Bharathanatyam ~ Bharathiyar Song ~ Manathil Uruthi Vendum
Priya Murle and Lavanya Ananth-Bharathanatyam ~ மனதில் உறுதி வேண்டும்
Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Monday, March 18, 2013
Nandri Thamizhagam-Enniya Mudithal Vendum: D. K Pattammal & Nithyasree
Published on Mar 17, 2013
US Tamil Organizations Salute & Thank Non-Violent Tamil Nadu Campaigns http://goo.gl/kAsfv
Vazhvinil Semmaiyai-by Nithyasree-US Tamil Orgs Thank Tamil Nadu
US Tamil Organizations Salute & Thank Non-Violent Tamil Nadu Campaigns http://goo.gl/kAsfv
US Tamil Organizations Salute & Thank Non-Violent Tamil Nadu Campaigns http://goo.gl/kAsfv
Monday , 18 March 2013
Activities are expedited in erecting a temple by chasing the land owner is occurring in the Kokkilai area located in Mullaitheevu.
The lands in the Kokkilai locality where Tamil people lived from ancestry, the people are chased away, and the majority community are in the activities of grabbing the lands is taking place with the backings from the uniformed personnel.
Owner of the land lived from ancestry is chased away. Relevant deeds to this land have been issued to the owner in year 1921.
A massive hole is excavated behind this land during night hours with the help of a heavy weight vehicle.
The area people speculate attempts may be made to bury some archaeological objects to prove that a Buddhist temple existed.
Monday , 18 March 2013
| Distinct stances |
2013-03-18
With a few more days left before the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka is tabled at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, India yesterday hinted it will favour an international probe into alleged war crime charges.
India's stance is in stark contrast to the assurance given by the newly elected Chinese President Xi Jinping, who told his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, his country will back Sri Lanka in the event a vote is called on the resolution.
Indian Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, addressing a public meeting on the budget in his home town in Karaikudi, yesterday, said, "I'm not the Prime Minister nor am I the External Affairs Minister. I'm confident that if phrases in the UN resolution sought credible, independent, international probe, India would support it."
The minister also sought to assure students who are gearing up to organize massive protests from Monday (18) across Tamil Nadu, demanding affirmative action against Colombo at the UN session. "I'm feeding you my confidence and you feed this confidence to our students," Chidambaram said.
This comes a day after the UPA's southern ally, the DMK, threatened to pull out its ministers from the Union Cabinet, if India did not amend the resolution to incorporate the demand for international probe and time bound action against those who may be found guilty of war crimes.
With 18 MPs, Karunanidhi's party, the DMK, is the second biggest constituent of the Congress-led UPA, providing crucial support to a government that has, of late, been tested vigorously by several coalition partners.
Earlier in the day, the Indian Government, which has so far been non-committal over its stand on the Lankan Tamils issue, quickly moved to placate the southern ally. Union Minister V. Narayanasamy said the Prime Minister would "definitely consider all aspects" before taking a decision on the resolution.
The US-sponsored motion puts Sri Lanka in the dock over alleged war crimes and rights violations against Tamil civilians during the final phase of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The resolution is moved by the US for the second time. Last year, India supported a similar resolution following pressure from political parties in Tamil Nadu. This time, though, the Centre has maintained that it will decide its position based on the wording of the resolution.
Meanwhile, Xi told his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, over the phone that China supports his country's efforts to protect its national sovereignty, and would continue to offer assistance.
China backed Sri Lanka when US brought about a similar resolution last year over alleged human rights violation during the nearly three-decade long civil war.
It appears that Beijing may do the same, if it comes to voting, continuing its efforts to court Colombo, much to India's discomfiture.
During their telephone conversation, Rajapaksa congratulated Xi on his election as Chinese President, and said the two countries are close friends, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Sri Lankan people appreciate China's assistance to help the country promote peace, stability and development. Thanking Rajapaksa for his congratulations, Xi said China and Sri Lanka are friendly neighbours.
For many years, bilateral ties have maintained a healthy and stable development momentum, with fruitful cooperation in all sectors. Xi also thanked the Sri Lankan President for the country's long-term support on issues regarding China's core interests, and said China highly values the development of its relations with Sri Lanka.
Xi said he hopes the two countries will make concerted efforts to promote their comprehensive relations of cooperation and partnership to even higher levels.
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Chidambaram, AK Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad to fly to Chennai to mollify Karunanidhi
March 18, 2013
New Delhi: Union ministers P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad are being sent to Chennai to mollify DMK Chief M Karunanidhi who had threatened that his party will pull out of the ruling UPA alliance if it failed to move amendments to the US-sponsored resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue at the UNHRC.Congress sources said tonight that the three leaders have been asked to convince Karunanidhi that Government will not compromise the interests of the Sri Lankan Tamils at any cost.
Both Chidambaram and Antony are said to have good rapport with the DMK supremo while Azad is the Congress in charge of Tamil Nadu affairs.
