Devolution of power is all that is required

by A.J.N. Selvadurai

(August 06, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The question of devolution of power arose only after the Sinhala Buddhist majority introduced the "Sinhala Only" language policy to hit the Tamils who were better educated and better employed than the Sinhala majority. This was because S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike used the language card to become the prime minister at any cost, which instantly divided the country on ethnic lines and made way for the present ethnic war.

The reason for the imbalance in education and employment was because the dry zone in which the Tamils lived could not sustain them and successive Sinhala dominated governments refused to develop it because they were ‘Tamil areas.’ The Tamils were therefore forced to take to education for their survival so that they could get employment in the lush Sinhala south and feed their families in the northeast. The lucky Sinhalese living in the wet zone did not have this motivation.

Had the northeast been a wet zone this imbalance would not have been there — which is the main cause for the Sinhala hostility. Supposing the situation was in the reverse and the Sinhalese happened to live in the dry zone, they too would have migrated to the wet zone in search of employment. Had the environmental factor been recognised by the Sinhala leadership, perhaps there would have been more understanding and less hostility.

This imbalance had not been remedied by taking action to develop the Tamil areas so that they could be contained there, but instead the language policy was introduced to exacerbate the situation and forcing the hitherto docile Tamils to take up arms and demand separation, because even federalism within a unitary state was violently refused by the Sinhalese.

The introduction of the racist "Sinhala Only" language policy in itself could be construed as an act of state terrorism against the Tamil minority. While the bombing of Tamil villages causing a mass displacement and emigration of Tamils is not considered "terrorism" the single act of a desperate suicide bomber is called "terrorism." Suicide bombs are created by state terrorism in retaliation for the destruction of his homeland and his people by the state.

And now, there is an organisation in London called "Sri Lankans Against Terrorism, United Kingdom" (STAT-UK) who are barking up the wrong tree. They should really get the state of Sri Lanka to remove their "terrorising military" from the Tamil areas and start negotiating with a view to reconciliation.

There is no point asking the LTTE to lay down arms after 25 years of warfare. This appears to be done purely to humiliate them. They would be within their rights to demand the state to withdraw the military, which the state would never do. It has to be unconditional like in previous times. Laying down such an impossible condition indicates that the state of Sri Lanka wants to continue the war.

A simple, suitable devolution within the unitary state is all that was needed, like the federal states of the USA and India.

So what is the problem? If the Sinhalese are unable to change their attitude, which is based on "Mahavamsa mythology" and "Operation eviction" then the only the option is secession.
- Sri Lanka Guardian