Killing Prabhakaran Will Not Silence the Tamils
by C.V.Wigneswaran
Akanda Mandalaakaaram Viyaaptham Yena Charaacharam Tatpatham Dharshitham Yena Tasmai Shree Gurave Namaha.
Madam Chairman, my dear brothers and sisters!
Closing in on the psalmist’s three scores and ten years, age wise many of us are legacies from the past. As a student and then even as a young legal practitioner at the time Senator Tiruchelvam was a Minister, I remember myself firmly believing that the future of this Country was going to be all rosy and happy. The tomorrow was going to be better than the today of those yesteryears, I thought. But alas! It had got worse and worse so much so, from a political perspective those few years of Dudley Senanayake’s stewardship as Prime Minister appears as an oasis in the midst of a long stretch of barren desert soil.
[Justice CV Wigneswaran speaking at the book launch]
The release of “Senator Tiruchelvam’s Legacy” is timely. It reflects the staid sobriety of a by-gone age during our own mundane human existence, quite out of step with the belligerent,blithering,bullying,barbaric and boorish outfit of today boastfully though beguilingly referring to itself as benignant and beneficient,benevolent and even blessed. Those of us bred in the Western public school traditions yet having also imbibed the perennial virtues of our Eastern values find it difficult to classify the negative norms and superficial standards of the present era into anything worthwhile Eastern or Western, traditional or modern, national or international. A hybrid new culture alien to Western and traditional Eastern culture though possibly borrowed from the seedier sides of those two cultures, seems to be taking root in this country. Naked selfishness, rank self interest and the spirit of self aggrandizement, conceit and egotistic imperatives seem to motivate today’s possessors of power and authority. Holding on to the reins of government at any cost has become the principal dogma and doctrine to be pursued. Destroying one’s opponents using any means or modes has become a cult. Dead men do not talk has become the principal motto of their outlook.
Just forty years ago it was not so. Democracy had a meaning. You could discuss your differences without despising your opponent. Today even the heads of organs of State carry venom and vituperation in their veins however much they camouflage their nakedness with high sounding patriotic and religious epithetic garbs.
It is amazing to see the change of values, norms and standards since forty years ago. May be we who were born during British times and bred after Independence are considered today as anachronisms to be tolerated since we will be no more in a few years’ time.
I like to show the difference in perspectives between the time of Senator Tiruchelvam and the present era. If you take today’s Parliament none seem to be interested in what is taking place there except to the extent as to what benefits, attendance in Parliament, could bring upon them. Arguments in Parliament in comparison to the earlier period are puerile and often borders on personal vituperation.
The by gone era of Senator Tiruchelvam discussed in a dignified way the most distressing political problem that beset them at that time. No white vans took valued relatives of Parliamentarians as hostages to manipulate voting pattern in Parliament. Crossing the floor for Ministerial benefits was minimal.
I like to quote late Mr.J.R.Jayewardene,who later became the first Executive President of this country, when he paid tribute to Senator Tiruchelvam on his demise.JRJ was a contemporary of Mr.Tiruchelvam at the Ceylon Law College and a colleague of his in Dudley Senanayake’s cabinet. Having said that Mr.Tiruchelvam was a Minister of great acceptance, he continued thus-(I quote) “He never obtruded in our discussions .When he intervened it was acceptable and civilized”.(unquote) This civility is missing today amidst our Parliamentarians. Each appears to be a bull in his own China Shop.
I sometimes wonder whether we could ever visit the earlier intellectually stimulating period of Parliamentary debates, our Parliamentarians in recent times having tainted themselves with brutal prejudices and boorish pretensions.
Dr.Colvin R. de Silva had this to say about Senator Tiruchelvam.(I quote) ‘He had of course even in political discussion, a certain tenacity in respect of decisions to which he had already come in that field and which decisions he was seeking to pursue. But he did even that in an extremely agreeable and pleasant manner so that one could after a discussion that might have turned heated, terminate the discussion as good friends who had had a discussion on a matter of utmost difficulty” (unquote).
