Sinhala Only Policy, Tamil ‘rights’ and validity of calling
Buddhists extremist
To sufficiently address a global and local
campaign that has as its clear objective to project Buddhists in Sri
Lanka as extremists, chauvinistic and even militant is not easy, and
impossible, given that the gavel has concluded its verdict. Then
there is also the notion that the Sinhala Only was the root to Tamil
discrimination. When Tamil was never an administrative language used
in governance during colonial rule and even upon post-independence
how can Tamils claim they had been denied this right? The
politicians that claimed ‘grievance’ in denial of Tamil usage were
studying and using English in employment along with their Sinhala
counterparts. Tamil language was never used on an official basis.
These Tamil leaders had taken the Sinhala politicians for a ride –
from no Tamil use, they got ‘reasonable use’ and then ‘official use’
after the Indian intervention in 1987. All through the entire
process Buddhists and Buddhism had been demonized and continue to be
so.
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Life Abroad - Part 12:
COUNTERING TIGER KITTENS!
Student life in London was not a bed of roses
two-three decades ago being confined to ‘room accommodation’,
moreover the Sri Lankan landlords who rented out rooms were far and
few between. In ‘confined’ lodgings sharing of the kitchen caused
more than one problem.
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