Development of a cohesive Nation

G. D. C. Weerasinghe

The seventh part of the serialisation of the book 'Conflict Resolution Lessons for Sri Lanka'. The sixth part was published on March 19.

The western countries to develop a national consciousness - to establish a nation. This is a slow process. In order to understand how the British developed the British nation, I wish to give some illustrations as to how they set about doing so.

I wish to give an illustration of how they dealt with the Scottish nationalists who fought for Scottish independence.

I quote from the book The Great Rebellion of 1918, by Professor W. Tennakoon where at page 1 xxix (29) he states as follows: "Sir William Wallace, who for a long time carried on the guerilla war with the English, became the recognised leader of the insurrection and made a noble resistance to the whole force which Edward employed in Scotland.

His wife fell into the hand of the enemies and was barbarously executed by Order of the English sheriff of Lenark. Wallace was at last betrayed by some of his countrymen and delivered to the English. He was forthwith sent to London where he was tried in Westminster.

The arrangement charged him with high treason in respect of the fact that he had stormed his way and taken over towns and castles and shed much blood. "Traitor" said Wallace, "was I never." For the rest of the charges he confessed. He was found guilty and condemned to death.

"After being dragged to the usual place of execution at the tails of horses he was hanged on high gallows on the 23rd of August 1305 after which his bowels having been taken out while the yet breathed and burned before his face, his head was struck off and his body hacked to quarters. His right arm was set up at Newcastle, his left at Berwick."

The English thereafter changed their tactics. They employed the Secret Services to eliminate opposition and to win over support for the Union of England and Scotland, which occurred in 1707. This is stated in the book Daniel Defoe written by Richard West (page 101).

"In another long letter, Defoe outlines his plan for a greatly enlarged and improved Secret Service, embracing intelligence-gathering abroad, with counter intelligence in this country, the jobs now performed by M16 and M15 respectively.

Defoe had read the biography of the French master spy Cardinal Richelieu and seems to have studied some English practitioners of the art. He admires Thomas Cromwell, Henry VII's devious henchman, now chiefly known for his part in the dissolution of the monasteries and for a rein of terror whose victims included Sir Thomas Moore.

He recommended to Harley one of his predecessors as Secretary of State, Queen Elizabeth's servant Sir Francis Walsingham whose spies enabled him to detect the treason of Mary Queen of Scots and to learn of the plans for the Spanish Amanda.

Defoe calls his fellow puritan "the greatest master of intelligence of the age adding that Walsingham like Thomas Cromwell died poor."

It is interesting to also understand how a strong United States was built by a multitude of nationalities who colonized it. This is contained in a new book titled Dangerous Nation by Robert Kagan.

There is a review of the book in the Front line magazine of 23 Feb. 2007. The review states as follows: "It is impossible to understand the psychology of the Americans or indeed the Australians, without understanding what they did to the native Indians and the aborigines respectively. This was not ethnic cleansing, but something closer to ethnic extermination."

Through these methods, the Americans and the Australians developed a united cohesive and prosperous society. Unfortunately for us, when we were on the process of developing a nationhood, we were subjugated as a colony and were prevented from developing a national identity.

When we are attempting to do so now, extraneous forces interfere and attempt to prevent or retard this process for their own reasons.

Far-seeing

In this connection I wish to illustrate how far-seeing and devious the imperialists were. Every country they carved, out of the Ottoman Empire, had no homogenous population. In Iraq there are the Kurds, the Shias and the Sunnis.

In Syria there are the Sunnis, the Kurds and Christians in large proportions. In Iran, there are Shias, Azaris and other minor groups. This was done to prevent the development of any movements against their interests.

In this connection I have to draw the readers' attention to the role played by Samuel James Chelvanayagam in obstructing the development of a united nation in this country. He sought to portray himself as a non violent supporter of Gandhi.

He espoused violence. To believe that he was a non-violent leader is a myth. I refer to an article written by a Christian Vellalar, D. B. S. Jeyaraj titled Christian Leader of Hindu Tamils in the book politics and Life in our Times by T. Duraisingham.

"Chelvanayagam too espoused the demand for Tamil Eelam. He said that establishing Tamil Eelam is a difficult proposition, but the Tamils have no option if they wish to survive as a nation. He also went on record that only the Tamil youths could through their courage and sacrifice achieve Eelam." (Page 1041)

This was a call for the youth to resort to violence. The separatists thereafter called them the "boys."

Opportunity lost

The English with their divide and rule policy gave privileges to the Tamils. This was with the ulterior purpose of creating dissension between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. In the mid 19th century, missionary schools were established in Jaffna.

Taking the ethnic percentage into consideration, Tamils were over represented in the professions, at Universities and in the Administrative Service. In order to redress this balance Mrs. Sirima R. Bandaranaike issued a circular to the Education Department which resulted in an outburst from the Tamils claiming that this was discrimination. The circular was withdrawn.

In America, there was discrimination against Afro-Americans, other minorities and women. To redress this discrimination, the Civil Rights act of 1964 was passed. Some white students filed action against this which went up to the Supreme Court of America.

It was held by the Supreme Court that this Act was legal as it was an attempt to redress discrimination that was in force for so long. The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the validity of the Civil Rights Act.

Mr. J. R. Jayewardene won 4/5th of the Seats in the 1977 Parliament. SLFP won only 08 Seats. In fact, the Federal Party had more seats in Parliament than the SLFP. Therefore, the Leader of the Federal Party Appadurai Amirthlingam became the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Jayawardene, instead of attending to the major national issues, embarked on a vendetta to deprive Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike of her civic rights.

