“Families have also been intimidated even at their doorsteps often with threats by fund collectors of all kinds pretending to be working for the liberation cause in Sri Lanka. Even if some of them are engaged in raising funds for such a purpose, what is being pursued is politics of violence that is certainly not going to help towards a solution in Sri Lanka.” (Image: Scene of tragedy: The bodies of two children were found in the house)__________________________
by Victor Karunairajan Consulting Editor for Sri Lanka Guardian
(June 01, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) The horrendous report in our Sri Lankan Guardian this morning is hard to take. I became aware of it last night and was absolutely shell-shocked. Yet - I have been seeing such patterns of family violence among our people, virtually unknown in Sri Lanka, in Canada too and also have heard of them a great deal in the UK and France as well.
A part of the cause - perhaps the main cause - is the absence of the cushion of extended family and that not being replaced by volunteer social workers in the community. We have hardly anyone who would go all out to help people in need especially with language difficulties and the inability to adjust to life in a foreign clime.
There is also much tension in husband-wife relationships and instances of couples being strangers to each other even after some years of married life and having children. Children are the worst affected in such cases.
Families have also been intimidated even at their doorsteps often with threats by fund collectors of all kinds pretending to be working for the liberation cause in Sri Lanka. Even if some of them are engaged in raising funds for such a purpose, what is being pursued is politics of violence that is certainly not going to help towards a solution in Sri Lanka.
Yet the Tamil Diaspora has a large number of temples, churches and all kinds of organizations, even an umpteen number of tabloids virtually all trash, and every week some functions or festivals that bring the people together; even TV and radio stations of its own. Unfortunately most of them are highly commercialized, and gathering up shekels whatever way possible seems the only aim of such activities and ventures.
The way the Tamil grocery shops are run nearly all of them stink like hell, is another example of how the community is being exploited by its own people. These shops are a shame. We have not changed from the way we had banana and karuvaaddukkadai (dry fish) shops in Sri Lanka. All that matters is quick profits!
As for some quality in their products, the first few months they may be okay but soon they descend to rock-bottom states. The people do not react but meekly get about their ways. It seems to impress that it is our culture not to challenge such short-comings but keep our mouths shut and be damned by our own folks.
The community is also active in trying to influence the life of its kith and kin in Sri Lanka not through an educative development and supportive process but pitching them in the thick of violence, so much so, a lot of our young people there have either perished or left the country making our community in Sri Lanka an endangered species. It is a proxy war they are fighting; their own children are not on the battle front but in university campuses.
There are those who think they have the right to determine the affairs of their folks in Sri Lanka and such are generally the totally bored ones who do not know what to do for themselves in their new homelands. The culture determines that they must boss, dominate and rule others to have a status for themselves and because of their forunate circumstances, their people in Sri Lanka must be aarddu kuddies - miserable lambs!
What happened in Carshalton, an area I am very familiar with, was indeed heart-rending but certainly not something that should surprise us. Just last year in Toronto a Tamil teenager female was stabbed to death by her father and not so long ago two brothers, only children in the family, were killed brutally by their peers during a concert or soon afterwards on the university grounds. There was the instance of a wife thrown down from seven storeys and these are happening with repetitive insanity.
Yet most of our spare time is spent on events that do not relate to take good care of our people but led by people who very well seemed to exploit it for quick bucks. The Tamil community in its new homelands is crying out for volunteers from its own people to help it, but such volunteers just do not exist. But fund collectors and shekel makers are far too in numbers and often drive brand new white cars and SUVs. This is our tragedy.
There are sure to be critics to this my reaction; welcome they may be but first let them ask for themselves whether they have in any way addressed themselves to the crying needs of our community especially where children are involved or rather preferred to go by like the priest in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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