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Sri Lanka must face its past with honesty and transparency to secure an enduring peace. This was the message of Professor Alex Boraine, former deputy chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa, at a memorial lecture to commemorate the third death anniversary of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam on monday night.

The assassination of Dr. Tiruchelvam on 29 July 1999, widely attributed to the LTTE, was condemned and mourned throughout Sri Lanka and the international community.

His work in bringing together Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim elements to work towards a negotiated settlement to the ethnic conflict was unsurpassed within Tamil politics. Professor Boraine duly noted that, "Although the topic is South Africa the occasion is to remember someone who made such an indelible impression on this country in both his life and death".

Professor Boraine, president of the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), projected an appropriate message for the occasion saying that, "The best way to forget is through a conscious act of remembrance".

The truth needs to be faced to release the population from the past, uphold legal and humanitarian principles, prevent the escalation of myth and rumour and allow people to become survivors as opposed to victims.After 300 years of colonialism and racism, and 110 years where the only politics were those of oppression and resistance, South Africa was left with a legacy of confusion, hurt and anger which threatened to manifest itself as a search for revenge by both people and communities. Professor Boraine was appointed deputy chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) South Africa by President Nelson Mandela to work under Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1995 following the country's first democratic elections in 1994 to help prevent this.

Professor Boraine spoke of the difficulties of negotiation in a period of transition, "The image of the enemy is a moral and political burden because you are negotiating with someone who only yesterday you called a murderer, oppressor or terrorist.... Your followers say that justice requires punishment and ask how you can negotiate with someone responsible for the disasters of our people". However, he called for people to respond by, "Choosing the logic of peace and abandoning the logic of war". He emphasised that, "Negotiation requires a logic of win and win.

"There are no losers only compromise". The moral, psychological and political imperatives to face up to the past were also addressed. "To remember is the secret of redemption", an ancient Jewish proverb was particularly appropriate here.Quoting Winston Churchill, Professor Boraine called for a `blessed act of oblivion between former enemies'.

Warning of the danger of allowing a country to become locked into an insoluble past he noted his experience of attitudes in the Balkans and Northern Ireland where people still focus their hatred on events which occurred hundreds of years ago as if they happened only the previous week.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa was given the power of search and seizure regarding all documentation and the power of subpoena to call anyone from public, business or professional life to court if necessary.

The most significant result of this was the trial of a former prime minister in a local magistrates court, and coincidentally, by a black judge.Since a large percentage of the South African population was illiterate the TRC broadcast their reports on the radio for four hours everyday for two years in every national language.

The commission travelled the country meeting people and overseeing trials. Professor Boraine also noted that the lessons learnt from and the involvement of the international community, especially in corroborating the testimonies of over 23,000 victims and 8,000 perpetrators, was invaluable.

The issue of a conditional amnesty offered to those involved in state and resistance violence who were prepared to admit and discuss their actions and motivations publicly was one of the most controversial parts of the process. However, this system resulted in a much more honest appraisal of the crimes which in turn helped people come to terms with the truth and break away from the past.

In a situation of transition it also was essential to the maintenance of stability due to the high involvement of the police and armed forces.

Prof. Boraine concluded that, "Any country that longs for an enduring peace, not just a ceasefire but a return to justice and normality, needs some measure of accountability, a quest for the truth, reconciliation and reform and reparations for those who have suffered." He suggested that the holistic approach to facing and dealing with the past should be applied to Sri Lanka when the country is ready to move forward.

Social activity almost always finds comfort in facades while, the pecuniary nexus is at work behind closed doors and this time it's globalisation and exclusion while the root cause of social dissension is side stepped or rather much preferred that way. All the while a little social tinkering here and there is resorted to in the name of social well-being.

Empowering the excluded and equipping them with entrepreneurial abilities is now the clarion call of globalization criers. Working towards this objective are some universities in Britain who now prefer overlooking entry scores while a virtual chamber of commerce harnesses the skills in universities to develop entrepreneurship. In this agenda are small and medium enterprises towards export orientation, according to Salford University's Economics Professor Dr. Colin Simons. He was speaking recently at the ICES, Colombo, on the subject, 'Globalization and exclusion'.

If all is thus run towards filling the financial coffers of a one sided 'win' and there is the thinking based on pecuniary gain - its accompanying damage to the environment will certainly not go amiss. So winners of globalization have gone upmarket in capital aggrandizement while downgrading the environment - this time even the losers are being included in the financial marathon. What remains of mother earth is future tragedy. But then who cares? The initiators of such 'novelty' will be no more. What the future generation will face is not any 'innovative planner's' concern.

