Here is a part of the 13th Amendment
Does it FULLY recognise per capita land use or are there any hidden caveats that subverts the apparent recognition of per capita ownership, inbuilt within? I believe that there are such caveats.

2 : 4 The selection of allotees for such lands will be determined by the Government of Sri Lanka having regard to settler selection criteria including degree of landlessness, income level, size of family and agricultural background of the applicants. The actual application of these principles, selection of allottees and other incidental matters connected thereto will be within the powers of the Provincial Councils.

2 : 5 The distribution of all allotments of such land in such projects will be on the basis of national ethnic ratio. In the distribution of allotments according to such ratios, priority will be given to persons who are displaced by the project, landless of the District in which the project is situated and thereafter the landless of the Province.

Are the Landless in the other provinces excluded?

2 : 7 The distribution of allotments in such projects on the basis of the aforesaid principles would be done as far as possible so as not to disturb very significantly the demographic pattern of the Province and in accordance with the principle of ensuring community cohesiveness in human settlements.

Is this a caveat meant to subvert the National Ethnic Ratio included in 2:5 above?

Personally, I believe that the only equitable solution is a per capita solution, without any hidden caveats.

Dear Mr Nithyananthan,

Please refer to me as “wije” and I’ll call you “Nithy.” No need for formalities given that we are no longer strangers!

“He is a political appointee and is assigned to a salaried job and doing what is expected of him.”

No, the truth is more convoluted. Dayan is eager to tell us that he gave up a far more lucrative employment in Singapore to represent MR once more. That means Dayan is a true believer of Mahinda Chintanaya, abductions, disappearances etc that are all MR trademarks (or at least carried over from Premadasa).

My only explanation for now is that he and his BFF (best friend forever) Mr Dharmaratnam Sivaram shared the same brain, and that currently Dayan is holding it. I wish you Nithy and I can have those same close bonds.

“…You really have no clue as to what were the causes that transformed into armed conflict, how the LTTE came into being, and the war started??…”

I see the causes of armed conflict and how the LTTE came into being as two separate issues. I’ve heard the story how young Prabakaran was shocked by the immolation of the Hindu priests by Sinhala thugs, but given his proclivities as a child I think he would have created some kind of LTTE even had that not occurred.

“After a long lapse of time, you have blown cold – not hot.”

Dayan might disagree with that assessment!! But if you want me to blow cold some more, then why not participate more in the discussions? You can’t blame me for blowing hot when the only person available for discussion is Presidunce Bean or MV.

“You are saying yourself (to DJ) that the LTTE grew out of the actions of successive governments.”

No, I never said that. “Successive governments” did not have an institutionalised policy of violence against Tamils. That distinction goes to only two leaders: SWRD Bandaranaike and JR Jayawardene who were the heads of government about 20 years apart. It was only JR (and his minions) who was responsible for the rise of the LTTE.

“I don’t play the numbers game…”

Neither do I. The LTTE caused infinitely more harm to the Tamils by tearing their society apart in a way that no Sinhala could ever hope to. It was only after the LTTE came into being that Tamils killing other Tamils became a normal occurrence. Most of those who are now termed “paramilitaries” started off as fellow Tamil militants who were attacked by the LTTE. It was because of the LTTE that they turned to the governments for protection.

Sinhala violence against the Tamils on the other hand, for all its brutality had the effect of bringing the divided Tamils together. That is primarily because the Sinhalese could not distinguish between Tamils by caste or region at all. All were “para demala.” That explains why this paramilitary phenomenon did not exist in the 1980s when the war started. The Sinhalese were totally clueless about the diversity within the Tamil community until the northern LTTE literally came gunning for Karuna. It should come to no surprise that the LTTE began unraveling with the CFA, as much as Dayan (and I admittedly) loathed it.

If you identify yourself as a Tamil nationalist then you must face the uncomfortable truth that the foundation of Tamil nationalism is Sinhala racism and ignorance. It is for that reason why I take Sinhala racism far more seriously than Tamil nationalism, especially now with the LTTE gone.

“Two of my friends at Peradeniya who had nothing to do with the LTTE or the JVP, were abducted by the SLA and disappeared under the Premadasa regime.”

I am sorry for what happened to your friends. Unfortunately we cannot make Premadasa accountable for what he did because like Prabakaran, he is dead. But Dayan is still around!!

The ultimate aim and sole issue of so called ethnic problem is based on some people’s aspiration to grab a disproportionate ratio of land(and disproportionate ratio of resources)to them.

So the the justifiable answer to the question is the acceptance of equitable share of resources resources to each individual of the country.

Who can suggest a more justifiable solution? On what basis anybody can reject this proposal? Can anybody who does not agree with proposal to justify that stance?

If all the groups of this country have a respect to others’ rights as to theirs, no one can oppose to this proposal and their won’t be any so called “ethnic issue” any more.

Problem is why some people do not like to accept equity and equality?

Aren’t they the ones responsible for this problem? Aren’t they the oppressors of this country?

Is their any principle to say7 majority is the oppressor always? Cannot a minority be an oppressor in any case? Does the majority in this country automatically become the oppressor and the minority automatically become oppressed disregarding all the facts?

