Hear My VOICE: Bonsika Vadivel Vasanthan ~ “Please bring my father back to me”
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Bonsika Vadivel Vasanthan (7) always stays alone and confines to a brown plastic chair with flower work. The chair is bigger than she. She wears a pristine white pleated frock, which is the school uniform with light Blue and white stripe tie. A light blue silk ribbon holds her straight hair into a ponytail, and she wears a pair of artificial white stone ear studs. She does not mingle with anybody. She seldom talks or plays. She stays quiet.
“My father used to tell me a lot of nice bed time stories, before I go to sleep everyday. We used to sing a lot of beautiful songs together in Tamil. Now, nobody either tells me any story or sings with me. I feel very lonely as my father is not with me” laments Bonsika Vadivel Vasanthan while tears fill her both eyes.
Her father got injured during the last phase of the war in Vanni, North of Sri Lanka in April 2009 and was admitted to hospital. But, Bonsika Vadivel Vasanthan has not seen her father afterwards. She moved from Bharathipuram in Vanni to Jaffna Peninsula along with the rest of her family members, and is living here in a small apartment.
“I pray three times a day, and ask God to send my father safely to me wherever he is now. I am neither able to study nor sleep without my father. His wonderful memories stay intact. Please bring my father back to me. I want my father. Nobody can replace him. I have a younger sister, she too needs our father” laments Bonsika Vadivel Vasanthan. There is seemingly no end to her search.
It is a good thing to be sympathetic towards helpless people, especially, old aged, women and children. But how could anybody justify if the choice confines just to chosen group. I don’t say it is untrue, that the particular community has more grievances, however, it does not imply only that community has needy people. I don’t think discrimination, in charity is a good thing. Empowering helpless is a good thing. But using them for some sort of a nontransparent objective is I think not justifiable. LTTE too “empowered” helpless Tamil children improving their skills by giving them weapon training after they were conscripted by force. I don’t think anybody would disagree that it was abuse of children. I don’t see much difference in this continuous venture of exhibiting innocent Tamil children in public to trade their self esteem.
Please read this too.
http://groundviews.org/2011/01/16/now-our-new-year-has-no-moon/comment-page-1/#comment-27094
I think only honest ventures ultimately bear fruits. Arousing shallow emotions of the people to get short time advantages/implicit gains would bring furtherer disaster only. We must act with good intension and with care.
Thanks!
Yapa your right in saying this, but consider the Tamils have been abused in their rights throughout the history from 1948. First from the chauvinistic Sinhalese governments, over this nobody want to talk anything anymore, and later on from the militant rebels of their own race and now being punished for being Tamils from the present GoSL.
You say “I don’t think discrimination, in charity is a good thing. Empowering helpless is a good thing….” Do you agree that the present GoSL and the majority is discriminating the needy Tamils more than the needy Sinhalese population, and willing to empower the “needy Sinhalese” more than the “needy Tamil” and this is discrimination per moral and per law.
Dear Paradiselost;
“……but consider the Tamils have been abused in their rights throughout the history from 1948. First from the chauvinistic Sinhalese governments, over this nobody want to talk anything anymore,…..”
This is the wrong planted notion in Tamils by educated greedy Tamils of the older generation, that paved way to bring the country to this disastrous state. This is an entirely wrong notion we have talked much in various threads. It was really the loosing privileges given to them by the British colonialists over Sinhalese, the cause.
Please analyse yourself and see whether Tamils were not a privileged community when we got our independence in 1948.
Thanks!
Hi yapa,
“But how could anybody justify if the choice confines just to chosen group.”
Why don’t you go to Sri Lanka and interview some Ranaviru children. Then we can have an equal playing field.
Dear wijayapala;
I am in Sri Lanka, I thought you knew it. Even if I interview Ranaviru children, I am not sure Groundviews will have a space for it. What is your opinion? Will I be given a fair field? (Still I don’t want interviews.)
Thanks, wijayapala.
