Tamils done with – Sinhalese to be done with
“Then they came for me” an oft quoted poem by German pastor Niemoller, in stressing the need for timely political action in difficult political contexts does have sense today, in its abstract form. Yet what is NOT said is that, Martin Niemoller was a dumb anti Communist who helped Hitler to come to power in Germany. What is NOT said is, his anti Communism supplemented Hitler’s racist ideology in letting lose a holocaust that made his poem irrelevant in Hitler’s Germany.
So it seems for the Sinhala South, after they gleefully established this regime to wage war against Tamil separatism at the cost of human decency and democracy. The JVP is now writhing and wriggling, unable to cope with the battering it is receiving by the Rajapaksa regime, it aggressively helped establish, calling all those who foresaw this tragedy as “traitors” and “Tiger supporters”. The JVP thus helped this Rajapaksa regime in crushing any credible opposition to its warring agenda. Now thrown to the Opposition, the JVP is fast becoming an irrelevant “Niemoller” in every sense.
Stupidly short sighted, the UNP too did not feel comfortable in any way, in opposing human rights violations, abductions, arbitrary arrests and detentions, disappearances during the whole period of the war under Rajapaksa and extension of emergency rule, expecting the Sinhalese to vote them at elections. That stupidity not giving them any worthy recognition at elections, the UNP has now dragged itself into internal squabbles without any sense of what a political programme is, to find its way back to honourable politics. Completely restricting itself to the lobby of a parliament that has no social respect and no intellectual understanding of what this regime is, the UNP leadership, its politically illiterate rebels included, has thus left the Sinhala South in particular, with no sane political Opposition.
That in short, is what this Rajapaksa regime enjoys in rolling up democratic life in Sri Lanka. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution is now law and has pre determined, Rajapaksa would be the President after his second term too, at his own discretion. The argument of those JHU and “Left” sissies, that as long as people would vote, SL would have a popular President and the number of terms would not therefore matter, is simply crap in this country and worst after the 18th Amendment.
What was done in the past as violation of law in prostituting State media, forcible use of State resources and poking the electoral process, would henceforth be lawfully done, with provisions under the 18th Amendment. This new 18th Amendment allows the President to have his own hand picked team running the State as he wants and run elections under a trusted doll like Commissioner, a “Merv” handling the police and a “launderer” running the media. That would not let any outsider to see the inside of the presidential secretariat for even a day.
The bickering and blundering Southern Opposition – the UNP and the JVP – without any political understanding of the evolving scenario and with no political programme to offer to the people, is like a three legged pony running the Ascot. With such opposition politics, if Sri Lanka by 2016, would not have an Opposition candidate to contest, President Rajapaksa would even provide one, as in Islom Karimov’s Uzbekistan.
This life would not be that simple and entertaining as it sounds. While the 18th Amendment to the Constitution paved the way for an unwritten dynastic rule under the accepted Constitution of 1978 with a more muscled and teethed presidency, the Southern social psyche also plays a devastating role in accepting and fostering such rule. It is the Sinhala psyche that matters for now in this land of Gauthama Buddha. Tamils and Muslim minority in the East, are left almost decimated and alienated from the political process of this country. Its the Sinhala South that now provides legitimacy for this Constitution and the Rajapaksa regime, in all its deformed social interpretations.
That thus provides this Rajapaksa regime enough space to carry through its dynastic rule with an agenda that would allow them to be militaristic in running the State and its citizenry. By now the whole of Northern and Eastern provinces are run by the armed security forces. High Security Zones (HSZ) have become part of the agony there, but displacements due to such security measures, have never been taken seriously by any Opposition political party. Sampur is a recent example where over 1,600 families have been displaced for a security cum economic promotion zone. The Indians have walked in with a 520 MW Coal power plant, while no alternate solutions are there for the displaced. With the military brought in for such projects, the Opposition deems it fit to be silent, despite the agony of the people.
The whole North and East, that is 8 out of the 24 districts in the country, are under ex-servicemen, when they have to be under civil administration. Both provincial Governors are top officers, one an army Major General and the other, a Rear Admiral from the Navy. The Trincomalee District Secretary is also a Major General from the military. These are all top civil positions that have been given over to security officers, without any questioning from the Opposition or by the people.
Such is the plight of the Tamil and the Muslim people. They have been done with. Their Human Rights had been discarded long time ago. Their democratic life is decided by the security forces spread heavily across the provinces, administered by men who are also security officers, with the police too acting as an auxiliary force in security detailing. They are left with nothing “civil” in their life.
It is now the South and the Sinhala people that’s left to be taken care of. The armed forces are still on the roads. Security for politicians has not been relaxed. Militarisation of the society that was effectively done and without opposition, continues, though in a low key. Registration of all residents with the police that was said to be necessary for security reasons during the war and carried under emergency, is now done through the Police Ordinance, without a war.
Within such military overseeing of the South, “Urban Development” is under the Defence Ministry. All cities, suburbs and coastal areas are therefore now under the Defence Ministry. The Coast Conservation Department also listed under the Defence Ministry, completes the take over.
The story of removing Colombo pavement hawkers on the ruse of clearing illegal constructions and underworld activity was only a pilot project to test public sentiments over military interventions. If the objective was actually cleaning up, then there are large illegal constructions used for commercial purposes by big time businessmen and politically powerful men, that not only obstructs pavements, but also traffic on the roads. The purpose of bringing the security forces into play has nothing to do with such issues. It has nothing to do with underworld activities, either. Today the underworld has graduated from pavements to the corridors of political power. They wouldn’t live with petty incomes any more, from pavements.
The actual story is different and serious. The plan to relocate 66,000 from the city of Colombo and the latest decision to relocate “under served” settlements from Kirilapone as well, is clearly about “Prime Land” in the Colombo city and taking them over with least resistance. Its prime land worth possibly trillions of dollars and not rupees. Pilfering and looting in billions and trillions cannot be done as an elected, democratic government, responsible to the people.
The process of governance has to be therefore circumvented and hijacked from its formal traditions and practices. That is why the UDA was brought under the Defence Ministry. The Rajapaksas know quite well and they have had it tested in Colombo. With the war against the LTTE declared won, its the military and the armed forces that can help them run with least resistance, in the absence of real time development and in the presence of big time “commissions”. The Rajapaksas know, military teething for such rule has to be legally effected while the South believes in its “patriotism”.
That is also the reason to plan the abolition of the Colombo Municipal Council, after its 150 year plus existence and bring that under the Defence Ministry. That is also reason why the proposed Colombo Authority will not be an elected local government body. Administered under the Defence Ministry, Colombo could be turned into a virtual HSZ where political posters, banners, protests, pickets and processions will be taboo. Its rate payers would thus have to live as those in the Jaffna peninsula.
After all, Colombo is where all State power is clenched in the fist of Rajapaksa’s. They would not want political agitations in their seat of power. Political activities within the 3 main bridges, Dehiwala, Kirulapone and Grandpass, could therefore come under heavy restrictions by law, with the proposed Colombo Authority left under the Defence Ministry. What if this proposed Colombo Authority is also given over to an ex-serviceman, as the Northern and the Eastern Provinces are ?
