'We do not share a competitive relation with Sri Lanka'

Syed Akbaruddin  April 13, 2013

Question: My question is related to Sri Lanka. There has been Chinese-Sri Lankan collaboration going on in the area of space, and they are going to launch a communications satellite among other things. India's National Security Council called on March 25 for an inter-ministerial consultation to decide on possible approaches to protect Indian interests in the neighbourhood. I was just wondering, because it has been about a week since that consultation, whether you had any feedback on the consultation and what was discussed.

Official Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, Syed Akbaruddin: I think we follow a norm here. I do not respond on inter-ministerial issues of a nature which we have not conducted. If you say this is conducted by the National Security Council, I would direct you to please contact the National Security Council Secretariat and get a response from it on this matter. I have said previously, inter-ministerial discussions are normal in any country, in any democracy, in any system. If you would like us to expose our entrails and indicate that this is what somebody wrote on a note and this is what the reply was, I am afraid I am not the right person. You ask me for an explanation of any foreign policy stance and any such related question, I am more than willing to respond.

Question: There are reports that Indian projects in Sri Lanka have slowed down. Could you tell us about these projects and give us an update on them? And there is also growing clamour that the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting should be shifted out of Sri Lanka, and two Union ministers have in fact joined this clamour. Could you please give us your comments on that?

Akbaruddin: As I said, I never answer on intramural issues. So, on this clamour within India, if there is a decision taken, I will want to explain but let me try and provide you some information in terms of our projects, especially focussed on the Tamil-speaking people in Sri Lanka.

Our major flagship project is the housing project. On October 2, we launched what is called the second phase of that project after completing the first phase. In the first phase, 1,000 houses were constructed and handed over. In the second phase, construction of 43,000 accommodations was initiated. Now, we are following what is for us a new system of conducting our development partnership. That system involves direct cash transfers to beneficiaries. These are owner-driven projects in a sense. We select the owner through a very transparent process. If any of you would like to know who the owners of these 43,000 dwelling units in Sri Lanka are, you just have to go to the website of the High Commission of India in Colombo and get information about every owner that is available.

Next, we then have audit at the community level, so that if anybody has a grievance, if anybody has an issue, those are sorted out there. Finally, we do not construct these houses but we do direct transfer of funds to banks. This is for us a unique and first of its kind development partnership project where we have started these direct transfers. We have these reputed implementing agencies, which are UN Habitat, International Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity. These are our implementing partners. They go and check whether that phase is complete. Once that phase is complete, the money is released for the next phase and that is how it goes on.

If I try and see the information that is available, in this phase by the end of the financial year in March 2013, we had hoped that 10,000 dwelling units would have started. This was our plan. I am happy to tell you that we are ahead of that. We have, in fact, 11,379 beneficiaries who have begun work on that. Of these, 3,488 have also availed their second instalment, about 700 have availed the third instalment, and almost 500 have completed their houses. The point that I would like to make is in terms of our flagship project in Sri Lanka, which is focused on rehabilitation of internally displaced persons primarily of Tamil ethnicity, we are way ahead of schedule for this project. If you would like information on, for example, the two rail lines, and this is the other major project we are doing in those areas, these rail lines are based on an $800 million line of credit. If I am not mistaken, one is in Kankesanthurai and the other is in Thalaimannar. In both cases, we are ahead of schedule. We hope to complete these projects well ahead of schedule, perhaps by the end of the year. So, let me tell you, in terms of implementation of projects in Sri Lanka we are doing very well.

Question: Is India worried about growing Chinese engagement in Sri Lanka, and growing investment, and growing cooperation which now includes satellite technology?

Akbaruddin: Let me give you some facts. India is the largest trade partner of Sri Lanka. India is the largest investor in Sri Lanka. India is also the destination of the largest number of Sri Lankan tourists travelling outside Sri Lanka. We also have a large number of Indians travelling there. There are large amounts of Sri Lankan investments coming into India. We are on the cusp of working on the next phase of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. We are now already starting to work on that. As far as we see our relationship with Sri Lanka, we do not see it in competitive terms. We see it as a win-win situation both for India and for Sri Lanka, and we are quite comfortable with that situation.

Question: I just want to ask you what steps the Government of India is taking for the return of the 19 Indian fishermen whose remand was extended I think yesterday?

Akbaruddin: We are in active touch with the Sri Lankans on this and we have raised this both here in Delhi previously and in Sri Lanka. Our consulate is working with legal officials on this. We hope that this will be amicably resolved. As has been the case with all other fishermen, who have from time to time strayed into Sri Lankan waters, we hope this too would be amicably resolved.

