It was S.W.R.D Bandaranaike who opened the doors for low caste Tamil speaking Sri Lankans to attend schools & temples – places that were taboo to them by their own Tamil speaking brethren.
The Social Disabilities Act No. 21 was passed in the parliament in 1957 giving lower castes of Tamil speaking Sri Lankans the right to attend schools & temples as the part of S.W.R.D Bandaranaike’s plan was to penetrate into the “low caste” votes of Tamil speaking Sri Lankans.

No sooner Vellalar realized the dangers of SLFP led by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike courting the low caste Tamil speaking Sri Lankans, Vellalar devised their response. It was to create the best division possible. A rift between the Tamil speaking Sri Lankans and Sinhala speaking Sri Lankans which would strike better success than low caste-Vellalar divisions among Tamil speaking Sri Lankans. It is important to note that the satyagrahas, the tarring of Sinhala letter “SRI” on vehicle licence plates launched by the Veluppilai Chelvanayagam led Federal Party and G.G Ponnampalam led Tamil Congress – both Vellala high class political parties happened a year after making Sinhala the official language. Why did Federal Party and Tamil Congress not cry foul over the Sinhala Only Act in 1956 but oppose the Social Disabilities Act on 1957 with such venom? It is because Tamil speaking Sri Lankans wanted to deprive their own.

Similarly, when the Srimavo led SLFP Government introduced university standardization in 1973 those that opposed were those who were against equitable distribution. The schools in thirteen out of twenty two districts did not produce a single engineering or medicine student until 1974. Students from Colombo and Jaffna who had been privy to education opposed opportunities that would be enjoyed by students from Batticaloa, Vanni, Ampara, Mannar, Monaragala & other less developed districts. While the composition of the ethnicity did not change entrance, for Tamil speaking Sri lankans it meant not only the Vellalar but lower caste Tamil speaking Sri Lankans too would gain university entrance. This was why Vellalar opposed the 1973 university standardization introduced by Srimavo led SLFP Government.

Tamil speaking Sri Lankans who cry “discrimination” may like to recall how in the refugee camps during the 1983 riots Vellalar refused to share common toilet facilities with the low castes and a lot of problems arose inside the very camps housing only Tamil speaking Sri Lankans!

Dear Sanjayan,

Thanks for sharing the Sampanthan’s interview in the Daily Mirror. How is it that many of us “got it” in the 1st reading but Dr. Jayatilleke was unable to comprehend something so basic? Is it the problem that I referred to in the following post http://groundviews.org/2012/05/31/on-the-nonsense-of-being-united-andnoror-unitary/#comment-45038 or is it something more sinister?

Mr. Sampanthan even refers to Dr. Jayatilleke’s biased writing and cautions him of going down the Ms. Kunanayakam road. Of course Mr. Sampanthan has forgotten that Dr. J was the one who inaugurated that road! I wonder what kind of grovelling one must have to do to get back in favour with da Prez? The head honcho must have very shiny boots!

All of you have written a lot!

But, first of all, the Root Cause of the problems of Lanka has been the Sinhala – ‘Theravada’ Buddhist nationalism based on false and imaginary doctrine: “Aryan” – Sinhala – Sinhalese – ‘Theravada’ Buddhism – Lanka with one – to-one correspondence.

From 1850s, Sinhala ‘learned’ like James d’Alwis, Anagaraka Dhammapala and others and foreigners like Annie Besant and others started formulating Sinhala – ‘Theravada Buddhist nationalism based on false and imaginary doctrine: “Aryan” – Sinhala – Sinhalese – ‘Theravada’ Buddhism – Lanka with one – to-one correspondence. Please read “Buddhist Popular Lectures” – Annie Besant, 1908, Madras and other publications.

The Paragraph – 28 of the UN Panel Report also confirms this. It states:

“After independence, political elites tended to prioritize short-term political gains, appealing to communal and ethnic sentiments, over long-term policies, which could have built an inclusive state that adequately represented the multicultural nature of the citizenry. Because of these dynamics and divisions, the formation of a unifying national identity has been greatly hampered. Meanwhile, SINHALA-BUDDHIST NATIONALISM GAINED TRACTION, ASSERTING A PRIVILEGED PLACE FOR THE SINHALESE AS THE PROTECTORS OF SRI LANKA,AS THE SACRED HOME OF BUDDHISM. THESE FACTORS RESULTED IN DEVASTATING AND ENDURING CONSEQUENCES FOR THE NATURE OF THE STATE, GOVERNANCE AND INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS IN SRI LANKA.”

The UN Panel Report thus emphasizes that the ‘ROOT CAUSE’ of the problems of Lanka has been its SINHALA BUDDHIST NATIONALISM based on the SACRED DOCTRINE: SINHALA – SINHALESE – BUDDHISM – LANKA with ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE.

‘Sacredness’ is purely IMAGINARY!

Anyway, what the UN Panel identified as the Root Cause’ of the problems of our country was further confirmed by the LLRC appointed by the HE Rajapakse.

