The road from Nandikadal: A NEW REVIVALISM
Posted on September 13th, 2016
By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The TNA-Tamil Diaspora-UNP project is a frail, minimalist State with a weak centre
Would India have allowed Ban Ki moon to travel to Kashmir and have a political dialogue with strident Kashmiri nationalists?
The Sri Lankan Government permitted and facilitated a meeting between the UNSG with the Northern Provincial Council and its Chief Minister. Every parent knows that you do not reward bad behaviour with a gift. Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran presented the infamous Genocide Resolution to the Northern Provincial Council and then handed it over to a visiting senior UN political official. He was rewarded for that move with the kind of meeting that no Sovereign State arranges between the UN Secretary General and the Chief Minister of a restive border province, in which a truculent separatist psyche is far from dead.
The TNA’s Sampanthan told the UNSG that he expected the emerging Constitution to provide a political solution to the Tamils, based on the right of self-determination. The SL Government has signalled that a certain province, its elected council and Chief Minister can have political relations with the United Nations. This feeds dangerous delusions of independent statehood.
The outgoing UNSG called for a reduction of the military presence in the North. Such a remark is way outside his mandate, but there was no one from the Government to gently point that out. He went off script and bracketed Sri Lanka with Rwanda and Bosnia in his speech in Colombo, and there was no contradiction or objection from the Government of Sri Lanka.
These awful trends will crystallise in the new Constitution. The TNA insists that the new Constitution reflects the multi-national” character of Sri Lanka. There is a huge difference between the recognition of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural, i.e. pluralist character of Sri Lanka, as the Indo-Lanka Accord and the ensuing 13th Amendment rightly did, and recognition of an alleged multi-national” character of Sri Lanka. India does not define itself as multi-national because it has suffered the results of the two nation theory”—bloody partition.
Multi-national” allows communities in Sri Lanka to call for the recognition of the right of national self-determination, initially prefaced with the adjective internal”.
This will result, down the road, in a call for a referendum in the North (Or the North and East) on federalism or an even an independent State itself.
The demographic reality of an island on which almost two-thirds of the population belong to one ethno-lingual community, renders it impossible to classify as multinational–which implies communities of roughly comparable size.
The Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and Malays of this island are variously national minorities or minority nationalities. If the Tamils are/need/want a nation, that be way over in Tamil Nadu, India, baby.
The TNA eschews the term ‘unitary’, and pushes for a system in which the ‘centre’ i.e. the Sri Lankan State is limited to keeping the island together by wielding only those powers, which relate to managing the country’s interaction with the rest of the world, while all other powers are devolved to regions” (e.g. a re-merged North and East).
The Tamil people already have an arrangement of this sort -in Tamil Nadu. There is no logic by which an ethnic community, which is one and a half million strong in two strategically sensitive border regions of a small island, should enjoy the same quasi-federal powers that eighty million Tamils enjoy in Tamil Nadu.
The TNA urges shared sovereignty” among the peoples” of Sri Lanka, while our Republic rightly regards sovereignty as indivisible and flowing from the Sri Lankan people as a whole, not peoples” (ethnic communities).
The island of Sri Lanka has only one neighbour and that’s to its North. The North of Sri Lanka with a 
million Tamils is only 18 miles away from Tamil Nadu, which has 80 million ethnic Tamils.
The Southern two thirds of Sri Lanka has no neighbours, no co-ethnics, no adjacent co-religionists, and no speakers of the same language. The geopolitical realities faced by the Sinhalese, including their exceptional collective situation and consequently exceptional vulnerability, require a strong State with a strong centre i.e. precisely a Unitary State.
The TNA-Tamil Diaspora-UNP project is a frail, minimalist State with a weak centre.
But just when you think it’s all going south—in this case, north – something good and important happens. A man or woman stands up and strides forward. A book appears. Society rallies. The retreat stops, the fight-back starts.
