Inform, Educate& Provide Clear,Convincing Evidence that,with the Explicit Backing of the MR-REGIME, State-Sponsored Sinhalisation Increased in NESL!!!

DearFriends

This article that appeared in Tamil Canadian, throws light on the extent of colonisationand changing of the landscape in the Tamil Homeland. Please read it to understand the subjugation the Tamils are undergoing in their homeland.

Visvanathan
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Salt on Old Wounds:Post-War Sri Lanka

By The Social Architects

March 20, 2012

Disclaimer:The following document was anonymously submitted to International Policy Digest(IPD) by The Social Architects (TSA).

‘Salt onOld Wounds: The Systematic Sinhalization of Sri Lanka’s North, East and HillCountry’ the first study published by The Social Architects (TSA), seeks to setout the systematic, increasing and widespread process of Sinhalization that istaking place in historically Tamil areas in the North, East and Hill Country inpost-war Sri Lanka. While focusing on the process of Sinhalization that iscurrently being implemented, this monograph seeks to situate it within thebroader historical process of Sinhalization that has been carried out bydifferent governments spanning a number of decades.

Thereport argues that even though Sinhalization is not a new phenomenon, thesweeping changes which continue to occur in historically Tamil areas inhibitthe country’s ability to heal after nearly three decades of civil war. Althoughthe current government’s rhetoric gives importance to building bridges betweencommunities by ensuring those affected are able to fully and freely exercisetheir rights, in reality, its actions are evidence of the Sri Lankan State’slack of respect for the rights of all its citizens, particularly the Tamilpeople.

Thispaper will show that the concept of Sinhalization extends well beyond thesubjects of strategic state-planned settlements, land, military intrusion,boundary changes and the renaming of villages. Sinhalization has made its wayinto Tamil cultural events, religious life, economic activity, public sectorrecruitment and even the Sri Lankan education system. Since the Tamil communityis attempting to recover from the devastating impact of the civil war andrebuild social networks and community structures, attempts to control anddemolish socio-cultural aspects of their lives, such as the take over anddestruction of temples, inhibit their attempts to engage in emotional healingand community regeneration even minimally.

The mostimportant element of the process of Sinhalization is the continuedmilitarization of many aspects of civilian life. While this is a nationalphenomenon, it is most aggressively practiced in the Tamil majority areas ofthe country. Even though at present it is the North and the East that are mostmilitarized, creeping militarization is also evidenced in the Hill Country. Asset out in the report, militarization is an effective tool used by the State togain and maintain both government and Sinhala monopoly of various aspects ofday to day life, including the provision of services by civil administration,economic activities and civic activities in Tamil majority areas. It also helpscreate and maintain a sense of fear within the Tamil community.

Nearlythree years following the end of the civil war, state polices such as thosediscussed in this report have deepened existing feelings of fear, suspicion andmistrust between and within communities rather than creating more understandingamongst them, exacerbated ethnic tensions and further polarized the country.The current government which has exploited the war victory, a weak andfragmented opposition, and a two-third’s majority in parliament, is no longerbeholden to its constituents. Instead, it has evolved into a semi-authoritarianpopulist regime with little tolerance for dissent. In this context, risingSinhala nationalism and the concomitant disregard for Tamil rights means thatmembers of this community are unable to even voice their needs and concerns,let alone express dissent and protest against restrictions imposed upon them.

Thispaper is not meant to be an exhaustive discourse on Sinhalization or ExtremistSinhala Buddhist ideology. Rather its purpose is to inform, educate and provideclear, convincing evidence that, with the explicit backing of the MahindaRajapaksa administration, State- sponsored Sinhalization has been increasing in Tamil majority areas in post-war Sri Lanka.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/86040164/Salt-on-Old-Wounds-The-Systematic-Sinhalization-of-Sri-Lanka%E2%80%99s-North-East-and-Hill-Country