Narendran Rajasingham’s Note on the Moon-Panel’s Report

(May 12, , Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Dr Rajasingham Narendran who worked in Saudi Arabia for many years and is retired now, is a Tamil nationalist who has not hesitated to expose the LTTE for what it had become. He has advocated the case for national reconciliation and mutual accommodation between the communities in Sri Lanka over several years. In the last few days there has been a heated discussion on the Moon-Darusman Report within a web circle, with some of the Tamil participants hurling sharp criticisms at each other. Narendran submitted this MEMO as a contribution to this debate. I consider it useful for a wider audience to have access to his viewpoint. - Michael Roberts

Dear [deleted name]

Thanks for your clear and wise stand. You have said what had to be said very well and unambiguously. What we have to be concerned is justice for those who survived the direct effects of the war. This covers the Tamils, Sinhalese and the Muslims. This is a concern that should be shared by all Sri Lankans. How we are going to set about it in an organized manner is a big question. Those who are seeking revenge, believing that the side they supported during the war were angels, while those on the opposite side were the devils, are responsible for the debate that has enveloped the Ban Ki Moon sponsored report. Revenge and damning the various players in the war, will not bring back the dead, replace lost limbs, and heal various wounds that have befallen the people who were in the midst of the war and survived it. However, they can be helped to put their lives together and take steps towards an acceptable future.

We, the Tamils, as a people have failed in this regard. Individual efforts such as yours and many others are useful, but mere drops in the ocean compared to the immensity of the problems. The Sri Lankan government, against whom many are seeking revenge, has done more for these people, than we- their kith and kin. We as people will have a right to be critical of the Sri Lankan government, if we had come forward en-masse to help these people. This will be an ugly blot in our history as Tamils.While I find the Ban Ki Moon sponsored report, generally acceptable, it has relied too heavily on various interest groups for its information. It has not been able to interview the victims of this war directly and hear their narrative. To blame both sides equally is a cop out. I feel those who instigated a renewed war, without any consideration for the consequences need to be blamed more. Those who called the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan government the mortal enemies of the Tamils, were stupid to expect a different outcome. The report does not focus enough on this aspect of the war. It is rather unbalanced because of these reasons.

I am partially retired now and have spent a considerable amount of time in Jaffna. The people there are trying to build their lives under very difficult circumstances – the consequences of war on the society at large. These people have no interest in revenge or in the contents of this report. What they expect now is peace and the environment and the help to make their lives acceptable.

With best regards,

Dr. R .Narendran