Letter To The Tamil Diaspora: Dear Bala Thambi
By Romesh Hettiarachchi -January 14, 2015
Romesh Hettiarachchi
Dear Bala Thambi:*
I hope this letter finds you well. I’ve heard the weather in London, England is pretty cold this time of year, though I can’t imagine it being as cold as Toronto (-22 deg. C. brrrr!).
I am writing to you in response to your various online reactions to the election of President Sirisena in Sri Lanka. I must admit a certain fascination following the various changes in your viewpoints since November, watching while you called for Sri Lankan Tamils to boycott the Sri Lankan elections and criticized other Diaspora Tamil groups who urged every Sri Lankan Tamil to vote in the elections. While I know that there are many Tamils who think differently than you (after all, few generalizations can be made regarding a group as varied and diverse as the Tamil Diaspora) I do want to address your perceptions that the election of President Sirisena has not changed anything.
Sri Lanka: an Island Divided?
You seem to be under the impression that Sri Lanka remains an island divided, pointing to the fact that President Sirisena’s victory was dependent on voters in the North and North East. Thambi, this is not really groundbreaking news: every vote matters in an election! President Sirisena was as dependent on voters in the North and North East as he was dependent on voters elsewhere in the country. As an astute observer of the Sri Lankan elections, you know that minority groups have in general voted against the incumbent, particularly in Sri Lanka’s recent history. Check the election map of the Sri Lankan presidential election in 2010. Moreover, as my friend Indi has demonstrated, maps of election results can be skewed to suit the purpose of the creator.
You harbor this belief based on your view that the Tamils voted en masse against President Rajapaksa and not for President Sirisena. Funnily enough, it’s the same view adopted by a certain former President. Look, mass generalizations simply cannot made about the voting intentions of groups of people. In this case, compare the votes of President Rajapaksa to the regional demographics: there simply are not enough Sinhalese in the North and North east to account for how many votes President Rajapaksa won in those regions. Clearly some Tamils voting for President proving the inaccuracy of your statement. Your generalized statement in legal terms is not supported by the evidence.Read More