For now they would sound too hypothetical and too exaggerated. That perhaps is how the South wish to dream about this very “patriotic” Rajapaksa regime. But for sure, this regime is gradually and seriously treading a militaristic path, through Constitutional and legal provisions. Where there is no provisions, they have proved, they could create provisions.
Where there is political opposition that could emerge as an alternative, they would see it is nipped in its embryonic life. This present Opposition is what it would love to have and tell the world, this is a democratic society. The seriousness is that, this certainly is a politico military process within a Constitutional framework that needs most urgently, a serious and intellectual Opposition. That is only IF the Sinhala South wish to avoid a Constitutionally legitimised, military rule with a smiling President in white sarong and banyan. Of course with his unique “kurahan” satakaya, as well.
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Very true. There is this possibility.
However, I have my doubts about the impact of these things.
HSZs
Most people are not affected by HSZs in their hometowns. They only face them in Colombo, Kotte and a few places and they have got used to it. These HSZs are nothing compared to what you get in the north and the east.
JVP
JVP has no real support in the provinces. So blocking JVP’s chances to get to power is not going to affect very many people anyway.
Colombo Municipal
The general concensus is that Colombo Municipal Council is “so corrupt that nothing happens”. Governance is at a such a low level that people actually don’t mind a change if they get better roads, lighting, garbage disposal, poster control, libraries, etc. More people come from outside to the Colombo City everyday than those who are residing in Colombo City. By changing the Colombo Municipal council, nothing happens to them. May be they will love it if “development” happens.
Human rights
Once again most people are not affected by human rights violations. This is the reality. That is why there is little support for the protection of human rights from the society. Most people feel their human rights are still intact. In fact they feel now its better because there are no bomb blasts, etc.
Read the Gulf News report on Trincomalee fishing. It says fishermen in the area are worse off now after the war than during the war. Fishermen from other areas now fish in Trincomalee seas without any fear using very aggressive techniques. While it affects some fishermen badly, other fishermen are happy. Consumers are certainly happy!
Therefore the bottomline is although there is a clear possibility of government’s rapid shift to more power will turn against people in the south, the examples Kusal gives are not going to affect the southerners very much. So they would not mind them. Some may even like them!
All is good as long as the people are happy. When things go bad, that’s when all the bad impacts are going to amplify.
As we saw during the war, this government manages its voters and potential voters very well at the expense of unwinnable voters. They seem to have come to know that some hearts and minds cannot be won no matter what. Or winning these hearts and minds is too expensive. Instead they shower benefits on winnable hearts and minds at the expense of unwinnable ones. I think we will see more of this. This may be called “majoritarianism”. Sadly this is the biggest drawback of democracy.
Now please don’t shoot the messenger or the bearer of bad news. This is the reality we must face if we are to do anything about it.
At least now some Sinhala scholars are seeing the real Rajapaksa’s nature. The saddest part is that the realization is coming after the damage is already done. Tamils have been destroyed, and the Sinhalese would be silenced if they oppose the rule of the Rajapaksas.
In Tamil there’s a saying, “No point in worshiping the sun god, when you’ve lost your eye sight”.
Kusal, you are at your best as usual. How many politicians we have in our system who can grasp this warning, this “1984″ syndrome groping on them systematically and for sure. They are reaping the “then and there Commissions” and are happy. When it comes for them, it will be too late.
The price of victory in eelam war 4 is now beginning to sink in. people will understand we all lost the war.
The process of undermining the ‘Soul’ of the ‘Soulbury’ constitution started soon after independence and has continued in its unrelenting path since. Two home-made constitutions and the present constitutional amendment process initiated by the government are only landmarks in a historical process to make mistakes and then hopefully learn from them. The ‘learning’ phase has to yet start and is probably a long way off. The trend to ‘Toy ‘ with constitution making and remaking are symptoms of an ‘Immature democracy”. Unless a significant proportion of the population begins to understand ‘democracy’ beyond the mechanics of voting, the meaning of constitutional rule and their inherent and inalienable rights, the on-going process will continue. Many more things have to go wrong in our public life, before this happens. I hope total anarchy and dictatorships are not in the menu in the coming decades.
I hope President Mahinda Rajapakse, has the wisdom to do what needs to be done, taking advantage of the ‘God-given’ opportunity that has been presented to him. Appointing a ‘ Constitutional Commission’ of ‘truly’ eminent persons, including those even non-nationals, to propose a new constitution and new vision for our nation, would be the way out of the vicious downward spiral. We need drastic surgery. Symptomatic treatment as is being attempted now, will only prolong the disease.
-Dr.Rajasingham Narendran-
TT, thanks for your very insightful comments.
My reading is, what you say is the result of allowing the Rajapaksas to dominate the total landscape of social thinking. Where the Opposition – UNP and the JVP – falls in line with the Rajapaksa agenda of appealing to the Sinhala sentiment on a “Sinhala patriotism” platform.
That does not challenge the R regime and that does not provide the society with alternate thinking. That, sort of pushes the society into a single track living.
In plain talk, it is like Rajapaksa playing chess all alone, moving both the “B & W” pawns as he wishes. The Opposition has to live on the mercy of the R regime. but live an all round “check-mate” life.
Thanks
Kusal
My God, the Drama!
Seriously, who cares. The vast majority of “moderate” Sinhalese quite enjoy the suffering of the northerners. For them, it is revenge for the misery LTTE brought on them. They have no consideration for what extremist Sinhalese did to Tamils. The minority of decent Sinhalese who are in politics will suffer unfortunately. But seriously, who cares for the rest. Let them rot in that hell.
It is very entertaining to see somebody talking about ‘Soul’ of the Soulbury constitution and God. These are mere words to catch the readers attension. One begins to wonder what these comment contained in it, any idea any advice any thing rather mere collection of words.God knows how these people cleverley havested the fruits hiding behind the same perpertartors . It is best to laeve these remote souls and and advisers and their ideas in the garbage. These vehicles were purchased by Rajapakse only to find that they cannot be sold, so they are allowed to rust in the yard now making these noises to get notised. These self procalimed mesiahs can easily bought for a helicopter ride or a stay in a hotel and a photo opertunity and you know what, they say people to people contact. Perhaps a headline or two in a second hand news paper. These people are now praying to God so that their paymaster Rajapakse gets some sanity and wisdom. They dont even have the moral talk about these. It is best to ignore them or leave them to deal with the animals. May be as Mervin did tie them to the trees if it is in the Temple trees they will sing the song of praise for their king R Pakse every day.
Thank you Kusal.
Fully agree with the need for a vibrant democracy. At the same time people are “development crazy” after 40 years of no real development. Rulers are capitalising that to their advantage. As you said the society is indeed following a single track living to overcome underdevelopment, poverty, neglect, etc. I see some similarities between this and their concentrated effort to end the war.
However, once these basic needs are fulfilled people will search for democracy. That’s when these moves will really come to bite.
However, a very dangerous trend is taking place which I call the “Singapore syndrome”. Development at the cost of human/democratic rights and liberties. As you know Singapore has a worse level of democracy than Sri Lanka. In fact Singaporeans lead a more or less mechanical life. If this continues, people will take it as norm that this level of development calls for this level of (reduced) democracy.