Such a quality was of utmost necessity in the field of Parliamentary activity where members had to face each other daily. However agitated the generation of Tiruchelvam and Dr.Colvin R.de Silva were,they hardly ever transgressed acceptable behavioural patterns of dignified Parliamentarians. One wonders whether in today’s Parliament the atrocious behavioural practices are staged for the consumption of their TV watching constituencies. After their unacceptable boorish behaviour we find Parliamentarians showing a rare camaraderie outside the Chamber. May be birds of the same feather but of different political hues are cahoots in deals which give them each personal benefits. The show in Chambers may be a cover for their nefarious activities.
Another quality of Senator Tiruchelvam portrayed in the publication under review today was his conviction that this country belongs to all its citizens. He was individualistic when wanting to uphold the rights and privileges of a particular ethnic group among the denizens of this Island of ours. But he was at the same time nationalistic and viewed the country’s citizenry as one composite whole and therefore willing to co-operate and inter- act at the public and national level. In fact he was resolutely in favour of a united and plural Sri Lanka and therefore opposed the 1976 Vaddukottai Resolution that demanded a separate State of Thamileelam and advised Mr.Chelvanayagam against it. Obviously he still had faith in the humaneness of those politicians among the Sinhalese who drove the Tamils to pass that Resolution as a last resort much against their innate wishes.
There is an unfortunate tendency today among many of our Sinhala Buddhist brethren to view and consider those who speak up for the rights of the Tamil speaking people as traitors and terrorists. What is amazing in this perspective is that many of them believe in such trash. When I made my acceptance speech, on being elevated to the Supreme Court in the year 2001, in all three languages including Sinhala, referring candidly to the problems of the Tamils of Sri Lanka there were many of my colleagues who were otherwise well disposed towards me who were shocked and looked upon me like a visitor from an alien planet. It took some time for them to realize it was the same old Wigneswaran because I showed no difference in my day to day behavioural pattern. If my right to express my views about the community to which I belong to, is considered traitorous and terroristic, I used to wonder how justice could be expected from some of these colleagues in cases in which minorities were before Courts. Did it not mean that these gentlemen had fallen prey to prejudices and predilections? They simply could not take the trouble to understand what I said and if necessary vehemently argue with me rather than being at once prejudiced.
Mr.Tiruchelvam refers to a similar incident with regret in his maiden speech in the Senate on the 30th of April,1965.Speaking about the introduction of the Language of the Courts’ Bill in Parliament he said unfortunately Mrs.Bandaranaike was out of the Island on that date and it fell upon the then Minister of Justice to introduce the document.Mr.Tiruchelvam then went on to say as follows-(I quote from the publication under review)-”I regret to say this but I have to say it for the purpose of record-Although he was the Minister in charge of the subject ,that is the official language,(he) had not read the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam Pact. He did not know the principles enunciated by Mr. Bandaranaike on this matter. Indeed, even at a later stage during the Satyagraha movement, when we had negotiations for the purpose of settling matters, to my utter consternation and horror I found that he had not read the Bandaranaike Chelvanayagam Pact. I thought to myself that the destinies of this country, the destinies of hundreds of thousands, nay, of millions of people are entrusted to people of this type who did not have even the elementary responsibility of familiarizing themselves with that important document or at least one section of it “.(unquote).
May be the then Minister of Justice was an exception at that time. But today his types are the order of the day. Prejudices, predilections, apathy and indifference affect most of our politicians today. A craving for power and money drives them. Make hay while the Sun shines they seem to be saying. What happens tomorrow is not our business they seem to be thinking.