I wonder what the Blackers, Jayathilake’s et al have to say?
The same things we have to say about the thousands on both sides; killed, maimed, and mentally scarred for the folly of a power-hungry gang of terrorists and their hunger for Eelam.
Of course David Blacker tells the partial truth or hiding the lies behind the partial truth in saying “the thousands on both sides; killed, maimed, and mentally scarred for the folly of a power-hungry gang of terrorists and their hunger for Eelam” and he sounds as all these miseries were going solely on the account of the terrorists and the poor govt. forces were only just trying to rescue the captives and wounded more or less playing the role of the red cross. The Tamils were attacked over decades by the security forces, aerial and artillery bombings and cavalry march and random killings. And even in Colombo or south were they not allowed in peace by these helping security forces (not all) and helping the mobs in (state) organized pogroms. LTTE and other groups definitely made the life of Sinhalese not miserable but not comparable to the misery the Tamils experience and still experience from both sides.
So, Zorro, what is this whole truth you claim I won’t admit to, and what are these lies you say I am hiding? If you have read everything I’ve written here on GV and Transcurrents in the last few months, and on my blog and elsewhere over the years, you’d know exactly what I’m saying. In short, the Sinhalese are responsible for what the state and the mobs did to the Tamils before the war (though I’m yet to hear of cavalry charges!), and the Tamils are responsible for what the Tigers and other groups did to the Sinhalese and Muslims during the war, and we’re all responsible for what we’re doing and saying today.
Dear David,it takes 2 to tango. Now it’s time for “Truth & Reconciliation.” Is it such a difficult thing to admit that both sides killed civilians or that the “Zero Casualties” story will only be believed by those whose imagination is running riot?
Both sides definitely killed civilians, but only one side intentionally killed civilians, and that was the Tamil terrorist side.
and the security forces taken it for granted it is ok to kill 10 civilians for one terrorist…. that’s what you trying to say Mr. Blacker. However there is no way to verify the truth who killed whom intentionally, as the GoSl denies any investigation. You stick to your part of the propaganda war and the Tamils stick to their part of propaganda war. I am sure the LTTE killed the people who wanted to runaway, but there have been lots of people appearing in front of LLRC telling other stories too about the security forces; you want to say they are all lying?
Highly true and accurate also. Our heroic and victorious security forces never killing the civilian interntionally. What is happening is always unitentional and not calculated also. It is very much like what is happening when I am using the weed killer in the garden side. I am using the weed killer to be killing the weed not the insect but the bottle is saying this may be killing some insects also. But is it my fault that insects are getting killed when I am only trying to be killing the weeds? It is true that I am not giving much of a thought to be sparing the insects but I am definitely not having the thought to be harming them. Anybody saying that I am an insect killer just because the insects are geting killed when I am only wanting to be klilling the weeds is barking up the wrong weed and probably paid by my enemies in the opposition who are always wanting to be calling me names other than what my father and mother are giving me!
Paradise, where did I say anything about ten civilians being killed for every Tiger? I’m sure many civilians were killed by the military in their attempts to nail the Terras, and a few might even have been killed deliberately. Such is war. But the Tigers deliberately and as a policy targeted civilians (bombs on buses and trains, attacks on civilian infrastructure, Sinhalese and Muslim villages, using Tamils as shields, etc) which the GoSL never did. However much. You try and use cliches, half truths, and outright lies, you can’t change history nor what the Tigers were.