To cite an example, a large section of the people in the south fondly associate president premadasa with development. They relate it to the relative lack of democratic rights during his rule.
Government finding concensus between the majority aspirations and emerging geopolitical aspirations is another dangerous thing, from the democracy point of view. Once again it has the opposite reception from another quarter of Sri Lankans.
I hope Sri Lankans are aware of the price of “victory”/development/economic recovery but wish to remain descriptive than prescriptive of their choice. The choice is theirs. Hopefully it is an informed one.
Thanks again for reading my comment and taking the time to respond.
Dr.Rajasingham,
True. That leaves the 1931 D constitution to be the best. Actually there were no riots, wars, violence during its tenure of 16 years.
However, it was opposed by Ceylon Tamil leadership led by GG Ponnambalam. This is a remainder that even if President Rajapaksha comes up with the best Constitution it will be opposed by some, notably the Ceylon Tamil leadership.
Given the bad start with the 18th Amendment, I don’t think he will come up with the best constitution.
Sri Lankan interests and Tamil National interests are contradictory as both claim parts of the same tiny island. Coexistence as citizens of equal rights is the only way to lasting peace. However, most Tamil leaders have already rejected it. They still prefer the Tamil Nadu model which is hated by all others. It is also inconsistent with the successful defence strategy.
Hopefully Sri Lankan interests shall prevail over personal, political party and racial aspirations.
“Sri Lankan interests and Tamil National interests are contradictory as both claim parts of the same tiny island. Coexistence as citizens of equal rights is the only way to lasting peace. However, most Tamil leaders have already rejected it. They still prefer the Tamil Nadu model which is hated by all others. It is also inconsistent with the successful defence strategy.”
Yes, it seems that Tamils should always give in for the sake of coexistence, but never the Sinhalese. One point I agree with is that it is a small island and everyone should coexist. But the Sinhala idea of coexistence is one where Tamils should agree to all Sinhala demands and there is no constitutional protection for minorities because it is not needed since everyone can co-exist under the Buddhist hegemony.
It seems Sinhalese will never want to have a constitution that allows for living in EQUAL RIGHTS. Because equality implies that Buddhism will no longer be given the foremost in Lanka. Oh is it only Tamils should give up their demand and never the Sinhalese.
“Sri Lankan interests and Tamil National interests are contradictory”
You said Sri Lankan interest, perhaps you meant SInhala interest. But then again, SL strategy has always been to exclude any Tamil identity in Lanka.
By the way BEST implies that both ethnic group who are party to the war will be happy. Tamil leadership hasn’t in general opposed constitutional amendments for the sake of it. Whereas Sinhalese opposition leaders have opposed constitutional amendments even when it has been good. So it would be wrong and racist for you to say “This is a remainder that even if President Rajapaksha comes up with the best Constitution it will be opposed by some, notably the Ceylon Tamil leadership.”
I think there has been many more examples of Sinhala opposition rejecting constitutional amendments. Further, BEST implies it should be good to all ethnic groups and hence the prominent leadership in each ethnic group will not reject it. Of course, BEST to you may only mean for the Sinhalese.
Kusal seems to have woken up from from a scary nightmare and trying to scare us by giving the details. As TT said some good has to come from these changes. Colombo city for example is nobody’s baby, some thing has to be done about it. It would have helped if Kusal identified the illegal constructions by big commercial businesses. why drag Gauthama Buddha in to all this?
If only the bottomline is that people should stop talking about any religious philosophy but only live their chosen philosophy …..
What happened to Dr. Dayan Jayatilaka? He was a strong supporter of Rajapaksa during the Eelam war. What has he got to say about the future of SL?
Check back early Wednesday morning (SL time) for an exclusive article from Dayan.
Thank you T.T.
We need a new constitution to replace the existing one. Tinkering with the existing constitution, with what ever motive- selfish or altruistic- would not give us the framework to build a united, progressive and prosperous nation. JR’s constitution has to be totally discarded.
Making a new constitution, should not be the task of politicians alone. It should involve the best minds available. A constitution commission, would be the only instrument through which an acceptable and desirable constitution can be evolved.
The national fissure based on communal and ethnic lines has yet not healed, despite the defeat of the LTTE. The ‘Kotiya’ taunts directed at Sumanthiran (MP) during the parliamentary debate on the 18th amendment, was a symptom of this. There seems to be a thirst for Kotiya’s, even of the whimpering type, to provide the Sinhala polity a common purpose or a unifying objective! Sadly, Tigers have become an extinct species, unless someone provides the conditions for some genetic re-engineering!
New fissures, based on party lines, likely to become unbridgeable with time, are becoming blatantly visible, in the majority Sinhala polity. In the absence of a common enemy in the form of Tamil militancy/ LTTE, the Sinhala polity appears to be turning upon itself. The division between the politically conscious and the vast majority who have to think more of their daily bread, seems to be evolving on class-lines. This does not bode well for our nation, although it may benefit a few for short-term political gain. I hope wisdom prevails and preventive measures are taken to arrest this dangerous trend.!
-Dr.Rajasingham Narendran-
NAK said:
As TT said some good has to come from these changes. Colombo city for example is nobody’s baby, some thing has to be done about it.
I’m pretty sure NAK has misunderstood what TT meant; I’m pretty certain TT didn’t mean that. If I’ve understood correctly:
* TT is NOT happy about any “development” that may come at the PRICE of other more important things being set aside; and ,
* TT probably also foresees similar nightmarish possibilities for this country’s future, as does Kusal. I certainly don’t think it’s just a bad dream.
@TT,
I particularly say “Aye”, loudly, to your observations about “Development crazy” and “Singapore Syndrome”. I would go further to suggest that for a long time (and worsening now) in Sri Lanka there’s been a wrong priority given to “development” as a yardstick of measuring success; too much priority is given to “development” and other economic issues, rather than to several more important things.
It is not just the war victory matters. We need a strong leader with no interference from anyone. The first term of MR was spent on defeating the Tamils. Now he has to develop the country. The years in second term will not be enough. So the 18th amendment is necessary. If not the MR who is the alternative Ranil – the man gave Eelam to Tamils? Or SF – the person whose sole aim is to get revenge?
MR may have got his brothers in the govt. Even in UK two brothers are in Labour party. Why ? they are talented. Who else can MR trust? He could not even trust his ex-general. Let’s face it. MR brothers are lot better than Gandhi family, Karunaniti family and Bhutto family. They deliver the results.
Dr Rajasingham,
Thank you for your comment.
To be fair and factual, apart from a few petty instances and “dumb” behaviour, the Sinhalese polity has moved away from racism, but not Tamil. Since 1947 Tamil politics of the North (and later in the east) has been dominated by race politics. There cannot be bigger racism than calling one’s ideology Tamil Congress, Tamil Kachchi, Tamil Front, Tamil Tigers and Tamil Alliance. Still Tamil Alliance wins 14 seats. This is the height of communal politics. In comparison Sinhalese and Muslims have moved away from communal politics. Upcountry Tamils never did it.
