Engage the Diaspora
Repost This ArticleAs all issues pertaining to ethnicity in Sri Lanka the role of the Diaspora Tamils has become a point of contention in Sri Lanka. As usual this group is defined in monolithic terms by most commentators within Sri Lanka and its diversity of opinion is overlooked. There is little effort to understand the diversity within this group or to engage them in a constructive manner for the benefit of long-term peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka.
The divergence of political opinions/beliefs within the Tamil Diaspora ranges from supporting a separate state in the North/East of Sri Lanka, to a fair political solution within the framework of Sri Lanka that addressed the legitimate grievances of the minorities. There are also many who are not active on issues regarding Sri Lanka and are more preoccupied in making a life for themselves in the countries they have emigrated to. If you were to add the layers of the second and the third generation within the Diaspora, the views are more diverse because many within this group take into account the global perspective vs. the narrow nationalistic prism by which their parents viewed the ethnic conflict. I am confident that this is the case for the Sinhalese Diaspora too with flag waving nationalist being the minority rather than the majority.
Both Sinhalese and Tamil nationalistic politics have failed Sri Lanka and it’s citizens. They have mirrored each other in defining a nation from the perspective of ethnicity and language and rooted their ideology based on exclusion rather than inclusion. In doing so they have emphasized a glorious past that does not take into account the past cultural interactions between ethnic groups.  This narrow view of defining nationhood and citizenship forces citizens to view every aspect of governance and economic development from the perspective of a half filled glass, where the means of distribution are based on grabbing a bigger share by denying other groups basic benefits and fundamental rights. It also has created a culture of entitlement, which extends to foreign aid and trade benefits. This narrow nationalistic ideology has not only contributed to the civil war but it also has hurt Sri Lanka from the perspective of not allowing it to take advantage of the benefits of the global economy to grow the economic pie that will contribute to the wellbeing of all segments within Sri Lanka.
In the modern global economy a diverse population and good governance works to a nation’s benefit because it allows it to maximize it’s human potential both internally and externality. Countries that can tap into the intellectual capital of their citizens stand to take advantage of a knowledge-based economy. Those who do not are either on the lower rung (limited to a few export and service sectors) or dependent on development handouts. Developing countries that have been successful in the last decade and a half (China, India, Vietnam) also are taking advantage of their Diaspora groups by encouraging them to take part in the development of their respective countries.  The Diaspora groups have introduced new knowledge based industries, opened up new markets for products and services, contributed to improving governance, social development and provided valuable input on the role of the global economy.
It would be to the benefit of Sri Lanka if the Diaspora groups were engaged and allowed to contribute on issues ranging from governance to economic development. Instead of focusing on the vocal nationalistic Diaspora (Both Sinhalese and Tamils) who tend to be blindly nationalistic and ethnocentric, the focus should be on those who are moderate or unengaged. A good start would be for the different communities within the Diaspora to start engaging with each other and addressing the challenges facing Sri Lanka whether it be better governance or economic development.  Even reasonable people are going to disagree on these issues and their ethnic background may play a role in these diverging views. However they will also have a lot in common ranging from having to socially integrate into their adopted countries, taking advantage of economic opportunities, living in multi-ethnic countries, importance of the rule of law and understanding global realities that transcend ethnicity.  They also understand that ethnic nationalism and bad governance is not limited to Sri Lanka. Countries overcome this by inclusive policies that foster a common identity that transcends ethnicity where there is no contradiction between being proud of your heritage and being a citizen of a multi-ethnic/racial state. Furthermore, segments within the Sri Lankan Diaspora (Both Tamil and Sinhalese) lived within diverse societies and modern economies where they do understand the benefits of diversity and collaborating for the benefit of all citizens.
The Diaspora groups can also engage with both the private (Civil society and private sector companies) and public sector (political parties and government) to share their inputs and solutions in regards to key issues. This exchange is not going to be easy and solutions will not be implemented overnight. However, there is a possibility of incremental progress especially in regards to the private sector. Local civil society and industry leaders could be valuable partners to the Diaspora who want to contribute to the dialogue and implementation of reforms.  Those who are justifiably concerned about the condition of the Tamil people in the north and the east of the country can start by engaging private sector partners in Sri Lanka to rebuild the economy and improve the social conditions. This does not mean one should over look a permanent political solution that addresses devolution of power in the north and east and equitable rights for the minorities (both in letter and sprit). However, segments of the Diaspora can create conditions for consensus on these issues if they engage different communities within Sri Lanka and start inter ethnic cooperation on economic and social development issues.
Sri Lanka due to the blind nationalistic/ethnocentric politics of both Sinhalese and Tamil politicians, lack of political vision, political corruption and bad governance has not been able to take advantage of it’s human potential. It is time to change this cycle and provide hope to generations to come.
The entity called diaspora consists mainly of economic refugees who enjoy the benefits of the Western welfare states, and talk of the Grievances of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.Now that Liberation Tigers whom they venerated enriched have been decimated they have to find another way of ‘liberation’.Please let me know one genuine grievance faced by the Tamils in Sri Lanka,that is unique to the Tamil community.
We have been losing our liberty and our individual dignity since 1948 and corruption too set in since then.We must go back to those times and rebuild the good values we lost.It should be rebuilt from the grass roots and then the top will follow-suit.
Dear Mr Selvaratnam, Please be kind enough to state what these exact ‘grievances’ that is ‘specific to the minorities’ of Sri Lanka are. I have asked this question numerous times from many people who bring up this topic, but to this date no one has answered it as yet. Therefore, please be kind enough to oblige.