Professor Simons referring to globalization's enclaves said, "Globalization is the only show in town. We cannot escape it". In the UK, he said, there is debate about environment which he referred to as a single point program. The economic cost is not part of the environment lobby.

He also maintained that there was no alternative to commercialization and marketing ." People only speak of Ghandian economics and Buddhist economics," he said. But then what this writer was reminded of was the difficulty of such economics at operational level due to an external system's stranglehold. Getting the external system to agree to such elegant economics which uphold the dignity of man and refrains from thinking of the human being as a commodity is a utopian 'state'.

Answering this writer's question on the unjust global economic agenda bereft of social development, Professor Colins shot back referring to man as a beast and competition was inevitable. He spoke at length on reforms but what 'good' will follow is any one's guess as long as bestiality reigns supreme.

"How do we reform the global agenda ? How do we reform the excluded?" he asked. Citing China as example he informed that systemic reforms have been adopted by China and were quite widespread. Here too there are the excluded. Winners and losers comprise post China's entry into the World Trade Organization.

Stressing the importance of education and training as being sine-qua-non to reforms he said this was the 'only' way out for people to arm themselves. In this endeavour he called for a redistribution of resources to develop human capital and a change in secondary and tertiary education as well.

"Instead of training elites, a mass participation in these sectors is a must," he informed. His reference to the UK government's talk only of a new deal for women and youth - admittedly a failure - a plethora of policy initiatives - which at day's end one would not miss out on exclusion.

Citing numerous global examples of the excluded he spoke of Edinburgh - Scotland's new capital - where drug dependency is an alarming 70 per cent high - regrettably a population which is not inside the spatially specific area of development. Edinburgh's centre - quite prosperous - but all around in the periphery poverty screams and is now Europe's drug capital.

In Northern Ireland's Falls Road Protestants fight the affluent working class. Roman Catholics remain divided with pro IRA and opposition factors.

In Oldam, Rochidale and Bradford in north western England, exclusion comes in the form of ethnic unrest. The ethnic mix over here is such they don't interact.

Russia's Sorator city with its 200,000 people - a once prosperous state reputed for high brow scientific knowledge - its speciality being weaponry and aircraft manufacture - today has its once famous engineers and scientists dislodged. Sorator has gone from one extreme to another and globalization has had a heavy toll on its big brains - the resultant effects being Professors of Physics and MIG range pilots being reduced to the streets. The whole city is a disaster.

Senegal camp has refugees from the dispossessed part of the world. The flotsam and jetsam of 76 countries are here as a result of a quest for better living. They are excluded in their own countries and continue being so outside. The gap between developed and developing countries is at Europe's door step at Senegal camp.

The Basque people in northern Spain feel excluded as well. Spain is far different from what it was 50 years in its vast developmental strides. The Basque population feel excluded from the economic benefits that have come on Spain. Unemployment rates 50%. So groups like ETA represent those who are excluded from universal global development and the fruits of development in Spain itself.

Professor Simons reminded the gathering of current attempts of new elements to economic structures to resolve exclusion in free market.

He also spoke of corporate accountability of shareholders in firms and the principal agent problem.

"He should be given the ability to represent the company without tremor of control. Then comes accountability. A professional public service is needed. The economics of regulation is a burgeoning subject now," he said.

Levels of reform, according to him, should start from firm level to regional, national and international level.

However, the crux of the issue of exclusion will continue to be a recurring decimal until and unless the Western powers think in terms of human dignity, equality and social justice. The periphery will see no end to its existence until the international elite manipulate their replicas - the local elite in Third World countries. When this writer drew the attention of Professor Simons to such he repeatedly stated "I quite agree".

P.Vimalachanthiran offering ‘Atapirikara’ to Maha Sanga at the conclusion of the dana. Gamini Illeperuma, Sibel Fonseka, Mrs. Vimalachanthiran, Mrs. Sarath Munasinghe and Colombo MMC Gurusamy who offered ‘pirikara’ to Maha Sangha are also in the picture. Picture by Chinthaka Kumarasinghe.

A group of Buddhists and Hindus from Colombo, Panadura and the hill country symbolised national unity by joining hands to offer a fully vegetarian dana (alms) to bhikkus at the Kovilagodella Temple, Panadura recently.

Ven. Kavindra Hulangamuwe Buddharakkitha, Chief Sanghanayake Thera of Western Province, Ven. Anuradhapura Sumedha Thera of Saddhamaramaya, Galvetimodera, Ven. Boralesgamuwe Sathimantha Thera of the Sri Vajirarama Dhammaratanaya, Maharagama and Ven. Bandarawela Suddhamma Thera of Panadura Kovilagodella Temple delivered anusasana during the ceremony.