Close on the heels of his Friday's warning of pulling out DMK ministers from the Government, Karunanidhi shot off letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying he feels "let down" by the "lukewarm" response of the government.
"If our demands are not met, it is doubtful whether our ties with the alliance (UPA) will continue...It won't continue for sure," Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai.
The US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka is expected to come up for voting at the United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva on March 21.
In Lucknow, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the decision on the vote in UNHRC will be taken after consulting DMK and other allies.
"The UPA government will take a decision on the vote against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC, later this month, after a meeting with its allies, particularly DMK," he said.
"If our demands are not met, it is doubtful whether our ties with the alliance (UPA) will continue...It won't continue for sure," Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai.
The US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka is expected to come up for voting at the United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva on March 21.
In Lucknow, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the decision on the vote in UNHRC will be taken after consulting DMK and other allies.
"The UPA government will take a decision on the vote against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC, later this month, after a meeting with its allies, particularly DMK," he said.
Boy abducted in Jaffna town rescued in Poonagari. Incident occurred after witnessing big match
Monday , 18 March 2013
An 11 years old boy was abducted in front of a school in Jaffna town, was rescued in Poonagari region and was handed over to his parents by the police.
Muthlingam Kokulan aged 11 years from Achuwely south; a student of Central College was rescued from this incident.
The student lodged a complaint regarding this incident to the police, indicates, on last Saturday, big match was held at the Jaffna Central College. After watching the cricket match as usual the student waited until his parents arrived to take him home.
Two persons riding on a motor bike, had asked the boy to come with them as their brother had asked them to bring him. The student trusted this, and accompanied them
The two persons had not taken the boy in the route proceeding to Achchuwely, but had proceeded towards a temple to Poonakari area where nonexistence of people. Later yesterday evening they have deserted him under the Poonakari Bridge.
Police received information that a boy is stranded in the locality.
Police rushed to the locality have rescued and handed over to the parents. Further investigations are carried out by the police in connection with the suspected persons.
Sri Lanka opposition moots all party parley to face Geneva threat
Colombo: Sri Lankan opposition parties on Monday called for the formation of an all party committee to prevent an anti-Lanka resolution being passed at the UN human rights body. "We have to think of ways to escape this (resolution). We will tell the government to call an all party meeting and give a time frame to implement the LLRC recommendations," Ranil Wickremesinghe, the main opposition leader told reporters.
Wickremesinghe said the action plan to implement the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) must be announced before May 31. "We must have a mechanism to do that. The government alone cannot do that", he said.
| Ranil calls for All Party Summit |
By Umesh Moramudali
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today demanded that the government holds an All Party Conference to discuss the implementation of the Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations, at the earliest opportunity.
Addressing the media in Colombo, he warned that Sri Lanka will have to go through tough times at United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) session, and in this critical moment, the government needs to work together with the opposition.
“If the government takes steps to hold an All Party Summit the international community will know that the government has the intention to implement the LLRC recommendations and provide a political solution to the national problem. If not, the UN will take steps to send their agent here and that agent will hold an inquiry about HR violations in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Wickremesinghe further emphasized, there is a risk of Sri Lankan goods being rejected by the foreign countries, by citing Sri Lanka as a country that violates human rights. “If that happens, it will have an adverse impact on the country’s economy,” he added.
Wickremesinghe pointed out, the LLRC report was prepared by a body appointed by the government, and the government had promised the UNHRC it would implement its recommendations.
“We as the opposition can’t wait until the citizens of Sri Lanka suffer due to the fault of the government. That is why we are calling on the government to have discussions with us,” he said.
He also said there is no point in protesting against the UNHRC for interfering internal matters as the government itself has given the UNHRC the powers to do so. (Ceylon Today Online)
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US adopted a similar resolution last year with India's support which bound Sri Lanka to make rapid progress on reconciliation with the Tamils. Contesting reported deaths of 40,000 civilians during the war with the LTTE as unverified, Sri Lanka has said it was in the process of ground verification of facts in the former battle zones to ascertain the real numbers.
Sri Lankan Tamil refugees observing a fast at the camp at Thoppukollai in Pudukottai district.
, March 18, 2013
Fasts and protests over the Lanka issue in the central region continued with Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Pudukottai also jumping into the fray on Sunday.
Several Lankan Tamils housed in the refugee camp at Thoppukollai in Alangudi taluk in neighbouring Pudukottai district observed a fast on Sunday demanding that India support the resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Around 500 refugees including 350 women observed fast on the camp premises also demanding that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa be declared a war criminal, police sources said.
Meanwhile, the indefinite fast observed by a section of Government Law College, Tiruchi students entered the sixth day on Sunday.
The sources said that two fasting students were shifted to the Mahatma Gandhi Government Hospital in the city.
How to compensate the students deprived of University education.
Monday, 18 March 2013
Best way to compensate is to list the appeals in each subject stream in the order of merit that is in the order of highest z scores and Island ranks.