Is the simple equation, majority = oppressor and
minority = oppressed ?

I don’t understand this simple formation of formula.

Thanks!

Owning 84% of Land (including inland waters), the Lankan government is the overwhelming landlord in the country. This means that 84% of Lanka’s Land is owned by all her citizens. Most of these Lands are uninhabited by humans.

The control of this COMMON property has been a contentious issue, be it 13A or 13+.

How could this common property be equitably used?
Should it be divided on Ethnic lines?
Can any claim for control on inequitable lines be justified?
Under the circumstances where does the “Traditional Homeland” claim stand?

Can the 13th amendment be fully implemented without encroaching on the rights of all stake holders?

Does the 13th amendment FULLY recognise per capita land use or are there any hidden caveats that subverts the apparent recognition of per capita ownership, inbuilt within? I believe that there are such caveats.

Personally, I believe that the only equitable solution is a per capita solution, without any hidden caveats.

Dear Mr. wijayapala, Greeting to you!

“…Are you allowed to answer that simple question Doktor Ambassador?”

It’s a correct on-the-spot question, reminding this author, at a correct time since he is well known for confusing the readers when he is jammed and unable to confront or convince them and innocently missing, forgetting or even evading the questions – depending on their seriousness ands criticality.

“…You really have no clue how the war started?? You do know the secret how the LTTE became the dominant Tamil group in the 1980s from a monograph written in your more lucid days …”

Here too you have correctly assessed this Doter‘s intent, motivation and the depth of his cunningness to create an atmosphere of falsehood by twisting the post independent history of our island nation and propagating with half, whole and false truths.

What else can we expect? He is a political appointee and is assigned to a salaried job and doing what is expected of him. He is his masters’ voice.

Yet, from my point of view, it would have been much better if the question had been posed as “…You really have no clue as to what were the causes that transformed into armed conflict, how the LTTE came into being, and the war started??…”

However, it would be wrong on my part to expect too much. I should know to be pleased with this – at least. After a long lapse of time, you have blown cold – not hot. I feel the soothing sensation of that gentle breeze – that is classic of you. Thanks Mr. wijayapala, Nithy!

Wijayapala,

“If that is true then why did the LTTE spend so much resources trying to get that terrorist tag removed.”

They tried, but that doesn’t take away my argument that the GoSL’s abductions, disappearances and murders are carried out within the pretense of democracy, and the GoSL benefited from it.
You are saying yourself (to DJ) that the LTTE grew out of the actions of successive governments. It is precisely that point that makes it harder to make them out to be the greater evil, although if you look at them in isolation, in terms of the quantum of their violence and their impact on the Tamil people, your point about them being greater evil may be valid.

I don’t play the numbers game… whether one kills 1000 people or 100 people, when it is a State supposed to protect all of its citizens that is doing it, I would say it is a qualitatively worse evil with more lasting impact. It is precisely why even though the LTTE is finished, you are going to continue to see people saying only a separate state will solve their problems.

In that respect, it doesn’t matter what the Thiranagamas and Rajasinghams think. Two of my friends at Peradeniya who had nothing to do with the LTTE or the JVP, were abducted by the SLA and disappeared under the Premadasa regime. Their murders were not high profile, but the manner in which the SLA did it was just as evil as, or worse than, the murders by the LTTE of Neelan and Rajani.

A grave-dancer by the name Jayatilleka was with Premadasa at that time, writing hagiographical pieces for his master in newspapers under the pseudonym “Aniruddha Tilakasri” Do I need to say more?

Dear dayanjohn

“To clarify my question, what did we achieve by the war against prabhakaran, apart from the selfish notion of temprory peace and prosperity”

Sorry but I’m not sure I understand your question. Now that Prabakaran is dead there are no more Tamil children being used as cannon fodder. No more suicide bombings. How is it “selfish” to be happy that these things are over?

“Aren’t we at the same place where Dudley and Chelvanayagam were ?”

Not at all. The Tamil community is shattered with parasites like the EPDP undermining law and order. There is a gigantic security apparatus that may be impossible to entirely dismantle. None of these things existed during Dudley and Chelva’s time.

On the other hand there are some positive aspects. Rural Sri Lanka is not so impoverished as it was back then and it is inconceivable that there will be another JVP uprising. Perhaps the JVP itself is sensing that the South is no longer ripe for revolution, hence its feelers into the northeast.

“What if the eelam struggle takes on a non-violent Gandhi, like nature ? What would be our answer then ?”

Hopefully it should also be non-violent and Gandhi-like in nature as well?

Dear Dr.Dayan and Mr. Wijayapala,

As always I read with interest your exchange of fire. Please tell me (either or both of You) Aren’t we going back to square one after all the bloodshed ?…
To clarify my question, what did we achieve by the war against prabhakaran, apart from the selfish notion of temprory peace and prosperity ( ie: no bombs going off in CMB….. We can move around fearlessly….etc.)

Aren’t we at the same place where Dudley and Chelvanayagam were ?

What if the eelam struggle takes on a non-violent Gandhi, like nature ? What would be our answer then ?

Over to you,
Dayanjohn

Gord.