The Paragraph 8.150 of the Commission says:

“The Commission takes the view that the root cause of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka lies in the failure of successive Governments to address the genuine grievances of the Tamil people. The country may not have been confronted with a violent separatist agenda, if the political consensus at the time of independence had been sustained and if policies had been implemented to build up and strengthen the confidence of the minorities around the system which had gained a reasonable measure of acceptance.”

Though the LLRC has spoken about the ‘Root Cause,’ it failed to analyze and find out correctly and state WHAT CAUSED THE GENUINE GRIEVANCES OF THE TAMILS!

On the other hand, the LLRC Report INDIRECTLY JUSTIFIES the VIOLENT SEPARASTIST AGENDA OF THE TAMILS!

Under ‘The Different Phases in the Narrative of Tamil Grievances’ the Commission has highlighted in para.8.163 of its Report that:

“The decisive rift in the inter-ethnic relationship came first with the riots of 1958, then in1977, and culminating in what is known as ‘Black July’ of 1983, and the heinous failure of the then Government to provide adequate protection to Tamil citizens. The problems pertaining to the Tamil Community and their grievances cannot be fully addressed without a fuller understanding of this culture of violence that marred the relationship between the Sinhala and Tamil communities.”

Thus, the LLRC indirectly accepts that the “CULTURE OF VIOLENCE” was introduced in the country NOT BY THE TAMILS, BUT BY THE SINHALESE AND IT WAS INDIRECTLY CATALYZED BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF SRI LANKA.

Though the LLRC Report does not mention specifically WHAT CAUSED THE GENUINE GRIEVENCES OF THE TAMILS, i.e. the real ‘ROOT CAUSE’ of the problems of Lanka, it has come out with some recommendations that would eradicate to great extant the Sinhala – ‘Theravada’ Buddhist nationalism if implemented fully.

For these reasons only, the Sinhala Ruling class and the GOSL has consistently refused to implement the recommendations made by the LLRC appointed by HE Rajapakase! For these reasons only the Sinhala Theravada Buddhist say that by appointing LLRC HE Mahinda Rajapakse has put hanging rope round his neck!

While dragging the process of finding a durable political solution, the GOSL and its armed forces has been been engaged in the process of implementing some preliminary programs in the NORTH AND THE EAST that would assist the future implementation of the Sinhala – Theeravaada Buddhist nationalism! Here only destroying “Saivaite’ temples, erecting Buddha statues, building Buddhist temples near the existing Saivaite temples etc. on one hand and taking over of the lands at specified places by the Armed forces, building new settlements for the families of the armed force personnel, interference in local administration etc. etc. come!

Unless the Sinhala nation rejects in words and deeds its Sinhala ‘Theravada’ Buddhist nationalism based on false and imaginary doctrine “Aryan” – Sinhala – Sinhalese – ‘Theravada’ Buddhism – Lanka with one – to-one correspondence, ‘Tamil nationalism’ will continue to exist and no political solution would be possible!!

Thua, in Dayan’s words: “The doctrine of containment of Tamil proto-secessionism has necessarily to consist of strong positive reforms. There must be a serious change in the nature and functioning of our state and society through a purposive shift to a policy of integration (not assimilation), the recognition and practice of pluralism, equal rights, non-discrimination, multiculturalism and meritocracy. Enlightened self-interest dictates enlightened reform.” !!!!

what do you think of this?
http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/19231-i-am-prepared-to-compromise.html

sampanthan being interviewed, and questions being asked about many of those paragraphs quoted here

My dear Wijayapala,
We both can go on and on questioning the answers and/or answering the questions on pros and cons of (to put it the way you like) legitimacy and rationality on ‘soaring aspirations’ of Tamils. I am getting tired of it. So, let me conclude my side like this: you guys first tried to get it (soaring aspirations) from the British Raj through conniving ways but failed. When the British left you demanded it through so-called peaceful means (satyagraha). When that failed you tried to get it through outright war. Since that too is buried in Nanthikadal, you lot are trying to manipulate to get it through external intervention, now.

There is one thing that you lot does not understand; those pseudo international lot and India that you think will bring your ‘soaring aspirations’ have their own aspirations and changing game plans to get it. If Rajapakses show for awhile that he is dancing to their tune, your game is over. hi hi.
Leela

As usual your imprint is glowing bright; it’s an excellent response, Mr. GETP. Thanks, Nithy!

Thanks again to you, Mr. wije. By your excellent response with elaborate explanation on existing realistic differences between the two Tamils, you have relieved many of us from the pains of responding to Madam Leela. With high appreciation to you and GV for latter’s service and objectivity. Nithy!

Well said Georgethebushpig (I hope you will change this name)

I could n’t agree with you more, and I’m thinking the Good Dr. DJ has been corenered by you. But knowing him he will dig deep into his intelect and knowledge and come out with somethng, and he will keep on doing it as long as he is on the payroll. But the ground realities in SL will be the same.

So dear george….. please keep it rolling and keep enlightening us all.