How stupid would it be to think that militarily overcoming the LTTE or killing its head would solve the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka.The LTTE is the offspring of the ethnic problem itself created by the successive mono ethnic parliamentary majority in Sri Lanka. It was State terrorism on their part which created the Liberation Tigers. The ethnic problem concerns the denizens of the Northern and Eastern Provinces who had lived in their areas for centuries from pre historic times. True there were influxes of Tamils at various stages of our history. But the fact that right throughout history the Dravidians had occupied the present Northern and Eastern Provinces and even more lands surrounding them cannot be disputed. The Buddhist remains in the North are the remnants left by the Demala Bauddhayo not any body else. Buddhism flourished in South India too at that period of history. Even though students join a College like say Royal College from Royal Primary or after passing the Scholarship exam or at the level of GCE Ordinary Level or even at some other class they are all called Royalists. You don’t call them by any other name. Similarly whatever may have been the period at which Tamils may have arrived in Sri Lanka we cannot dispute the fact that always the Northern and Eastern Provinces were occupied by Tamil speaking people including the Muslims.Whether the East came under the suzerainty of the Kandyan King was irrelevant.If it is relevant then the fact that the Tamil King Elara wielded power over the entire Island would also become relevant.I hope you understand the connection.
From the time of Independence large majority of the people of these two provinces have shown their preference for a live and let live policy by supporting parties which declared a federal form of government as the best for this Island. When federalism was jettisoned by the so-called National Parties then only the Vaddukoddai Resolution was passed in 1976 despite opposition by Tamils like Mr.Tiruchelvam . From that time emerged the military arm of the Tamils however imperfect or perfect they may be. By destroying the military arm you don’t destroy the aspirations of the people who had been deprived of their legitimate rights. And you are dealing with Tamils whose literature and culture are as old as or older than the oldest civilization in this world. Once the civilization of the Lemurian Continent comes to light much of the information about the antiquity of the Tamils now shrouded in mystery would be brought to light. I say this only to point out that you cannot trifle with people who are heirs to civilization and culture of such antiquity. Let us not forget despite China annexing by force the land of the Tibetans their problem is still kept alive by Dalai Lama and others .Killing Pararajasingham,Raviraj or Maheswran or any other Tamil Politician or political agitator or even Prabakaran will not silence the Tamil people whose whole existence as an ethnic and linguistic unit from ancient times is being jeopardized by successive insensitive Central Governments.
There are no terrorists who are born into this world. They are made. Mostly by persons in power and authority ,the mighty and the powerful, due to their selfishness and insensitiveness which give rise to resistance and reaction. Such mighty conveniently call those unable to accept their dictatorial dictates by names. Earlier they were called Communists, then Fundamentalists and now Terrorists. It is the terror tactics of those in power and authority which creates such antagonistic opposition and hostility. Those in authority who lack humanism or who have personal and selfish agendas of their own take cover behind such loaded terms such as Terrorism and Terrorists. The period of Tiruchelvam fortunately was devoid of such persons though not too later the 1971 JVP insurrection took place. There again it was the insensitiveness of successive governments towards the needs and aspirations of the poor and downtrodden people of the South which gave rise to such insurrection. It needs to be said in favour of Dudley Senanayake that he was prepared to discuss and adjust matters with those having opposite views instead of taking cover behind such terms as Naxalites and terrorists.
Yet Mr.Tiruchelvam could not continue to be in the cabinet on account of certain disputes that cropped up with regard to the Koneswaram Temple in Trinco and also due to the chauvinistic attitudes of many in Dudley’s party in power who prevented the implementation of the Senanayake-Chelvanayagam Pact. Mr.Tiruchelvam resigned in September 1968.
His last months were spent in successfully defending Mr.A.Amirthalingam and three others charged with sedition for peacefully defying the 1972 constitution. Two seniors led him in Court-S.J.V.Chelvanayagam, K.C. and G.G.Ponnambalam, K.C. the leaders of two opposing Tamil political parties. For a wonder Tamil birds of different feathers joined together. As expected they were successful. God made the Tamils disunited for the same reason that he denied horns to horses. They could be invincible if united. But I doubt their ever uniting. The verdict at the Trial at Bar was a triumph for the rule of law as stated by Mr. Ram Balasubramaniam in his introduction to the book under consideration.