Mr Kannan Selvaratnam, in other words what u are sayin is beat Rajapakses and change the cycle..!? sadly for you, it will not happen this january! Global businesses has been and continue to fourish In Sri Lanka bcos the deadliest cancer spreading Germ machine LTTE is crushed to death! the world investor can see that the Govt under this leadership wiped out the TERRORIsm and brought some exellent climate free of Terrorism to do business! IMF people saw it this way. Billions are pouring in as we speak to Sri Lanka! the people that are in the sidelines that u have mentioned, ask them to buy a SL Govt Bond to help the country or send some funds/ equipment to NE of SL to rebuild. u are nothin but a UNGREATFUL DREAMER who wants to put seeds in idiots minds to destabilize Sri Lanka. did u hear the Presidents speech at the parliment after the Fat Pig was crushed?? “…this is Tamil people’s WIN….” The Govt and the majority Sinhalese saved the innocent tamils from Fat Pigs like prabhakaran. talking about ECONOMY and the global perspective……the Leader USA is REWRITING their books on it and STILL HAVE NOT PASSES A SINGLE LEGISLATION TO STOP THE CASINO STYLE GAMBLING IN WALL-STREET (u talking about corruption in SL) SL has its own game plan with reagional and global partners and Today, bcos of the GLOBAL Terrorism that WALL-STREET did to the whole world, all the countreis and Re-alligning the alliances and I think SL is doing a great job so far! this global politics 101 for you mr Selvaratnam.
No Diaspora – Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim or other – however brilliant could help remediate the national issues absent leadership at the highest level with qualities of principled statesmanship. The proposition by the author, although well intended, is akin to expecting a brilliant workforce of a corporation to make it successful but without a visionary and inspiring CEO. As Gwynne Dwyer, the international columnist recently warned, with the next President of the nation bound to be one that tilts toward Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalism, the prospect to true peace and prosperity will be a very long one for Sri Lankans. It is one thing to suggest “it is time to change this cycle…” but quite another to realistically make it happen. The need of the hour – as has been the need of all hours since national Independence – is a Chief Executive who is principled, visionary, compassionate, strong and inspirational. For the nation’s sake let’s hope one emerges soon.
I’m afraid the Tamil diaspora is too stuck in its ways. Racism, hatred and support for fascism continue to hold sway within that group. The recent “referendums” held in Canada and Norway point to this. I have met many who so totally clueless about Sri Lanka and have been fed stories that would make you think Tamils couldn’t walk down the streets of Colombo without getting lynched. Instead of engaging with such a sorry lot I hope Sri Lanka cuts all connections to them and their politics of hate.
even after living 46 years in germany( no refugee),i have only my s.l.an citizenship.i consider myself a s.l.an.i would not ask a tamil , or a muslim or a sinhalese what grievances they have, because i think i know the grievences.when m.r. said for him there are no min. or maj. i beleive what he meant was he would be working for all s.l. irrespective of race,rel. etc etc..by the way if fonseka with the help of the jvp is elected the president i may take the german c. because it would mean no democracy at all.ranjit de mel berlin
“legitimate grievances of the minorities”
What are they?
Can 10 the most needy of them be enumerated?
How would a devolved power structure would solve the above problems?
Needs answers for these. As far as I see, devolution of power is not going to solve problems of ordinary Tamil person. However it will be another fortune for Tamil politicians to earn more.
[Edited out]
you moderate, groundview characters are really not doing enough, if the comments listed here are the vogue in sri lanka.
tamil nationalism will cease once tamils are given their place and not persecuted. tamil nationalism is a reactive phenomenon. singhalese chauvinism however is a self-perpetuating plague.
Dear Ranjan, “Tamil nationalism” produced most of the world’s suicide bombers. In other words, the 2.5 million odd Sri Lankan Tamils have given more suicide bombers to the world than the more than 1 billion Muslims combined! Set in another way, Sri Lankan Tamils have produced more suicide bombers per capita than any other group in the whole world. And the Tamil diaspora had nothing but praise and cheer for such an abomination. It is Tamil extremism that is self-perpetuating and look what it has got the Tamil community – violence, destitution and disenfranchisement. Unfotunately the Tamil diaspora are too wound up in their racism and hatred of the Sinhalese/Tamil Brahmins/India/North Indians etc etc to see the light and mend their wats.
Dear Ranjan,
“you moderate, groundview characters are really not doing enough, if the comments listed here are the vogue in sri lanka.”
This article has been posted today at 7:00 a.m. and you expect a flood of voices in support of your own view to appear by 1:35 p.m.? Seems to be a bad case of wanting to confirm one’s own racial prejudice, which seems to be the story of the Sri Lankan problem, and applies equally well to both Sinhalese and Tamils. Also, when launching a critique, can you please highlight what specifically it is you do not find agreeable?
“tamil nationalism will cease once tamils are given their place and not persecuted. tamil nationalism is a reactive phenomenon. singhalese chauvinism however is a self-perpetuating plague.”
Spoken like a true nationalist. Sinhalese nationalists, FYI, say exactly the same thing!
Tamil diaspora in exile is trying their best to counter the present administration for local tamils grivences were not adddresssed by the government .In fact the present government has given a good chance to bring these to light and publizice by calling an unnecessary election at an unwanted time rather than focussing on the real issues of tamils at the high time they need .
Dear Kannan S.,
Thanks for this article and for your attempts to engage constructively. I can only hope that more voices from the diaspora speak out in a similar fashion. It’s precisely because the nut jobs on all sides are more vocal that we are in this soup today.
“As usual this group is defined in monolithic terms by most commentators within Sri Lanka and its diversity of opinion is overlooked. “
As you probably realize, what was seen generally by a majority of Sri Lankans were the LTTE flag waiving, Eelam slogan carrying, Big Mac eating segments of the diaspora who disappeared immediately in the aftermath of Prabhakaran’s death, despite their professed concern for civilians. The voices of the moderates, seem to have been lost in the vocal din of those zealots. The Tamil Diaspora is generally considered to be radicalized not just by Sri Lankans (http://www.fpri.org/enotes/200902.radu.killcivilianshumanrightssrilanka.html)and this is why I believe it’s all the more important for others such as yourself to speak out.