Fill the vacancies now available in Sri Lankan universities in the order of Z scores, compensate the victimized students who appealed in the order of merit. Otherwise there will be endless complaints thousands of students, not only it gives a bad reputation to the UGC that gives an adverse image to the government as well.
Don’t the UGC have adequate vision and backbone to take a strait forward decision on compensation of students affected on the basis of order of merit?
This whole issue and irregularities took place due to the fact that merit order was ignored and arbitrary percentages were enforced upon the students without any prior notification before the examinations. At least now they should give chances to highest raking students affected. There are students with Z score above 1.9878 not taken in to any university while below 1.1031 given those places. Please compensate the highest ranking students affected, by giving them the highest priority.
If the there are appeals with high ranks willing to go to peripheries give them the priority regardless of their district, due to the fact that there is reduction of number of students taken from some districts than in the previous years despite overall increase in numbers by over 5000 due to new irregular method. The only way all these problems can be solved now is by filling the vacancies in the order of z score Island ranks
“Net Export Earnings Per Worker” Has Significantly Increased In Apparel Sector
Monday, 18 March 2013 “There was somewhat of a stagnant period in the apparel sector during 2006 and 2010, but now in 2011 and 2012 the apparel sector has shown a significant growth in terms of net export earnings per worker.” observed Dr. Nishan de Mel, Director, Verite Research, addressing a forum organised by the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees' Union (FTZ&GSEU) on “Foreign Investments & Garment Industry; What's Wrong, Where” at the National Library Services Board auditorium, on Thursday, 28 February evening.
Speaking on exports and wage trends in the apparel sector, Dr. de Mel pointed out, the role of Wages Boards constituted by the Ministry of Labour needs to be paid attention to, as “they have not been in tune with the rise of cost of living, the GDP changes etc.” The annual wage increments effected by the Wages Board during 2004 to 2007, Dr. de Mel observed as being mere rupees 25, 35 etc., and termed the increases “useless”. After 2008 he said there was a sudden jump showing annual increases of rupees 150 and 200, again termed “meaningless” in comparison to other economic factors. They have not been timely and have been out of reality was the conclusion, on Wages Board contributions.
Dr. de Mel was of the view that asking for wage increases in relation to rise of cost of living and GDP growth has counter arguments in that, the company owners could always say, they can not respond to issues out of their ambit and they can only afford to consider demands according to what they earn as income or profit. Therefore he proposed, it would be prudent for trade unions to negotiate wage increases in relation to “net export earnings per worker” as that has real content in what the industry earned. As for the apparel sector, the workers thus have a claim to negotiate for increased wages, with the apparel sector doing better in the last two years than they did previously.
Speaking on what he termed, “ground reality”, the Joint Secretary of the FTZ&GSEU, Mr. Anton Marcus said, it is important to question, how the apparel sector increased their incomes, while factories closed down and worker numbers reduced. Mr. Marcus said in year 2000, there were 835 factories that employed 01 million as direct employees. After the Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) was terminated in year 2004, he conceded that factories closed down and by 2005 there were around 500 factories operating. It was in 2005 that SL qualified for the EU GSP “Plus”. Now there are only 314 apparel factories employing 283,000 workers. But he said, the income in apparel sector, has almost doubled.
Mr. Marcus attributed two reasons for this increase. One was that the SL apparel industry moved into the more lucrative fashion and designer area that has very high “mark ups” for quality products and two, the forced increase in worker output. He said a “machine operator” who did only a single job and had helpers during the early period of the trade, was made to do many jobs without helpers, with the introduction of “multi skills training”. This was gradually built into a payment scheme that was then linked to targets. With a beggarly monthly wage of rupees 7,900 including a budgetary allowance of rupees 1,000 till last December, the compulsion for overtime, targets and incentives during the whole month led these workers to go along with targets that kept increasing. That is how they earn around rupees 12,000, the company owners claim is a good “take home pay”, said Mr. Marcus.
From the side of the government, the laws were amended to help worker exploitation, charged, Mr. Marcus. The law was then, women workers can not be employed for more than 100 hours of “over time” in an year. This was amended to allow 60 hours of over time per month and also made over time, mandatory. Sri Lanka is the only country where over time is mandatory. “This is forced labour” said Mr, Marcus. This is how in 2009, most in the list of “50 Richest People in Sri Lanka” came from the apparel industry, noted Mr, Anton Marcus.
In the final presentation to the forum on apparel industry and investments, Attorney at Law and Labour Consultant Mr. S.H.A Mohomed said, the apparel sector in Sri Lanka, does contribute to foreign earnings in a big way and even today its contribution is close to 40 per cent. The apparel factories started off with the invitation for foreign investments offered by President Jayawardne in late 1978, he said, when President Jayawardne in fact said, “we don't mind even robber barons, if they come with investments.” Initial investors were from Hong Kong, South Korea and around those countries and were no different. They came here to maximise their profits from the 10 year tax holiday given by the Jayawardne government, along with bank facilities and other concessions on import of raw material for the apparel sector. At the end of their tax holiday, they left Sri Lanka in search of more profitable offers elsewhere, leaving the apparel industry in the hands of those who could use political and personal influence to raise huge bank loans to own factories, said Mr. Mohomed.