A special feature was an anusasana in Tamil, delivered by Ven. Brahmanawatte Seewali Nayake Thera of Dematagoda Sri Nagaviharaya.

Senior Attorney-at-Law P. Vimalachanthiran who organised this program said Buddhists and Hindus should live as brothers and sisters of one family because they have common perceptions and values in religion, such as Karma, re-birth and means of ending the cycle of birth.

Righteous living and action are emphasised both in Buddhism and Hinduism. "Not by birth, but by his conduct alone does a man become a low-caste or a Brahmin," was the teaching of the Buddha. It is the same in Hindu scriptures. Thirukkural, the Bible of the Tamils, also calls for righteous living and action, he said.

Therefore, Mr. Vimalachanthiran emphasised that it is in the fitness of things that Hindus offer alms to Buddhist priests also. The Hindus must be happy that the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha who was born a Hindu prince, has been preached over the centuries and preserved in Sri Lanka by our Buddhist brothers.

"It is King Dharmasoka of India, who through his exemplary ways spread Buddhism not only in India, Kashmir and Sri Lanka but also in many other parts of the world which illumined mankind. One of the consequences of the spread of Buddhism was the growth of vegetarianism in India due to the non-killing of animals and birds born out of compassion to all living beings as taught by the Buddha. Thus the Brahmins and Kshatriyas who often ate meat and took alcoholic drinks before, gave up such practices.

Animal sacrifice was forbidden by King Dharmasoka. It is significant to note that even Hindus who are non-vegetarians offer only vegetarian alms to Brahmin priests, Mr. Vimalachanthiran explained. He said that when he suggested to some of his Buddhist brothers who are themselves strict vegetarians that they should offer vegetarian alms to Buddhist priests, they gladly welcomed the idea and put that forward to some of their Buddhist priests and they in turn agreed to accept dana from Hindus. "It is in the spirit of Buddhism that our Buddhist priests accepted the alms offered by the Hindus," Mr. Vimalachanthiran said.

"This event that took place recently at Panadura is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. We now intend to carry forward this meaningful and positive process throughout Sri Lanka to promote brotherhood among the Buddhists and Hindus who enjoy shared values in religion and culture."

"The Buddhists constitute the majority in the Sinhala community and the Hindus constitute the majority in the Tamil community. Therefore, if this meaningful and positive measure is promoted and sustained to unite the Buddhists and the Hindus in terms of their shared religious and cultural values this country will become a paradise on earth which will result in peace, Mr. Vimalachanthiran added.

"We pray that this positive and meaningful process which has begun will gather momentum to turn the tide in favour of peace and assist the on-going peace process," Mr. Vimalachanthiran said.

Mr. Vimalachanthiran paid a glowing tribute to Gamini Illeperuma, a Buddhist and a proponent of vegetarianism, president of the Panadura Buddhist Society, Sibel Fonseka and Sarath Munasinghe of Talangama for having made this event possible.

Mention must also be made of Colombo MMC K. T. Gurusamy, JP, for getting some of the Up-country Tamil Hindus to participate in this noble event, he added.

by Karthigesu Sivathamby , Writer, Historian, Professor Emeritus, University of Jaffna

An introductory note on the socio-historical backdrop of the writings that constitute Lutesong and Laments, Tamil writing from Sri Lanka edited by Chelva Kanaganayakam (Continued from July 27th)

The new University in Jaffna became a focal point. A new generation of writers with a sensitivity and experience which their seniors did not have, came into being.

Tamil literature in Sri Lanka entered a new phase. An anthology of poems entitled Maranoththul Valyom (1985) signalled the onset. The birth of the new era was nursed by some of the pre-1980 writer-poets like Nuhman, Murugaiyan and Jayapalan; it ushered in new poets like Cheran and Wijendran. Their tone was defiant. Cheran, writing on the burning of the public library, questioned:

This experience extended to Batticaloa, Mullaitivu and Mannar and there was a "standardization" of response. "War-time writing" and "writing for literature" became much-bandied phrases.

The genre of short story too began to change. Ranjakumar, Uma Varatharajan and Tirukkovilur Kaviyuvan changed the contours of Sri Lankan Tamil short story. The 1990s saw another major twist. The Tamil youth militants who at one stage had maintained fairly good relations with Muslims, began attacking and hurting their feelings. The Muslims of Batticaloa were estranged. Muslims in the North were expelled from their homes.