An Open Message To Gotabaya Rajapaksa

By Thrishantha Nanayakkara -April 14, 2013

Dr. Thrishantha Nanayakkara

In year 2006, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) took a radical tactical turn to use remote controlled claymore mines to block Madawachchi-Mannar and Habarana-Trinco supply routes. This effectively made the vegetation clearance on either sides of the road fruitless. Attacks were frequent and caused huge damages to ground movements of the army. The defense research units that attracted the volunteer support of several civilian engineers worked day and night to develop a counter measure to jam the LTTE remote controllers, based on some pieces of circuits found among the debris of explosions in the North. The rate of innovation of the LTTE side was so fast that the Government defense research units had to struggle to keep up with their phase. Finally, LTTE gave up using remote controlled bombs. As far as I can remember, the last attack was on the Pakistan ambassador in Colombo. To be honest, I had respect for the researchers/innovators on the LTTE side who gave a difficult time to us, and worked with the only intension of outperforming. There was no hatred. For the civilian volunteers, burning midnight oil, and then returning to work the next day was not easy. The only motivation was to see an end to the war that kept on taking so many valuable lives. I am sure that this was the main motivation to all others who volunteered in many other fronts of the war. Those volunteers had complete trust in the Government to make a genuine attempt to bring in a lasting peace by firmly establishing democracy, rule of law, notion of citizenship, and justice, through some credible reconciliation process after the war.

After the war came to an end, silent ground forces went to rest, too tired of war, with a greater appreciation for humanity, but the racist cowards came out of their hiding places like mushrooms popping out. Unfortunately the country’s top leadership saw this as a cheap political opportunity rather than a threat to the dreams of those who toiled and died. To be honest, if I knew the close relationship between groups like Bodu Bala Senaor Jathika Hela Urumaya, and the secretary of defense, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, I would have quit without any hesitation, for it could have been ample evidence of what would happen after the war comes to an end. Due to some reason, Gotabaya showed a deep interest in protecting the country’s constitution and rule of law instead.

The way the law enforcement agencies behaved during recent public protests like the movement to release General Sarath Fonseka, the movement to protest the process of impeachment of the Chief Justice Dr.Shirani Bandaranayake, and the protest questioning the activities of Bodu Bala Sena, was shameful, filthy, and disgusting. In the case of protests to release Sarath Fonseka, we saw police mingling around with street thugs who hurled bricks and stones at the peaceful protestors. In the case of protests of lawyers to defend the constitutional rights of the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, the police openly worked among the street thugs as if they were one team. In the case of an attack on Fashion Bug, the police was watching how monks threw stones to damage private property. None were arrested on site. However, we saw how the police manhandled those who participated in a peaceful candle light vigil in Colombo, on 12th April, 2013, without a single warning to those threatening Bodu Bala Sena goons to disperse. Compounding the shameful situation, a police officer later expressed his opinion about the religious backgrounds of the peaceful protestors, as a reason to be hostile to them, as if the country’s constitution has given him a mandate to be hostile to religions he doesn’t like. Who thought stupidity and ignorance could reach this height inside a police officer’s brain?

I wanted to point out this final message to none other than but Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Please keep in mind that Sri Lanka belongs to all its citizens. You may have been entrusted by your brother Mahinda Rajapaksa to defend rule of law and peace, but keep in mind that it is not your private or family property. You are just a public servant and your job is to protect law and order to protect all citizens, not only to protect those who are close to you, or those who have religious or political ideologies that resonate with yours or those of your family. Please don’t think that those civilians, who volunteered in many fronts of research and development in the defense apparatus during the war did so because of they were blind worshippers of Rajapaksa family or because they were war mongers. There was a greater dream in their minds that you have humiliated in broad daylight. Simply put, you are disgracing those dreams by being partial to some groups in the way you manage the ministry of defence. May Sri Lanka be a country where all its citizens feel safe to live, where all their constitutional rights are safeguarded, where rule of law will sit above the tallest man, where the legal procedures respect the constitution, and where public servant serve the public, but not nepotistic agendas.

* Dr Thrishantha Nanayakkara is a  Senior Lecturer at King’s College London

Paris Aristotle visits refugee hunger strikers

Sunday, 14 April 2013 

Melbourne,Saturday – The Government’s adviser on asylum seekers, Paris Aristotle, has visited hunger strikers at Melbourne’s Broadmeadows detention centre.