He argued, in Sri Lanka, the apparel sector in fact grew with total political patronage and therefore the new rich owners did not have any reason to consider workers as a stakeholder. They financed and funded the two mainstream political parties and powerful regimes and thus could have the ground laid according to their rules. Politics helped them to have labour laws and regulations with safety nets for employment “switched off” said Mr. Mohomed. “This is the most politicised industrial sector in Sri Lanka and the only sector that has no trade unions.” he said, adding that there are only 02 Collective Agreements in the whole sector and that too in two factories owned by the same company. To answer the question, what's wrong and where, Mr. Mohomed said, “until the apparel sector realise they should accept workers as a stakeholder and negotiate, there will be problems stymieing its growth”. They can not go on pretending they are ethical, because we live in a global economy and they have to deal with international suppliers and buyers, Mr. Mohomed concluded.
During the plenary, commenting on the proposition that wages could be discussed in terms of “net export earnings per worker”, Dr. Harsha de Silva, the UNP parliamentarian and economist said, he appreciates this new approach as very pragmatic and could lead to better negotiations. Answering a question from the audience on foreign investments, Mr. Anton Marcus said, in 1984 the laws were amended saying, investors are queueing up and waiting for favourable conditions and even Motorola was said to be waiting to come. But all we got were “quota refugees” who came here in search of US quota that Sri Lanka got and these “quota refugees” went all over Asia looking for such quotas. We have got mostly fake investors who are no businessmen. They don't even have a permanent address, said Mr. Marcus adding that one such company that defaulted and fled, when traced in Seoul, South Korea on the address the BOI had registered it, was only a “barber salon”.
Wrapping up the sessions, journalist and political commentator Mr. Kusal Perera as the session's moderator said, all presentations and the plenary discussion points to the hard fact that the industry needs serious and responsible trade unionism and most importantly, the sector needs serious and responsible investors too. He noted that the purpose of organising this open policy dialogue was to bring together all stakeholders including legislatures for they make policy and law, but the response from the ministry of labour, the BOI and the apparel sector owners had been too little. This topic would need more intellectual social debates and discussions for attitudes to change and policy makers to take note of, Mr. Kusal Perera said, concluding a heavy discourse.
Still basic facilities lacking to those resettled two years back. Miseries faced by Sethankulam people
Monday , 18 March 2013
"Two years have gone after our resettlement, but still we are not provided with any basic facilities, even the facilities granted to the people resettled in other localities parallel to our resettlement “ was related with grief by the people from Ilavalai Sethhankulam people.
Monday , 18 March 2013
Even though South India treats Sri Lanka as its enemy, northern India looks as a friend. If Sri Lankans are attacked, the looser would be Tamil Nadu.
Monday , 18 March 2013
"Two years have gone after our resettlement, but still we are not provided with any basic facilities, even the facilities granted to the people resettled in other localities parallel to our resettlement “ was related with grief by the people from Ilavalai Sethhankulam people.
The National Fisheries Coordination movement organized a meeting for the Waligamam north civilians groups at Naguleswaram Munpalli two days back. At the meeting the locality people related their sufferings.
“Political influence is executed for basic facilities namely electricity, water and sanitary conditions in the areas resettlement activities done”
“105 families were resettled in Sethankulam locality. Our livelihood depends on fishing and cultivation. But we were not provided with any assistance to begin our trade", not even provided by advancing aid”. “We were not considered for the housing project granted by the Indian government”.
“Due to the negligence by the government officials responsible for resettlements in these areas, we are deprived completely from basic facilities and facing adversities for the past two years”.
"We appeal officials should focus on us and do the needful to rectify our livelihood conditions” said by the desperate people.”
Monday , 18 March 2013Even though South India treats Sri Lanka as its enemy, northern India looks as a friend. If Sri Lankans are attacked, the looser would be Tamil Nadu.
Indian Central government should control the attitudes of Tamil Nadu against Sri Lanka, said by Hela Urumaya parliament member Ellawella Methananda Thero.
He expressed his opinion concerning an attack against a Bhikku a native of Sri lanka occurred in Thanjai Tamil Nadu.
North India supports Sri Lanka, meanwhile South India oppose Sri Lanka has become a usual practice. Hence we should not fear about India's oppose.
Tamils from Sri Lanka visit India as pilgrims are attacked in Tamil Nadu. This will cause economy loss for the Tamil Nadu.
Indian Central Government should pressurize Tamil nadu, to refrain from unleashing violence against Sri Lankan pilgrims.
