sinhala people and live a little. It’s a pity you’ve taken my words on Orwell so literally. As far as I am concerned, you can sing any tune you want to, but, unfortunately, it will never be what we call rock n’ roll!”
How come you seem to be on my pulse so often. Yes, I prefer blues to ‘ROCK-AND-ROLL” SL is ROCKING and ROLLING, if you get MY drift.
Jansee,
Boy, am I glad you are into the Blues! I don’t fear rock n’ roll’s cousin; I only fear religious freaks.
By the way, other than you and the crew, I have never heard of “guy” and “dude” being used on a woman/girl. Perhaps you younger people have started a new trend; well, in that case, I will just have to say: “there is always a first to everything”.
Anyway, what do you think of an egalitarian society in which ‘homeless’ people like myself can live without harassment from racists, sexists, and religious fanatics? I thought this is what most people want, but, I see, now, that some of us want to segregate ourselves through religion, race and language. Also, apart from biological differences, there really are no fundamental differences between men and women. So when I spot sexist undertones in comments and articles on Groundviews – which claims to be a progressive space for alternative journalism – I will not be surprised if the same contributors try to sabotage the move towards egalitarianism in any society.
For your information, I don’t practice selective human rights. Whether it is Lasantha, the poor farmer, an ex-LTTE child soldier, a sweat shop worker or a beggar down the street, I believe we all have the same rights.
As for “white guys” providing facilities for refugees, there are also plenty of “coloured guys/gals” who are agitating powerful governments in the West to accept more refugees from the third world. As for your claim that people on the streets of the US feels safer than people on the streets of Sri-Lanka, I have to agree with you here. Of course, Americans feel safer; many of them carry guns don’t they? Have you ever walked the streets of Chicago? Been to Harlem? Have you heard of gun toting soccer moms from the suburbs? I, however, am with all the Americans who will never touch a gun despite all the self-perpetuating hype about violence. The American society is very complex. On one hand, you have the most regressive zealots, on the other you find the most progressive people (with young Americans into counter culture). If we want such a liberal society in Sri-Lanka, boy, you, and the crew, better change your attitude.
Oh…just to play the Devil’s advocate, in America, three strikes and you’re out of the ol’ ball game!
As for joining you for that cup of tea/coffee, please offer a homeless person a cuppa on my behalf.
Dayan’s apparent crusade to pin blame on the LTTE is only an excuse for him to talk about himself.
[Note to Dayan - is it possible for you to not talk about yourself? This event was about Rajani, not you.]
Kudos to Dayapala for exposing Dayan’s duplicity and for setting the record straight about Rajani.