Nothing but the truth

This is in reply to Ravi Dahanayake’s response on 12 October to my letter under the caption ‘Discrimination in Sri Lanka: Myth or truth’ published in the FT of 6 October.

It is customary for both Sinhalese and Tamils to recollect the past, whenever they write about the good old days, where Sinhalese and Tamils lived as good friends. Not only in the past, even now despite the problems, a number of us live as good friends. I have myself a few good friends whose cordiality with me is unquestionable.

It is not a personal matter we are speaking or rather writing about. It is about the political discrimination which brought disharmony and thus disgrace to Sri Lanka.

It is a shame for you to gloat over the fact that a lot of Sinhalese came to the forefront to safeguard innocent Tamil people during the black history in July 1983. (What about 1956, 1958, 1977?) Yes! Who else would have gone to safeguard, other than the goodhearted Sinhalese? You have conveniently failed to mention from whom you have safeguarded and who was responsible for the holocaust.

The Army and the other guardians of law were looking the other way and encouraged the hooligans. Further, President J.R. went on the TV and warned the Tamils to the effect that “if you want peace I will give you peace and if you want war I will give you war”. It may be an imitation of a Churchillian style statements made during the World War II, but, unfortunately, this statement was against his countrymen.

You say ‘nothing is right for me’. I have pointed out what is wrong according to my experience. There are enough and more examples to be cited, but I have indicated only few. Only a Tamil could understand the problems faced by them at different Government institutions and elsewhere in their day-to-day life. I would like to call a spade a spade rather than by some other escapist term. 

Your contention that you are not in a position to ascertain the truth from the contents of my letter is a pity. You may make your own investigation and ascertain for yourself the facts.  But, as a Sinhalese, the need may not have arisen for you to weed out the good from the bad and the bad from the ugly.  Instead of beating about the bush, if you had pinpointed your doubts; I could have clarified the matters.

Please remember that Sri Lanka is my motherland and not Tamil Nadu, although we may have close cultural links. For that matter, all the high level ministers and the President also visit Thirupathy and Anjaneyar Temple in India and receive special blessings and solace whenever they feel insecure from their own people.

It is indeed appreciable that the Tamils and Sinhalese could go to the same temple (Kadirkamam/Kataragama) and pray in Tamil and Sinhala respectively and obtain their needs without discrimination. Why then is the discrimination elsewhere in Sri Lanka?

Incidentally, the Tamils and Sinhalese appear to be jointly and severally responsible for the bond scam – a unity seldom seen elsewhere.

I will continue to live here, whether there is “tranquility” or not, hoping against hope that equality prevails sooner or later by whatever means, including help from the Sinhalese like you.  

You seem to congratulate Dr. Godahewa for defending the majority interest, but unfortunately it is devoid of substance. A defense becomes necessary when somebody has been indicted. Rightly, Godahewa has tried to defend the majority from their misdeeds. May be he would defend himself successfully elsewhere too. 

Federalism has been interpreted as a dangerous move to divide the country by almost all Sinhala politicians. Even the recent ruling by the Sri Lankan High Court to the contrary does not seem to throw light.

Regretfully, the High Court ruling was not adequately amplified in the English and Sinhala media, I understand, to allay the fears of those who were misinformed of the meaning of federalism hitherto.

Ironically they do not hesitate to hand over a portion of Sri Lanka to China and India, under the guise of a lease, arranges to redraw the map of Sri Lanka and be happy with it. Despite the fact they are outsiders. The repercussions can be fathomed only with the passage of time. 

May be that you could ‘lease’ the north and east to the Sri Lankan Tamils and find out whether they are dangerous? Recently I learnt from the press that Minister of Rehabilitation D.M. Swaminathan was called upon to a pay a few million rupees to release the private lands occupied by the Army to their legitimate owners.

Where do we go from here? You can wake up a person who is really asleep but not a person who pretends to be asleep. 

Let us be honest to ourselves.

K. Anaga