BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

The Solebury Constitution, which developed the reforms for granting the independence also did not promote the national integration and tried to spread the communalism through the election system. The emergency of 1958 was the first communal struggle obviously echoed in the Sri Lankan society after the independence and the leader of the government had many difficulties to control the problem and the nominal head of state had to take executive power in hand despite the parliamentary traditions and limits of the independent constitution, to control the communal problem. Since then the communal problem in the country complicated and developed to a bloodletting terrorist war in 1983. There were many opportunities to initiate the national integration between 1958 and 1983, however, nobody was interested on this matter as the politics in the democratic system have given priority for gaining power whatever the issue is using.

Since 1983 to until defeat of LTTE terrorism in 2009, various negotiations were between the government and Tamils, but they were not successful and one of the major reasons for the failure was external influences and the concept of national integration was purposely ignored by external forces. When deeply analyses it shows that the external influences dislike the national integration as external forces might have hidden and undisclosed purposes against uniting Sri Lankans as one nation.  It also might contradict with the plans of outside forces toward Sri Lanka.

The reconciliation process initiated after 2015 presidential and general elections was unsuccessful as the process was not genuine to the majority Sinhala community and it seemed that it was a forceful activity involved in hidden tactics against the national unity influenced by external forces. In the history, before Sinhala Kingdom established, Lord Buddha visited the country to reconcile a conflict between Chulodara and Mahodara and in that process Lord Buddha played an impartial process and people of the country accepted the final outcomes of the reconciliation process.  The reconciliation process that Lord Buddha conducted was very cleared to the two parties involved in the conflict and the transparency of the reconciliation process was attracted by people and there was no string from outside and two parties direct negotiated with the mediator (Lord Buddha).

The reconciliation process commenced after the elections of 2015 was not direct negotiation between two parties to the conflict.  Sri Lanka’s government and Army forces were one party but the other party, LTTE was not participated taking the responsibility for the conflict during 1983 to 2007.  Tamil political parties were directly represented Tamil nationals (Most probably the Tamil nationals and LTTE) but never accepted the responsibility for atrocities done by LTTE. In fact, it was not a conflict resolution or a reconciliation process. It clearly seems that the reconciliation was an attempt to punish Sri Lanka’s government.  The behaviour of LTTE during the 1983 to 2007 was against the international law and order.

The reconciliation was a process that was forceful to Sri Lanka’s government to accept a variety of conditions, which were strange to public.  It clearly seemed that the reconciliation process did not prioritized the conditions with the agreement of two parties involved in and it was an attempt to insist conditions that were against the culture (rules and regulations) generally accepted in the society of Sri Lanka.  According to international experiences, it is quite clear that forceful reconciliation would not last long, people involved in reconciliation process should be accepted by the parties to the reconciliation whether the outside forces like to it or not.

The other major short coming of the reconciliation process was that the process did not focus on building the national integration as one nation all communities living in Sri Lanka.  What were the reasons to ignore national integration?  General opinion of that point is outside forces dislike to the national integration, which promotes for the unity idea as a one nation.  Practically, outside forces promote communal divisions in relation to policy implementation. Such a division would be helpful to outsiders, who are eyeing to take Sri Lanka’s assets and facilities for their purposes. Any country like to promote the national integration, despite many communities living in the country have different purposes, the priority should be given to the prime purpose.  For example, in many European countries people from other countries live together though they have migrated from different countries with different cultural background, the governments of those countries, all people have integrated to one nation.  Why is this strategy being not suitable for Sri Lanka?

According to the demographic records of the census of 2012, the total population in Sri Lanka divides to Sinhala 74.90%, Sri Lankan and Indian Tamil 15.27% (Sri Lankan Tamils 11.29% and Indian Tamils 15.43%), Muslim 9.30%, Burghers 0.19% and others 0.34%.  It is estimated that demographic records have already changed increasing Sinhala population to 78% and reducing the Sri Lankan Tamils to less than 10%.  It is quite easy to building the national integration as the 98% total population in Sri Lanka knows Sinhala language and 95% of people in Sri Lanka use Sinhala language as the main language or communication media in homes. Many Muslim organizations recognize Sinhala as their national language.  The demographic results clearly show that the reconciliation and the national integration of Sri Lanka is easier based on Sinhala language.

The lack of political leadership and the divisive attitudes of religious institutions after the independence in 1948 made complexity in the thrust of the national integration.  The constitutional reforms initiated in 1972 attempted to the national integration, but the expectation was remote as the head of state or the president in the 1972 constitution was lacking executive power and the president was inactive for the building of national integration. The constitution introduced in 1978 gave the executive power to the president, despite terms of 1978 constitution, several amendments made to the constitution have become barriers to the national integration.

The effort of national integration needs beginning from the grassroot level and the other important point is that people of the country unit to secure the country first rather than dividing the country by a new constitution.