Conflict in Sri Lanka: Ground Realities - Tamil Nation & Beyond
Conflict in Sri Lanka: Ground Realities - Tamil Nation & Beyond
Conflict in Sri Lanka: Ground Realities - Tamil Nation & Beyond
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The latest S<strong>in</strong>halese ploy is to get India, which fears a breakawayby <strong>Tamil</strong> Nadu, the Sikhs and the Kashmiris, to <strong>in</strong>tervene. Letthem not forget that, when the Indians physically <strong>in</strong>tervenedunder President Jayawardena, both the S<strong>in</strong>halese and <strong>Tamil</strong>sresented that <strong>in</strong>vasion. The then Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister Mr Premadasavirulently opposed this foreign <strong>in</strong>tervention. The <strong>Tamil</strong>s foughtand humiliated the Indian army. The Indians have never forgottenthis and carry their resentment aga<strong>in</strong>st the LTTE to this day.What k<strong>in</strong>d of neutral <strong>in</strong>tervention could we possibly expect fromthem now? In any event, can the S<strong>in</strong>halese trust the Indiansany more than we do? The important question everyone has toask is whether we should allow others to dictate to us what ourfuture should be. The Indians, as an unhealthily ambitious m<strong>in</strong>isuperpower with its <strong>in</strong>telligence service R.A.W runn<strong>in</strong>g aroundour island <strong>in</strong> an effort to control events there, will love to dothat. The sovereignty of both the <strong>Tamil</strong>s and S<strong>in</strong>halese would becompromised thereby.The rest of the <strong>in</strong>ternational community, on the other hand, willmost likely do all <strong>in</strong> their power to avoid this, preferr<strong>in</strong>g a localleader to determ<strong>in</strong>e the island’s future. The worry we <strong>Tamil</strong>s haveis whether that local leader will represent our <strong>in</strong>terests, or thoseof the S<strong>in</strong>halese to the exclusion of those of the <strong>Tamil</strong>s.Ultimately, the question that arises is whether the S<strong>in</strong>halesepeople are ready to stop play<strong>in</strong>g games by do<strong>in</strong>g everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>their power to avoid fac<strong>in</strong>g the simple straightforward issue thatfaces us, which is, that they seek to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to control our fate,while we wish to control our own.Democracy with a permanent majorityThe <strong>in</strong>ternational community and the U.N. have recognised theright of m<strong>in</strong>orities to overcome the unwelcome, overwhelm<strong>in</strong>gpower of national majorities <strong>in</strong> East Timor, Northern Sudan andBosnia. What is so different about <strong>Sri</strong> <strong>Lanka</strong>? The fact that <strong>Sri</strong><strong>Lanka</strong> has elections? Those elections allow the S<strong>in</strong>halese to choosebetween two or more rival contenders who their leader should be.Does it permit the <strong>Tamil</strong>s to have a real voice <strong>in</strong> determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g who10