I think your post requires a lot of discussion and I’m looking forward to seeing the viewpoints of others. For my part, this is just a quick initial reply.
Dear Dhiraj,
“I’m afraid the Tamil diaspora is too stuck in its ways. Racism, hatred and support for fascism continue to hold sway within that group”
I don’t think this is a productive viewpoint to hold. Should the Tamils who suffered during the ’83 riots have adopted a similar attitude and refused to engage with those who had nothing to do with it? And that’s precisely what this author, Kannan S. is asking for. To marginalize the nut jobs and discuss with those seeking to constructively engage others.
Dear Ranjan,
Your statement quoted below reads like the famous question,
Which came first the chicken or the egg?
Quote
tamil nationalism will cease once tamils are given their place and not persecuted. tamil nationalism is a reactive phenomenon. singhalese chauvinism however is a self-perpetuating plague.
Unquote
Put your mind back to pre independence times and look at who ruled whom for an answer
Dear Longus,
“The entity called diaspora consists mainly of economic refugees who enjoy the benefits of the Western welfare states, and talk of the Grievances of Tamil people in Sri Lanka”
Ok. Let’s assume for a moment that your statement is true. Who exactly facilitated that? And secondly, would you have wanted to hang around if your house had been burnt down and mobs were on the rampage? It’s very easy to make convenient and simplistic generalizations and form a comforting world view, but such thinking does no justice to the enormous complexity of this issue.
Even if one could feel that a former army commander could drive the country a dictatorship, there are masses in our populaion who feel a man who has a displine for such a long time like 40 yrs of rendered hard service to the country, after all facing self to defence the country from brutal terror, nodoubt, he could also have wills, stengths and powers to go against the corruption which is the huge obstacle standing on the way getting lanka´s future. If not today, tomororw should be the people of the country could live in the motherland feeling free being able to face their lives, without bribes… if states itself perpetrates such crimes, no wonder the other social groups from smaller to bigger level follow up their ways.. My question to GOVT is to answer Transparency international and other foreign organisation where the collosoal amounts of funds have gone, why dont they appoint commisions against bribery and the other corruption events, if human rights and media freedom are safeguraded … why there are increasingly higher number of articles to be read about the issues…
dear groundviews,
what are you views to my point regarding tamil nationalism…is it a chicken and egg problem? is it the case that the tamil nationalism is the cause (or just as much the cause) for all that is wrong in sri lanka today and over the last 60-100 years.
i am aware that keyboard warriors do not necessarily reflect the true opinion of a ‘people’ however i am curious to as to what YOUR opinion* is on this on the issue of the historical origins and rise of tamil nationalism.
personally, i understand the comments above in response to mine as part of a broader ‘sri lankan’ attempt (that appears to operate at the level of citizenry as well?) to muddy the narrative of the historical injustice meted out to the tamil community for over 7 decades at the hands both of the SL.gov and also the singhalese citizenry. (in 1983 there were many brave singhalese who hid tamils from singhalese mobs but the point is, the majority did not and were passive observers if not active participants in the pogrom).
the obfuscatory process appears to work on 2 levels (whilst the 3rd is on display everytime singhalese mobs decide its ‘pogrom day’);
1) claim that tamils and singhalese suffered the same and both nationalisms are as bad as each other; chicken and egg problem; everyone should live happily as sri lankans with equal rights – even if ‘sri lankan’ is merely a euphemism for singhalese; just like the president said, 2 categories you are either patriots or traitors love this country or do not [warning tamil/LTTE propaganda alert!] watch some of the videos on this website and perhaps you may understand why tamils IN the country may not actually love sri lanka…www.warwithoutwitness.com
2) state that tamils were, still (and most probably will always be, unless they ‘conform’) the bogey men, i.e they are originating fount for all the problems – they ruled sri lanka under the british as lackeys and oppressed singhalese…at independence they demanded too much (language rights; self governance et. al.)…then there was the nasty LTTE and nasty tamil diaspora…now there is only nasty tamil diaspora left (until such time as a coherent tamil political leadership re-emerges on the island and pursues peaceful politics on behalf of the tamil community-at that point there will, again, be another bogey to point all of sri lanka’s ills towards)
3) otherwise simply it’s a case of kick the tamils back to tamil nadu…”where they belong” etc
* you who have attempted via the CPA and other electronic media to implement fair minded bi/tri-lingual language documentaries/news shows; you who have included on this website a feature on black july 83′; you who are trying to provide some media coverage of and platform for ‘reconciliation’ between communities in sri lanka.
[i do not, however, respect the respect you appear to grant dayan jayatilleka in previous interviews - he is, in my opinion, a war criminal (albeit a rather more sophisticated one than boggles/justice jayasinghe/gotabaya & co)]
on an aside, the clever, clever singhalese in the commentary above, might want to examine the CPA report “Key Trends from media monitoring jan.-april 2009″ (co-authored by groundviews editory?) section 7, for a critique of their info. sources…
“in contrast to the Sinhala and English media that primarily use government sources on humanitarian issues affecting the Tamil people, Tamil media seems to have a more diverse selection and attribution of sources…Tamil media also publishes news items given by the governmental sources”
annex – on singhalese-buddhist nationalism, then and now…;
“The very first riot in modern Sri Lankan history was not between Sinhalese and Tamils but between Buddhists and Catholics. The so-called Kotahena riot of 1883 was quickly put down by the British authorities, but it highlighted the growing religious divide between the two communities especially at a time when Sinhalese Buddhism was on the upswing. [THE NEXT RIOT WAS IN 1915 BY SINHALESE BUDDHISTS AGAINST THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY - my words] This burgeoning Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, however, was subsumed by Sinhala linguistic nationalism, which enabled all Sinhalese, irrespective of their religious beliefs, to mobilize to make their language the island’s sole national language. It has also enabled Sinhalese Christians to oppose the LTTE as passionately as do Sinhalese Buddhists. Indeed, some of the most prominent generals in the Sri Lankan military have been Christians. The Sinhala language has succeeded so well in unifying Sinhalese Buddhists and Christians that the predominantly Sinhalese Catholic clergy in the south often refuse to speak out against the military atrocities perpetrated on Tamil Catholics in the northeast; and the Sinhalese Catholic leadership in Colombo is known to treat complaints and grievances against the state by their northeast Tamil counterparts with indifference.
