Wansarathne Senanayake. B. Sc. (Cey), Textile Engineer (Germany), LTI (UK), IWSP Grad (UK), FIFST (SL) President SINHALA NADAYA

  SRI LANKA AT A GLANCE – DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION & LAND

Out of the 9 Provinces					Sinhalese	Tamils	SL Tamils	Ind. Tamils	Muslims		Others
No. of Provinces having				over 75 %	6	1	1	0	0		0
			“	Over  50%	7	1	1	0	0		0
			“	less than 50%	2	8	8	9	9		9
			“	less than 25%	1	6	7	9	8		9
			“	less than  2.5%	0	2	3	5	0		9

• Out of the 9 provinces, only 1 province – only Northern Province- is having  more than 50% Tamils
• Out of the 9 provinces, 7 provinces are having  more tan 50% Sinhalese.

–     When Nothern & Eastern Provinces are combined around 150% more land is available per average person living in the Northern & E astern provinces when compared with an average  person living  in the other 7 provinces.

• The  ratio in 1981  has gone  up during the past  3 – 4  decades due to migration of LTTE affected people from Northern & Eastern Provinces to other provinces (& to Foreign countries) increasing the excess land ratio in Northern & Eastern Provinces at present to a ratio of 100 : over 280%

3          Distribution of Land among Provincial population in Sri Lanka. (2012 Central Bank Statistics)

Provinces	Total Area  –  Sq. Km.	Population	Population Density/ sq. Km.	Acres/ person	%
Sri Lanka (9	64022	20,359,439	318.01	0.78	124
Nothern+ Eastern	18880	2,616,825	138.60	1.78	282
Other 7 Provinces	45142	17,742,614	489.34	0.63	100
Northern	8884	1,061,315	128	2.07	329
Eastern	9996	1,555,510	166	1.59	252
Western	3684	5,851,130	1,628	0.16	25
Central	5674	2,571,557	461	0.55	87
Southern	5544	2,477,285	460	0.55	87
Sabaragamuwa	4968	1,928,655	392	0.64	102
North Western	7888	2,380,861	317	0.82	130
Uva	8500	1,266,463	152	1.66	263
North Central	8884	1266463	130	1.73	274
India	3,287,000	1,408,000,000	428.3	0.56	89
Tamil Nadu	130,058	77,000,000	592	0.417	66

The above data clearly indicates that an average individual in the Northern & Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka is having over 180% land than a similar person living in other 7 provinces. (1.78 : 0.63 Ac)

How can a country like Sri Lanka afford this type of favoritism to an ethnic group, large majority of whom were brought to Sri Lanka within the last 350 years as labourers & left behind by British Hollendish & Portuguese Invaders against the wishes of  the people who developed & protected the country for over 2000 years.

.4-        Presence of over 260 identified & over 1000 archeological sites yet to excavated up to 2500 years old  in Northern & Eastern Provinces & complex Sinhalese  irrigation systems available only in Sri Lanka, with small & Large Tanks  indicates clearly that Sinhalese were spread all over Sri Lanka including Northern Eastern Provinces Historical evidence further indicates that huge majority of the Tamils in the northern & Eastern provinces were brought by Hollanders as laborers after 1650, – around 350 years back (to commence Tobacco plantations in the area & British Later ,)  who did not returned to India.. British Administrative reports indicate that more than1.4 Million laborers were brought to Sri Lanka by the British between 1843 & 1887. Hence the above special privileges to them, requested by the TNA ,India, or any other country can not be justified.

According to Mr. Paul E Peris, in 1505 the population in Jaffna was 120,000, which consisted of 79,200 (66% ) Sinhalese, 22,800 Muslims(19%) & 18,000 (15%) Tamils. But in 1680 , the total population in Jaffna was,169,299, which consisted of 50,789 (30%) Sinhalese, 66025 (39%) Muslims, & 52480 (31%) Tamils. .The reduction of Sinhala population in the area was due to migration of Sinhalese families to other areas caused by the ill treatment of Hollanders & the general dislike towards the Indian Laborers who were newly brought & settled in that area  by the  Hollanders. Further according to the information available in Haig Museum in Holland, 1689 reports indicate the areas & lands owned by Sinhalese in Jaffna at that time.