There was an unparalleled and great opportunity to solve the major problem in the North and East - the socalled ethnic problem. This was a problem which any leader with a vision would have identified.

Mr. J. R. Jayawardene having 4/5th of the majority in Parliament could have invited Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike to join a National Government to solve this problem. Anybody having read the book "Communal Politics under the Donough more Constitution 1931-47" would know that this problem existed even before the 19th Century. The Tamils when the "Sinhala Only Act" was passed said that this was a discrimination against the Tamils.

I have supplied sufficient material in this book as to what constitutes discrimination. In Spain, the Basques were not allowed to use their language officially. No state school taught the Basque language.

They could not conduct broadcast in the Basque language. Similarly, the Catolonians were not allowed to use their language in Spain. It is only after the European Union was established, that they were allowed to use their language in their regions.

Tamil and Sinhala are our official languages which are given equal status by law. I refer also to the book "Battleground-Facts and Fantasy in Palestine" by Sauel Katz. Katz refers to the discrimination undergone by the Baques in Spain, by the Kurds in Iraq and Syria and by the Ibos in Nigeria.

This was similar to what the Jews underwent before 1948 throughout the world. In the Arab states, more than quarter of the population are non-Arabs. They are the Nilotic Negroes, the Berbers of Morroco, Algeria and Tunisia. Each speak non-Arabic languages.

The Christian Copts in Egypt are also discriminated against. They are not allowed to use their language officially neither can they broadcast nor are they taught their language in state schools.

No discrimination

Seventy five per cent of the population of Sri Lanka were Sinhalese. It is therefore natural that Sinhala should be the official language. The Tamil language should be given regional status. There is no discrimination if this is done.

There is discrimination only if you ban the use of the Tamil language. I have given enough illustrations of countries where there is discrimination. Our politicians did not understand the meaning of the word "discrimination." In 1983, there was only a breakdown of law and order but there was NO discrimination.

This breakdown of law and order was contrived by the terrorists by attacking the Army in Jaffna. J. R. Jayawardene must be held responsible for not taking immediate and adequate measures to control law and order.

In certain situations it is difficult to define whether a Constitution is Federal or Unitary. Certainly in the United States of America, it is Federal. At the time of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there were 13 rebel States on the Atlantic Coast. Gradually those States expanded with the incorporation of new States until they reached the Pacific coast.

This was done mainly by the extermination of Red Indians. There are only a few Red Indians living today. That is how new entities were added and a Federal constitution was formed.

The British, having established a cohesive and united country in the United Kingdom are now preaching to us about democracy. I have described earlier as to how they established a united and cohesive country.

I have to refer to the genocide of the aborigines in Australia and the Tasmanians in Tasmania. The Maories of New Zealand were not totally exterminated because the British for once honoured the agreement which they entered into with these aborigines (Maories.)

Can feelings of unity be infused?

The first objective of the government should have been to create a united nation. It is my opinion that this should have been started in the class rooms. As in Turkey, children in the school should be made to salute the National Flag of Sri Lanka in the morning and state "how happy he is to be a Sri Lankan."

The Sinhala leadership of the country should have taken steps to address the basic human rights of the oppressed Tamil non-vellalar minority. The vellalar only constituted about half the population in the Northern Province but controlled all the echelons of power in that Province.

In view of this, the voice of the oppressed Tamils was not heard. It was the duty of the Sinhala leadership to have assisted the oppressed Tamil minority to obtain their rights and thereby counter the power and control the vellalas wielded in the Northern Province.

Caste discrimination

When Mr. Bandaranaike was the Prime Minister the Prevention of the Social Disabilities act was passed in 1957. This Act was primarily to prevent caste discrimination in the Northern Province.

The very famous Nallur Kovil did NOT permit non-vellalar to enter it. Some non-vellalar in 1957, using Rights granted under the abolition of the Social Disabilities Act tried to enter the Kovil. There were riots and disturbances in the Northern Province. Mr. C. Sunderalingam slept between gateposts to prevent non-vellalar from entering the Kovil.

Mr. Sunderalingam was an ex-Minister having been a Minister in the first Government formed in 1948 after Independence. He was an advocate, ex-civil servant and a Professor of a University.

Some of these acts of discrimination which the non-vellalar were subjected to could be obtained from the Prevention of Social Disabilities Act. I refer only to Section 3 which has documented some of the actions of discrimination against non-vellalar in the North and the East.

"(a) if he prevents or obstructs such other persons from or in -

(i) being admitted as a student to, or being employed as a teacher in, any educational institution,

(ii) entering or purchasing any article at any shop, market or fair.

(iii) entering or being served at, any public hotel, resthouse, eating house, restaurant or any other place where articles of food or drink are sold to the public.

(iv) Obtaining any room for residence in a public hotel, resthouse or lodging house.

(v) Obtaining or using water from any public well, spring, water pipe or any other source of water supply to the public.

(vi) Entering or obtaining services provided at a hairdressing saloon or laundry,

(vii) Entering any public cemetery and attending or taking part in any burial or cremation therein,

(viii) Wearing any kind of clothes, head-covering or foot-covering at any place to which the public have access whether on payment or otherwise, or at the place of such other person's employment, or in the course of such other person's trade, business or employment.

(ix) Being carried as a passenger in any public vehicle or vessel,

(x) Entering or being present in any place to which the public have access whether on payment or otherwise other than a temple,

(xi) being engaged in any lawful employment or activity,"

To be continued