Neil de Votta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka [East-West Centre, Washington, Policy Studies 40, 2007], p. 40
According to the National Christian Evangelical alliance of Sri Lanka, fourteen attacks occurred against Christian churches in 2000, while only thirteen such incidents took place in 2001 and 2002. But the number of attacks rose to 146 in 2003 and 2004. Other accounts have placed the number during 2003 and 2004 at over 200.
Notably, the violence took place when the LTTE and government were not at war, suggesting that the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist project needs to rely on an adversary-be it the LTTE, supposedly unscrupulous Western missionaries, or Muslims.(Footnote 18) [text from footnote 18 (p. 57), “Indeed the civil war masks the extant racism among the many Sinhalese Buddhists towards the island's Muslims. The language radical Sinhalese Buddhists use to vilify Muslims can be so derogatory that it sometimes goes beyond the rhetoric used against the LTTE. Such inhibited racism bodes ill for the island's Muslims, and the fallout is likely to be ugly, especially after the civil war has ended”]
Neil de Votta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka [East-West Centre, Washington, Policy Studies 40, 2007], p. 41
CHURCHES…
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/buddhist_extremists_brutally_attack_catholic_church_in_sri_lanka/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PykosGP3VuU
TEMPLES
Hindu temple of ritual significance destroyed in Trincomalee
- http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=30756
A spontaneous development about Hinduism in the island nowadays is that in many rural areas people have started officiating rituals by themselves, as there are no Brahmin priests.
Those who witness the desecration of Hindu temples in recent times in Galle, Moothoor, Champoor and other places as well as prevention of Hindu festivals on many instances, wonder at the irony of Sinhala leaders like Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wikramasinghe regularly visiting Hindu temples in South India to perform Brahmanic rituals to fulfil their desires.
While Tamils of Champoor find their Paththira-kaa’li temple destroyed, a strong belief currently circulating among the Sinhalese in the South is that Mahinda was able to win the war only because of the Malayala Kaddaadiyas (sorcerers from Kerala) hired by him to perform a dreaded ritual, ‘Kaa’li Bandhana’ (binding the worrier goddess Kaa’li), propitiating the Hindu deity for his victory.
The Sinhala word Kaddaadiyaa (Kaá¹á¹Äá¹iyÄ), meaning a sorcerer, enchanter, magician, devil priest, shaman priest or dancer itself is an old Tamil word, meaning a dancer under a spell (Kaddu-aadi; kaddu: spell; aadi: dancer).
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=30756A
Siva temple located at an ancient Hindu site called Akaththiyar Thaapanam, at Kangku-veali in the Moothoor division of the Trincomalee district, where Hindus gather especially to perform the Aadi Amaavaasai ritual for ancestors, was destroyed without any traces coinciding the Heroes’ Day on 27 November. The location of the temple is under the control of Sri Lanka Army stationed at a nearby Sinhala village, Neelaappola. The Sinhala villagers of Neelaappola protected the Tamil villagers of Kangku-veali from displacement in 2006. The Tamil villagers who were shocked and wept to see the temple razed to the ground now, suspect ‘outsiders’ and are scared whether this is a prelude to wipe out their traditional village as well.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=30752
Seventeen bronze statues including those of Lord Shiva, Krish’naa, and Murukan with his consorts Va’l'li and Theivaanai were robbed from Galle Sivan Koayil Sunday early morning between 12 and 1:00 a. m by an unidentified group of persons. The gang had attacked the watcher of the temple and later tied him to a pillar. Thereafter they forced open the doors of the Moolasthaanam of the Koayil and took away artifacts which are about 150 years old and valued at around 15 million rupees.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=30784
About one hundred kilo weighing bronze Vinaayakar statue was stolen from the historic Pilliyaar Koayil located in ancient Kantha’laay Tamil village Saturday early morning. The devotees who went to the Koayil to worship Saturday morning were taken aback when they saw the statue of the deity was missing, according to complaints lodged with the Kanthalaai Police.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29317
The ceremonial opening of the newly constructed Hindu Cultural Hall in Rakwana in Ratnapura district did not take place on Friday (Siththirai Pooranai) as scheduled, due to opposition by Sinhala extremist elements. Earlier the annual festival of Rakwana Sri Muththumaariamman Koayil which was scheduled to be held from April 28 till May 10 was stopped due to opposition by Buddhist extremists that the Thear festival falls on Vesak Day. Chauvinist elements in the area said that no festival of any other religion should take place on Vesak Day.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29357
Gangs of Sinhalese youths smashed the Pi’l'laiyaar statue in front of Vaddav’lai Murukan temple and broke the wall around the temple in Hatton police division in upcountry Wednesday during the early hours, according to complaints made by the temple trustee board to Hatton police Wednesday morning. In a similar incident in Rakwana district the annual festival of Sri Muththumaari Amman temple had been suspended due to threats by Sinhalese youths.
