Mr. Rajapakse, Appoint A Tamil And A Muslim As Our Prime Minister

By Dr. Jagath Asoka

(March 25, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) When S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was assassinated in 1959, our nation did something unprecedented: We elected Sirimavo Bandaranaike, world's first female head of government. Later, Sri Lankans not only re-elected her but also elected and re-elected her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, our fourth executive president. During the last 62 years since we gained independence in 1948, our country was ruled by two women for 23 years. Americans are still waiting for their first woman president.

If the conditions are right, what was impossible would become possible—we never thought a white majority in the U.S.A. would elect a black president; Nelson Mandela would become the first South-African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election; Soviet Union would collapse; and Berlin Wall would fall. Given our bloody history, is it possible for a Tamil or a Muslim to be head of government in Sri Lanka? In Sri Lanka, under what conditions would the majority Sinhala-Buddhists elect a Tamil or a Muslim as their Executive President? Well, does this sound like a dream or a fantasy? This should eventually happen in Sri Lanka. This will happen when we begin to identify ourselves as Sri Lankans. There is only one occasion, so far, that comes to my mind where we identify ourselves as Sri Lankans: when we play cricket with other nations.

Certain social events can be accelerated by genuine leaders. When our President was awarded a doctorate, he concluded his acceptance speech with the following saying from Dhammapada: Mindful and striving, pure, restrained and righteous, man advances to fame and prosperity. Here is a challenge for you, Mr. President: Wouldn’t it be mindful, pure, and righteous to appoint a Tamil or a Muslim as our Prime Minister, instead of appointing one of your brothers. If you were to appoint one of your brothers as our Prime Minister, it would be an insult to your own brother.

We cannot deceive our minority community any more by saying that there is no discrimination of Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka. I do not think that Sinhala-Buddhists are capable of solving problems that are peculiar to minority communities. You cannot see through the eyes of Tamils and Muslims unless you have walked in their shoes. If we want to find a reliable solution to the problems and grievances related to our minority brothers and sisters, we have to give them power to solve their own problems. Better yet, appoint a Tamil or a Muslim woman as our Prime Minster. This would end the hatred and mistrust between the majority Sinhala-Buddhists and the minority Tamils and Muslims. This would be the bridge that connects our separated north and south. This would eliminate the conditions of creating another ruthless terrorist leader. How can we say that we are a compassionate society when millions of our minority brothers and sisters suffer from the venom of ethnic hatred? Where is compassion—the burning point of our nation?

Epicurus’s old questions are relevant to our Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka: Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence, then, evil? Is Mr. Rajapakse willing to appoint a minority member as our Prime Minister, but not able? Is he able to appoint a minority member as our Prime Minister, but not willing? Is he both able and willing to appoint a minority member as our Prime Minister? There are so many decent, peace-loving, deserving Tamils and Muslims who are capable of serving our motherland. Of course, some bigots and ultra-nationalists will hate you if you were to make such a move. If you truly want to test the character of our nation, do something that no Sri Lankan king or head of state has ever done before.

The entire world is waiting for your leadership. Show the world that you don’t believe in nepotism. Here is your chance to prove to the Nobel committee that you are a true lover of peace and justice for all, a true follower of the great sage of Sākya— Sākyamuni—who became the Buddha. I am not saying that a single act like a token appointment of a Tamil/Muslim Prime Minister in Sri Lanka would equate Mr. Rajapaksa to the great emancipator Abraham Lincoln. Such an appointment could be the first step toward appeasement and reconciliation, but would fall far short of other reforms that the Tamils and Muslims are demanding. I know that it is difficult to satisfy a minority that for more than a hundred years enjoyed power disproportionate to their numbers. We need a public debate to find out what the real Tamil concerns are and what solutions are pragmatic. We can learn from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a court-like body assembled in South Africa after the abolition of apartheid. Are we ready to invite witnesses—Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims—who were victims of gross human rights violations to give statements about their experiences, for public hearings. Are we willing to give amnesty to perpetrators of violence?

Mr. President, take our country to hitherto unknown heights in peace and social justice: Appoint a Tamil as our Prime Minister for two years and after that appoint a Muslim as our Prime Minister for two years. Such an appointment would be the first step toward a multi-ethnic democracy in Sri Lanka. The entire world will rally behind you and support you. This will be the first step to end discrimination in Sri Lanka. This would heal our nation.