Can a book save a nation? World history says yes. The most important book on Sri Lankan matters authored by a Sri Lankan and published here or abroad in my lifetime of reading, appeared on September 6th. It was as a pair: a Sinhala original (The author has a gift of verbal and literary expression in Sinhala) and an English language version, which reads easily and arrestingly. The launch was one of the most impressive, indelibly memorable and emotive events that I have attended in a lifetime of attending public events. It may turn out to be a true social tipping point”, where the tide of public opinion turned.
I refer to Major General Kamal Gunaratne’s Road to Nandikadal (The Sinhala original is Ranamaga Ossey Nandikadal),and the event was the book-launch at Ananda College with an overflow crowd of well-dressed invitees constituting the elite of the generation that fought and won the Long War in the military and non-military (Political, administrative, diplomatic, ideological and legal) battlefields.
This patriotic elite has been overthrown and replaced by the puppet elite, the elite of the unworthy, the collaborator elite, the ‘ancien regime’ of appeasers and cowards (With the exception of Field Marshal Fonseka). As Gen. Gunaratne unflinchingly testifies:
During his lifetime, Prabhakaran had the power and capability to get almost all the leaders of Sri Lanka, such as Presidents J.R. Jayewardene, R. Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, with the exception of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to kneel before him…Each of these the times, the Army was shackled and embarrassed in society which hurt us deeply. During the peace process initiated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was no different and perhaps the worst.”(Road to Nandikadal, Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne, Pp. 8, 463)
This is the book of our time, the true history of our times, a text to be treasured. A harrowingly authentic first person narrative, it is also a Great Chronicle.
With this literary long-range artillery, Major General Kamal Gunaratne has recaptured the most valuable strategic real estate: the moral high ground.
Road to Nandikadal should be in every Sri Lankan home and in the possession of every Lankan family here and overseas. Every library—municipal or school—should have copies. It should be a prize book at school prize-givings and a birthday gift. The author should be invited to speak at schools and civic associations. Anyone who wants the truth of our times to be known and transmitted down the generations and across borders, must buy, read and gift this book.
Ananda College was the product of the patriotic Buddhist revival under colonialism, while this massive tome is a chronicle of the cycles within the great cycle of the fall, revival and rise of the nation. Naow the cycle is being repeated.
The assembly of the organic yet modern elite at the event, the re-invocation of heritage and tapping of the well-springs of patriotic discourse; the solidarity that Ananda College showed Gen. Gunaratne, whose book launch was shunned by the State institutions, which are disowning the war and the warriors; the example shown by this solitary soldier in exchanging his T-56 for a computer keyboard and taking the fight to the enemy in the war of ideas” instead of surrendering to a silent retirement, may mark a new revivalism of the nation’s sagging spirit in these warped, wretched times of self-abasement and disgrace.
– See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/115774/The-road-from-Nandikadal-A-NEW-REVIVALISM#sthash.Pb7lRgfN.dpuf
September 13th, 2016 at 4:33 pm
Maj Gen Kamal Gunaratne has shown his courage, his honesty and his true patriotism in publishing this book and in his interviews and speeches. He is a good example for our political leaders to follow. I too hope every Sri Lankan will read this book and realise where our present leaders are taking out country. Hope the people will realise the sacrifices our brave forces made to save the country and stand up to these traitorous leaders.
September 13th, 2016 at 4:40 pm
I don’t beleive Mj. Gen. was senior enough to honestly claim “Prabhakaran had power can capability to get JR to kneel down before him”. In that case a lot of his own stories in his own book about the war just before parippu drop would be false. Rajiv had the power to force JR to sign 13A and none of his followers had guts to get rid of it, including MR.
Ofcourse RW, CBK times it could be fairly accurate to write the kneeling down analogy.
It is people like DJ who tricked MR to completely destroy the advantage gained. Now he is talking BANA which he must have talked soon after 2009.
September 13th, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Good on you Dayan to come forward and appreciate the work of Gen. Kamal Guneratne.
This should be actually a part of SL history with such details and a great cause similar to king Dutugamunu’s saving Mother Lanka.
As Dayan says, can this book change the cause of the Tamil Pee-lam??.. We patriots are all caring about Mother Lanka and all are having a common goal of protecting her but we cannot wake up the sleeping giant, the Hela nation. But if this great chronicle can do it, it is good news and we can achieve what we are longing for.