The best we can do is to accept this and work to change it.
To make matters worse, all they are interested in are Tamil grievances, Tamil homelands, Tamil aspirations, etc. It must change as in developed democracies.
Point number three is all these race parties are mono-ethnic, Tamil only. Now that is a very bad example. If these are the leaders who represent the majority in the north and the minority in the east, we cannot expect them to even consider the Sinhalese and Muslims in their thinking, let alone national interests.
This must change. UNP and UPFA on the other hand are secular and there is no race ideology in them. At least they have the decency not to display it so prominantly.
Coexistence with equal rights is the only way forward. By equal rights I mean equal individual rights. No country recognizes equal community rights for uneqaul communities.
Also we should change certain terms that arouse hatred and disgust towards one another. Colonization is one such inappropriate word. We know for a fact that people will be settled in the north and the east and not everyone will be Tamils. That is OK. It may change the demographics and it is still OK. If we choose to resist it, confrontations are inevitable. Mass internal migration has completely changed the demographics in Colombo and no one cares which is the right thing to do.
I too pray for reason to prevail despite seeing all signs to the contrary the way they started the process. If well begun is half done, certainly this government is not going anywhere.
I agree that civil organisations and individuals must be included in constitution making. People must push for it. The catch is the constitution must still represent ground views. If it is detached from ground views, it is not going to work.
Jokovich,
“It seems Sinhalese will never want to have a constitution that allows for living in EQUAL RIGHTS. Because equality implies that Buddhism will no longer be given the foremost in Lanka. Oh is it only Tamils should give up their demand and never the Sinhalese.”
A particular religion being given a foremost place does not hinder equal rights. It happens in many model democracies too, directly and indirectly. In most developed democracies only Christian festivals are public holidays for instance. But that doesn’t stop them being model democracies.
Tamils should not give up any demand for equal individual rights, nor should the Muslims, Sinhalese, Veddas, Moors, Chettis, etc., etc.
But if you are talking about equal community rights for uneqaul communities, that is a non-starter. No country does that. Even the Brits rejected GG Ponnambalam’s 50-50 demand.
With development the north and the east are going to be multiethnic so there is little sense in race based solutions. Look at it in the reverse. More than 50% Tamils live outside the north and east. They too need a solution. Coexistence is the only workable solution for future. Tamils have done well to coexist in London, Toronto, Sydney, Paris, etc.
On the other hand Tamil Nadu is not a very good example because very little ethnic integration has happened in Tamil Nadu.
Frankly, the discourse, however valid and well suported, will matter little if the root and branches, alliteratively the people at large in whom and by whom governments are voted into power are insulated from such discussions. For any worthwhile changes to take place politics has to be more widely spread and discoursed across the population. Unfortunately what has obtained generally is politics built around language and religion and not based on other worthwhile political, social and economic issues. For that matter, an even more fundamental subject like civics which.used to be taught in earlier years to SSC level students seems dead. Is it any wonder that in an era where politics has got warped basic value systems of distinguishing between right and wrong have gone by the board? When thousands of fellow citizens get massacred or their fundamental right to security of life, limb and property are brazenly transgressed by none other than the STATE there is general indolence, or even worse, cheer leaders led by politicians. The state led the way after independence and non-state actors followed suit to make the situation far worse.
The present siituation which gives untrammelled power to the state headed by a President propped up by fatalistic sentiments of victory over the LTTE is unlilkely to be the right political choice of governance for the future. Rather it is all too suggestive of emerging absolute power corrupting absolutely especially as the checks and balances have ALL been abandoned. Whimsical rule is surely emerging as illustrated by the wanton abandonment of civil, political and human rights, and worst of all, the rule of law. If the Emergency Regulations over the past 35 years are anything to go by all citizens face the stark choice of a very rough ride. And there will be no civil remedy. That is the stuff that revolutions are made of. Or will the government have to run to India again or possibly to China too to quell such revolt? How tragic.
“A particular religion being given a foremost place does not hinder equal rights. It happens in many model democracies too, directly and indirectly. In most developed democracies only Christian festivals are public holidays for instance. But that doesn’t stop them being model democracies.”
Well said. From the UK to the USA it is Christianity that is given foremost place, and only Christian holy days are officially celebrated, but that doesn’t stop them from being held up as model democracies. Infact, there is no western democracy that does not give pride of place to Christianity, if not constitutionally, through official functions, public holidays etc.
TT you picking on Dr Rajasingham and anything that has preface of Tamil shows your ignorance or sinister way of thinking, although you write well.
First, there has been several Tamil participants/MPs/Ministers in the two dominant parties. Aren’t they all Tamils? Have you forgotten them. The same way Sinhalese has JHU why shouldn’t Tamils.
Secondly, when Sri Lanka means Sinhala (Official Religion, Language, importantly the practice of state), then any non-Sinhalese can not operate under Sri Lanka or National preface.
Who cares about Human Right, until you are a victim. Are you buddy with Rajapaksas so you have no worries?
“A particular religion being given a foremost place does not hinder equal rights.”
Why don’t we make Hinduism or Islam as the foremost religion? It should not affect the Buddhism.
Any takers?
T.T,
Thanks for your comments. I feel the blame should be shared by both the Sinhala and Tamil leaderships in the Pre- and post- independence periods. The people were largely the victims of political manipulation and idiocy. The vested iterests in both communities/ ethnic groups played dirty during these periods. The Tamil militancy was the ‘unclaimed child’ of this unholy alliance.
The goal was not to build a united, progressive and democratic Ceylon/ Sri Lanka, but to garner votes and gain power. There was no principled politics. The cycles of action and reaction brought inter-communal relationships to their lowest point. The ‘State’ that should have been well above gutter politics, was also mired in it. This is where we have failed as a nation.
I agree with you that the Tamils and Muslims should join the national mainstream. However, the so-called national parties should take the first steps towards winning their confidence. How can chants of ‘Kotiya’ from the ranks of members of parliament on the government side, inspire such confidence? The quality of the men we elect to parliament, does not give me confidence. Further, the type and quality of Tamils the government is reaching out to, exercise power in the north and east, does not indicate, we are moving in the right direction. Jathika hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Janatha Vimulthi Permuna (JVP) should shed their partisan Sinhala image and embrace an ‘All community’ identity, even if it requires name changes.
The traditional parties and ex-militant movements with the ‘Tamil or Eelam’ labels are gasping for breath and if not for being provided oxygen by the government, would be history soon. There is no doubt in my mind the onus is on the Sinhala polity and the national political parties to extend a hand of sincere friendship to the minorities. I am sure this would be grasped with alacrity by the majority among the minorities. Minorities as a whole are sick and tired of divisive and vindictive politics, because they have been its principal victims and have paid a disproportionate price.
-Dr.Rajasingham Narendran-
@Achala Haputanthri
You are really quite funny. The vast majority of you are, and have been so for 62 years! Since 1983, every Full Moon day was celebrated by trying to bomb the people in the north and east into the stone-age. But on those very same days the slaughter of animals to be sold as food was prohibited while liquor bars and film halls were closed and no entertainment programmes were shown on tv! This is how you people celebrated public holidays and you point the finger at the USA and England! They are both secular states just like India is, which means that there is no state sponsorship of any religion! You all are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites!