According to media sources, Aristotle and an officer from the Immigration Department yesterday spent several hours talking to the *26 ASIO-rejected refugees who have now entered the sixth day of a hunger strike and are being supported by an on-going vigil by concerned Melbourne citizens.

For the second night in a row, a hardy band of supporters held candles and chanted their support to the protesters, who returned with their own chants of defiance.

“It was very emotional to take part in this inter-action. It is a symbol of the world letting these wrongfully jailed people know that while the government may be trying to forget they exist, the millions of humane people of this world will never let that happen,” said one of the refugee supporters, Aran Mylvanagam.

There are 55 people being held in indefinite detention in Australia. All of them have been granted refugee status to stay here but the Government is refusing to release them because ASIO has declared them a threat to national security – charges they can’t challenge because they remain secret under ASIO laws.

The 26 in Melbourne – 24 Tamils and two Burmese Rohingyas-- began a hunger strike last Monday at 2a.m.

Despite their weakening condition, the protesters yesterday put their grievances to Aristotle, who, it is believed, told them he would pass them on to the Minister for Immigration, Brendan O’Connor, one of which is to be released into the community immediately.

He also warned the hunger strikers that they should not talk to the media about his visit. He emphasized he was making a private visit and told them if they alerted the media, he would not be able to help them.

Aristotle, a long-time refugee advocate, is viewed these days by some refugee advocates as a man more interested in pushing government policy than the welfare and future of refugees, since he joined the Gillard Government’s panel and produced recommendations that has allowed the government to pursue its cruel and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.

Three of the hunger strikers were hospitalized earlier in the week, suffering dangerously-low blood sugar levels. Initially the group was taking no water as well as no food. But they decided to drink fluids after they began to lose consciousness and strength very quickly.

“We do not have a lot of strength in our bodies but we are not going to give up until we get a resolution one way or the other,” one detainee said.

The detainee said the protesters were buoyed to see on social media the massive support from around Australia and the world, as well as pictures of the vigil, which includes a symbolic cage of confinement. center.

Some advocates and detainees saw Aristotle’s visit as a way to try to talk the hunger-strikers out of their protest and back into the invisibility of non-persons; people with no face, no voice and no hope. But if that was his aim, he would have failed miserably, for the hunger-strikers said they were determined to carry on.

“We have no intention of stopping, no matter what people might say to us,” a detainee said. We came to Australia to live because Sri Lanka was death to us. We do not want to die here but we have no life locked away in this place,” he said.

“We know Australians are kind people and do not want to see people like us suffer. We are very happy to see the people supporting us outside this jail.”

The Canadian Peace Alliance has backed the refugees, with a letter to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, demanding their release.

Rallies were held yesterday in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide to highlight the cruel, inhumane policy of indefinite detention of refugees.

The Canadian Peace Alliance, Canada's largest peace network, called on the Australian government to immediately end the indefinite detention of the refugees.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, it says: “All of those who have been detained have met the requirements to be considered “genuine” refugees. Their continued detention goes against all standards of justice and the rule of law.”

Canada’s huge Tamil diaspora has also sent a letter to the Prime Minister, reminding her of Australia’s obligations under international law.

We remind your government that asylum seekers are not precluded from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: it is a right under international law to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution,” said Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Tamils.

“Of the 55 refugees held indefinitely because of negative ASIO reviews, the vast ajority of them are fleeing persecution based on nationality in Sri Lanka—a country accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” he said.”Even after the end of the conflict, Tamils are not safe in the island with human rights groups alleging continued rape, torture and extrajudicial killings of Tamils.

“We urge your government to immediately release the refugees as per their rights under international law. Your treatment of these refugees on hunger strike will serve as a test for how the Australian government enforces its own obligations under international covenants and the doctrine of the presumption of innocence.”

A Tamil Refugee Council spokesperson, Trevor Grant, said the Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor should not allow his Government’s fear of being labelled soft on terrorism in an election year to destroy the mental and physical health of these people .

“He should use his power to release all refugees indefinitely detained because of so-called negative ASIO reports, not succumb to the racist, anti-refugee dog-whistlers in the parliament and the electorate ” he said.

*(There are 26 in the group – 24 Tamils and two Burmese Rohingyas. A Kuwaiti man who was part of the original 27 hunger-strikers has a serious medical condition and was persuaded to drop out after a couple of days because of his illness.)