Even before the 1972 constitution was enacted Mr.Tiruchelvam had warned with regard to its legality. In the course of his speech on the 30th of June 1970 after the new United Front Government under Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike was sworn in he pointed out that the Constituent Assembly which was due to be set up by the newly elected Government was illegal. He said as follows-”There was not one single speech, not one single talk indulged in the election campaign that there was going to be a Constitutional Assembly. How can there be a constituent assembly when the Government Parliamentary Group does not have a single Tamil elected representative to represent them and carve out a constitution?” Continuing he asked “How can you talk of a constituent assembly formed by a mere Resolution of the House? By a mere Resolution how can you make it a constituent assembly?” At page 281 later on he pointed out that sovereignty was vested with the people. Therefore unless those elected were people who were elected or selected ad hoc for that purpose such constituent assemblies would lack the necessary legal authority. The Constituent Assembly in India was an ad hoc body, he pointed out. He said it was specifically elected to exercise the sovereignty of the people and to create a constitution. But here what they are seeking to do, he said, is rather an amusing piece of effrontery- that is for the other House to arrogate to itself the power to frame a constitution and to make that constitution to work. He pointed out as per page 285 of the publication under review that we cannot adopt and operate a constitution unless you have it as a legal document, unless we are vested with the legal power. That legal power he said can only be vested in us by an Act of Parliament may be with a two thirds majority.
I was in Court when the late inimitable C.Suntharalingam brought an action before the Supreme Court stating that Section 29 of the then Constitution was in danger of being done away with. Chief Justice H.N.G.Fernando said it may or may not happen.Mr.Suntharalingam said it would be too late to come into Court if the entrenched Section 29 was arbitrarily done away with. The Chief Justice was impassive. The section was done away with. Again Mr.C.S was before Court. The Chief Justice said we are working now under the new Constitution. We cannot under it question the legality or otherwise of any provision. That was the end of the journey for Mr.C.S.The 1972 Constitution lacked legality.
Similar dramas are being effected in the North and East today. Without the consent of the people affected, without the consent of persons lawfully elected by the people, certain institutions are being set up. State thuggery seems to be the name of the game. Men and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for the Rule of Law and if grievances are redressed by constitutional methods. But if all constitutional methods fail to redress grievances of sections of society who have been subjected to innumerable hardships due to callousness and indifference and may be even partiality of successive Governments in power, how are they to redress their grievances by constitutional methods? Let us not forget that East Pakistan became Bangladesh on account of the indifference of the then West Pakistan to the real grievances of the people of East Pakistan.
It is to be said in favour of Mr.Murugeyson Tiruchelvam that until he breathed his last he believed in the goodness of all men. I wonder whether the pendulum would have swung to the other extreme if he was living today. I thank you for your patient hearing.
[Full Text of speeech made by Justice C.V.Wigneswaran, Retired Supreme Court Judge-at the Book Release: "Senator Tiruchelvam's Legacy"-a Vijitha Yapa Publication On 1st February 2008 at the New Kathiresan Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka]
Athos said,
February 17, 2008 @ 1:49 am
/*
Killing Prabhakaran Will Not Silence the Tamils
*/
Killing Prabakaran will certainly not silence the Jaffna Tamil. They can shout as much as they like. Killing Prabarakaran will stop the bus bombs, forced child conscription and suicide bombing. I feel the supreme court judge has lost all sense of justice and rule of law here. One has to wonder why think guy was appointed a supreme judge in the first place.
Gamini said,
February 17, 2008 @ 4:54 am
Dear sir,
Perhaps its difficult to interpret the mood of the ordinary man from the great heights of the ivory tower you occupy, but the only hope is to silence the suicide bombs and wanton acts of terror against the citizenry, unless that is you too equate this madman with all Tamils.
R.G said,
February 17, 2008 @ 8:16 am
Mahinda following the footsteps of G.W.Bush in Iraq.