NOTA BENE;
“As this monograph suggests , however, irrespective of when the civil war ends, Sri Lanka’s Tamils and other minorities may have no choice but to continue to live as subordinated citizens in a state dominated by political Buddhism and the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist ideology. Taming or vanquishing the LTTE may be a prerequisite for peace, but those support eradicating the LTTE as a prerequisite for federalism or expansive devolution fail to understand the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist agenda (and may be inadvertently assisting that agenda). Consequently, the international community’s entreaties notwithstanding, Sri Lanka is unlikely to institute in the foreseeable future any devolution that satisfies basic Tamil aspirations.
Political Buddhism and Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism have played leading roles in Sri Lanka, especially since the 1956 elections. The only exception was the short periods following S.W.R.D Bandaranaike’s assassination, when the country debated bhikkus’ involvement in politics. Buddhist monks will continue to play a pivotal role in Sri Lankan politics unless drastic changes take place within the sangha. So will Buddhist nationalists, whose influence has now reached new heights. Once the LTTE’s separatist struggle is neutralized, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists may even renew campaigns against the Christians and Muslims, for their ideology is fundamentally antiminority and requires agitprop to mobilize and survive.
Neil de Votta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka [East-West Centre, Washington, Policy Studies 40, 2007], p. 52
Hi Kannan,
Engaging the disapora is a good idea, but practically impossible in my mind. I’ve met many tamil diaspora members whose children DO NOT speak tamil. So its got to be the first generation diaspora if at all…. Second generation wouldn’t bother. Would they? How does one expect them to understand these deep rooted issues when they don’t even understand tamil? Some i’ve met don’t even pronounce “Yaalpaanam” correctly, so i’d think they are really not interested in what happens in an odd little place where their grandparents lived decades ago. May be i’m being ignorant here, but, is the diaspora as enthusiast as it claims? At best they would pool some funds and send that to an NGO in SL. Nothing beyond that, and nothing concrete. I’m afraid this so called engagement (if not contribution) is only limited to a few fund raising campaigns and meetings. Why not they return? Afterall its their country too…. You don’t need an invitation. You just come, re visit, maybe do something productive and possibly even settle … I repeat the diaspora needs no invitation. They can just come if they are serious. Its their place afterall… One doesn’t expect an invitation to come home. Its always by choice (and love). Take the first step. Don’t wait for invitations and red carpets. Just visit SL
Kannan has made a bold attempt, in my view, to try and weave into a whole the very disparate aspects of people and politics in a positive direction at least for the sake of the future. Some of the responses are self-explanatory of course. The road is yet a long and tedious one with a lot of bridge building to be done. I am inclined to the view of what Dias says that without a great Helmsman or CEO, to use modern business language, the task will be difficult. He hopes there will be one soon. This is probably the 40 billion dollar question if one is to be guided by the annual national economic pie.
My concern about his article is whether he is not overplaying the role of the Diaspora which is anyway divided along various cleavage lines.He has touched on several such aspects. I believe what really matters is what happens within the country. Assuming there will be a good Leader (or CEO) soon in the context of the upcoming Presidential election the great onus will fall on HIS shoulder to take on the task of country building along with the elected government expected 4 months hence.
Even though there are likely to be many who may bury their heads in the sand and say “everything is fine” but the grim ground reality is otherwise. The interregnum of 4 months beween the two elections gives a good breathing space for the elected President to prioritise the issues ranging from political governance, to the rule of law and justice, to economic development, to solving the problem of resettlement of the 300,000 refugees in the north and reconstruction of war damaged areas, to poverty alleviation and a host of other issues. One can only live in hope that springs eternal in the human breast that it will not be a governmnt meant only for politicians but one meant to meet the all round needs of ALL people.
In the context of the emerging national configuration and its quality and sinceerity there could be I believe scope for networking in different interest areas in the national context with various sections of the Diaspora, given its disparate nature. This is only an idea and nothing more. For this to happen the President and his government have to be unifiers not dividers by their thoughts words and actions. This can come only out of good governance based on the experiences of the past 60 years.
Dear Kannan Selvaratnam,
Yes its true that the Tamil diaspora is not monolithic. I have Tamil friends in Canada who are afraid to come out and speak out. They are afraid to talk to other Tamils even about their income. Understandably so, due to the fear psychosis that has them in its grip. That fear psychosis within the Tamil community of Canada is not due to the Sinhalese. I hope you would be aware of the several attacks by Tamils on Tamils that took place in Canada which resulted in death.
However I have observed Moderate Tamils like Sivarani, Pancharatnam and a few more coming out to comment against false LTTE propaganda spread on cbc.ca web site. It took some time for that to happen but it happened. You can read some of those views here https://membercentre.cbc.ca/ViewMember.aspx?u=9854319 and https://membercentre.cbc.ca/ViewMember.aspx?u=9933059. Expecting even these people to openly challenge the militant elements would be naive.
There is a difference in expressing solidarity with the country by waving a National flag and waving a flag of a terrorist organization. Not all those who waved the Sri Lankan flag in response to massive synchronized red flag protests were chauvinistic. Canadian revulsion of those Red flag protest was very visible.
I agree with your statment below with one proviso. There is no question of being allowed they already have an open invitation.
“It would be to the benefit of Sri Lanka if the Diaspora groups were engaged and allowed to contribute on issues ranging from governance to economic development.”
Engaging the moderates is the way forward but the difficulty is finding them as the fear psychosis still being maintained by the Chauvinistic elements prevents the moderates from coming forward.
How can it be overcome?
“tamil nationalism is a reactive phenomenon. singhalese chauvinism however is a self-perpetuating plague.”
Excellent analogy. With more power comes increased responsibility. It is time the majority community woke up to the fact.
Mr. Selvaratnam,
i agree but would only caution that SL needs good monetary policy before the foreign capital arrives in amounts that require annually escalating growth and rate of growth for the economy.
It’s also true that people have to start trying now if a way to leverage the Singhalese/Tamil/Muslim diaspora’s human capital in the furtherance of good governance in SL can be found and to determine whether its actually a moral method or Friedmanesque intervention. It fails the non-coercion test, for whatever that is worth, and i’m not certain that a diaspora-domestic partnership would remain equal over time.
