Beyoncé shines at Obama inauguration:

Karunanidhi goes crazy over name calling on Sri Lanka

In what was a week full of big news with the dual swearing in of President Barack Obama for his second term in office, and the bloody battle in Algeria against alleged pro-al Qaeda terrorists who had taken hundreds of employees hostage in a desert gas field.

If the spotlight of news channels inevitably turned to Obama’s second inauguration in Washington DC, with the hostage crisis in Africa brought to an end the tough Algerian way, it was Beyoncé who stood out. Her rendition of the US National Anthem – the Star Spangled Banner – that wound up the events on Capitol Hill almost pushed Barack Obama to the wings. It was a towering highlight, with a mastery of poise and confidence, in a solo performance not aided by any choir in the background that added beauty and gave new meaning to an inauguration with many things to remember.

Obama was at his rhetorical best, using “We the People”, the Preamble to the US Constitution to best effect, where the history of the moment was matched with the politics of the times. In an address that was full of strategy and challenge, he focused on the new coalition in US politics, fully aware of the demographic changes taking place, and a hardly veiled call to the people to join him in the battles that lay before him and the US in his final term in office. Not once did he mention the Republicans, but they were fully within his sights as he called on the American people to join in the battles for gun control, more immigration, and realizing the full meaning of the American Dream, beginning from “We the People” that was his refrain. There was plenty to show that liberal thinking has a new place in the USA.

Hostage shocker

Elsewhere, the West was in shock as it took in the extent of the huge loss of lives of workers from several countries in the Algerian hostage crisis; unable to criticize Algeria for the decision to fight the hostage takers in its own way. Each day last week, the death toll rose, until it was reported that 81 had been killed, with no certainty of the actual numbers. There were reports of a Canadian who coordinated the operation and English-speaking 'jihadists' involved in Mali. With France engaged in Mali, which allegedly led to the hostage crisis in Algeria, there were signs that the French and others who come to the aid of Mali would be there for a long haul.

Africa, and its oil and other resources, have now emerged as the new centre of anti-western 'jihadist' operations, with many questions raised about the wisdom of Western intervention, in the manner it was done, in the Libyan operation to defeat Muammar Gaddafi.

Referring to Algeria and Africa, Prime Minister David Cameron told the Commons that the West faced a 'generational struggle' in combating the 'poisonous ideology' of Islamic extremists in the Sahel. As the 'Guardian' reported, Cameron said that Britain would join the manhunt for Belmokhtar and promised extra support for the French campaign in Mali. Echoing the language used by Tony Blair in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, he said: “This is the work our generation faces and we must demonstrate the same resolve and sense of purpose as previous generations have with the challenges that they faced in this House and in this country.”

The result of this resolve by Tony Blair, whose sense of purpose blended easily with that of George W Bush, is still seen in the continuing crises in Iraq and Afghanistan. As for a 'generational struggle' it may be necessary to think how many generations of Africans have been thinking of their own generational struggle against Western exploitation. It is also an apt time to recall that Sri Lanka too went through a 'generational struggle' in its 30 year war against terrorism of the

LTTE, and many in the West are still to admit the necessity of that struggle for the people of this country and region.

Closer Home

Coming closer home, this week had its own high point in the selection of Rahul Gandhi to be vice-president of the Congress Party in India, who will lead its campaign in the next general election in 2014, giving the party a new image, with a move to greater grass roots support. While the Congress seems to have taken note of emerging changes in Indian politics, its main rival, the BJP appears to be trapped in its involvement with the RSS and Hindutva extremism or Saffron Politics.

While a broader political vision appears to be emerging from New Delhi with the new trends in Congress politics, the same cannot be said for Tamil Nadu, which has a more direct impact on Sri Lanka. The former TN Chief Minister and DMK leader Karunanidhi wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier this week, with new allegations of how the Tamil Hindus are treated in Sri Lanka.