First they went in for WMD. Then they turned on hunting down Saddam Hussein. When he was hung to death after year or so, US coalition still there…????
All those hoohaa about saddam Capture and justice etc etc are the thing of the past.
By this notion, this article serves well to remind Mahinda that he is going for the woods while the forest is full of mines. Mahinda following US and would end up the same. US forces cannot chew or swallow. Only thing left for them is to swallow their pride and get out as quick as they can.
The puppet govt also cannot perform or defend itself.
Sri Lanka would be pushed to the same dilemma if war continues…!!
Whats happening to our soldiers in Mannar? Tamilnet tells us that our soldiers are getting killed. Military doesn’t utter a word.
Any truth in Tamilnet news?
Devinda Fernando said,
February 17, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
The title of this Article is correct,…nothing else…
KILLING PRABHARKARAN WILL IN FACT EMBOLDEN TAMILS TO SPEAK…
….and they will speak out against the LTTE and the FASCIST REPRESSION they have suffered for 2 decades under this Monster.
He is the Reason there is still war and no political solution, he is the reason the CFA was a failure, he is the reason why so many Tamils (and Sinhalese) are dead. He is the reason Karuna and the East broke away. He is the reason why Rajiv Gandhi and Premadasa who both tried to reason with him and Supported him are Dead.
He is the reason why Tamils have been poisoned against their fellow countrymen, He is the reason why 1,000,000 Tamils are without a country displaced to all 4 corners of the globe. He is the reason why you Stupid Barkers continue to Shout for something you think is attainable when after 25 years it has been proven to be false.
If he is worshiped as a God, then lets Kill him and PROVE to the Blind Believers that he is a mere Mortal who will be of no consequence to the Tamil people in the following years to come.
Expatriate said,
February 17, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
Justice Wigneswaran spells out clearly the Tamil point of view. See how Alan Keenan described how the Supreme Court conducted hearings on the Bindunuwewa massacre:
(http://www.bostonreview.net/BR30.3/keenan.html)
“…But the final hearing was truly shocking. As the solicitor general repeatedly referred to the ways the Tamil inmates had been murdered—“beaten, stabbed, and some even roasted alive” he would say with a flourish—one of the justices began to mock his emphasis on the word “roasted.” This brought much laughter from the other justices and the defense lawyers, and even, most disturbingly, from the government lawyers themselves.
“This conduct was only the most grotesque example of the judges’ utter disdain for the crimes under consideration and for the state’s responsibility to determine the truth. The proceedings were filled with bad jokes and undignified behavior, lacked any sense of gravity of the case, and indicated no awareness of the state’s obligation to protect the inmates whatever their political sympathies.
“Sitting quietly and scribbling in my notebook, I felt overcome with the desire to pick up a gun and join the Tigers. I could only imagine how Sri Lankan Tamils would feel…”
Given that judiciary is only there to work within the illegal and illegitimate constitution of Sri Lanka, no sane person will buy the claims by professional liars like Dayan Jayatilleka and Bernard Gunatilleka about having ‘robust’ institutions and judiciary capable of addressing grave human rights violations.
Justice Wigneswaran should speak candidly more often to international audiences about his experiences at the Sri Lankan Supreme Court and why Sri Lanka as it is constituted today is illegitimate.
Kumara Ekanayake said,
February 17, 2008 @ 7:18 pm
Killing prabakaran will not silence the tamils. even after killing prabakaran , the tamils should continue there freedom struggle by democratic protets.
The killing will help to liquidate LTTE, and eventualy the tamils can enjoy real freedom of life (Time before prabakaran started his “liberation”, Every part of Sri lanka was peaceful.)
Therefore aim of killing prabakaran is to enjoy real democratic feedom. The Tamils sholud organise peoples power demonstrations, until they find equlity within Sri Lanka.