Meanwhile the Tamil National Alliance is giving a wrong impression concerning Sri Lanka to the international sector.
‘Halal’ is made ‘Haram' & ‘Haram’ is made 'Halal' – Ven. Amila Thera
MONDAY, 18 MARCH 2013
Bodu Bala Sena is attempting to interpret ‘Halal’ as ‘Haram’ and ‘Haram’ as ‘Halal’ and everyone would come to know the consequences of their maneuvers says the Co-President of Anti-imperialist People’s Movement Ven. Dhambara Amila Thera.
Speaking at a ‘Forum for National Unity’ participated by representatives of political parties and civil organizations held in Colombo yesterday (17th) the Senior Lecturer at Sri Jayawardenepura University said Bodu Bala Sena is holding the snake from its tail and added normally snakes are caught from their necks.
Ven. Amila Thera emphasized that Bodu Bala Sena is an unholy and fake organization and added that its activities would last only a few more full moon poya days.
Monday, 18 March 2013
President postpones medical check up and returns to Sri Lanka
Monday, 18 March 2013
The President arrived in the country on the 16th after his security personnel advised him to postpone the previously planned two day visit to Singapore for a medical check up at Mount Elizabeth Hospital following his Japanese tour. The President’s security had advised to postpone the Singapore visit after the news was publicized in news websites.
Although it was initially planned that the President would return to the country on the 18th and land in the Mattala International Airport as the first visitor to land in Mattala, the plan had to be shelved with the change of the President’s itinerary. However, the President will open the Mattala airport on the 18th.
The President’s Security Division (PSD) had asked Sri Lankan ambassador to Singapore, Ferial Ashraff to keep the President’s medical check up in Singapore a secret due to security reasons. Therefore, the President’s visit was known only by the ambassador and one other official
The ambassador had taken measures to ensure that even the chief incumbent of the Buddhist vihara in Singapore is also unaware of the President’s visit to Singapore.
Hospital sources say that since it would not be possible for the President to do medical check ups in overseas countries in future, the Defence Secretary it is learnt is now making arrangements to set up a specialist unit at Lanka Hospitals, which is under his purview, for the President to get his medical check ups by getting down foreign medical experts.
Sri Lanka's Buddhist extremists vow to remove Muslim mosque in Kuragala
Mar 18, Colombo: Having announced that they have concluded the fight against the Halal victoriously, the Sri Lanka Sinhala Buddhist extremist organization Bodu Bala Sena Sunday announced that they will not talk about Halal issue.
Instead they would now take up the issue of removing a mosque from Kuragala Buddhist monastery complex in the central hills.
Addressing a mass rally held in Kandy city in the Central Province Sunday, the national organizer of Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera said that the organization would not speak of Halal again since they had won the Halal issue. He insisted the relevant firms to remove the Halal certificate before the Sinhala New Year that falls in mid-April.
The Buddhist monk vowed that the Bodu Bala Sena would now take up the issue of removing a mosque that has allegedly taken over the Buddhist monastery in Kuragala.
Kuragala rock cave is believed to be a Buddhist monastery dating back to 2nd century BC, The Buddhist organization says that in recent times the Muslim fundamentalists have taken over the site and destroyed the evidence of Buddhist heritage.
The shrine has inscriptions dated back to 10th century and Muslims believe the visiting Muslim traders in the past used this place as a resting place and shrine.
“The Indian media shed no tears for the LTTE or its slain leader Prabhakaran, saying a continuum of blunders lay behind their downfall. Editorials expressed relief at the ‘end of the war,’ but reminded the Sri Lankan government of its responsibility to rehabilitate the Tamils and craft an enduring political solution based on devolution of power. Commentary from India’s leading English and language newspapers follows.” the US Embassy New Delhi (India) informed Washington.
Mon, Mar 18, 2013, 11:05 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 18, Colombo: Having announced that they have concluded the fight against the Halal victoriously, the Sri Lanka Sinhala Buddhist extremist organization Bodu Bala Sena Sunday announced that they will not talk about Halal issue.Instead they would now take up the issue of removing a mosque from Kuragala Buddhist monastery complex in the central hills.
Addressing a mass rally held in Kandy city in the Central Province Sunday, the national organizer of Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera said that the organization would not speak of Halal again since they had won the Halal issue. He insisted the relevant firms to remove the Halal certificate before the Sinhala New Year that falls in mid-April.
The Buddhist monk vowed that the Bodu Bala Sena would now take up the issue of removing a mosque that has allegedly taken over the Buddhist monastery in Kuragala.
Kuragala rock cave is believed to be a Buddhist monastery dating back to 2nd century BC, The Buddhist organization says that in recent times the Muslim fundamentalists have taken over the site and destroyed the evidence of Buddhist heritage.
The shrine has inscriptions dated back to 10th century and Muslims believe the visiting Muslim traders in the past used this place as a resting place and shrine.