The first few feet out of the trenches is convincing people like the first couple of commenters that you’re not what they think all tamils abroad to be. It may seem like a step backward from the case you make above but making it relies on the premise for civil discussion, the assumption of good faith on the part of your discussion partners, and I’m afraid that many of yours, like Dayan, see you like Dick Cheney and Roger Ailes see Muslims. That is, you are worthy of suspicion for your heritage and can be safely assumed as negotiating in bad faith as that’s what all Tamils do when confronted.
I’ve gone the rounds with the supposedly ‘moderate’ and ‘liberal’ voices in the SL blogosphere, or Lankanosphere per LLD, and most were, after much sharing, adamant that a ‘reasonable’ tamil voice, me inveighing against tiger-abettors, was simply the exception which proved the rule–that we’re all irrational terrorist clods who bumbled their way to prosperity overseas and now sit in AC-comfort with imperialist-western-anti-buddhist plans for SL.
I have seen some Sinhala folks questioning the bone fide of the Tamil Grievances. All Sinhala leaders, including JRJ and MR, since independence back in 1948, have acknowledged that the minorities, the Tamils in Particular, have genuine Grievances. There were genuine attempts made by certain leaders to redress this issue but only to have been beaten back by the Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinists. Hence, I comfortably conclude that those who question the Tamil Grievances can be classed as Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinists.
Nevertheless, one needs to analysis as to why the Tamils feel that they have been discriminated against and somewhat disenfranchised. If the country had perpetuated the 1948 constitution with English as the administrate language and giving emphasis to a Sri Lankan identity, no citizen, be he a Sinhala, a Tamil, a Burger, or a Muslim would not feel that there isn’t a level playing field for all. But the 1948 constitution was recklessly jettisoned by the Sinhala majority paying no attention to the protesting minorities. It was totally undemocratic and visionless. There have been other forms of the well documented discriminations against the Tamil speaking people that exacerbated the Tamil polity that eventually lost ground to the militants. The armed forces are made of 99% Sinhala; Government offices communicating/replying to the Tamil Speaking people in Sinhala; The Tamils regardless of wherever they live in Sri Lanka are subject to tough security harassments; Buddha statues are being erected by the SLA wherever they please without due permissions; to mention a few!
I quote Dr. N.M. Perera from the speech he made during the Language debate in 1955:
“If democracy is to treated as an arithmetical concept
that whateverhe majority decides must be accepted that if
the majority decides that the majority religion must prevail
it must be accepted merely because they have got
superiority in members, that is not democracy. Where you
have different religions, the sovereignty of the majority is
automatically checked by those inalienable rights that the
minorities have which cannot be overridden by the mere
whim and fancy of a majority. The test of a democratic
decision is the morality of the law. It is not merely a
counting of heads but whether in point of fact the minorities
are given full consideration of their points of view.
Democracy means an adjustment of different points of
view, it means giving full weight to the rights of minority
communities. That is what democracy means, it is not
merely a counting of heads.” (613)
“If you compel those people in the Northern and Eastern
provinces to accept Sinhalese only as the state language
and Tamil as a regional language, it will lead to so much
rioting, blood-shed and civil war.”
Certainly, Dr. N.M. was not wrong as we have seen it all! However, what we have not seen is the progressive change in attitudes of the peoples; if anything, the perceptions of nationalism have hardened. If all, regardless of race and religions, willingly accept that, Buddhism as superior and Sinhala as the administrate language, there will be no issues at all. On the other hand, why should the Tamil speaking people be forced to accept this scenario? Is this democratic? Is it fair on the Sinhala Buddhists to force this scenario on to the Tamil Speaking people? The answer is emphatically no! Anyone who values true democratic values would accommodate ethnicities through consensus not forcing such issues on them!
Now, why do the Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinists force the issue of prominence of Buddhism and Sinhala Only in Sri Lanka? It is because, they believe, through carefully manipulated History , that they are the true owners of Sri Lanka and all the others are migrated settlers? Without going too much into Sri Lankan history, the Sinhala Buddhist Chauvinists conveniently ignore the link between the Sinhala and Tamil languages and the last 1000 year history of Sri Lanka, but focus on Mahavamsa for authenticity; this is why they are confused!
A quote from, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implication for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka, Neil De Votta: From his executive summary:
“…….insist on expanding and perpetuating Sinhala Buddhist supremacy within a unitary state; creating laws, rules, and structures that institutionalize such supremacy; and attacking as enemies of the state those who disagree with this agenda”
The fact that these people are right or wrong in their assessment of their history does not explain their intransigence that they exhibit when it comes to obeying democracy and accommodating minorities with equality. This is to do with their sense of Insecurity; they are totally insecure to the extent that they believe that there is a conspiracy orchestrated by the Western Christian countries to destroy their Sinhala Buddhist nation! This is why they are anti NGO; they believe that NGOs are also part of that conspiracy! With this entrenched insecure mindset, they are incapable of building a multicultural nation and no Sinhala politician is willing to challenge this unfortunate misconception rather they use it to fan their political ambitions!
Under these circumstances, what should the Tamils do? Is territorial claim and self-determination important to Tamil security? Is it important that North and East should be merged together as a single region? If the Tamil language is available as a medium of administration for Tamils throughout the nation, would it suffice? These are the questions that the Tamils must ask themselves, but no answers will be forthcoming without someone challenging the Sinhala Buddhist Supremacy one way or the other; hence, any political structure that envisioned should enfranchise the minorities to the extent that the politicians will be compelled address minority concerns earnestly would be the way to go!