Hopefully, by the end of this year, Sri Lanka should be able to kill this little evel.
diplomut said,
February 18, 2008 @ 5:32 am
Mr Wig is a blast from the past, and prejudiced like the ones that he is accusing.
He states that the Buddhist remains in the North are those of Tamil buddhists. How does he explain the thousand or so Sinhala place names in Jaffna which remain in a Tamilised form??
Aliya Wala Aliya walai
Sanga Thana Sangathanai
Kuda Thana Kuda Thanai
Weligama Welikamam
maracci Rata Thenamaracci and wadamaracci
Kodi Gama Kodikamam
Let us have an explanation please.
The prejudice he points to is no difference to the prejudice of the Whites towards the blacks in the US and the Whites have been far more violent towards the blacks than the Sinhalese towards the Tamils.
The LTTE or the Black Panthers cannot resolve such prejudice. The LTTE and the Black Panthers would only make the situation worse as it has done in Sri Lanka.
Stay the course Gota and crush the terrorists and let the likes of Wigneswaran whistle in the dark.
Subra S.Massey said,
February 18, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Killing Prabaharan is not possible. He is the manifestation of the Tamil pain. If he goes some one else will take over. There is a one page proclamation that is Prabaharan. Even Prabaharan lives by that proclamation.
Only way to kill Prabaharn is to kill the pain and struggle of the Tamil people, Honestly and whole heartedly.
R.S.Ganeshan said,
February 18, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
#4Yes the title referred to is correct indeed, the Tamils wiil be more embolden, but they cannot be fooled,cheated, subjugated or repressed until they achieve equality and respect in Sri Lanka, and believe me that will happen only when the time comes for the Sinhalese to realise that they have been cheated and deceived by self-serving leaders and have no alternative but to exorcise and jettison the monster of hate and prejudice which bugs them to elect corrupt racists as their leaders and stretch their hands out in friendship to their Tamil brothers and sisters..
Estavez said,
February 18, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
You heard it from the horses’ mouth.
LTTE Political Head had told recently that LTTE Leader will arise from the dead for the umpteenth time and the SLG and SL Forces would eat their own words let alone live to tell the story.
The layers of security offered to SL Army General and President if anything to go by, LTTE would employ more sophisticated defence system to protect their leader.
Clearly, it’s a psy op by SL Airforce commander to speculate such misinformation as we all know, SL Forces are bogged down in all three fronts and not making any significant gains in the war front.
It’s been 8 months since the east was ‘Liberated’ and LTTE playing a very shrewd game of cat and mouse.
SL Forces walking in to LTTE assigned Terrain and getting beaten time after time.
Already there’s speculation about military stalemate and which favours LTTE than any other.
The longer the war is stagnant, the economy gets a beating in the south.
Any wise person down south would argue that war is futile and only substantial autonomy and a guaranteed Tamil Homeland for the safety of Tamil speaking people in the North-East would bring this calamity to an end.
Until this dawns upon the Sinhala leaders, we will have to count the dead , injured and the spectacular Anuradhapruaa Air Bases attacks which would be the norm in years to come.
Dias said,
February 19, 2008 @ 2:29 am
Mr. Justice, it would help us all if we begin to think in terms of Sri Lankans and not as Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Buddhists, or whatever else’s. Therefore, wha is important is to think of long term solutions that would benefit the entire nation and just solutions based on ethnic criteria. This is the biggest mistake that most do – Sinhalese thinks exclusively about their interests and the Tamils, exclusively about heir interests.
Diplomut said,
February 19, 2008 @ 3:23 am
Mr Wigs states that killing Prabakaran will not silence the Tamils.
Dear Mr Wigs, I have news for you. the same applies to the Sinhalese. Killing Premadasa, Kadirgamar, bombing the central bank, dalada maligawa etc will not silence the Sinhalese or submit them to concede anything to anybody. After 30 years what have the Sinhalese conceded?
Since the LTTE is targetting the Sri Lankan leadership, the LTTE leadership is fair game.