The war is over but the Sinhala Mobs are still attacking Tamils, burning, looting their homes
100 Tamil upcountry families have fled from their homes from Thelahukalaha village in Nivithigala electorate in Ratnapura district seeking refuge elsewhere since Saturday .
Some houses of Tamils were burnt down and several houses were looted by gangs led by Sinhala chauvinist elements.
I like what’s happening in Sri Lanka now. We have been completely screwed up in the past by this stupid party systems we have. All Governments in the past did nothing but swindle money in many ways. What developments have taken place in Sri Lanka since we acquired Independence ? Nothing! At least now we see roads, railroads, and bridges been built and many other developments taking place all over the country. The biggest jackpot Tamils are enjoying now is the eradication of LTTE. Now the Tamils in Sri Lanka are enjoying so called both worlds, North and the South of Sri Lanka. The Chess game the Government playing right now is the best game we have ever witnessed. JR started it and MR is implementing the Ex. Presidency powers to the letter. Nothing wrong. Passing the 18th Amendment will bring our country to the level of Singapore. Just like many Asian developed country leaders started, lets develop this country first and get into the party politics again if the country wishes. Let’s get the correct people to do what they do best and develop our country first. Enough is enough. MR promised to eradicate LTTE and he did it. He placed the correct people to handle the job. We cannot doubt their future because the last 5 years they have turned the country around. The negative talkers will be there any ways… Who cares? The people voted and the country is moving forward. More UNP hard runners will join the Government in the future!! When moving forward, the leaders need to play the Chess game right. If the leaders fall, then the country falls. Political party system have ruined our country for more than half a century.
Sohan,
Agree with your comment @September 14, 2010 @ 10:19 pm.
Unfortunately, 18th Amendment makes it worse by taking away checks and balances already in place to monitor the plunder of state resources during elections.
Mani,
JHU and Sinhala Urumaya are racist parties as much as Tamil Congress, Tamil Arasu kachchi, Tamil United Liberation front, Tamil national alliance, Tamil Elam liberation Organisation, people’s liberation organisation of Tamil Elam, etc.
Agree.
However, Sinhala urumaya won just 1 seat in 1 election for 1 year in parliament.
JHU won 9 seats for just 1 term in parliament.
But Tamil Congress, Tamil Arasu kachchi, Tamil United Liberation front, Tamil national alliance, Tamil Elam liberation Organisation, people’s liberation organisation of Tamil Elam, etc. have won all elections (1947, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1977, 1989, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2010) even before Ceylon gain independance and even now they have 14 seats. When JHU won 9 seats TNA won 22 seats.
So you can see both groups are to be blamed for racist politics but Tamil racist politics share bulk of the blame. Now JHU is now more. MPs of JHU come from other parties by shedding their racist party identity but ITAK, TULF, TNA still continues.
Dr Rajasingha,
Point #1
Those who screamed “kodiya” should be ashamed of themselves. However, that didn’t stop one Tamil national alliance MP to crossover!
Point #2
The danger actually goes much deeper. Tamil Congress, Tamil Kachchi, Tamil Front, Tamil Alliance, Tamil Tigers, etc. only talk about Tamil grievances, Tamil homelands, Tamil aspirations, Tamil right of self determination, Tamil nationality, etc. So it is not just their political ideology but also the entire gammut of their concerns revolve around “Tamil”. Of course they are Tamil-only in composition too!
This distances these parties from others, naturally.
Point #3
Today Tamils need a political solution more than anyone else. The “winners” can have their way anyway and they are not interested in a political solution as much as the Tamils are. In this context it is imperative that those parties shed their racial everything (identity, party name, demands, concerns) and work for a solution.
We can argue who should first compromise and nothing good will happen. But in the meantime things will happen naturally that are not in the best interests of Tamils because there is no political solution. In fact delay (emphasised) is one big strategy used to avoid giving a political solution. How long did that APRC supposedly worked for a political solution? And it came up with nothing! We are playing in to it if we continue to argue who should bend first.
I agree with DBSJ that we Tamils must compromise first otherwise no starting point. They can delay as they have nothing to lose; absolutely nothing to lose; and would love this tug of war which can be used a good excuse to further delay and ultimately bust the political solution as happened always.
Point #4
Whenever political solutions were offered (I know they were inadequate), Tamil leaders threw the baby with the bath water. District Councils, provincial councils, package, etc. Had Tamil leaders accepted these, we should have a better foundation to work on for higher things. Tamil leaders dug their own grave.
Point #5
While Sinhalese allow Tamils to live in millions in Colombo Tamils have not been so accomodative. When Sinhalese settle down in the north and the east it is called “colonization” but when Tamils settle down in Colombo it is not called “colonization”. State sponsorship is not material. Whatever the method of sponsorship, the end result is the same – diversity and coexistence which is the solution to this problem.
If I were a Sinhalese living in Jaffna, I would be forced to run away with my family immediately following the Vadukoddai Resolution (1976). In fact 20,000+ Sinhalas in Jaffna in 1971 fell down to 4,000 in 1981. It was before the war! They were eveicted by ultra racist politics and the Vadukoddai Resolution. Their numbers are now at zero which is technically genocide. Mulaitivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Batticaloa districts are the same.
So I find 5 ways how Tamils were/are more responsible for the predicament (interestingly it affects Tamils most) than others.
My point is at least now we should reach out first. If our “maanam” holds us back, we will soon lose it anyway.
Mani,
Excuse my spelling in the previous post.
T.T,
Ditto. I agree. Re: Colonization: Tamils were allocated land in the Welawaya colonization scheme in the 1950′s. The fact that ‘Jaffna’ Tamils were reluctant to move into the Vanni and east, as colonizers, despite several opportunities to do so, should also be noted.
Unfortunately, the MP who crossed over from the TNA was a Sinhalese. The experiment by the TNA to induct a Sinhalese into the party, stands sabotaged!
The political culture in Sri Lanka must change now. It has to start at the top and be buttressed by a ‘profound’ constitution. The rot started at the top and the correction should also start at the top. President Mahinda Rajapakse is a very clever politician- probably the best we had. He is a master at the art. However, he should not cross the line between being a clever politician and a Machiavellian manipulator. JR was more of the latter and is reviled today. The fruits of his evil labours are being tasted over the past thirty odd years!
The ordinary citizens- Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and others- are the best any nation could have. However, they have been unfortunate in the type of politicians they had/have. We are a trusting and believing people, who look up to our leaders. We are unable to look at our leaders in essence as our ‘Paid servants’. This has been our weak point. We were not ready for ‘True Democracy’ and ‘Universal franchise’ at the time we gained independence. This unpreparedness has made as easy victims of political sharks.
-Dr.Rajasingham Narendran-
Dr Rajasingham,
That’s another way to look at it.
Indeed opportunistic politics wreck havoc.
The only thing I don’t agree (partly) is that Ceylonese were not ready for democracy in 1948. Democracy was there for 17 years. That’s good enough rehersal for a complete takeover. Also Ceylon had a parliament in 1947 which had one year to get accustomed to running a country. They took controls in 1948.