According to James Ruthnum (Tribune1957,) & Tikkama Mahindakumara, (Divaina page 36, 2019.March 17^th).  the ancestors of Ponnambalam Arunachalam, , were brought from India as  similar laborers by the Hollenders & was arranged to live in Gurudawilwala, a then Sinhalese Village in Jaffna. Velupillai Prabhakaran’s ancestors too were Laborers serving  in Hollendish ships . The person who initiated the North East Problem, Chelvanayagam, was born in Malaysia & whose ancestors too were Malabar  laborers. Similarly Sambandan & Wigneshwaran’s ancestors  too are descendants of such laborers who were brought to Sri Lanka after 1650.

Sinhalese,  the community who is responsible for the development of  this country since the inception 25 centuries back has lost the nicest, most fertile land in the country  1,395,642  Acres  –   (5650 sq.km) due to Mudu Bim Panatha” made effective in 1830’s by the British. Almost all this land is presently occupied by the descendents of South Indian Laborers who were brought to Sri Lanka around 150 years back & who were not willing to return to their homelands  in India & kept by the  Tamil as well as Sinhala politicians & plantations companies without almost any special consideration to the descendents of the Sinhalese in those areas who fought for the freedom of the country, for over 300 years loosing their lives, families as well as their ancestral property..

If the T N A  request is to be granted, the Sinhalese will loose  their ancestral rights on further 18,662 sq. km.  That is 28.6% of the country’s total land area covering the Northern Eastern Provinces, which includes the 2^nd Best Natural harbor in the world & the Best Natural Harbor in Asia – Trincomalee.as well as around 2/3 of the country’s 1785 Km. coastal belt.  Tamils from North & East have the freedom & will migrate to other 7 provinces as they wish, & purchase what they want, including the limited land in other  7 provinces  as they have done during the past. As Tamils in the North East will be considered as Sri Lankans,  although Sinhala migration to the Northern Eastern provinces will be strictly controlled as they are Sinhalese (although Sri Lankans). With time the Buddhist archeological sites & their lands will be destroyed & Hindu Kovils & Tamil Villages will be constructed  as done in no. of places in the North & East even under the present situation.

3. Sri Lanka is a very small country – which is around 2% of the size of India.  Out of the International Tamil Population less than 4 % live in Sri Lanka & less than 2% live in Northern & Easten provinces. More than 80% of the International Tamil Population live in India in State Tamil Nadu – Land of Tamils- the Traditional Home land of Tamils – (one out of 28 States in India  which is twice the size of Sri Lanka.)

4. It is clear that Tamils do not have a country of their own  like we Sinhalese have our country – Sri Lanka. Their language was just a provincial language in India & the state Language is Hindi . First time in History Tamil Language became an International Language only after J R Jayawardene ( said to be a descendent from a Tamil who migrated from South India to Sri Lanka around 350 years back) made Tamil a State Language in Sri Lanka, which I personally feel is the main reason behind  the armed  struggle of LTTE & Tamil Diaspora to cave out an ‘Artificial Traditional Home land in Sri Lanka, the place in which Sri Lankan Tamil as well as Tamil International Population was able to win their 2^nd main objective– the language issue.(Main Objective –another  Homeland with all their rights in Sri Lanka)

5. Tamils have tried throughout the past – for over 2000 years – to conquer Sri Lanka. But have failed.

What ever said & done the LTTE struggle to carve out a Tamil Homeland for Sri Lankan & international Tamils, was prevented after 30 years, due to  correct decisions taken, locally & Internationally  by our then executive President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse    .

