What Is The Under-Lying Purpose Of Reconciliation
R.M.B. Senanayake
The Government is reported to be appointing a Special Bureau forReconciliation according to a newspaper headline although the body of the Report refers mostly to the implementation of the LLRC Report. But the LLRC Report although it will help in the process of Reconciliation is not equivalent to Reconciliation. One wonders whether the newspaper or for that matter even the Government understand the true meaning of Reconciliation and its significance. Reconciliation means that despite all that they have suffered during the war (for which the LTTE is as much responsible as the Sinhalese) they are willing to be part of the same State under a scheme of devolution of power- a State which will continue to be dominated by theSinhala Buddhist majority. They of course want the right to manage their own affairs in the North and East.
Scotland and England have been united for three hundred years and the Scots have not suffered like the Tamils. Yet large numbers of the Scottish people are not willing to continue to be part of the United Kingdom despite the devolution of power to them with a promise of more devolution by the British Government. The Referendum will take place next week and it is expected to be close.
So can we expect the Tamil people too be willing to continue to be part of the Sinhala dominated State unless they are given a wide devolution of power less than Independence? What does Reconciliation mean? If it means anything it must mean that the Tami people are willing to be part of the same state, a state where as a minority they can never hope to influence its decisions?
Do we promote such Reconciliation by the Government holding war victory parades and continuing to occupy the North? Isn’t it a constant reminder to the Tamil people of their defeat and humiliation. Who will ever think it promotes reconciliation?
The Army units were stationed in the North in the 1960s even after the Sinhala Only Act was passed and the Tamil people did not object to it because it was for the control and prevention of illicit immigration and smuggling. The Tamil people were not in sympathy with South India then and did not oppose anti-illicit immigration and anti-smuggling control. But the Army then was largely confined to barracks and there was even fraternizing with the top bureaucrats of the North.
The LTTE committed many atrocities on the Tamil people throughout the period they exercised power. But human beings generally value the present more than the past. They allow the past to recede in their consciousness while the present exercises a string effect. So does anybody think the activities of the army in the north helps in reconciliation of the Tamil people to accept the Sinhala dominated State?Read More
