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Sinhala people are not racists, chauvinists or supremacists, despite their 74% majority.

by Charles Perera

There is no reason why the government is so jittery about the court decision to de-merge North and East. The North and East had always been two provinces, until the “yanky dicky” stepped into merge it, and no body has any thing to say about it. What the court decision means is that it has re established previous boundaries-a sort of status quo anti-putting it back to what it was.

India has no business to say that there should be a referendum for a de-merger, that is purely an affair of Sri Lanka, and India should not interfere into what is not their business. And what has India done any way to help Sri Lanka find a viable solution to terrorism. India is worse than the “ white” governments wanting to be a part of the mighty West !

If we continue to do things to please the foreign Governments, we may as well hand over the country lock, stock and barrel to them. On the other hand, if we are a Sovereign State let us do what we want with our country. We may ask the rich to keep their money for themselves. Cuba is poor but they have the best medical service for the people and their education system is said to be exemplary. It is America that keeps them poor, with their ill-famed embargo. We may be poor but let us not sell our self-respect. We may take an example from Cuba, Mainamar, or even North Korea !!! North Koreas poverty that the West makes a noise about may be a ruse to change the public opinion, and the proposed embargo to keep them poor !

The court decision, the President had said is untimely, because of the peace negotiations. It is much better now than later. The President is expecting a lot from the peace negotiations with the terrorists. But as in the previous negotiations nothing positive will come out of the forthcoming negotiations as well, unless of course the President is willing to give them the Eelam to please the IC. There is only a military solution for terrorism.

What is the use of a court decision if the President says the people in the North and East have to decide ? The President has to be fair by the original Muslim and the Sinhalese residents of the East., and who should have their province for themselves. If there is a referendum it should be from the residents of the East for East and residents of the North for North . Not one referendum for both North and East. But to decide on a referendum now after the court decision show s a political weakness.

Those who oppose the de-merger of North East are those who pine for an Eelam. That is the big question mark. Some of the Tamil leaders who oppose terrorism, are not for unity with other communities, they want their separate identity. If the Sinhala people oppose their secret desire for separatism, they are at once called racists and supremacists. Unfortunately there are certain elements of the Sinhalese themselves for reasons of their own keeps on writing political essays about Sinhala chauvinists, supremacists .

The Sinhalese people which is 74 percent of the population are neither racist nor supremacists. The Tamil people live in the South with the Sinhala people and they have no social problems with them. Of course there were incidents in the past that provoked bestial sentimentality of some of the people which developed into race riots. Even those riots were the result of certain elements, to profit from the situation to plunder and take vengeance, because of political rivalry, family feuds, commercial competition etc. But yet there were then Sinhala families in the South who took risks hiding their Tamil friends and neighbours in their homes.

Even to day, if one were to take statistics of the security forces it is almost 95 percent composed of Sinhala youth. The Tamils and Muslims may be the 5 percent. No body is making a fuss about it. A mother had told a Minister who represented the President at her soldier sons funeral, that she is happy because her son died for the country, and that she has two other sons also fighting in the army. A father had told the President who attended the funeral of his soldier son, that he was prepared to request his other sons as well to join the army. These are poor Sinhala people from the villages with a great love for the country. They are not Sinhala supremacists.

So how can one in the midst of this tragedy we are facing, accuse the Sinhala people of racism ? The Tamil and Muslim leaders should set an example to cultivate unity between communities in Sri Lanka. There should be more social contact between the communities until the day would come when we become a one Nation of Sri Lankans sharing each others sadness as well as happiness. Mr. Anandasagaree should take a greater interest to promote this communal unity instead of crying high and low for a federal state with a merged North East.

In this situation if the President instead of dividing the North and East Provinces, call for a referendum to oppose the court decision, he will be doing the greatest mistake in his life. The UNP is of course willing to help the President to keep the North East undivided. It is the interest of the UNP. They have their own axe to grind. On the other hand the people of the country will be happy if the government gives effect to the court decision.

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