Dear burning issues, Sinhala Buddhists are here to stay and Tamils ought to learn to live with them, and vice versa. Now that the LTTE is defeated, Sinhala Buddhists will be a visible population in the Vanni, and the ‘Tamil heartland’ of Jaffna in increasing numbers. So will the Muslims, who were also chased away from the north of the country many years ago. Buddhist temples will be built in the north just like Hindu temples have been built in the south of the country. Mosques will be built in the north just as they have been built in the south of the country. Jaffna and the Vanni will become more multi-ethnic and multi-religious like the rest of Sri Lanka.
Don’t get me wrong, you can scream about the Sinhala Buddhists, and quote Neil Votta on how evil and cruel and nasty etc they are until the cows comes home, but the Sinhalese Buddhists form the vast majority of Sri Lanka’s population and Tamils will have to learn live with them, grudgingly or otherwise. If not, another Nanthikadal like situation will likely be the eventuality for the Tamil community. Look at the last three decades or so and you will see that it is the Tamils who have suffered terribly during the war. It is time for the Tamil community to end their politcs of hate against the Sinhala Buddhist community; it has got them nowhere at all.
Whether it is Mahinda Rajapakse or Sarath Fonseka or Vikramabahu Karunaratne they are all Sinhala Buddhists. If Tamils want their vote to count they will be voting for a Sinhala Buddhist presidential candidate. Bottomline: Tamils cannot escape dealing with Sinhala Buddhists, and they are not going to get anywhere by antagonising the Sinhala Buddhist community.
Tsunami aid ‘missing in action’
More than 500,000 people were displaced in Sri Lanka in 2004
Nearly 500 million USD provided by the foreign donors for tsunami reconstruction has gone missing, a corruption watchdog in Sri Lanka said.
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has accused the authorities of failing to explain to what happened to over 471 million USD out of 1075 million USD provided by the donors.
In a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the devastating Asian tsunami, the TISL said the donors have also failed to keep their word.
More than 2126 million USD has been pledged by the donors but only 1075 million USD has been disbursed, according to the watchdog.
Proper audit urged
“The difference between the disbursed and the expended has been a controversial issue that does not have a credible explanation. While some officials were reluctant to divulge the information, there were some responsible bodies, who implied that the funds have been utilized by the government for other purposes,” the statement said.
Tsunami aid (in USD)
Committed funds: 2,126,771,858
Disbursed funds: 1,075,375,348
Expended funds: 603,443,908
TISL (Based on 2007 data)
More than 40,000 people died there and some 500,000 were displaced in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.
The watchdog called on the authorities to conduct an audit into the funds granted for tsunami recovery and its disbursement.
“When the higher officials at Auditor General’s Department of Sri Lanka were contacted in December 2009, TISL was informed that there is no audit conducted on funds received for Tsunami Reconstruction process since the last audit by the former Auditor General in 2005,” it said.
The TISL says the figures are based from the Development Assistance Date Base (DAD) published in March 2007.
Kannan, thank you for this article. I hope it’s going to be one of many constructive dialogues to come between the Diaspora and Sri Lanka, which is much needed. Because the moderate segments of the Diaspora (Tamil, and even Sinhalese) have been forced into silence–drowned out, disgusted, and intimidated by the vocal extremes–there appears to be no obvious forum where we can engage in a conversation that can actually be productive or useful to those living in SL. Groundviews has been great for that, especially to hear differing viewpoints, which helps one feel that it is actually possible to have a sane conversation with some Sri Lankans (in all ethnic groups) about this topic/tragedy.
Nibras Bawa, I do share some of your fears about the second generation — you are right about them for the most part, I think. But maybe the older generation can provide some leadership that will pave the way for doing things differently in the future. And of course, there is always the question of the leadership in SL, Tamil leadership, how Tamils will be treated now by the state, corruption, etc. etc. A long and difficult path ahead, and difficult to predict.
I wonder if anyone knows of any academic studies/surveys that have tried to poll SL diaspora members? Just an idea for any of you academics in universities abroad, with money and graduate students to burn!
our good friend dhiraj…
“the Sinhalese Buddhists form the vast majority of Sri Lanka’s population and Tamils will have to learn live with them, grudgingly or otherwise. If not, another Nanthikadal like situation will likely be the eventuality for the Tamil community”
- is this how the singhalese practise politics and ‘accommodation’ with their minority neighbours in sri lanka. the last 60 years would appear to confirm dhiraj’s
he politely discusses the ‘multiculturalising’ of the tamil homelands/heartlands…sounds all well and good. all tamils however are fully aware what this ‘mixing’ entails, (people like him intend) that there will be no more tamil majority area in sri lanka and that tamils will be subsumed in the sinhala mass. end of tamils as a linguistic/cultural community, end of problem.
a cursory examination of the last 60 years of sri lankan society has shown what tamils will face in singhala majority areas – no security of life/property, no respect accorded to tamil language, religious, cultural or other ethnic markers. continual discrimination from both polity and people at every conceivable level (from the petty enlarging of the sinhala font, over and above those of english and tamil, on trilingual board signs throughout the country…to the more serious and equally long term implicit and explicit empowering of the singhalese and simultaenous disempowering of the tamils within the (sinhala)sri lankan state.)
tamils are fully aware of what the sri lankan state has in mind for the them. understand this, the tamil people will not submit, and they will not go away.
understand also that although the demographic leverage of the singhalese within the island will put the tamil community at a disadvantage to these state machinations, the tamils possess other strengths the singhalese do not, from their diaspora to (the ever richer and more powerful) neighbouring tamil nadu and by implication india. sri lanka cannot do without india, whether it likes it or not and tamil nadu will have a growing clout (in addition to its already considerable power) within the indian polity.
the duty is on chauvinists like dhiraj to put aside mahavamsa myths, and sinhala origin fixations (not more than a century ago, the recent heroes of the sri lankan govt.’s recent victory over the LTTE were mostly newly arrived lower caste fishermen from the south indian coasts, tamils and malayalees – unfortunately they have adopted something of the ‘zealous convert’ in their need to prove their newly found sinhala-ness.)
sri lanka will continue to rot as long as people like dhiraj remain in the ‘vocal’(?) majority amongst the singhalese.
