Fifty nine years of independence - past, present and future

S. B. Karalliyadde

DONOUGHMORE CONSTITUTION: The radical youths of the North were unhappy that the traditional political leadership of the area did not forward any meaningful proposals for a change in the Donoughmor Constitution.

The radical thinking among them was that there should be ethnic based representation to the North, similar to the majority based representations in the South.

However the Donoughmore Commissioners totally rejected any ethnic based representation.

The proposals of these radicals to be presented to the Donoughmore Commissioners after the end of the second world war for "Swaraj" for the areas was viewed as a move that would result in a gloomy future to the hopes of the leaders who were striving to gain independence to Sri Lanka after the end of the war.

The Tamils who were a minority in the North demanded for equal representation in spite of their population statistics.

However, the Donoughmore Commissioners totally rejected any ethnic based representations even though Sri Ponnambalam Arunachalam himself made representations to the Colonial Office which were turned down. The leadership in the North decided to accept the Donoughmore Constitution for a period of trial.

The Jaffna Youth League that came forward at the time demanded complete Swaraj or else they threatened to boycott the elections under the Donoughmore Constitution. There was an Indian intervention at the time to create this background in the North.

The Jaffna Youth League which met in April 1931 under the Chairmanship of Kamala Devi Chattopadya at their general meeting decided to boycott the elections.

The then Governor of Ceylon Sir Herbert Stanley who was able to see the serious future repercussions that would follow from this decision by the youth league, sent an official telegram to Lord Whitall and said that although the decisions overtly appears to be a boycott of the election it is really a move to get an increased number of representatives in a new government to be formed consequent to a general election.

This boycott was successfully carried out in the North by getting only one member to the area Mannar/Mullaitivu elected to the first State Council.

At the second State Council G. G. Ponnambalam was returned to Jaffna. Though his election brought lot of hopes among the Jaffna youth the unexpected economic recession in the world with the end of the war had its adverse effects in our country as well.

The British government had to introduce various taxes to collect revenue for the day-to-day expenses of the government. Added to this the Malaria epidemic that ravaged the country brought disasters by about six hundred thousand of the population afflicted with the disease.

The death toll was worst in Kandy Galagedara area where about thirty five thousand and Kurunegala with about twenty five thousand, and Kegalle 12955. The population was restive when Sir D. B. Jayatilaka, the Head of the Health Committee made a comment that the Malaria epidemic was due to the past kamma of the people and that they have to suffer.

It was under this back ground that the problem of the North went into limbo in the pre-Independence era.

Post-independence

Thus we see the problem of a separate self-governing unit for the North was the results of an agitation from the Legislative Council days.

It was not a problem created by the introduction of the Sinhala only Act, or the letter Sri, in vehicles or vesting of private schools in the government, or the standardization of marks for University entrance etc., as interpreted by the present day politicians blaming each other.

The divisive forces demand from the pre independence era up to date is for a separate self governing autonomous rule for the 8.4 per cent Tamils (including the Indian origin estate population) and 8.0 percent Muslims as against the 81.9 per cent Sinhalese who are the majority, sons of the soil or the Bhumi puthras. They demand separate units of rule for what they call is their traditional homeland.

This is the crust of the problem. The power sharing model introduced by the 13th amendment to the constitution which created the Provincial Councils system of administration was not acceptable to the North and today we see that this is the main impediment to the progress of the country for the last fifty nine years since we gained independence.

The divisive forces in the North declared an Eelam unilaterally on two occasions. Malaysia which composed of several ethnic groups, which had a terrorist reign of terror for decades is ahead of us today and all its inhabitants are "Bhoomee - Putras" working together of the development of the country.

There are tribal course to which no human rights organisations will protest. It is only to affairs in our country the International Human Rights Organisations will interfere and show the world community that the Sri Lankan Government is the worst human rights violator.

Recently an Indian court convicted a Sheik for riding a motorcycle without wearing a helmet. His defense was that he is wearing the head gear worn by the Sheiks and therefore it was not necessary to wear the helmet.

The courts pronounced that all ethnic groups living in India are subject to the Indian law. The LTTE is establishing their own law courts. The human rights organisations here funded by foreign agencies did not demonstrate against the killings of innocent students and teachers of Soma Devi Vidyalaya in the East.

Lessons from the past history

King Dutugemunu did not agree to rule in Magama while allowing Elara to rule in Anuradhapura. Maga removed both eyes of Parakrama Pandu and killed him to assume power in Polonnaruwa.

Bodiraja of Galahitiyawa who later succeeded Maga in Polonnaruwa as Vijayabahu III did not confine himself to one area. He drove the enemies away and unified the country. Rajasingha of Seethawaka massacred the Portuguese in Mulleriyawa.

Rajasinghe II of Senkadagala eliminated a force of twenty one thousand Portuguese in Randeniwela battle. Our last King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha drove away the British in the battle at Wagolla. Fighting the enemy is an incumbent duty of kingship. Parakrama Pandu lost both his eyes before meeting with his death.

Sri Sangabo who shun war was left with a headless corpse.

Only two options

At the time of celebrating the fifty ninth Independence Day we are left with two options. The problem should be solved if possible without blood shed. For this purpose successive governments negotiated through discussions at Thimpu, Thailand, Geneva and various other places supported by the Co-Chairs Donor Agencies, and the Monitoring Mission.

The LTTE took cover under the MOU and made preparations for war, procuring arms, training cadres building bunkers and positioning artillery and in between attacking the Armed Forces with heavy artillery.

The victims of these attacks were compensated by dolling out public funds varying from thousands to millions depending on the status of the victim. Prabakaran on his address reiterated his commitment to a separate Eelam for the traditional Tamil homeland.

The Co-Chairs, Donor agencies, other facilitators and the international community must be made to realise the historical fact that Sri Lanka is a country with a recorded history of over two thousand years where the Sinhalese lived in amity with other communities who made this land their homeland after the invasions by Portuguese, Dutch and the British.

This truth should be made known using our international relations and print and electronic media. The second options is to defeat separatists.

The support of all concerned should be enlisted in this exercise. The time is opportune for all peace loving patriotic forces together and strengthen the hands of President to end this menace. Otherwise we will pass this separatist war to the third generation to come. Let us all get together to resolve this problem.