OK, our leaders first took law on to their hands, plunddered foreign reserves, nationalised profit making entities, went with the flow with attempting to correct it, etc., etc.
The only good of it was Sri Lanka avoided becoming a communist country. With wide spread poverty, huge pressure from and economic dependancy on Russia, China, India, there were plenty of reasons to turn to communism. Actually communist parties were the second most powerful lot in 1947. Populist politics busted the communists. Had the communists taken over one way or the other, this country would be in a worse predicament.
To take the other side of your argument (with which I agree), Ceylon put the cart before the horse. Economic realities must decide the level of democracy. Sri Lanka had a first class democracy but not a matching economy in 1947. To a limited extent what happens now (18th Amendment, JRJ, etc.) is a compromise between unaffordable level of democracy and economic development.
Bottomline – Ceylonese were ready for democracy as a governance structure but the level of democracy was luxurious in 1947 for the very poor state the nation was in.
Thank you for sharing your views.
” They are both secular states just like India is, which means that there is no state sponsorship of any religion!”
Sure there is. The head of state in the UK has to be an Anglican Christian. In other words, not only non-Christians cannot be head of state, but even non-Anglican Christians can’t be head of state. Is that secular? In the USA only Christmas gets state backing and money bills carry the slogan “In God We Trust.” The Pledge of Allegiance has the words “One nation under God.” Is that secular to you?
According to a particular theory, the word India is derived from Hindia or Hindu or Hindustan. That is hardly secular. But India like Sri Lanka is a secular nation.
Ermm TT, even though the name might be derived from the same roots as ‘Hindu’, India’s Constitution defines it as a secular state, and the current Prime Minister is a Sikh, the President of the ruling party born a Catholic, and the previous President a Muslim… They do not have to be Hindus! Of course, India also has a long way to go in being truly secular as far as the general population goes but at least it is enshrined as such in the Constitution, unlike in Sri Lanka!
President Mahinda Rajapakse is a very clever politician- probably the best we had.
What has he actually accomplished? Tamils were actually better off during the CFA (Ranil W) than post-war. The Sinhalese are simply being robbed. Even if Rajapakse had not finished off the LTTE, the latter would have self-extinguished in another 20-30 years after (or before) the demise of Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran with his 80′s mindset was taking the organization on a downwards slope. The Karuna fiasco, engineered by Ranil, was really the nail in the coffin for the LTTE.
Hey so the country didn’t come to an end after the 18th amendment, nothing changed, and we are all still here.
So what’s next scaremongers?
Idealist,
Yes; as longs as Hindutva, Siva Sena and certain BJP factions are out. Otherwise it is too just name sake.
“Even if Rajapakse had not finished off the LTTE, the latter would have self-extinguished in another 20-30 years after (or before) the demise of Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran with his 80′s mindset was taking the organization on a downwards slope. The Karuna fiasco, engineered by Ranil, was really the nail in the coffin for the LTTE.”
Heshan, 20-30 years of more war for a default ending? No thank you! You must not know the horrors of war just to casually say things like “well regardless, the LTTE would have self destructed in another 20-30 years..” Good gosh, can you imagine further damage & carnage it would have done? A war finished 20-30 years earlier is a big freaking deal!!!
Do you really think, had the government just sat there and waited for the new world orders to make the LTTE irrelevant it would have worked out? Absolutely not! In fact we’d be fighting a border war right this moment if not in the near future, had we sat on our asses. This protracted bloody war thought us one and only one thing. How we can never afford to let our guard down… ever again.
I find it utterly hilarious that some of the international community wants to see a picture perfect peace in the country, after 30 odd years of war, pretty much the next day after the guns are silenced. When they’re still fighting insurgents in their wars years after calling the mission is accomplished. When they’re calling combat operations over when, 50,000 odd troops are still in the firing line. Yet oh no.. “why should SLA have troops in the North when the war is over?..” Rubbish things to say no? When they can’t even hold stable elections in Afghanistan/Iraq as seen just recently. I thought they deliver the best brand of democracy! Since you know, they have the original recipe. Not even half the people would come out to taste it…at the elections. So they’re experiencing all these troubles in their conflicts, yet they wanna turn around and expect from Sri Lanka a picture perfect peace, and a diamond of a democracy only fitting for the founding fathers of a certain free country the day after a bloody generation old war is finally finished. Oh and minus the billions of US$ that we don’t have!! I can tell one thing though, that is we did hell of a better job actually wining against an adversary!
Despite various incidents working against the LTTE, have no doubt, that it was the Sri Lankan armed forces that delivered the death knell to the LTTE. Under the strategic directive of the current administration and support of regional allies. Yes SL actually worked with our regional allies effectively, when US can’t even trust their coalition partner in the region – Pakistan! Ha! You can simplify the current administration’s role all you want, us the people on the ground, we know how things were done and what made the difference! Yes Petraeus can throw away that ineffective COIN manual and sit down for a lesson or 2 with SF, now that he has all the time to teach someone. lol
This administration went after the LTTE with a resolve I have never seen before under any leadership. Under immense pressure from the LTTE, its supporters and international hypocrites who were fighting their own (illegal) wars and bullying others. Steadfastly the SLA was supported all the way to victory. The average person on the streets know this very well and hence the unwavering support to the current administration.
The more you undermine this fact, more you deny reality and fool your self. Ranil is one such person… haha look at him now…
Achala, My question is, is even the US a secular nation? To my great dismay they have taken on the Muslim faith now within their own country in a very ugly way. Sure they have the “right to practice any religion freely” on a nice piece of paper called the constitution. But it seems to be a very hard thing to do, when there are hordes of people opposing your right to build a place of worship!
Weak little Obama is all talk, back flipped within 48 hours after boldly saying people have all the right to practice their religion freely, adding a foot note saying – however it is probably an unwise thing to do.. in certain circumstances. Bravo! I do feel sorry for this increasingly marginalised minority in the US now. Why is the president so afraid to put their rights at the forefront and defend them more rigorously? In a time when they need all the support to feel safe in their own country, these minorities are being let down.
On another point, the pope is on a state visit to the UK at the moment (a person who covered up abuses been done to their own citizens), do ALL other religious figure heads get the same treatment? Yes I expected that answer – a giggle..
Observer:
” Achala, My question is, is even the US a secular nation? To my great dismay they have taken on the Muslim faith now within their own country in a very ugly way. Sure they have the “right to practice any religion freely” on a nice piece of paper called the constitution. But it seems to be a very hard thing to do, when there are hordes of people opposing your right to build a place of worship!
Weak little Obama is all talk, back flipped within 48 hours after boldly saying people have all the right to practice their religion freely, adding a foot note saying – however it is probably an unwise thing to do.. in certain circumstances. Bravo! I do feel sorry for this increasingly marginalised minority in the US now. Why is the president so afraid to put their rights at the forefront and defend them more rigorously? In a time when they need all the support to feel safe in their own country, these minorities are being let down..”