For further information contact Trevor Grant 0400 597 351

Sri Lankan correspondent explains why refugees are fleeing to Australia

By Mike Head 
12 April 2013

The WSWS spoke recently to a Sri Lankan correspondent, S. Jayanth, aboutthe social and economic conditions that have driven increasing numbers of poor and oppressed people to flee to Australia since the end of the country’s communal war in 2009, when thousands of Tamils were killed by the Sri Lankan military in the final months of the conflict. The interview also coveredthe plight of those who have been forcibly returned to Sri Lanka by the Australian government .

WSWS: How many Sri Lankans have tried to flee to Australia since the end of the war in 2009, and how many have been sent back to Sri Lanka?

SJ: People are fleeing, mostly to Australia, from Sri Lanka and also from southern India, where they have been refugees for many years. Last year, according to Australia’s statistics, 6,428 came to Australia, and 943 were sent back to Sri Lanka. That was a big increase from 2011, when 211 came by boat. Even in the final months of the brutal war that ended in 2009, only 736 people sought asylum in Australia.

WSWS: Who are the refugees? It seems that they now include Sinhalese Sri Lankans, as well as Tamils.

SJ: They are mostly Tamils from the north and east of Sri Lanka, but there are also poor Muslims and Sinhalese, mainly from the fishing villages in the north.

WSWS: Why are they fleeing?

SJ: It is because of the economic crisis and repression by the government and the military. People are unable to find a life for their children. If there were no problems, they would not risk their lives by taking to boats. In the fishing areas there were protests last year over the government’s increases in fuel prices, which have created great difficulties for those trying to make a living from fishing.

WSWS: One fisherman was killed by the police during these protests in Chilaw. Did the numbers of refugees rise after that?

SJ: Yes, the numbers increased, and they have risen since 2009, because the end of the war has not produced the peace and prosperity that President Rajapakse promised. A reporter from “Today Tonight”, an Australian TV program, claimed there were no problems because the war was over, but actually the situation is the opposite.

To meet the austerity measures demanded by International Monetary Fund for its loans to Sri Lanka, the government has been imposing cuts in social spending including education and health, and prices of essential goods are sharply increasing. Workers and farmers and students have been staging protests and strikes against deteriorating living conditions. To suppress these protests, the government has extended its police-state measures island-wide. Over the past year, protesting workers and fishermen have been shot by the police.

WSWS: What is life like in the north?

RJ: In the north especially, the war has ended, but the people have no livelihood. Tamils who had been detained after the war were dumped in other areas, with the military occupying much of their lands. People who are resettled are not provided with basic facilities. Many have had to stay in camps or live with relatives.

Thousands of young men, who were released from so-called rehabilitation camps, where they were detained as LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] suspects at the end of the war, are unemployed and monitored by military intelligence. Hundreds of people are still detained as political prisoners, in most cases without charges or court cases. Violations, murders, disappearances and looting are increasing in the north and east.

A thatched house in Udappu

WSWS: You went to one fishing village in January to report on the conditions there. Can you describe what you found?

SJ: We visited the remote village of Udappu in the northwestern coastal belt. It was very poor. Several families were living in huts with thatched roofs. There was no proper government transport, only temple buses, and only dirt roads. The villagers reported that hundreds of fishermen and youth had gone to Australia. Out of a population of about 5,000, between 750 and 2,000 people had fled.

One person explained the oppressive conditions the fishermen faced. He told us his two brothers had fled because after the fuel prices rose, villagers could earn only 50 or 100 rupees (40 to 80 US cents) a day from fishing. Though the war had ended, they also had to obtain passes from the navy every day before going to sea, which meant being at the checkpoint by at least 4 a.m.

WSWS: What are the conditions like for those who flee?

A woman, with her three children, whose husband committed suicide after returning to Udappu

SJ: They have to pay smugglers about one million rupees ($US8,000), with 300,000 rupees up front. Their families sell their valuables, like jewellery and land, and borrow money at high interest rates—like 5,000 rupees a month for a 100,000-rupee loan. On the boats, with up to 90 people on board, they cannot sleep or move about, only sit up, getting wet from the waves, and survive on just one meal a day. A weeping mother told us her son, a diabetic, died aboard a boat and his body was dumped at sea.

WSWS: What happens to the people who are deported from Australia, or whose boats are intercepted by the Sri Lankan navy?

SJ: The smugglers take their money, regardless. If they are sent back from Australia, they are arrested at the airport and interrogated by the intelligence. If they are intercepted by the navy, it is the same. They are handed over to the police, who file charges against them for leaving the country illegally. They have to raise bail to be released, and then they have to pay fares to travel back south for their court cases. Some people are still in jail.