So what we have to do is to promote the book and ask everyone who supported Yama Palanaya to read it so that they will get a glimpse of a feeling towards Mother Lanka in their hearts and wake up from the long and ignorant sleep.
September 13th, 2016 at 5:03 pm
sorry, to be corrected as – course of the Peelam, not cause of the Pee-lam
September 13th, 2016 at 6:40 pm
Although this books seems more realistic, now this is taking ridiculous proportions. First Mahinda wrote the next chapter of Mahavamsa of his war victory. Then “Gota’s War” book was launched. Now this. Fonseka has said he too will write a book on the same subject.
I agree with the author that
[quote] Prabhakaran had the power and capability to get almost all the leaders of Sri Lanka, such as Presidents J.R. Jayewardene, R. Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, with the exception of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to kneel before him. [unquote]
JR agreed to 1985 Thimpu demands on the first day of talks. That was a huge surrender. Mahinda on the other hand stood his ground against the LTTE (not TNA). However, unlike previous leaders, TNA managed to get Mahinda kneel down before it.
Dayan is off the mark when he says [quote] There is a huge difference between the recognition of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural, i.e. pluralist character of Sri Lanka, as the Indo-Lanka Accord and the ensuing 13th Amendment rightly did [unquote].
This is not true. The Indo-Lanka Peace Accord forced Sri Lanka to accept that north and east of the island were areas of traditional habitation of Tamil people. That was the start of all official forms of separatism in the island. 13A is far worse than the Indian model. Sri Lanka is better off with the Indian model than 13A. At least that will give 7 provinces to Sinhalese whereas all provinces are open to Tamils but the north, east, central and Colombo City are fast becoming no-go-zones for Sinhalese under 13A. Under the Indian model, Sinhala shall be the only official and provincial language of 7 provinces and Tamil Nadu language will be restricted to the north and east. It is a viable compromise.
If Tamil Nadu language is confined only to the north and east, there is no way Tamil Eelam can become independent. There is no economic activity in the north. Most Tamils are employed outside the north. Most Tamils have businesses outside the north. No exports from Tamil Eelam either. Tamil Eelam cannot sustain itself economically.
However, if Tamil Nadu language is allowed in all 9 provinces, that gives them the best of both nations – Sri Lanka and Tamil Eelam. Until Tamil Eelam is created, it gives them economic power in the south to expand Tamil Eelam boundaries southward.
Tamil Nadu language given the status of official or national language in provinces outside the north and east is far more dangerous than federalism.
September 13th, 2016 at 10:37 pm
Looks like 13A is now accepted by all Sinhalses thanks to efforts of DJ. Even Charles Perera has given up fight against it. DJ has finally won and that is why he is close to MR now. MR did not like DJ pushing 13A and pushed him aside in 2010 now the difference are minimal.
Sinhalaya has to wait for another leader who will kick out 13A.
Once the new constitution is passed with the approval of JO, final nail in the coffin will be driven.
September 14th, 2016 at 1:43 am
S.Gonsal,
“I don’t beleive Mj. Gen. was senior enough to honestly claim “Prabhakaran had power can capability to get JR to kneel down before him”. In that case a lot of his own stories in his own book about the war just before parippu drop would be false.”
With respect, that is a very broad conclusion to make with respect to what he has written. He has simply made a conclusion based on what he saw and that does not necessarily mean that he is lying. Especially in Wadamaarachhi when the operation was forced to a halt with VP within reach, I can certainly understand Maj. Gen Gunaratne’s frustration.
September 14th, 2016 at 1:58 am
Dilrook,
Even though Dayan’s words are a bit over the top, if this book indeed sparks an interest in those who are blissfully ignorant of the feats of our warriors and a change of mind (probably wishful thinking!) in those who are too ‘Posh’ to consider war heroes as nothing more than ‘those army fellows’, I for one am not going to complain!