DHIRAJ name 2 things the singhalese community have positively contributed to the world (or even sri lanka) over the last 60-70 years? now ask yourself why it is that a community with the cultural and historical richness of the singhalese, have contributed nothing but death and destruction to both tamils and singhalese (JVP uprisings) and are in such dire straights today. the answer, my friend, is you and your kind.
“tamil nationalism is a reactive phenomenon. singhalese chauvinism however is a self-perpetuating plague.”
i should like to correct what i stated earlier, tamil nationalism is indeed (and will remain) a reactive phenomenon. and singhalese chauvinism is indeed a plague, however, it is not ‘necessarily’ a self-perpetuating phenomenon, it doesnt have to be.
wickramabahu may be a sinhala buddhist but he is also a morally honest man and politician who does not entertain fantasies of domination and humiliation – as long as the singhalese possess people like him within their ranks…there remains hope for a peaceful sri lanka.
Dear Nibras Bawa
Engaging the disapora is a good idea, but practically impossible in my mind. I’ve met many tamil diaspora members whose children DO NOT speak tamil. So its got to be the first generation diaspora if at all…. Second generation wouldn’t bother.
That is an extract from your post of January 3, 2010 @ 10:03 pm
I too believe you are right. The first generation would be the key.
As far as the second generation is concerned what you state is exactly what is happening in Singapore. Classical Tamil is slowly dying over there and that is happening despite Tamil having the status of an Official Language in Singapore. Read the paper “Tongue tied in Singapore” available on the net.
Dear ranjan,
understand also that although the demographic leverage of the singhalese within the island will put the tamil community at a disadvantage to these state machinations, the tamils possess other strengths the singhalese do not, from their diaspora to (the ever richer and more powerful) neighbouring tamil nadu and by implication india. sri lanka cannot do without india, whether it likes it or not and tamil nadu will have a growing clout (in addition to its already considerable power) within the indian polity.
That’s an extract from your post.
Written like a TRUE Keyboard warrior (your words).
Gives meaning to the word Chauvinism.
This is the reason people like you sacrificed the Vanni Tamils and their Children to be shot in the back and having their Legs Chopped off by the LTTE (Ref interview with Anna Marie Loose of Medicines Sans Frontiers).
You were hoping for Tamil Nadu or Indian intervention to save Prabahkaran and to hell with the Vanni Tamils.
You grudgingly admit within parentheses that
(in 1983 there were many brave singhalese who hid tamils from singhalese mobs but the point is, the majority did not and were passive observers if not active participants in the pogrom)
Unquote
How can they be called passive observers when in the face of death to their own families many thousands of Sinhalese braved the wrath of armed gangs to save fellow human beings who by the way were Tamils?
So who do you think those selfless people were?
All except Sinhala Buddhists?
The power hungry Tamil intelligentsia trampled the rights of the Majority Sinhalese because you held the whip at pre independence in 1948. People like you tried to perpetuate it post independence after 1948 as the Govt service was packed with 60% Sri Lanka Tamils whose population was just 11%
The Govt was the largest employer at that time and those figures alone shows where the discrimination was.
60% of Govt jobs dominated by a 11% Tamil population and the Tamil CHOUVANISTS wanted that perpetuated. Some Govt Depts were nearly 100% Tamil dominated including the Peons jobs. This is why its a chicken and egg story.
You have taken a good lesson from your former British Masters. Divide and Rule. You failed in your Terror attempt as the Sinhalese and the Muslims were united.
The deep penetration unit of the Army was led by a Muslim that your prodigies the LTTE later killed. Thanks to the Cease Fire Agreement prostituted by the LTTE.
Now you are planning for the next stage and before that split up the Sinhalese and Muslims and others on what ever lines that you can think of.
Religion is a good place to start is it not?
“60% of Govt jobs dominated by a 11% Tamil population and the Tamil CHOUVANISTS wanted that perpetuated. Some Govt Depts were nearly 100% Tamil dominated including the Peons jobs. This is why its a chicken and egg story.”
Who really cares? The day that the Sinhala-Buddhist nationalists came to power and the quota’s were replaced, the country went to pieces. How many 10,000′s of Sinhalese village girls are now slaving away in the Middle East, while “Dr.” Mervyn, Champika, and the Rajapakse Robbers milk the country dry?
I would rather have a civil administration that was ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT TAMIL, if that ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT was COMPETENT.
Dear GV Readers,
I dont respond to certain person’s who employ ELASTIC yardsticks. Not because I cannot but because it would be a waste of time. http://www.groundviews.org/2009/11/25/the-transformation-of-buddhism-in-sri-lanka/#comment-12093
You can judge for yourselves how Elastic that yardstick becomes by reading the second link provided below and the ensuing discussion with this person regrading Sinhalese Mastery of Irrigation, Trigonometry, Surveying and leveling in 230 BC.
If you are interested in Egyptology you will also learn how the Pyramids of Egypt were built by using the “Pharaohs’ Pump”
http://www.groundviews.org/2009/11/05/deepavali-dilemma-reflections-from-the-diaspora/comment-page-5/#comment-10802
LOL. GV readers can judge for themselves the competency of Rajapakse, Mervyn Silva, Champika Ranawaka, etc. All they need to do is log on to this site and the pictures of Tissa/Lasantha will remind them how far Sinhala-Buddhism has progressed in 60 yrs. Case closed.
Let me just add: In British Ceylon, Lasantha and Tissa would be honored and respected. In the Sinhala-Buddhist hellhole called Sri Lanka, they simply have no place. What kind of sick demented society will put a man in jail for 20 yrs, just because of his pen?