Recollecting 1983 and the need to prevent bloodshed

Back in 1983 it was another dark July, blackened with fear, death and mayhem 

It is the month of July and Sri Lanka is once again in the throes of uncertainty. Back in 1983 it was another dark July, blackened with fear, death and mayhem which led many to flee Sri Lanka. Today the recollections of that day bring about sadness for the bloody saga that Sri Lanka had to endure thereafter which changed forever the future of the country and prevented our chances of surpassing countries such as Singapore which were behind us in living standards in the 1960s.  

Thirteen soldiers had been killed in 1983 July by the LTTE and not heeding the wisdom that replying violence with violence will not reap anything but violence, segments of society went about a killing spree. Thousands of Sri Lankans lost their business establishments and homes, which were looted and burnt and the exodus of Sri Lankan Tamils to diverse parts of the world commenced. 

Today the Tamil diaspora are spread across the world and Sri Lanka is to date dealing with the shame of that past linked to the subsequent horror that was unleashed for 30 years and ending in 2009. Any kind of killing is a horror. Human beings are born to live, empathise and show kindness to all living beings. Anything counter to this ends in the Karmic cycle of suffering as each action carried out has a reaction which follows one throughout samsara.

Remembering a terrible past helps us to ensure that such a history is not repeated in any form and learn that there is always an alternative to solving issues that human beings face in this temporary journey of life, other than resorting to anger that ends in violence.

Each year the Harmony page looks at the events of 1983 from diverse angles so that while looking at a deplorable past, some sanity and hope for the future will also prevail. 

In this year’s edition we feature an interview with Shivani (real name withheld on request) who works on human rights and peacebuilding initiatives involving both Tamils and Sinhalese communities overseas. In this interview she appeals for all to unite to create a better future for the motherland she was forced out of at a very young age, but has helped through many educational and other forms of assistance for rural communities in the country.

Her call for unity comes at a time when Sri Lanka desperately needs it for stabilising the lives of civilians who are paying for the sins of political mismanagement and corruption.

Below are excerpts of the interview:

By Surya Vishwa

 Q: Could you introduce yourself; where you are based and what is the work you are doing at present?

I am based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and I am working as a community services worker. My work includes working with law enforcement agencies and city based authorities. There are several persons of Sri Lankan origin who also work with me on these responsibilities. There are people whose parents or grandparents suffered directly or indirectly at the hand of either the LTTE, army, police or in riots and in diverse situations of hardships which made them migrate from Sri Lanka. Many of them are in very high positions in Canada. I am also involved in running several programs back in Sri Lanka focusing on micro finance as well as women and children’s welfare. There are a couple of projects in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu that I have started and will be focusing on more deeply following the current worsening of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.  

 Q:  How old were you when you left Sri Lanka?

I was five years old. My parents considered three choices; India, South Africa or Canada. We finally chose Canada. We went soon after the riots. I did not really know what was going on. My mom told me later. We had a large backyard in our Colombo house that was destroyed. I used to play in that backyard. Of all that I recall of July 1983, it is the memory of sadness that I understood at that age.

 Q:  What is your religion?

Saivism but I am a very close follower of the Buddhist Dharmic principles of non-violence and therefore I can say that yes, I follow both Saivism and Buddhism.  

 Q: Could you speak of both the good and the evil you witnessed in July 1983? This is because we want to empower that which is good while speaking of the opposite.

Yes, I remember the fear, trauma and chaos. My parents were worried about any harm coming to me. 

The good of this is that I was helped by our Sinhalese neighbours to safety and protection. If it was not for them my life would have taken a different turn to an untimely end or maiming. The evil I witnessed is that I saw my home burned to ashes. It was my family lineage. We were what you could have described as upper middle class Tamils who had property and vehicles in Colombo and Jaffna. At an age where children do not get to see such horror, I saw innocent people being attacked and killed in broad daylight. People were killed on the main roads, in buses and in their homes. I saw innocent people running for their lives. Despite the unspeakable, unimaginable things I remember, I hang on to the redeeming memory of my loving and caring Sinhala neighbours who took care of us till the last moment. I wish them many blessings for practicing Buddhism by exercising the loving kindness that the Lord Buddha preached.  

 Q:  You stated in our conversation that you have worked and are working with diverse people around the world who have been displaced from their country. Could you speak of the trauma that such displacement has had on these people?

 Yes I have been involved in a couple of projects that work with different diaspora communities around the world who are in Canada now. There are diverse traumas that these persons face. I understand that the root is that it is a major difficulty to just overnight uproot oneself from one’s home, relatives, friends, neighbours, culture and fly away to another country. That is what my family had to do in 1983 and what families in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt had to do. Being involved in sharing the narratives of persons around the globe teaches us of the need for promoting love and peace in a world where increasing misery is caused and often rationalised.  

 Q: As someone who appreciates Buddhist philosophy, if you could address the persons who burnt your house, what would be your words to them? 

You took my innocent childhood away and burnt my home. 

You scorched a family lineage. You created the hell of misery and poverty that you see in Sri Lanka today. You gave meaning to the words of the Buddha that violence only begets violence. You targeted all of the Tamils of Sri Lanka because 13 soldiers had been killed in the north by a set of youth taking to terror that Sri Lankan Tamils were not even aware of. You created the background for a 30-year-long bloodshed and prevented Sri Lanka from developing. A small fishing island that was Singapore whose goal was to become like Sri Lanka is today a leading world economy. Singapore actively puts effort into preventing conflict owing to religion, race or language. 

I like to ask the people who destroyed my home and all of Sri Lanka; “Do you at least now realise that you have not followed the teachings of the Buddha?” That you indulged fully in mohaya and dweshaya in 1983 July? Do you realise your murderous folly? Do your children realise it? Have you also taught them to pursue the foolish temporary gratification (mohaya) that tempts them to create unrest in our motherland? Do you realise that when you burnt our houses in 1983 that you burnt the country’s future. Do you realise that the crisis that you are now reaping cannot be disconnected to your past actions? 

 Q: What is your advice to all in Sri Lanka and those of Sri Lankan origin living overseas at this turning point the country is in?

 We as a diaspora should help Sri Lanka in any way we can to help the people of our mother country to get back on its feet. We should try to defeat forces that are trying to separate us and unite strongly. We should try to create a genuine change for peace. Diverse countries around the world have made mistakes. The world has seen diverse atrocities. But many of these countries have made many attempts that are progressive and have learnt from their past errors. Let us encourage all Sri Lankans to take progressive steps to respect the heritage, culture and religion of the majority Sinhala community while doing the same equally for the Tamils and others. We should all remember that violence only begets violence. 

Let us all try to end the cycle of violence – of both thought and action and proceed to bring economical, spiritual and educational prosperity to the country that was once our home. Nationalism both Sinhala and Tamil, is a natural process that begins with love for our country but let us try at least now to prevent it from spiralling to extremism. Extremism is first a thought and then it becomes an action.  

Q: Would you be able to assist in an authentic peacebuilding initiative that has no agendas except the mission of humanity the Harmony page of Weekend FT is planning, in collaboration with traditional knowledge focused peacebuilding communicator and writer, Frances Bulathsinghala to link Sri Lankans and those of Lankan origin through the route of that which is indigenous in diverse realms?

There are many like me who are working actively with professionals in Sri Lanka towards the goal of unity and the above mentioned indigenous knowledge researcher is one such person. I believe that media and research on traditional and indigenous knowledge for peace initiatives is important for the world.