The backlash against the mosque has not so much to do with Islam itself but with the fact that the Twin towers were blown up by crazy Islamists. There are loads of mosques in New york City, why build one so close to the former twin towers? The debate over the mosque, I would argue, is NOT so much over freedom of religion or freedom of speech or any other rhetoric the media throws out, rather, it is over whether building the mosque so near to the twin towers is even a nice thing to do. Most Americans feel the mosque should not be built so near the site of 9/11 for the same reason most Americans are against the Koran burning–it is just not a considerate/kind thing to do.
War would not have ended in 20-30 years. Absurd logic! VP groomed the next level of tigers who were much more ruthless, educated and politically savvy than the first generation. By now LTTE has a well developed international arm. In another 20-30 years that would be even more powerful, if the LTTE survived for so long. Given the garage beginning of the LTTE 28 years ago and where it was in 2005, in another 30 years it would be unthinkably big, had the LTTE survived.
The war “victory” is quite and achievement. But it is not enough.
The backlash against the mosque has not so much to do with Islam itself but with the fact that the Twin towers were blown up by crazy Islamists.
Exactly, Huh. What Observer fails to point out is that no Muslims have yet been killed for trying to build the mosque, no men in orange (men in white?) are leading Wimal W-like protests outside the mosque, no white vans are abducting Muslims in the middle of the night…. looks like Observer is fishing in an empty pond (as usual!)
Huh, what the hell? How in the world is it inconsiderate? These are American citizens. They did not attack America! A fringe extremist group did. The place has been there for decades before 9/11. It’s private property! America is a country where people can bear arms to defend their private property and family is it not? So it’s just “these” people don’t have a right? Get outa here!
It is freedom of religion directly under attack here! What about the American Muslims that died in 9/11? Shouldn’t their loved ones be able to worship near where they perished?
Apply the same logic to this scenario. Dalada Maligawa was bombed by LTTE, which would have the obvious association of Tamils & Hindus. So would it be right for majority of Sri Lankans to feel that a Hindu kovil should not be anywhere near the Dalada Maligawa? Heck what about Colombo CBD and various other bomb sites where Sri Lankans have died? I’d day it is an absurd and racist expectation!
Here is more logic!! Catholic church has covered up entrenched child abuse for god knows centuries! Is it not the god damn considerate thing to do then to demolish all the churches in the near visinity of all schools and move them away????? But you’d say the minority preiests who commited these crimes don’t speak for the rest and it is not necessary. I rest my case thank you very much huh!
So c’mon America, stand up for what your founding fathers fought for instead of backing down like cowards and making weak excuses – yes you can Mr. Obama!
Observer:
You are forgetting that the LTTE did not bomb Dalada Maligawa in the name of Hinduism, unlike the twin towers, which were bombed in the name of the Islam. And btw, Americans who are against the mosque have the right to protest AGAINST the mosque–that is THEIR freedom of speech!!! Nobody has demolished the mosque yet–it hasn’t even been established yet. And like I said, there are already many mosques/islamic centers spread out throughout the ENTIRE city of new york–so what that shows is that obviously that most people against the mosque are NOT racist, since there are already mosques/islamic centers, but they are against it BEING BUILT SO CLOSE TO THE FORMER TWIN TOWERS! I don’t understand why people are so blind to think that most Americans are being overly-religious/insensitive.
Why should I be forced to speak your language,
Follow your culture and adhere to your religion,
When I have a language, a culture and a religion of my own?
Is it because there are more of you and less of me,
That you try to force me?
With your funny rules and silly laws!
For sixty years you had your way,
But now I think I’ll have my say!
Your thoughts are not my thoughts,
Neither are your ways my ways.
There might be more of you and less of me,
But I’ll always fight for my right to be free!
The full moon day might be ‘holy’ to you,
But to me its just another holiday!
Like a Saturday or Sunday, a day to relax!
With fried beef for a bite and a beer on the side!
I may be not be perfect, but I’m no hypocrite!
I eat all kinds of meat and my favourite is beef.
You say you’re a vegetarian, but gorge yourself on fish!
Isn’t ice cream, cake and wattalappan made out of eggs?
You say alcohol is bad, that’s your point of view.
I enjoy a drink or two, doctors agree with me too.
Once a man from Nazareth turned water into wine.
Now people the world over drink wine while they dine.
On the full moon, a man kills a bull for food.
He is fined fifty thousand and sentenced to jail.
A MIG bombs the rebels that very same day.
Body parts strewn allover, can’t be used for food.
The pilot gets a medal, he doesn’t go to jail.
Hypocrites like you should rot in hell!
Why? I ask why? Can’t you leave me alone?
Let me live according to my culture,
And you according to your own!
If you’re a vegetarian, that’s fine by me,
Let me eat my fried pork, roast chicken and beef!
Bulls, pigs and chickens or the fish in the sea!
Nothing lives forever including you and me!
So lets eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die,
You sip your ‘Kola Kenda’ and I’ll gulp down my beer!
TT,
War would not have ended in 20-30 years. Absurd logic! VP groomed the next level of tigers who were much more ruthless, educated and politically savvy than the first generation.
You are missing my point. I said that VP had an 80s mindset… he could not understand how the fate of the Tigers was essentially sealed after Sept 11, 2001. That in fact, no country would come to the rescue of the LTTE. VP did not understand that Sonia Gandhi’s India would not come to his rescue – e.g. no paripu drop or IPKF resolution. VP didn’t really understand what the loss of the East (Karuna defection) meant. He probably thought the Tigers could actually regain the East. If VP had comprehended all of these things, he would have fled the country long before the Nanthikadaal Fiasco. Also of importance: VP didn’t understand how advances in technology worked against the Tigers… now, one need not physically patrol the Palk Strait to cut off the Tiger supply line – very good intelligence can be gathered from outer space. In fact, it was this kind of intelligence (gathered by India and passed on to SL) that resulted in the crippling of major LTTE mother ships. The “next” level of Tigers were not much different from the first. They still wore rubber slippers to the battlefield – many of them were forcibly conscripted. In fact, the first generation of hardcore fighters was probably superior to the first.
By now LTTE has a well developed international arm. In another 20-30 years that would be even more powerful, if the LTTE survived for so long.
You forgot that there is an global economic recession going on… the Western governments have their hands full with domestic affairs and would be unlikely to lend much support to a group like the LTTE.
Given the garage beginning of the LTTE 28 years ago and where it was in 2005, in another 30 years it would be unthinkably big, had the LTTE survived.
How would it have been bigger? The loss of the East meant a drastic reduction in manpower, which meant offensive battles for the LTTE were impossible. Whatever remaining manpower they had would have to be conserved.
The war “victory” is quite and achievement. But it is not enough.
As I have said on this forum before, Rajapakse ignored all the standard norms involved in war. Having thrown all of the resources of the island into the war effort, he was able to extract a “favorable” resolution via brute force alone. But before you call that an achievement, realize that Rajapakse is using similar tactics of absolute terror to ensure that his family stays in power indefinitely. So perhaps it is an achievement for Rajapakse alone; whereas for the country it is an overall loss: (+1) + (-1) = 0.
