President Rajapakse – uniter or divider extra-ordinaire?

By Luxman-Arvind

(February 21, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Dr. Rajasingham Narendran (RN) has contributed regularlyand usefully in that necessary discourse Sri Lanka can do without – between the academics from both sides of the divide - in search of that necessary peace and unity that has eluded us so far. He and I travel in the same trajectory in that both feel working with a mature and enlightened Sinhala political leadership free of anti-Tamil bias offers a better future to the Lankan Tamil Nation in an undivided Sri Lanka. This is a far better option than a total break that the LTTE disastrously insisted in the post-1983 period to form an entirely Separate State. In semantics and in some aspects of the approach, we differ respecting the high traditions of pluralism – the core feature of the democratic culture. Our task, however, continues to be made exasperating by political actors in the South who continued to insist directly and subtly all tigers are Tamils and, therefore, all Tamils are tigers. This, in spite of the fact many Tamils of good intent have sought conciliation and cooperation despite the genocidal nature of politics let loose on them. It will be the height of naivette to believe the comparatively united country we saw in the pre-1950s - where Tamils lived relatively safely and in peace in most parts of the country is possible - either in the present or the future. Perhaps to some extent in Colombo City, in the town areas of Kandy, Bandarawela, Talawakelle, Nuwara Eliya provided law-enforcement authorities protect them in times of racial tension and shall not be influenced by the Kotakadeniya Doctorine. These officials should not utilise such periods in the collapse of the law and order machinery as a time to make fortunes for them on the misery of the hounded Tamils. This happened in 1977 and 1983 in many parts of the country is all too well known. Good men like RN have to structure their welcome thoughts of unity within the limited available space.

A few years ago I spent hours talking to Prof. Bruce Pappferrer – the Australian-born Anthropologist - who had studied the Sri Lankan crisis in-depth. Noticing my cynicism in the failures of past peace attempts he assured me “there have been instances in recent world history where theatres that had undergone long periods of blood-letting and war have emerged successfully as peaceful societies” (Korea, Vietnam, Angola being some) How I wish Sri Lanka’s name can be added to this welcome list?

To bring in the examples of the Dance of Shiva and Shakthi that fascinated men of thinking like Ananda Coomaraswamy a century ago to the current horde of neanderthals will be akin to taking pearls to swine. Currently, the fear is if from the low depths of medieval fundamentalism we are in, we are proceeding to the darkness of the totalitarian culture of a Police State. How the unprincipled opportunists of the JHU “appear to have changed " to RN puzzles me. As to MR’s regime “stood up to the external pressures” this is yet to be seen. The Dublin Inquiry and ceaseless warnings and censure from the US, EU, UN and many other are haunting the regime. Pray tell me, what is the usually foot-in-the –mouth diseased Defence Secretary doing in New Delhi now but to “explain” the circumstances under which Sarath Fonseka was taken in, detained and how he is going to be dealt with in the future. Where is the much heralded soverignity here? Surreptitously encouraging an unruly mob of crazed Buddhist monks to the Kandy Prelates does not appear to me like “de-politicising the Buddhist clergy” but more the other way around. Indeed, MR has “stirred a national debate” where even Sinhala people on the fence are beginning to wonder what kind of creatures have taken over the country if the much respected Sangha and its higher hierarchy can be threatened with bombs and death – no less the dire warning of a crude division of the Sangha itself.

How judicious is it to trust this kind of leadership with the future of the Tamil people and nation in the country. RN believes MR will deliver to the satisfaction of the Tamil people. But then what was he doing in the last five years? Where is the assurance what he failed to do so far he will in the future. Why was not the HSZ matter settled to the relief of the Tamils when he visited Jaffna last January – while it was leaked to the Sunday Times he was going to do this. One does not play Quid Pro Quo savagely with the houses, farms and livelihoods of several hundreds of thousands of people – purely because the “massive reception” Douglas D assured was never to be. The war is long over. So what is this high-security zone for?

RN is all too aware in the past 2 years or so the regime has been sending out feelers to various leadership sections of the diaspora they would rather deal with a Tamil leadership in the diaspora than that in the ground here in the country. In the nature of their inherent cunning, they were encouraging different groups in Australia, Britain, Canada, USA and Europe with oblique assurances of Cabinet positions, National slots in Parliament in future elections and so forth. A few groups in the diaspora fell for this in the foolish belief they are the new “darlings” of Rajapakse’s GoSL.

Some of them were brought down to Colombo and meetings were arranged with political leaders here under much fanfare and publicity. Office space and limited resources were provided in certain ministries in the guise the government was serious in the matter. This exercise was as genuine as that discredited APRC whichProf. Tissa Vitharana still says is on. The fact is the regime was simultaneously negotiating with the Tamil political leadership to be part of their Coalition. The regime counted a great deal on Sampanthan and the TNA till the last moment. Sampanthan and friends appeared to have eventually decided to go with the General. Inspite of the now down-sized Douglas, Karuna - the goons and gun men around them Tamils have shown in no uncertain terms they are not convinced with Rajapakse’s credentials or good intentions. The matter stands there. At any rate, the most the diaspora would have received was just a single seat in Parliament under the National List (more to fool Donors and the outside world) – or if push comes to shove one more. The TNA, Anandasangaree and other Tamil groupings are not going to be dislodged in a hurry although personally I like to see the emergence of a new and fresh set of leaders in the Tamil political landscape. Anyone wanting to believe to the contrary and painting rainbows in their mind for an illusionary new Tamil order are only likely to engage disappointment in due course. “Stifling the media” “misusing the system” that you deplore here is not going to advance the democratic culture. It only creates suspicion and hatred in the regime by the already weary people.

Yet – all is not lost. RN and others in the diaspora, unheedling their own personal ambitions and agendas, can still ask President Rajapakse to show actual performance substantial development in the NEP. I welcome the improvement in the South-North road transport, Sinhalese visiting the NEP in large numbers, trade and the efforts – with foreign help – to extend the railway to Jaffna. But much more was promised years ago by the Rajapakse Presidency and brothers. Empty rhetoric and perfidy from Colombo never fooled the Tamil people in the past and is unlikely to do so now or in the future. If the assured “massive investment and development” is to be seen you will see the emergence and acceptance of even Sinhala political Tamil parties in the NEP.