Bellicose Rhetoric – Recipe For A ‘Black July’
“Emperor Napolean knew that French instincts were militaristic and domineering and he was resolved to gratify them.” – E. Lipson, Historian, writing on (Louis) Napolean III (1852-1870), the nephew of Napolean, the Great.
Sinhala-Buddhist instincts are somewhat similar to French instincts – supremacist and domineering , imbued with medieval Mahavansa ethos. The majoritarian leaders are resolved to gratify those instincts. In the process, Tamil people become disposables.
Proposed Constitutional reforms have afforded the context for the Rajapaksa acolytes to freak out.. Synchronizing with the Assembly debates, they have got into a fit of frenzy with racist ranting and fomenting ethnic tension.
Propaganda blitz:
Launching blistering attack on Tamil demand for a Federal State, Rajapaksas’ cohorts have embarked on a “propaganda blitz” via the media and public fora. The thematic contents are calculated to inflame the aggressive passion and chauvinist spirit of the nationalist Sinhala-Buddhist constituency.
The rhetoric dwells on ethnocentric matters as would excite the nationalist audience. Citing Nanthikadal episode, Rajapaksa advocates have been telling the Tamils, ad nauseum, that the Sinhalese are the “epic heroes” and the Tamils are a vanquished lot, not worthy of possessing any aspirations. Triumphalism and tribalism have been the substratum of majoritarian politics in post-war Sri Lanka.
Constriction of space does not allow me to quote extensively the unsavoury messages of the supremacists. Nonetheless, some extracts may be illustrative: Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka plays the lead role in this discourse. The thrust of his messages and the threat they convey are irksome, if not dark and foreboding. Do they not betray a morbid fascination with the horrors of the anti-Tamil holocaust of July 1983 (Black July)?.
“Non-peaceful revolt in South”
“…… But if there is an unabated drive for Constitutional replacement (inevitably, unalterably, perceived as the retreat or retrenchment of the Sri Lankan State from the North) there could be a non-peaceful revolt in the South…..”
“Having lost a bitterly fought, long war, by what logic do the Tamil nationalists believe that a new Constitution more reflective of their aspirations can be put in place?………..” (Colombo Telegraph, 26 Oct.2017 , “What Political Contract & Which Political Order for Sri Lanka?” – Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka ).
Pugnacious postures:
Dayan’s pugnacious postures resonate with the medieval instincts intrinsic to Mahavamsa culture. He seeks to rationalize the belligerency of the ultra-nationalists, which the likes of BBS practice, propagate, glorify and justify. Dayan underscores “Threat to the nation”. This has been the alarmist refrain sung by Sinhala nationalists, the saffron-robed sages and their lynch mob, to ignite orgies of organized violence and periodical pogroms perpetrated on the Tamil people – in 1956, 1958, 1961, 1977, 1981 and 1983.
“Threat to the nation”
“…….Four factors prove causative in the rise of majoritarian ethnic/ethno-religious nationalism……The second is a perceived threat to the nation or ethnic community concerned and/or an assault on the religio-cultural moorings and ethos of the people.”
“………………A touch of Transnational Justice from Geneva or overt Indian intrusion into Constitution-making and this joint is set to blow as in the late 1980s.”
“A unitary state, de jure and de facto, is a core strategic and security interest of the Sri Lanka majority, a redline for which they must and will fight “by any means necessary.” ( Colombo Telegraph, 9 Nov. 2017, ibid, “Crisis, Coalition, Constitution”)
Stranger than fiction:
Dayan’s fear-mongering tales about Tamil Nadu land- grab in North-East Sri Lanka etc. sound stranger than fiction – a figment of his fertile imagination. These incendiary stories are imperatives for “Restore Rajapaksa” campaign. However, one cannot call them funny, because the Sinhala patriotic segments may swallow the phantom stories and bay for Tamil blood. Elaborating on the implications of giving Land powers to the Provincial Councils, Dayan says:
“………(I)t would mean that the land in the North and East would be acquired by Tamil Nadu based and Tamil diaspora-driven front companies………”etc. ( Colombo Telegraph, 9 Nov. 2017, ibid, “Crisis, Coalition, Constitution”)