A woman whose husband killed himself in Australia

People are left with huge debts they cannot pay. Because of that, some have committed suicide, either in Australia or after they have been returned. In Udappu we met one woman with three children whose husband had killed himself on return, and a woman whose husband committed suicide in Australia. 

WSWS: What message would you like to send to Australian workers and youth?

SJ: Sri Lankan refugees are very oppressed people. They confront police-state measures in the north and east four years after the end of the war. There is a military occupation, they have no livelihood and therefore they try to leave the country. Then they are exploited by the smugglers. But they cannot find any livelihood in Australia either. The Australian and Sri Lankan governments have joined together—neither is prepared to provide a life for them. Only the working class can provide an answer. This is the responsibility of the working class. They need to unify, in Sri Lanka and Australia and internationally, to fight for socialism. Only in that way can the crisis of refugees be resolved, not only in Sri Lanka, but all over the world.

The author also recommends:

Australia boosts links with Sri Lankan regime 
[19 December 2012]

“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” In Different Remixed Versions

April 14, 2013 

How would the Nursery Rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sound in South Indian Carnatic or Punjabi Bhangra? Watch this comical rendition of the Nursery Rhymes “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in different remixed versions. Have A Blast!!

Yankee Thomson is address-less one man show : Jaliya pockets most –Driver Siriwardena sold Fonseka

(Lanka-e-News-14.April.2013, 4.00PM) A group of the MaRa regime pointing to the corrupt agreement signed with the American Co. whereby many millions of dollars of public money has been wasted, for the ‘cosmetic’ enhancement to the regime’ s scarred ugly face and image, has itself revealed that this deal is fraudulent and corrupt.

Lanka e news had already exposed this agreement , and also about how the regime is trying to use this as its image rescuing exercise by paying Rs. 83 lakhs per month to the American Co. in order to hold hand in hand with America against China. It was also revealed that the advisor for this image rescuing deal is a limousine Driver in America.

Following this stark and startling exposure , we are in now receipt of more details on this corrupt and fraudulent deal.

That Thompson advisory group Co. has only its owner , Robert Thompson in its staff. That is , it is a one man show. The address in the agreement is No. 1725 , I street , Washington. However such a Company does not exist at that address now.. In other words that Co. is a fraudulent establishment. Hence the driver of the vehicle Thilak Mohan Siriwardena of the Co. has represented the Co. as the advisor because there are no other staff members in the Co. Thompson, in order to pose as a God of wealth has been using Siriwardena driven limousine on hire to travel about. Siriwardena has only this vehicle and himself drives the vehicle when hired.

So, it has become clear now , the duo , Thompson and Siriwardena along with Jaliya Wickremesuriya , the blood relative of MaRa who is functioning as the SL High Commissioner in Washington have teamed together and fleeced the country of many million dollars of public funds via this brazenly calculated fraud. 

When Thompson came to SL , this corrupt contract to refurbish the scarred face and tarnished image of the regime created within America was given to him .

Thompson however was an individual who had no close ties with the US Democratic govt. He had relationship only with Ornhorf , the Oklohoma republican Senator of the US opposition party . He has maintained relations with the Republican party members during the tenure of office of Ronald Reagan era , but not with the present Democratic party of the ruling government. This is parallel to a situation where the UPFA govt. in SL is trailing behind a UNP M .P. to get its work done.

In short this is a one man show performed by Thompson for the most nefarious and fraudulent reasons. 

If the true picture on this calculated fraud is to be explained. This is how it is : America is paying only US $ 33,300/- as monthly salary to US President Barack Obama to build the country’s image and for administration. On the other hand , this maniacal MaRa regime is paying US$ 66000/- to refurbish its own image within America to an American ‘Pakkadiah’ (scoundrel) who is no better than the scoundrels in the MaRa pakka regime.

When the Rajapakse regime was signing this new agreement to pay US $ 66000/- monthly , it is significant to note that it had already signed an agreement with another Ameerican Co.-Marjorite group for the same purpose , and the SL High Commission in Washington is to pay US $ 33000/- monthly for five years . The Majorite Co. is a huge establishment unlike the Thompson Co. which is a one man show. To consider the earlier agreement as useless now and to entrust the task to a one man show , and mind you that is to a vehicle driver is the biggest comedy show of the century produced by the Rajapakse jokers. 

On top of all this , the SL High Commission in Washington had employed three Americans in its office at salaries ranging from US $ 7000/- to US$ 10000/- per month. The bottom line is the MaRa regime after wantonly destroying the country’s image , and now just for restoring it , the same regime is spending or rather wasting US $ 132000/- or Rs. Ten million sixty six lakhs approximately of the public funds monthly.