The Sri Lankans are perfectly capable of dealing with terrorism. We did it with the JVP and Pinoche did it in Chile. We will do it again in Sri Lanka within the next 12 months.
I now the Tamil nationalists have a different opinion, and we cannot convince them as they cannot convince the Sinhalese.
So now its a numbers game, who will be left to fight at the end of the cull? Just like the violent JVP.
K. Arvind said,
February 19, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Justice Vigneswaran is a learned and fearless gentleman. His talents and learning could have been used for the good of the country and for all its constituent people – but, in the nature of things as they are in this confused land, this so far is not to be. Like all of us Tamils, he bears no ill-will towards our Sinhala brothers and sisters. That is demonstrated in many aspects of his powerful speech here.
He is proud of the ancient Tamil race while respecting others.
He rightfully says “Terrorists are not born-they are made” and so did King Hussein of Jordan when he was questioned by the American Press Club in 1973-after the 1972 Munich Olympics about Black September.
In as much as the Tamil militants took arms against the State’s perceived injustices so did the JVP – points out Justice Vigneswaran. I have complained elsewhere the rehabilitation and the understanding that accompanied the JVP insurrectionists by the State and its resources which brought them into the political mainstream with some of them becoming Ministers – somehow escaped the Tamil militants. “Terrorism” is a much hyped word. There was a noted administrator who used to, in lighter vein, talk of “Administrative Terrorism” when we in the business community complained of shortcomings by the GoSL.
There is still much space for the Govt and the polity in the South to work out a formulae for a United Sri Lanka. As the late Anton Balasingham said “It is upto the Sinhala South to decide if we should remain a single country or 2 separate countries”
Devinda Fernando said,
February 19, 2008 @ 11:45 am
*** Killing Prabaharan is not possible. He is the manifestation of the Tamil pain. If he goes some one else will take over. ***
Yes, someone will take over and actually Talk and hold to Peace agreements…
Let us Help the Tamil people and Rid them of this Blocking Turd in the water pipe,…
Dyan said,
February 19, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
Athos
Yes. IC and Tamils feel the same as you. Who appointed a Tamil as the Supreme court judge in a Sinhala buddist country?
Gamini
What about the ordinary Tamil’s view? Is he reflecting the ordinary Tamil’s view?
Devinda Fernando
Prabakaran is not a god, He is really a committed liberation fighter for Tamils. Tamils have faith in him.
Kumara Ehanayake
Killing of Pirabakaran is not easy. But the LTTE leader already organised the movement for every eventuality, it seems like.
Diplomut’
Have you had a white van? Do you want to give a lift to the judge?
Dias
Tamils are not in the mood to think about Sri Lanka. They need a safe place to live without killings, abductions and discrimination.
Gamini said,
February 20, 2008 @ 1:01 am
#15 Dayan,
I disagree with his starting point, that silencing a wanted terrorist is some how related to silencing Tamil’s. This premise can only be true if he beleives that collectively Prabha speaks for all Tamils, now if he truly belives this, then Prabha has acheived what he wanted when he purged a generation of Tamil politicians and thinkers from the political landscape through the most violent of means.
I dont need to tell the Retired judge the terror the tigers have caused he suffers from selective amnesia. The retired judge clearly lives in an ivory tower or in some far away place where it is ok to kill civilians, assasinate political figures and those who have different opinions if you appoint yourself the sole supreme grand dragon god figure.
Lester said,
February 20, 2008 @ 1:17 am
#13,
A a proud and ancient Tamil race with many of whom hav resorted to supporting a terrorist organisation banned in 32 countries and responsible for killing Rajiv Ghandhi because all the intellectuals have been killed by the same organisation.
By the way I think you can do better that King Hussain as your moral authority on terror (i.e arch apoligist) , Noam Chompsky is usually the apologist of choice.
Tamil Patriot said,
February 20, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
Wake up guys dream is over, try pinching your skin.
Prabakaran is an avatar come to save the Tamils from the Singhalese demons, you can kill a human not an avatar.