Yapa,
That the Tamils have privileges during the British colonial rule was not a rumor. The colonial powers built better schools in the north and east is under the context of “divide and rule” they practiced unfortunately. But if they have treated everybody the similar way would this have any impact in the present situation? satisfied the aspirations of all? Just knowing this fact the elected governments after the independence in 1948 (Sinhalese majority) started working to please the voters by annihilating the privileges of Tamils. I can even understand this motivation but I do not agree with their methods, like Sinhalese only rule etc. or denial of basic rights to Tamils, or making the upcountry Tamils stateless. Given if the man my next door is supposed to be rich, is it OK for me to steal him or kill him, because I feel the world is handling me bad? In my world the best way would be to try to uplift my situation so far tolerable by acceptable means; this way we both would have profited from the situation. In the political context of Sri Lanka, any responsible govt. and the Tamil politicians should have handled responsibly to uplift the lives of the Sinhalese and of Tamils, than agitate them against eachother and using the same method like the British “divide and rule”. In a political context it is not an easy task to satisfy everybody, but have we achieved this goal by doing the most violent way? definitely not but worsen the situation than it was just after 1948. Because of this we need to heal the wounds and not categorically deny the others, because they are not like us.
Dear Paradiselost;
Please give me a few days to continue the debate. I like your points and the way now you are expressing them. Conducive for a good discussion.
Thanks!
Paradiselost,
“In my world the best way would be to try to uplift my situation so far tolerable by acceptable means; this way we both would have profited from the situation.”
Could you be more specific as to what they should have done?
just for an example all politicians could taken into account the socio-economical aspirations of the population for the politics to uplift the life of all people instead of making politics and the corresponding governments along the ethnic lines. There is no necessary for a Tamil not to vote for SLFP or UNP or some other party like the for Sinhalese to vote for a Tamil party and this would have been possible when the ideology of any given party is not defined along the ethnic identity. It is definitely easy to convince people by telling any imaginary scary stories and the potential liberators.
Dear yapa
My interpretation of these articles is that Ms. Pillai is trying to win the sympathy of Sinhalese and show that Tamils are human beings. If she really wanted to use them as anti-Sri Lanka propaganda, she would have put all the blame on Sri Lanka and/or Sinhalese the way Tamilnet does.
“Even if I interview Ranaviru children, I am not sure Groundviews will have a space for it. What is your opinion? Will I be given a fair field? (Still I don’t want interviews.)”
If you do not want to interview poor Ranaviru children, then what difference will it make whether or not Groundviews will publish it?
Dear wijayapala;
“If you do not want to interview poor Ranaviru children, then what difference will it make whether or not Groundviews will publish it?”
I was asking not about Groundviews’ opposition to me as a person, but about such articles/interviews by anybody, in general. You think there will be an opportunity?
Thanks!
Further, I was not of the opinion that Dushiyanthini’s intention was bad, my doubt was about Groundviews’ intention. Writing was not what I was querring, it was publishing.
Thanks!
Dear yapa
Sorry for the confusion. I am glad to see you agree that we should not let these flag-waver clowns in London and elsewhere interfere with our sympathy for little girls like Bonsika.
“Further, I was not of the opinion that Dushiyanthini’s intention was bad, my doubt was about Groundviews’ intention.”
Then why is Groundviews allowing you to post these comments? We can put this to the test if you interview some Ranaviru children.
Xyklon B was humane
The landscape is poxed with craters,
Women and children and old people are,
Not gassed to death by Xyklon B but,
Bombed to bits by screaming jets.
The jungle is one big concentration camp,
Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau, Treblinka,
All rolled into a thirty something,
Square kilometre ”No Fire Zone”,
3,00,000 Jews of Haysia,
On the Idiot Island under Hindiyar,
Were saturated with rockets, shells and cluster bombs,
A crude but effective “Final Solution”,
The brainchild of the Rogerproxy Brothers,
In hindsight Xyklon B seems humane,
But no one cared then,
And no one cares now.
Ha ha please, Dunce, stick to defending the Tigers in your usual dunce-like manner and spare us the bad poetry. It’s too late to try out for the Galle Lit
Hi PresiDunce Bean
Why don’t you share this wonderful poem with your Jewish friends or neighbors? I’m sure they will love the title.
Dear The Mervyn Silva
“I am using the weed killer to be killing the weed not the insect but the bottle is saying this may be killing some insects also.”
I was not aware that the LTTE was like a weed. I never knew that weeds strapped bombs onto themselves, but you are a Doctor and I will not lecture you.