Despite the MaRa regime spending so much public funds to save its skin and kowtowing to ‘ugly American’ , the American Government bringing forth three resolutions against the MaRa regime is something bewildering.

This same Thompson and driver Siriwardena the advisor had been engaged in boosting the image of Fonseka when he was in jail. It has been confirmed that Mrs. Fonseka and daughter were introduced to Thomson by the driver Siriwardena , and by preparing a letter through the Republican senator already mentioned hereinbefore , attempts had been made to collect monies from the Fonseka family. Siriwardena is also notorious for seeking to collect funds from the Sri Lankans abroad via a US $ 10 million collection campaign organized to get Fonseka released which foundered. Lanka e news has evidence to substantiate this. From all this it is evident that Siriwardena and Thomas duo are ace cheats and double dealers.

The comedy show producers must understand a High commission of a country is there to build and enhance the image of that country abroad. That is a duty of Jaliya Wickremesuriya , the MaRa’s relative . Instead these groups seeking private Companies to achieve this purpose spending public funds in millions is obviously because of their ulterior fraudulent and corrupt motives. While pretending to pay US $ to Thompson , it is Jaliya and MaRa regime ( jadiya and moodiya) that have gained through under the counter maneuvers. The Central Bank Deputy governor , B D W Silva who placed the signature for this transaction must be held responsible personally .

By clicking on the banner on the left side of the lead news of our website , this fraudulent agreement can be read. In the photograph are Thompson and Siriwardena , the racketing duo during the period when Fonseka family was deluded. In the middle is Robert Thompson. 

Kandyan Kings, Unani Medicine And Buddhist Extremists

By Rifai Naleemi -April 14, 2013 |

Dr. Rifai Naleemi

Patriotism, loyalty and allegiance of Muslim to Mother Lanka in Sri LankaPart: 3

There is no doubt that Muslims have been loyal citizens of Sri Lanka throughout Sri Lankan history. They fought with Sinhalese to protect the Island from the onslaught of colonial powers. Dewaraja notes that “when the Portuguese first appeared off the shoes of Sri Lanka, the Muslims warned the kings, sangha, nobles and the people of the potential threat to the country’s sovereignty. When the Portuguese tried to gain a foothold in Colombo, the Muslims provided firearms, fought side by side with the Sinhalese and even used their influences with South Indian powers to get military assistance to Sinhalese rulers. Through the intervention of the Muslims, the Zamorin of Calicut sent three distinguished Moors of Cochin with forces to help Mayadunne” (P. 50). This illustrates Muslim people’s loyalty to this nation and they defended this land with their lives against any foreign invasions. Muslim people did their best to get all help and support from Muslim world to protect this nation from colonial powers.

During the 15th and 16th centuries Ottomans Empire was one of the mightiest dynasties in the world and they ruled over the most of Middle Eastern countries and some Asian countries. Sometimes Non-Muslim nations in Asian regions sought the military help of Ottoman Empire to defeat the Portuguese invasion. Bernard Lewis notes that “1563 the Muslim ruler of Atjeh in Sumatra sent an embassy to Istanbul requesting for the military assistance against the Portuguese, as an inducement, several of the Non-Muslim rulers of the region had agreed to become Muslim if the Ottomans would come to their aid. Yet, Ottomans were unable to come in support of these nations because they were busy with more urgent matters-in the siege of Malta and of Szigetvar in Hungary, the death of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent ” (Barnard Lewis: P. 15). Ceylon Muslims would have sought Ottoman support to defend this Island had there been any urgent need for such help.