WikiLeaks: Indian Media Shed No Tears For The LTTE Or Prabhakaran – US Embassy New Delhi
By Colombo Telegraph -March 18, 2013
“The Indian media shed no tears for the LTTE or its slain leader Prabhakaran, saying a continuum of blunders lay behind their downfall. Editorials expressed relief at the ‘end of the war,’ but reminded the Sri Lankan government of its responsibility to rehabilitate the Tamils and craft an enduring political solution based on devolution of power. Commentary from India’s leading English and language newspapers follows.” the US Embassy New Delhi (India) informed Washington.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. In this cable the US Embassy New Delhi quotes 16 India’s mainstream Newspaper editorials on May 19, 2009.
Sri Lankan Muslims in the racist paradigm
Sri Lankan Muslims in the racist paradigm
March 17, 2013, 7:31 pm
By Izeth Hussain
It is questionable whether there are today any purely internal problems, serious internal problems, without any external dimension to them at all. It is true that governments frequently try to explain away internal problems, for which they alone are responsible, by alleging foreign interference. It is true also that there is the human propensity to indulge in conspiracy theories. In certain situations of stress people can become paranoid and imagine that sinister foreign forces are at work behind practically every serious problem. While all that is true, it is also true that in today’s highly interdependent world foreign interference takes place on a scale never before known in human history.
A very convincing illustration of the case stated above is provided by the Arab Spring. When it began in Libya a couple of years ago, we tended to think of it mainly or even exclusively in terms of the problem of democracy. It seemed that at long last the sole surviving bastion against democracy – the Arab world – was being breached, and that democracy would come to hold sway over the entire Arab world, though with many hiccups along the way. At the same time we were uneasily aware that American imperialism would welcome democracy only to the extent that the democratic regimes were favorable to the US. Since then several other factors have come into play. Saudi Arabia will not accept democracy in certain parts of the Arab world, and can be expected to abort democracy wherever possible by encouraging fundamentalists. Above all, the Sunni-Shia schism has become a major factor in the Arab world. Instead of going into excessive detail I will merely cite the example of Syria to show the importance of the external dimension in what ought to be a purely internal problem. A fairly smooth transition to democracy in Syria could have been arranged by ensuring that the formerly privileged Alawite minority would not be subjected to genocidal massacre after a democratic regime is established. That would have been conceivable if the Syrian problem were approached as a purely internal one. But several powerful countries believe that they have legitimate stakes in what goes on in Syria: on one side there are Iran, Russia, China, and on the other there are the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Europe. The Syrian people have to bear the consequences.
It is not always easy to establish foreign interference, but it is not difficult at all to establish the external dimension in what might appear to be purely internal problems. I will now make some observations with this perspective in mind on our halal problem and the anti-Muslim hate campaign,The external dimension of the halal problem is constituted by the meetings of the UN Human Rights Council that are taking place in Geneva right now. The halal problem does not figure on the UNHRC agenda. We Sri Lankan Muslims are not so stupid as to want to internationalize our problem – though that may become inevitable at a later stage. But we can be certain, all the same, that anti-Muslim action in Sri Lanka is there, very much there, in the minds of the Ambassadors who are gathered in Geneva, and that it will be a determinant, perhaps an important determinant, in shaping the votes on the anti-Sri Lanka Resolution that is being moved by the US.
We tend to think in Sri Lanka about international developments that are unfavorable to us as resulting from the diabolical machinations of the diabolical LTTE. In doing that we are assuming that the Western powers are so stupid that they are easily taken in by the LTTE. But does that ring true? It seems to me that if they are that stupid they would not be where they are today – at the top of the world. One cannot help wondering whether, perchance, it is we and not they who are stupid. Anyway, I am certain on one point: the major determinant behind the policy of Western Governments on Sri Lanka is not the LTTE but the Western Ambassadors who are presently working in Sri Lanka. We can safely presume that none of them owe their exalted positions to political patronage, that all of them have behind them many years of proven capacity particularly in the field of political analysis, and that every one of them has reported in detail and analysed responsibly the halal problem and the anti-Muslim hate campaign.
It is not difficult to guess the trend of their analyses and their recommendations. It would be more or less along the following lines. The SL Tamils and the SL Muslims are both minorities but they are fundamentally distinct because the former can claim a homeland while the latter can’t. That is a fundamental distinction because the claim to a homeland can serve as the basis for a separatist claim. Any claim to separatism by the SL Muslims cannot therefore be taken seriously at all, and understandably they have never made that claim. Furthermore, whenever there has been controversy between the Sinhalese and the Tamils the Muslims have always taken the Sinhalese side against the Tamils, and they have done so instantly, unconditionally, and wholeheartedly. It is worth mentioning that during the July ’83 holocaust against the Tamils a top Muslim politician organized thugs in a part of Colombo to make a grand Muslim contribution to the holocaust. It is worth mentioning also that at this time last year some members of the All Ceylon Jamiath-ul Ulema were in Geneva canvassing Muslim votes for the Sri Lankan side. This year the ACJU is in the dock. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is difficult to imagine a more loyal minority than the Muslims. They have in fact been servile to the Sinhalese power elite.
