Should the President have the courage to live by his Buddhist faith and empathize with the Tamil people his statesmanship will reap the rewards...!!!

Tamils and Terrorism

It is pity that the current Sri Lankan Government seems to regard all Tamils or at least a significant majority as terrorist or terrorist sympathizers.

Had this not been so, there would be no excuse for the incarceration of nearly 300,000 persons in horrendous conditions detrimental to their health and certainly an affront to their human dignity. Certain salient facts in the shared history of our two nations seem to be forgotten.

1 The two nations at different periods fell prey to for-

eign colonisation.

2. Since 1832 they were commonly administered by

the British under an unified administration.

3. The Tamils spearheaded the movement for inde-

pendence from British rule.

4. Tamil leaders like Ananda Coomarasamy and Sir

Ponnambalam Ramanathan exhorted the Sinhala

people to be aware of their cultural heritage and

championed their rights.

5. The Tamils having been assured of their language

rights and equality only wished to be regarded as

equal partners in the development of the country.

6. They were lukewarm in their support of

Federalism when it was promoted by the late S.W.

R. D Bandaranaike when he was Minister of

Home Affairs.

7. In spite of the Sinhala Only Act - a gross betrayal,

and the numerous pograms directed against the

Tamil people, they rejected the cry for Eelam in

1962 General Election.

8. It is only the repeated abrogation of all agree

ments entered into by majority Government in

power, that led to the Vaddukkodai Resolution of

1977.

It was made quite clear to the Tamils that the Sinhala majority was not interested in power sharing.

However, their is still a wealth of goodwill amongst our people waiting to be tapped given correct leadership.

The hand of friendship and the accommodation of the aspiration of the Tamil people for shared power can combat terrorism more cheaply, efficiently and permanently than inordinate expenditure on defence and keeping the Tamil people behind barbed wire fences, alienating them further.

Should the President have the courage to live by his Buddhist faith and empathize with the Tamil people his statesmanship will reap the rewards of ushering in unity, peace and democracy in this troubled land.

He will find in the Tamil people "Partners in Progress". Yes we can do it.

Sarojini Kadirgamar



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