Muslims and Sinhalese kings

Kamalika Pieris is narrating one of fascinating stories (if it is a true story) that might reveal some new information about Muslim and Sinhalese relationship in this country and yet, this story was not really studied well by the historians: It is a timely needed story to be examined with some historical evidence. This story was reported some historians as well. “There is also a report in the history of Sri Lanka of a Muslim Ruler, Vathimi Raja, who reigned at Kurunegala (North Central Province) in the 14th century. This factor cannot be found in the history books due to their omission, for reasons unknown, by modern authors. Vathimi Raja was the son of Kings Bhuvaneka Bahu, by a Muslim spouse, the daughter of one of the chiefs. The Sinhalese son of King Bhuvaneka Bahu I, Parakrma Bahu III, the real heir to the throne was crowned at Dambadeniya under the name of Pandita Parakrama Bahu III. In order to be rid of his step bother Vathimi Raja, he ordered that his eyes be gouged out. It is held that the author of the (Mahavansa: ancient history of Ceylon) had suppressed the recording of this disgraceful incident. The British translator, Mudaliyar Wejesinghese states that original Ola (Leaf script) was bodily removed from the writings and fiction inserted instead. The blinded Vathimi Raj (BhuvanekaBahu II or al-Konar, abbreviated from Al-langar_Konar, meaning Chief for Lankan of Alakeshwara) was seen by the Arab traveller Ibn Batuta during his visit to the Island in 1344. His son named Parakrama Bahu II (Alkeshwara II was a Muslim. The lineage of Alkeshwara kings of (Muslim origin) ended in 1410. Although all the kings during this reign may not have been Muslims, the absence of the prefix-Shri Sangha Bodi-( pertaining to the disciples of he Buddha) to the name of these kings on the rock inscriptions during this hundred years period may be considered as an indicator that they were not Buddhists”( Kamilika Pieris. P.9).

ACS Hameed

What a fascinating story that tells us the true intimate nature of Muslim and Sinhalese relationship from 13th, 14th and 15th centuries onward. If this was a true story this should shed more light on Muslim and Sinhalese relationship: It is not a mystery that Muslims in Sri Lanka married Sinhalese people in the past and those marrying more than one wife may have been normal traditions of kings. It is pity that Historians have not made any constructive research on this fascinating story that tells us a true nature of Muslim and Sinhalese relationship in Sri Lanka: This would have been possible because of the fact that during this period in history Muslims were influential trading force in Asia. India was Under Muslim rule as well. Moreover, Muslim influence and particularly Ottoman Influence was apparently noticeable during the time on sea and costal areas. It was during this time that the King in Maldives Island embraced Islam and inhabitants of all tiny Islands become Muslims: In this sense, this story would have been true and unfortunately, the entire family trees of these Muslim rulers were deleted and omitted from Mahavamsa and Sinhalese chronicle. It would not be wrong to trace ancestry history of some Muslims from this historical account and yet, Muslim did not maintain the traditional methods of tracing family trees in Sri Lanka. It may be for some religious and legal reasons. Historians have already vividly recorded Ibn Batuta’s visits to Ceylon and he himself recorded his visits to Ceylon in his travelogue in Arabic. There must be some truth in historical accounts of Ceylon history: It is the time now that Muslim and Sinhalese historians should shed some light on these types of historical facts and stories that enhance Muslim and Sinhalese relationship. Reading the original works of Ibn Batuta in Arabic should reveal more information about the true nature of Muslim and Sinhalese relationship. It was improbable that Ibn Batuta would have ventured out into this Island had there been any hostile situation in Ceylon then during his time. His visit itself testifies good and amicable communal relationship prevailed during his time.

Muslims in Kandian Kingdom

Sri Lankan history tells that Muslims were more trusted and more integrated in Kandyan kingdom. It was Kandyan Kings who protected Muslims during the Portuguese attacks on Muslims in the western province: Portuguese wanted to obliterate Muslims from western province for two reasons: because of their religious hatred towards Muslims and of trade domination: History tells us that during this epoch in Muslim history in Ceylon thousands of Muslims were killed and chased out by Portuguese from Colombo and its suburbs. Had not such exodus of Muslims population taken place in Ceylon history Muslims would have been clear majority in Colombo today and Muslim demography would have been different: It could be assumed that had this Portuguese aggression taken place Muslim population would have been more than 20% today. I would argue that such historical assumption would have been possible given nature of Muslim influence in Indian sub-continent during this time in history. Moreover, more and more Indian Muslim would have been migrated to Ceylon those days had Portuguese aggression on Muslim not taken place during this period in history.
It is high time now that Muslim academics and historians do some research on Ceylon Muslim holocaust in 5005 by Portuguese: Same like Nazi holocaust Jews in Germany Muslims in Ceylon were persecuted in a large numbers and yet, this atrocity was not exposed to the international community. This was one of the blood bath in Ceylon history and unfortunately this historical horrific incident was not yet examined or scrutinised by historians in Sri Lanka in our modern times: It is high time now that Muslim people do some historical research on this subject and reveal some of the atrocities committed on innocent Ceylonese Muslims in 1505 by Portuguese. It was Kandyan kings who provided shelter and refuge for these persecuted Muslims. It was Kandyan Kings with their compassion and kindness extended their moral and material support for Muslims on those difficult days: It is duty of each and every Muslim in Sir Lanka to be grateful to Sinhalese people from this historical perspective and it is religious duty of Muslims to be loyal to Sri Lanka at all time: because they have been supported by Sinhalese kings many times in history:

Kandyan Kings entrusted Muslims with some duties and responsibilities in his administration. They were entrusted with many internal and external duties: they were made a part of Madige Badda or transport department. They were allowed to trade in aeronaut, which was a royal monopoly that time. The Muslim from Ova, had to bring salt as part of their obligatory service (Dewaraja.P. 100). In addition to this, some selected Muslim were involved in the Maligawa rituals and were given Maligagam lands. It was reported that Muslims were involved in administrative and ritual aspect of Dalada maligawa at least at some minimal levels ( DewaRaja. P.107.)