And yet there has been a protracted hate campaign against the Muslims, with nineteen websites going at it, and without the Government taking the slightest notice of it. There have been attacks on mosques and Muslim business establishments, with the police playing the role of passive spectators or taking not much more than perfunctory action. There have been videos showing monks breaking the law and the police placidly looking on, but the Government has refused to take any action in such cases. It is true that around the time of the National Day on February 4 there were Governmental statements – including one by the President himself – acknowledging and deploring racism among the Sinhalese. That certainly was a significant step forward, but the requisite counter-action did not follow. Instead the halal problem was allowed to become critical.
The present writer believes that in the annals of race relations there is nothing to parallel the halal problem in Sri Lanka: it is almost certainly unique in its sheer quasi-insane irrationality. Some food items are forbidden to Muslims in the Koran. For thousand four hundred years there were no problems among Muslims about eschewing forbidden food items. But now there is a problem because there is a vast array of synthetic food items which could use forbidden components, and hence there is a need for halal certification. The ACJU started issuing such certificates to Muslims. Non-Muslims who mainly wanted to tap the huge halal market abroad also wanted halal certificates, and the ACJU obliged. It appears that the ACJU had no legal warrant for issuing halal certificates, and for charging money for them. The most important point that has to be borne in mind is that the ACJU did not, and could not have compelled non-Muslims to buy halal certificates. There was nothing in all that that could not have been sorted out by the Government without any difficulty. The fact that halal certification became so huge a problem shows that racist idiocy has been allowed to go too far in Sri Lanka.
We can be certain that foreign Ambassadors in Colombo have been reporting to their Foreign Offices more or less along the lines indicated above, and we can be certain also that the reports will impact on the thinking on how to vote on the US Resolution in Geneva. The notion will be formed – or will be strengthened having been already formed – that the Sinhalese include in their ranks some of the worst racists in the world, and that the Government allows them much latitude. There does not seem to be much of a hiatus in Sri Lanka between the centre occupied by the Government and what is sometimes called the lunatic fringe. Two conclusions can follow. One is that the notion that our troops deliberately killed Tamil civilians on a massive scale becomes more credible, strengthening the case for a strong anti-SL Resolution. The other possible conclusion is this: if the friendly and innocuous Muslim minority can be treated in this way, it becomes almost impossible to believe that the potentially militant Tamil minority will ever get fair and equal treatment, and the case becomes much stronger for a solution based on a very wide measure of devolution.
One question cannot be avoided. Were the Bodu Bala Sena and the JHU unaware of what was going on in Geneva, and that the anti-halal campaign could have very adverse consequences there? Common sense should have dictated that the campaign be postponed until the conclusion of the UNHRC meeting. Some who are over-fond of conspiracy theories would say that they are secretly serving the purposes of the US and of India. Others may say that they have been manipulated by the CIA and RAW without being aware of it. I cannot subscribe to such notions. I have the strong conviction that the valid explanation for the horrendous mistiming of the anti-halal campaign is to be found in the irrationality that goes with racism. The usual paradigm of racism does not include a recognition of the fact that racism and irrationality go together.
Izethhussain@gmail.com
BBS thanks Defense Secretary
MONDAY, 18 MARCH 2013
The General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodaththe Gnanasara Thera thanks those who supported the ‘Halal’ struggle including the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and adds that ‘Halal’ struggle has been completed and there is no need to take it forward.
Addressing a rally in Kandy the Thero said the ‘Hala struggle’ carried out to protect Sinhalese Nation and Buddhist religion would be terminated and added they would never talk about ‘Halal’ hereafter.
He has said “patriotic organizations” such as the JHU, Freedom Front, Sihala Ravaya aw well as MPs and Ministers helped them to carry out their struggle. He said they have the fullest confidence in Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and terminate their struggle.
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa And His Bala Sena
“Is there no asylum safe enough from your insane and blinded fury?”Schiller (The Bride of Messina)
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest at the opening of Meth Sevana, the Buddhist Leadership Academy of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS). In his speech Mr. Rajapaksa said that he decided to attend the event “after realising its timely importance”; according to him, “these Buddhist clergy who are engaged in a nationally important task should not be feared or doubted by anyone” (Sri Lanka Mirror – 10.3.2013).
The transformation of the police from spectators to enforcers of the BBS illegal and unethical deeds is already underway, going by media reports. “After the discussion the Secretary of Defence today (13) ‘not only the removal of the Halal logo, the entire process is done away with it and the police has been directed to attend do the rest’ the Convenor of the Bodu Bala Sena, Galagoda Aththe Gnansara Thera told …… ‘Our doubts were all cleared during our discussion with the Secretary of Defence’ the Thera said. ‘The removal of products with the Halal logo from the wholesale market would have taken three years according to the manufacturers. It is not practical to wait that long. The police have been directed to remove these products from the wholesale market’, the Thera revealed. The IGP has been instructed accordingly”[i].