And btw Observer, if there was so much repression against Muslims and Islam in America, I think these statistics would be reversed:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/09/06/inconvenient-truth-10-times-more-hate-crimes-against-jews-muslims
Huh, no body says that they don’t have a right to protest. By all means I say. Doesn’t mean it’s not bullying though! When the news networks and prominent figures vocally oppose, adds fuel to the fire, it is a tad bit more than freedom of speech isn’t it? It’s bullying. You’re just saying bullying is their right. Obviously the majority voice will easily drown out the other tiny side right? I guess the message to minorities is, get over it, it’s not bullying, it’s just freedom of speech. What I pointed out was a failure by the leadership to defend the minority rights. Although constitutionally they are perfectly within right. Their much touted safe guard right? The president went back on his own words after valiantly pointing out how they should have no obstacle to having the mosque there. So when even the president say, buddy, I know it’s your right but I think you should not, then I guess you ought to shut the hell up and move along. Is that what should be done huh? Look these people aren’t going to build it there anyway now. The bullies have succeeded in essentially putting a halt to something they’re legally entitled to do. America has won I suppose! Nicely done
keep it up!
Here is the lesson to all you kids out there (according to huh): Yes the constitution guarantees rights, buuuttt, if greater America thinks it’s a bad idea, you better shut up and go underground or just move the heck away, cuz otherwise you won’t know what’s coming ur way. Fox & co, republicans, tea partiers, and the whole gang. You better be ready to take the brunt cuz not even the president is going to stand up for you! Great odds aint it when you’re a minority?
FYI huh, there has been protests against mosques outside NY as well in various other states!!! So this is not just near ground zero.
You are forgetting that the LTTE did not bomb Dalada Maligawa in the name of Hinduism, unlike the twin towers, which were bombed in the name of the Islam.
Well I can tell you that Alqueda did not bomb in the name of Islam, but their own sick, twisted interpretation. Just like LTTE did not bomb in the name of Tamil’s freedom, but for their own sick dictatorial, hijacked purposes. I’m sure most Muslims will find what you just said quite offensive!
Targeting Dalada Maligawa was in fact taking it to the religious level. They wanted to show their hate to the majority Sinhalese’ religion. Otherwise why else target it? Because it would hurt them! Otherwise there are plenty of other places to kill innocent civilians right? I didn’t see the LTTE bomb a Hindu kovil to make their point did they? Did anyone else see that?
huh, you’re no different to Heshan, all’s well when it suits your agenda! turning a blind a eye and even worse defend even when it’s bleeding obvious its not.
“Here is the lesson to all you kids out there (according to huh): Yes the constitution guarantees rights, buuuttt, if greater America thinks it’s a bad idea, you better shut up and go underground or just move the heck away, cuz otherwise you won’t know what’s coming ur way. Fox & co, republicans, tea partiers, and the whole gang. You better be ready to take the brunt cuz not even the president is going to stand up for you! Great odds aint it when you’re a minority?
FYI huh, there has been protests against mosques outside NY as well in various other states!!! So this is not just near ground zero.”
This mosque is in a unique situation….you might be correct that there are a FEW protests outside of mosques outside of new york. But you obviously did not look at the statistics I posted. Hate crimes against Muslims are EXTREMELY LOW DESPITE THE MEDIA Trying to say otherwise! And btw, although 63% of new yorkers do not want the mosque to be build near ground zero that SAME percentage wants it to be built, in GENERAL. So your basic assertion that most Americans and new yorkers are anti-islamic does not hold water at all. They are protesting because, well, frankly, this is a unique situation. And your referencing fox news and the tea partiers is completely out of place int his context. Although those groups are certainly against the mosque being built, they are NOT the majority of the people protesting against this mosque. The VAST majority of people protesting against this mosque are NEW YORKERS, perhaps THE most liberal big city in the country. The president made a big misstep in his original speech in defending the mosque in the spirit of freedom of religion–that’s his fault. He, like you, made the mistaken assertion that the majority of those new yorkers protesting were doing it because they are anti-islamic.
huh, you just essentially proved my point. people like you believe that these people’s constitutional rights should not mean much because the “most” thinks it’s a bad idea! slippery slope i say! look i suppose there is no point going around the merry-go-round now…we’re just repeating our points now.
Observer,
What in the world are you on about? If the Muslims want to build the mosque on that site, they can still do it. The Courts have told them they can do so. Just because people protest against the construction of the mosque doesn’t mean its not a democracy. In fact, the whole point of a democracy is that people are allowed to protest peacefully. You really need to check your definitions! The democracy ends and the dictatorship begins when people are not allowed to protest and the government can interfere to no end. But the American government never told the Muslims they can’t build the mosque. Neither did the Courts! So once again, what’s your point?
what are you on about heshan? what i said was yes they are constitutionally allowed to build the mosque. however sustained pressure by the majority community has put them on a back foot including pres obama – bullying! that’s all..no need to get all worked up.
heshan i really dislike when you try to put words in my mouth. can you kindly quote me where i made remarks to the extent that the American government or the courts said they CAN NOT build the mosque? learn to read first – thank you.
Observer,
That is the normal public reaction. Every organization has to deal with publicity. Negative publicity has brought down quite a few important personalities. The media in the USA is much more powerful than the media in S. Lanka. Basically, CNN and 60 minutes can ruin anyone’s career in just 5 min…. no one in the USA is immune. So with that said, it is unfair for you to say that the mosque plans had to be changed because of adverse publicity. You have to deal with the consequences of publicity in any kind of highly volatile situation. In this case, the negative publicity is actually beneficial… lots of Muslims will probably end up contributing to the mosque fund. You have to wonder if the mosque planners intentionally exploited the publicity for their own benefit.
heshan, media echoes public sentiment! at least in a “real” or “undead”
democracy you would hope so? if it wasn’t the public sentiment then why was obama so afraid to defend them? (mid term elections of course!) so don’t blame the media alone! though they sure do add fuel to the fire.
this along with that insane, insensitive plan of burning qurans to stop the mosque going up probably the highest low point of this whole episode which was only stopped when robert gates pleaded saying the actions will endanger us troops…has shown the real feelings inside US. after one attack on US, in retaliation they attacked 2 countries destroyed those nations – took revenge and still… harbor ill feelings towards communities associated with that attack. when will the world finish paying the dues for 9/11? how much more debt left to pay??
in a sri lankan context, people are all so quick to attack parties like JHU in SL when it clearly doesn’t represent the majority sri lankan views and try to make it look like all sri lankans are like that. you do this all the time. your logic goes something like JHU = mad monks = sinhalese = racists.. lol.. but when it comes to the US, you can conveniently extricate the tea partiers and faux news saying it doesn’t represent the US. my whole aim was to identify how only in sri lanka “its not acceptable” standards we have to put up with. mad monks in sri lanka may have taken to the streets and protested (a legal right) various things but them or no other sinhala nationalists have ever stooped to the levels of protest we have seen lately in the US by the conservatives. they only always shouted for one thing, the unity of sri lanka, the nation!
anyway it’s time US have a good look at them selves, and their conduct before judging other countries that suffered much greater wrath of terrorism and took action to defend them selves. i think any independent observer would see why we feel like they’re class A hypocrites. look its not even washington’s fault, they just play along with the lobbyists…