Your days are numbered soon the elimination process will start, hurry up, ask India or Pakistan for the evacuation of the stranded Singhalese invaders from the Tamil homeland.
Lester said,
February 21, 2008 @ 3:39 am
#18,
I think you mis spelled your name as ‘Tamil Patriot ‘ I think you meant to write ‘Tamil Parrot’ because you are just parroting propaganda.
Deva said,
March 4, 2008 @ 5:28 am
Reply to post #7
diplo mut
*****He states that the Buddhist remains in the North are those of Tamil buddhists.*****
Yes, the above is very true.
For some people like you, either ignorance is bliss or you pretend to be asleep who can never be woken up.
What has Buddhism got to do with Sinhala? There are Buddhist ruins in many parts of North and South India and in Afghan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Madras (Mylapore) and so on, are they all Sinhala?
The terms Sinhala and Buddhism were interlinked or made into one unit as Sinhala-Buddhism only recently, very much after the 13th century AD.
It is true that Ruwanweli Seya was built by Emperor Dutugamunu the national hero of Sri Lanka from Rohana (ancient south Lanka) who is believed to be from the *Sinhala* dynasty (a ruling linage group) but that does not mean that all the ancient Buddhist structures and monuments in Sri Lanka were built by the Sinhalese or belongs only to the Sinhalese. The ancient Buddhist structures in the North, North Central and some parts of east belong to the Tamils who were also Buddhists during the ancient period.
The Tamil Buddhist monks of South India’ Sri Lanka (SISL) region during the ancient period used Pali languages in preference to Tamil in their writings. This is because the Buddha spoke in Magadi Prakrit (Pali) which was considered to be the sacred language of the Buddhists. The place names of the Buddhist sites in the North also had Pali names.
Refer post # 89 on Tamil Buddhism (http://transcurrents.com/tamiliana/archives/521)
*****How does he explain the thousand or so Sinhala place names in Jaffna which remain in a Tamilised form??*****
What makes you think that those are Sinhala names??
We already know that Pali is the core of the Sinhala language. As per the linguists and language scholars in Sri Lanka, there are more than 4,000 Tamil words in the Sinhala vocabulary.
During the early period, it was not easy to identify or differentiate the people or place names as Tamil or Sinhala.
As per the pre-historic and early historic inscriptions in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, the Tamil names did not end with an ‘n’ or an ‘m’ or an ‘i’, but were very similar to those Prakrit or Pali names ending with ‘a’.
It was only in the last few centuries that the language, the shape of the characters, the names etc. have evolved into the present form. This might have happened after the Tamils developing what it is commonly called as the ‘pulli (dot) system’ which is peculiar to Tamils in particular among the Indian lanaguages and due to this dot system the words/names ending with ‘a’ ends up with ‘n’ and ‘m’.
That is why, if not for the pali chronicles such as the Mahavamsa which mentions the ethnic identity of the Kings of Anuradhapura (Sena, Guttika, Elara, Pulahatha, Bahiya, Panayamara, Parinda, Dathiya, and many others) as Tamils, we would not have known if our historians were to depend only on the inscriptions, that these Kings were Tamils. Here, we have to give some credit to the Mahavamsa.
Since, Pali and Prakrit languages were widely used among the monks and Tamil/Sinhala (Sinhala contains both Pali and Tamil) were used commonly among the people and most of the Kings knew almost all of them, there were hardly any differences among the Sri Lankans (including their names) before the 12th CAD. It was only after the 13th CAD, we have a clear difference as Sinhalese and Tamils.
Regarding the place names what you have given in your post # 7, if you want to know their origin and meanings, there is a special column in the Tamil net called Know the Etymology: The Place Name of the Day
Upendra de Silva said,
March 5, 2008 @ 2:22 am
#20
You prove that the Sinhalese and Tamils are the same. Thus, there is no concept of a tamil homeland. To me tamil homeland concept is racist.