Dear the Wijayapala,
The Mervyn Silva Botanical Dictionary is having this description:
LTTE – Weed growing in the Jaffna side, first discovered in the 1970s and originally of very small size, later growing big and getting out of hand also, feeding on improperly used weed killers and its own internal make up. Showing tendency to be reaching maturiy at different ages but usually around 14-18 years and ofen expiring in the explosive manner causing harm to weeds, plants and animals all alike. Believed to have been completely and one hundred percent eradicated in 2009 after the extensive use of the very powerful weedkiller produced by the Gota-Fonseka Chemicals Inc. after very ruthless campaign, suspected of having killed many insects also in the process. A weak strain of the weed has recently been discovered in the Europe area, half the size of the eradicaed variety but with twice the smellings.
Dear the Mervyn Silva
“Believed to have been completely and one hundred percent eradicated in 2009 after the extensive use of the very powerful weedkiller produced by the Gota-Fonseka Chemicals Inc. after very ruthless campaign, suspected of having killed many insects also in the process.”
Thank you for the reference. I humbly suggest adding that no other solution to dealing with this weed had worked for over two decades. A lot of very educated White People and their local kitchen boys (calling themselves “civil society”) wrote many reports how you can tame a weed by talking to it. They were so intelligent that they did not have to study the origins of this weed or its nature to come to this conclusion. They used fancy words like “confidence building” that I’m sure even they did not know the meaning. Not only that, anyone even hinting that a weed will not respond to talking was labeled “extremist” and “hardliner.” Also your entry does not explain how the weed traps insects so that it is impossible to pull out weed without killing insects.
Paradiselost
“just for an example all politicians could taken into account the socio-economical aspirations of the population for the politics to uplift the life of all people instead of making politics and the corresponding governments along the ethnic lines.”
How would they have uplifted the people?
“There is no necessary for a Tamil not to vote for SLFP or UNP or some other party like the for Sinhalese to vote for a Tamil party and this would have been possible when the ideology of any given party is not defined along the ethnic identity.”
Why was the Tamil Congress created in 1944? Or ITAK in 1949?
The Wijayapala,
I am liking your comentings and suggestions very much especially this one:
“White People and their local kitchen boys (calling themselves “civil society”) wrote many reports how you can tame a weed by talking to it.”
This is also what some peoples in the government are thinking about me. But the more they are talking to me the more weed-like I am becoming, running wild all over the place.
David Blacker
I am talking about any possible abuse under the guise of war and fight against terrorism, but you argue as there is nothing else can be true than what you believe, eventhough you are not definetly sure that if there were any delebrate killings. What you thing what is the minimum number of killings it needed to be declared to be arbitrary killings or genocide, one, ten, one hundred thousand? It is fanatism and fundamentalism what you preach, and I hope you have no blood in your hands too. I am not LTTE and I was against all these killings from terrorists right from the beginning, and I wouldnt argue because the LTTE did it was right for the others to do the same. Where are we going ahead? Please avoid with such all-inclusive arguments like ” You try and use cliches, half truths, and outright lies, you can’t change history nor what the Tigers were” you are scared to hear anything else than what you want to believe; and it reflects the attitude of the GoSL. Have you ever asked why Karuna is in the cabinet of our govt. has he became a saint overnight? and you self defined protectors of the law accept it without any objection? Has there been any deals over the lives of Soldiers and civilians , sinhales as well as Tamils?
Paradise, there will always be abuses where human beings are concerned.
Genocide is very clearly defined and doesn’t require me to redefine it. However, in short it can be said to be the deliberate killing of people simply because they belong to a particular social group or demographic. The killing of an individual isn’t a genocide, though it can be part of a genocide.
I have already explained several times why Karuna & Co are needed. As for your comments on my mind being closed etc, anyone who’s read my comments and posts over the last months and years will know what I believe.
That should read “why Karuna & Co are needed for now”.