September 14th, 2016 at 4:40 am
If Tamil Nadu language is confined only to the north and east, there is no way Tamil Eelam can become independent. -than Dilrook you agreed that is purpose of 13A (to avoid separation) that why our one & only Self declare TE Thesiya Thalaivar VP did against it .
Why this confusion my Sinhala Sahodaraya – Last 2,000 years (since Elara( Eela Raja)) time have we both community live together ? NO yes We have lived Mother Lanka not live together to today also another 3,000 years We both never ever live together – that We both know very well.
than why this kolavri machang ??? Live & let’s live until Eelam war V !!!!!
September 14th, 2016 at 4:47 am
S.Gonsal
Once the new constitution is passed
Is this new one passed than 13A is still valid ?
I have stongly feeling RW leader who is kicking out 13A now ( with new constitution) !!!!
September 14th, 2016 at 6:57 am
One disturbing factor to come out from this book is Sri Lankan leaders feared Americans would bomb our Army to save remnants of LTTE, so that the outfit could fight another day. Only yesterday, Isreali jets were bombing Syrian Army to save ISIS. One jet was shot down. We all know who is behind Isreal.
We know the real powers behind LTTE. First it was India and Americans came late to rescue the outfit. Just like in Vietnam, the French were replaced by America to rescue the puppet South Vietnam army.
Mahinda had the strenght of character to face this, and finish the war. Today, USA and Western powers control Sri Lankan leaders. Are we heading for the division of Sri Lanka without a shot been fired? Are we on our way to become the next East Timor, Kosovo, Slovenia, Monte Negro, bosnia, Croatia, South Sudan, Eritria or former Soviet Republics?
Perhaps, Sri Lankans deserve no better. We are getting Google balloons. All we need to give is reserves in the Central Bank (thanks to Mahendran), One third of the country and two third of the coastline. No need of an Eelam war 5, after new constitution, UN will cut the cake! Then we can read a book named ” Road to Eelam”.
September 17th, 2016 at 12:30 pm
The UNSG will have to go to Root Causes of what ails the Tamil communities everywhere in the world, Sri Lanka in particular.
Root Causes :
* Then he will realise that even though Tamil folk of Lanka have everything others in Lanka have, they have been directed toward use of Violence to form a Separate State. The Vadukoddai Resolution of 1976 directed the Tamil people of Lanka in that direction of Violence. This V’koddai Resoln is still not officially revoked by Tamil leaders.
* The UNSG will realise that what is happening in Lanka is an extension of what is happening in Tamil Nadu area for the past 3,000 yrs. The Caste System there print the Caste of Tamil folk in the birth certificates. The Census in INDIA is done per the Caste System. Low Caste Tamils flee Tamil Nadu if at all possible.
* Since colonists British & Dutch brought over one and half Million Tamil folk of Dalit origin mainly to work in the tea & tobacco plantations, the ethnic balance in Lanka was adversely affected. The Sirim/Shasthri Pact of 1964 was never honored fully by INDIA.
Sri Lanka does not print ‘caste’ on birth certificates. Sri Lanka is a ‘sitting duck’ for division to ‘receive’ fleeing Tamils from Tamil Nadu.
Pasting the blame game on govts of Lanka, past & present, will not do.
Lanka can do only so much internally to up grade Tamil folk in Lanka. What about the 20 million or so Tamils of Dalit origin in Tamil Nadu ? Lanka has no jurisdiction over them at all. Lanka has to protect herself further invasions from TN.
What is the UNSG going to do about all this ?
September 17th, 2016 at 5:02 pm
SAKumar,
Yes. He will give you North and East first with FULL RIGHTS to all other 7. No need for 13A. Great ?
In another 30 years, your language will be the ONLY official language in whole Sri Lanka. Then you can claim “We Tamil lived here for 20000 years”. Happy ?
September 17th, 2016 at 5:17 pm
Please see the article from Lankaweb in relation to this issue.
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2015/12/24/it-is-the-sinhalese-who-need-protection-under-the-r2p-of-the-un-from-77-million-tamils-across-the-palk-straits/
September 17th, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Please also see how the repatriation program was abrogated by India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirima%E2%80%93Shastri_Pact