      Tamils are trying again, specially with the assistance of Tamil Nadu, India  & the Western countries,       who do not like to see continuous development in Sri Lanka & specially Sinhalese.. Hence it is clear       that      granting of unjustifiable rights,  Federalism or Land & Police rights to Tamils in the Northern       & Eastern Provinces, will definitely affect the future generations of all living in this country &       specially          Bhumiputra   Sinhalese & should be avoided. Special privileges to minority       groups,( Official Records       in the Northern Province is said be maintained in Tamil only)   even       surpassing the rights of the     Sinhalese, who developed & protected this country for over 25       centuries. This, will definitely  lead way for continuous almost never ending  future disturbances as it       is totally unjustifiable

6. Here it should be pointed out that, if the USA Govt too,  has reduced the No. of Official languages in USA, saying that the unnecessary expenditure of  US$ Billions to maintain more official languages, could be saved & could be used for better purposes by having one official Language ( only English) as the other  languages, Eg Spanish, used by more than 13% of the then  population are available in Spain etc. In contrast In Sri Lanka, we Sinhalese – 75% of the country’s Population -are spending Billions of Rs per Annum-  75% from Sinhalese ( even under the present pathetic situation) to educate ourselves & our children Tamil Language forcebly, just to keep the 15% of the population  -Tamils happy & majority of our 225 Politicians happy– without any return for the Sinhalese, present & future Generations , who will not apply for jobs or citizenships in Tamil Nadu – the only thing that they could do after investing their valuable time, money & effort to learn Tamil for decades in future, until a patriotic intelligent Sinhala  leader is selected to run the country.

7. Given below are few sentences of a speech delivered by the Soviet president Vladmier putin at the

Lower house of Russias federal Assembly .

   In Russia live Russians, Any minority from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, work & eat in Russia, should speak Russian,& should respect the Russian Laws. Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia. We will not grant them special privileges or try to change our laws to fit their desires no matter how loud they yell ‘discrimination’. We will not tolerate disrespect of our Russian Culture.

 Shall add another few sentences from a speech by the Australian Prime Minister John Harvard:

            Immigrants & not Australians must adapt. Take it or leave it. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individuals & their culture. This culture has developed over 2 centuries of struggles, trials & victories by millions of men & women who have sought freedom. We speak mainly English. If you wish to become part of our society, learn the Language. Christian men & women, on Christian Principles founded this nation. If God offends you then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home. We will accept your beliefs, & will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, & live in harmony & peacefully with us.

When compared to the above ideas what have  our political leaders  done since 1948 except granting unjustifiable privileges to Tamils & Muslims & ruining the country in almost all fields.. It is not difficult to understand why is that no Government, all selected from Majority Sinhalese votes,  appoint a proper educated impartial commission to look into this area creating disturbances to Millions, without being almost 100% partial, listening only to the TNA & other representatives of minority communities without .consulting any Sinhalese Organization or the very few Sinhalese MPs ( may be less than 5 from around 160) who raise their voices against the unjustifiable demands of TNA.

8.  Finally it should be stated that all the past unjustifiable privileges were granted to Tamils  with the consent of majority of Sinhala Parliamentarians, Except majority of our Sinhalese politicians, who enter the Parliament with the help of Sinhala majority votes (app.75%),who are enjoying unparalleled political privileges, than their colleagues when compared with  most of other countries, any open minded normal  person Tamil or otherwise, will accept that the Tamil Homeland, if to be demarcated, should be in India, as a state, or if possible as a separate country, where more than 80% of the International Tamil population is living, and not in the Nothern & Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka where less than 2% are living & which is definitely a part of the Sinhalese traditional Home Land for over 2500 years. & further no special privileges of what so ever nature should be demanded by TNA & no such demands should be tolerated or granted by our Sinhalese” Parliamentarians as done previously, evensurpassing the rights of the Sinhalese, where they are presently compelled to learn Tamil Language without any advantage for themselves in the future by our own said to be” Sinhalese Politicians.

Wansarathne Senanayake. 

B. Sc. (Cey), Textile Engineer (Germany), LTI (UK), IWSP Grad (UK), FIFST (SL)

President SINHALA NADAYA