If accurate, this news portends a future in which the BBS will be able to wreak havoc at will, with active police/military backing – until Gotabhaya Rajapaksa decides to withdraw his patronage. The Rajapaksas are addicted to using and discarding. Eventually the BBS too will be marginalised into insignificance. But until that day dawns, it can cause limitless and irreparable damage to Sri Lanka and all her citizens.
The BBS may or may not be a Rajapaksa-creation. But it is hard to believe that it could have become the behemoth it is, in just 10 months, without Rajapaksa patronage. In today’s Sri Lanka, in order to get ahead and thrive, one needs Rajapaksa backing, be it in politics, business or other fields of endeavour. Had the Rajapaksas wanted, they could have nipped the BBS in the bud. The Siblings do not hesitate to ignore, restrain and even threaten the topmost Buddhist priests, when it is in their interests to do so. If they allow the BBS to run amok, it is out of choice.
The BBS, knowingly or unknowingly, is starring in drama of Rajapaksa making.
Under the auspices of President Rajapaksa, his brothers and sons are competing with each other to build up their own fiefdoms, within the overall dynastic project. Basil Rajapaksa is the ‘Development Czar’; theDivineguma Bill was aimed at expanding his fiefdom. Namal Rajapaksa has ‘Tharunyata Hetak’ and ‘Nil Balakaya’.
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is indubitably more powerful than either Brother Basil or Nephew Namal. He effectively controls the military, the police and the UDA. The militarization of civil spaces is being undertaken partly as a way of maintaining his relevance, post-war. In post-war Sri Lanka, his power has remained undiminished. But what he can do with that power has shrunk drastically, outside of the North and the East. Of course there are white vans and other extra-judicial activities. Of course he remains the most feared man inSri Lanka. But in the absence of a discernible enemy and a manifest conflict, apart from lording it over North Eastern Tamils, his most prominent public role has been that of the chief park-and-exercise-track-builder and the inaugurator of the Ranaviru Real Star.
Perhaps the BBS can change all that, and enable Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to play the hero again, by giving the Sinhalese a new enemy? If the BBS can conjure a half-way credible ‘Islamic threat’, Mr. Rajapaksa can don his warrior-guise again and find some real uses for the unlimited power he enjoys in his brother’s country.
LTTE, BBS and GR
InSri Lanka, several political entities have claimed the sole representative status of their ‘chosen people’, chosen on the basis of primordial identity – ethnicity/religion. The LTTE made that claim on behalf of the Tamils. The Rajapaksas make that claim on behalf of the Sinhalese. The BBS has taken over the JHU’s banner of ‘the sole representative of Sinhala-Buddhists’.
The perennial search for enemies undertaken by such entities does not stop with the ethnic/religious other. It often turns inwards, targeting those of one’s own race/religion who refuse to accept the worldview of the self-anointed ‘sole representative’. The Tigers considered anti-Tiger Tamils to be an enemy on par with (and at times even greater than) the Lankan state. The Rajapaksas often reserve their most vicious ire for those Sinhalese (the ‘anti-patriots’ according to the Siblings’ lexicon) who refuse to become their acolytes.
The BBS is no different.
When the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) announced its compromise solution to the BBS created ‘Halal problem’, several senior Buddhist priests lauded that decision. Prominent among them was the scholar-monk, Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thero who stated that the BBS is not the sole-voice of Lankan monks. “He noted that in any community there are extremists, fundamentalists and other elements. Bellanwila Wimalaratana thera said that the Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka do not want to create a conflict between communities” (Colombo Gazette – 11.3.2013).
At its Maharagama rally, BBS livewire Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thero heaped invective on those Buddhist priests who disagree with the BBS’s extremist vision and divisive antics. After a violent verbal assault on Muslims and the Ulemas[ii], the monk turned his venomous-attention on moderate Buddhist priests: “There are some Buddhist monks who are like those evil forces. They have the robe round their shoulders. But these fellows just lack the cap of the Muslim man. They sit with those capped men and are creating unlimited impediments to our attempts to build this nation….. Do not allow room in the temples for these unethical/immoral forces”[iii].
Vellupillai Pirapaharan could have had a de facto Eelam on a platter. But he wanted to win a de jure Eelam on the battlefield. That extremist path brought him to an ignoble death. The BBS is not content with its ‘Halal victory’. It wants to inflict ever greater humiliations on Lankan Muslims. That extremism will cause its undoing, eventually. It ignominious fall may undermine its patron Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (and his brothers); or not. But its toxic life will indubitably bring disrepute, dishonour and disaster to the religious-community it claims to be the sole-representative of.
A clarification: I am not back with the Sunday Leader. The paper is carrying already published material, with strategic cuts.
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