Muslim physicians in Royal courts

Historically speaking Muslims were famous for Unani medicine in Sri Lanka. Muslims when they migrated into Ceylon from various part of world such as Arabia, Muslim Spain and Indian sub-continent they introduced Muslim traditional medicine. Even today Muslims are famous for some herbal and village medicine. Still some families are called as Vedemahathiya/ Vederala family. These prefixes in names indicate their traditional professions.

It is generally believed that Muslim people practiced Unani Medicine in many parts of Island. It was reported that A Muslim physician named Sulaiman Kuttiya who was practicing in Galle was invited to Kandyan Court, taken into royal service and given land near Gampola. His descendants who lived till 1874 carried prefix “Galle Vederala” (Dewaraja. P.91.) The most renowned of these Muslim physicians were the Gopala Moors of Gataberiya in the Kegalle Distrct. The family traces its pedigree to Physicians from Islamic Spain, whose descendants migrated to the Sind in Northern India, from where they were ordered before come to Sri Lanka to attend on King Parakrambahu II of Dambadeniya. 1236-1270. The Gopala descendants continued to function as physicians to the Kings, during the reigns of Rajadirajasiinghahe 1782-1798 and Srivickrama Rajasinghe 1798-1815.( Dewaraja.Pp.128-133.).

I still remember when my grandfather was called Vederala and he had been treating people for snake bite, small pox, paralysis, and ladies for during the post-natal times. A lot of Sinhalese used to come to our house to treatment from neighbouring villages and our house was called Aziz Vedarla house. It has been a tradition that these Vedetalas normally did not take money from patients but they were offered Bulath leaves sometimes with gift of fruits: still Muslims are doing this type of social services and a lot of Sinhalese are visiting Muslim house for treatments. This tradition is dying out with the introduction of modern medicine. Yet, it shows how closely these communities interacted between themselves.

These types of Sri Lankan Muslim loyalty and patriotism have been forgotten in this modern epoch of Sri Lankan history. It is the time now to remind the new generations of dedication and sacrifices that Muslim people made to the mother Lanka. It is pathetic Sri Lankan Muslim history has not yet been fully recognised in this country and rarely Muslim contributions have been recognised in this county. Muslim people have been ambassadors of peace and tranquility in Sri Lanka. They have been protecting the nation ever since they settle down and indeed, they were welcomed by Sinhalese kings, local and nobles to as a blessing and beneficial people: They have been demonstrating this sense of loyalty and devotion ever since they have been living there: yet some Muslim people have wrongly identified now as disloyal people to this nation and this wrong perception has to be rectified.

The former Foreign and education minster ACS Hameed in his forward note to Dewaraja’s book notes that “ Historians have traditionally been attracted by wars and rebellions whereas the peaceful co-existence of groups of people over long periods tends to be overlooked” It is peaceful co-existence and communal harmony between Muslim and Sinhalese should be subject of studies and research: I think that no any other country in the word had long communal harmony as we do have between Muslim and Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka: We live side by side in village and help each other in times of hardship and difficulties in history: Rarely Muslims had problems with Sinhalese people except a few occasions like that of 1915. This aspect of Muslim history in Sri Lanka was not yet really securitised in proper professional and academic methods: Of course, there are some books and research papers in these aspects and yet, not comprehensive and scientific researches have been made on these subjects.

Only Almighty Allah knows that ACS Hameed envisaged the danger that surrounds Muslims from these so called Buddhist extremists. It may be that after witnessing what happened to Tamil in 1983, he realised that Muslims history should be written highlighting all the contributions we made in Ceylon in the past and present time. That is why he made such a prediction in his forward. ACS Hammed was loved by both Muslims and Sinhalese people for his dedicated service for this nation. He rightly encouraged historians to write about this peaceful social harmony between communities. He would be dismayed and shocked to see what is going on in Sir Lanka had he been alive today with us.

To be continued next week.