Amidst the continuance of the spirit of the 1980s, the 1990s saw the assertion of the Muslim grievances and some unforgettable literature sprang from that fold. Solaikkili, a Muslim grama sevaka brought in a hitherto unfamiliar language of poetry - the rich imagery in Tamil dialect of the Eastern province Muslims. The imagery was so unfamiliar that Murugaiyan, a great intellectual and an extremely good poet, criticized Solaikkili for his obscurity. A lot of new Muslim writers came into the scene, writing really enchanting poetry. Oddamavady Arafat, wrote good poetry and today we have a host of young Muslim writers enriching Sri Lankan Tamil writing. S. L. M. Haniffa, a senior writer, in his new avatar is writing very captivating fiction.

The 1990s also saw the birth of the new Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. First the youth, then their families and friends started migrating to the West. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, France, UK and Australia saw a large number of Tamil migrants. Among the migrant youth, there were two categories; one group which was running away from the security forces and administrative ill-treatment and the other group, which fled because of problems with fellow militants or militant groups.

When these people started writing they wrote in the only language they could - Tamil. Thus was born the genre of "refugee writing", euphemistically called Pulam Peyar Elakkiyam (migrant literature).

Fifteen years have passed, and today it constitutes a big corpus comprising poetry, short stories and novels. But a discerning look at their writing would show two phases - one which was very nostalgic about the life the migrants had to leave behind and its inherent charms, and the other, a more recent one is the generation that is trying to come to terms with its status as refugee, seeing itself as "another black" group.

I see two poets - Aravinthan and Jayapalan - setting the pace for this change. Aravinthan, a refugee in Paris, sees himself as one of the autumn leaves, swept into a heap for disposal, and says, who could say which leaf is from which tree. He sees commonness with the black refugee migrants. His poem In Front of the Library, too brings out that feeling.

With the sincerity of expression, and the depth of the wound, Tamil poetry is truly becoming "international", if not universal. And with writings of this nature, we are now knocking on the doors of the Hall of World Literature. Our sufferings have added a new dimension to our literature.

This diasporic spread is something new to Tamil. The Tamil literature of India has no similar experience. The Burmese experience is no parallel. Perhaps it will never have it too. But our experiences and the expressions of it from Americas to Australia, from towns close to the Arctic, to pockets in Italy, have added something new to Tamil literature. There can be a smile even in sadness! This is an experience completely new to Tamil literary tradition. Creative writers in Tamil Nadu are raving about this "new addition" to Tamil literature.

Lutesong and Lament has as its contents, only (short) stories and poems - more of the latter. We are yet to produce a novel, which could be regarded as a Tamil contribution to world fiction. Short stories yes, but novels not yet.

I think this volume would have been richer and perhaps more expressive of the "laments", if one of the short plays of M. Shanmugalingam had been included. In the post-1950s development of Tamil creative efforts in Sri Lanka, the development in the theatre, particularly the theatre in Jaffna, is quite remarkable. Theatre provided the only "public" outlet for our frustrations, travails and feelings of persecution. In 1984, a new theatre founded by M. Shanmugalingam, and assisted by his friends, dealt with the problems of the war-torn society. Mann Sumantha Meniyar was the beginning. The role theatre played was so strategic, very soon it began to be used as a therapy in dealing with traumatised war victims. Sithamparanathan was a pioneer in this effort.

Shanmugalingam's Entaiyam Taiyaum deals with the problem of children migrating to foreign countries, leaving their old parents behind. This play sensitively depicted this quietly happening human tragedy. It is a pity that this development in theatre in the North is yet known to the Sinhala theatre world, which has declined a great deal from the days of Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Dayananda Guanwardene and Guansena Galappaththy.

To me, this anthology brings into sharp focus the informal chasm that divides the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Except for an occasional translation into Sinhalese, the Sinhala reader has not heard about most of these Tamil writings. Nuhman's poem on the burning of the library was made available in Sinhala and was quoted even in the parliamentary debates. The Tamils too did not know what has been written on the war in Sinhala. Of course, some Tamils are familiar with films made by Prasanna Vithanage and others.

Otherwise, each community is blank about the other's literary achievements and works.

It is indeed a sad commentary on the State of Sri Lanka that even after 54 years of independence, it has not produced a system by which the creative writings of one community can be translated and made available to the other community. In the respect, the work of the Sahitya Akademi (Literary Academy) of India should be an eye-opener for Sri Lanka.

Lutesong and Lament, coming at a time when the white dove of peace is singing sweet notes over the island, is especially welcome. These stories and poems will reveal the futility of war and the enormous toll it extracts in human terms, from all concerned. (Courtesy - ICES) (Concluded)