Book Review:

Sri Lanka’s national question

Neville Ladduwahetty’s book must contain one of the most, if not the best, readable, detailed analysis of Sri Lanka’s national question. There cannot be any questions that have not been probed or plausible answers missing in it, to resolve the question.

With flowing facts, reasoning and sustained logic, it unravels what was once thought to be an intractable problem. The solutions offered if they are not irrefutable are unlikely to be bettered. It may not be the last book on the subject but must come very close to being the last word. It is also very timely.

The book contains 56 articles with some over lap in two parts, the first being causes and issues, most of it well trodden but yet necessary to re-examine to understand what is at stake. The second part deals with solutions which are well thought out, workable, acceptable to most, innovative and daring. The solutions will awaken the public and politicians who thought that the end of the war meant permanent peace and reactivate NGOs who acted as proxies for the LTTE.

International interventions

It weaves its way through the maze, of historical and racial claims, crafty maneuverings, accusations, justifications, apologies (largely by the Sinhalese and not much reciprocated), terrorist ultimatums and double dealing international interventions that floored politicians, challenged academics and jurists and led to a tragic 30 years.

This is all in a very small island that has an infant mortality rate envied by third world countries and life expectancy exceeded by few richer nations. It brings home to the readers that there is a home grown, practical, well-tried and just way forward to ensure that a strong Sri Lankan State and identity emerges from the agony and detritus of war.

It also bluntly exposes both Sinhala and Tamil politicians, academics, Machiavellian International players including Indians, the LTTE and the serpents that have infiltrated the media and NGOs. Together they exploited horror, tragedy and misery. Their sorry actions were a mix of racist bias, intellectual deceit, ignorance and subservience to Western and Indian agendas in the face of the State’s fragile responses until a just war became inevitable and conclusive.

It puts to rest the claims for a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka, no doubt also exacerbated by the instability India is experiencing. It strongly counters demands for special concessions not available to any other community by examining the merits of Tamil aspirations, grievances including standardization, language discrimination outside the North and East and the case for autonomy. It suggests provocatively that in today’s global village it would be more useful and cost effective if the Sinhalese and Tamils learned English as a second language.

Interest groups

The sudden eclipse of the LTTE in May 2009 has no doubt had a cathartic effect on fast forwarding not only Laduwahetty’s book but also on galvanizing public interest groups and nervous politicians. The author is not unmindful of the fact that an unconsolidated peace could create space both in the North and South for mischief-makers, including well prepared NGOs.

Laduwahetty who is domiciled in the USA is an Engineer by profession but he has produced a book that had the oft quoted revered H L de Silva been alive would no doubt greatly approve and admire. Like them and many patriotic expatriates, Ladduwahetty having devoted his time and effort unremittingly and unselfishly to Sri Lanka’s cause for over 30 years of conflict, remains unafraid and apolitical. He like all good men seeks to ensure that those who died fighting to protect Sri Lanka in her hour of need did not do so in vain.

Ladduwahetty had seen the mortal danger to the state of the exploitation of the post independence contrived Jaffna Tamil resentment intended to retain their disproportionate all round strength built up during Colonial times. When that attempt failed, Plan B for a separate state was adopted by the Vaddukodai Resolution in 1976. This was given a massive impetus by the dastardly communal riots of 1983. He interprets the defection of Karuna and his Eastern Tamils as the crucial factor in dismembering the hopes of the Northern Tamil leadership to promote a North East axis of evil.

District Councils

It is in his solutions that Ladduwahetty excels himself. He argues cogently that the much-desired regional unit of devolution should be the district as proposed by SWRD Bandaranaike in the State Council (1940) and not the province as given in the shameful and reviled 13th amendment.

He is most convincing when he states that District Councils will be more inclusive of all the people, far more effective and most importantly will have far lesser potential to challenge the stability of the State than a province.

Finally he makes an excellent case for a standing legislative committee system inclusive of all MPs and separated from the executive as in the USA to replace the spreading disaster that passes for government in Sri Lanka. Hopefully it will lead to a strong centralized, fully representative and transparent government. It will be structured to support the District Councils.

This is a compelling, convincing, superbly researched, intellectually honest, powerful book that has a national and humane face. It shows a way out of the maze. It will not please and may even offend some. Nevertheless Ladduwahetty will be the last person to allow 75 percent of the people to continue to be held ransom by politicians and ersatz mercenaries who attempt dishonestly to mislead a 10 percent minority to challenge basic democratic values and the security of the State.

It should be read by all interested in the coming fight for peace for the sake of those who died for it and for the well being of the generations to come.

(This book published by Vijitha Yapa Publications is dedicated to those valiant men and women of the Armed forces who laid down their lives defending Sri Lanka. Proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to the Ranviru Foundation).

- Major General (Retired) Lalin Fernando