Smashing The Tamil Homeland
By Rajan Hoole -November 9, 2013
Rajan Hoole
Sri Lanka: A Haunted Nation - The Social Underpinnings Of Communal Violence- Part 7
During the 6th Amendment debate in Par- liament on 4th August 1983, Lalith Athulathmudali told the House: “The time has come for the misguided youth in the North to lay down arms. We will not stop at enacting laws. We will use every weapon at our command to eradi- cate terrorism.”
Athulathmudali, an intelligent man, must have known that it was a most inappropriate message to the Tamils just after his Government had given them a good thrashing. Indeed, refugee youth from Colombo were just then, in Jaffna, joining the several militant groups. The rhetoric was part of Athulathmudali’s bid for power. By this time India had given notice of its interest in the problem and prevented the Gov- ernment from going much further then in marginalising the Tamils. India then sent its envoy G. Parthasarathy in a bid to hammer out a political solution. While talking to India which was mediating between the TULF and the Gov- ernment on the one hand, Jayewardene had also tied his hands with the extremism he had un- loosed in July. Jayewardene was in New Delhi that November for the Commonwealth leaders’ summit. Some TULF leaders went to him with the Annexure C proposals for a settlement worked out with Parthasarathy. Mr. R. Sampanthan recalls being surprised by Jayewardene’s attitude. He did not read it, but merely asked, “Where do I sign?” The impression given was that he was not serious.