Among the key accusations he made was that the Sinhalese (government) is engaged in an aggressive move to change the place names in Tamil populated areas in the country, as a new sign of Sinhala domination. In his letter to both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, about what he described as 'disturbing developments' in Sri Lanka vis-à-vis the Tamils, Karunanidhi said: “The Sri Lankan government is now carrying out an intensive and systematic programme of erasing the Tamil language, culture and religion and diluting the concentration of Tamils in areas where they have historically been predominant. This manifests itself in the renaming of Tamil villages, redrawing of village, district and town boundaries, demolishing Hindu temples, non-allocation of funds to resettle and rehabilitate internally displaced Tamil families.”

He said India had a moral obligation to stop this as it involved the eradication of a great culture and ancient religion in our backyard, he said. (Hindu Jan 21).

The name game

He has said that 89 villages had been renamed with Sinhala terms and 367 Hindu temples had been demolished. There were 148 mini and 13 main army camps in Mullaitivu district alone.

Manmohan Singh

Rahul Gandhi

David Cameron

Muammar Gaddafi

He had given interesting examples of alleged place name changes. “In Amparai district, the Tamil heritage village ‘Potthuvil’ was renamed as ‘Pothuvila’, and ‘Thirukovil’ was renamed as ‘Srikovila’ and ‘Tharavaikulam’ as ‘Tharakkulam’ while ‘Vagarai’ became ‘Vagara’ in Batticaloa district and Nilaveli was renamed as Nilvaella, and Alankulam as Gemburuweva in Trincomalee district.”

What Karunanidhi and others who are ready to believe such allegations should know is that in Sri Lanka, the Sinhala and Tamil languages that have existed from ancient times, and that many places have different names in the two languages. It would be interesting to ask why the Sinhala 'Sri Lanka' is called 'Ilankai' in Tamil, with no objections being raised, and also why Negombo in English or 'Meegamuva' in Sinhala is named 'Neercolombu' in Tamil? Is it Tamil hegemony or expansionism at play that makes Elephant Pass in the North, which is named 'Alimankada' in Sinhala and 'Aanairavu' in Tamil, all three names having the same meaning?

It seems important for the DMK leader to get some tuition on Sri Lankan place names, especially their history and derivations in the two main languages of the country, before he makes any more rash statements or complaints about this, which only exposes his utter ignorance of the subject, apart from exposing his pro-Tamil bias that is not based on fact.

Going on this fancy trail of Sinhala domination based on place name changes, how does Karunanidhi explain how Point Pedro in the North that is known as 'Peduruthuduva' in Sinhala is named 'Pariththithurai' in Tamil? He lacks knowledge that these two names have existed for centuries causing no problems to the Sinhalese or Tamils. It is the same with Nainativu (that he spells as Nainatheevu) in the North, being called 'Nagateeba' by him, but is actually called 'Nagadeepa' by the Sinhalese for more than 2,000 years. It is a place believed to be hallowed by a visit of the Buddha, and one hopes that Karunanidhi does not try to make this traditional belief also a part of alleged 'Sinhalization' of Tamil heritage.

It is surprising that Karunanidhi has no problems with Jaffna, the main city in the North of Sri Lanka being called 'Yaalpanam' in Tamil and 'Yaapanaya' in Sinhala. It would be interesting to know what he or his advisors have to say as to how Sri Lanka’s famed City of Gems or 'Ratnapura' in Sinhala is 'Rattinapuri' in Tamil. Could this be a gem of twist in Tamil spelling and pronunciation? The DMK leader, who is trying hard to better than rival Jayalalithaa in his appeal to Tamil feeling, with a common disregard for the truth, should know that Grandpass in Colombo, known as 'Thotalanga' in Sinhala is termed 'Paalaththurai' in Tamil, or how another part of Colombo North - 'Kotahena' in Sinhala is 'Kottanchenai' in Tamil. Similarly, the Tamil name Valachchenai in the East is known as 'Veli Hena' in Sinhala, having the same meaning, while the famed port of Trincomalee also in the East shares the name 'Thirikunamalaya' in Sinhala with 'Thirukonamalai' in Tamil and Batticaloa is 'Madakalapuva' in Sinhala and 'Mattakkalappu' in Tamil.

Just to put an end to this name calling nonsense of Karunanidhi, in his efforts to mislead New Delhi about reality in Sri Lanka, it will be interesting to know his explanation of how Sri Lanka’s central city of Kandy in English, known as 'Mahanuvara'(Great City) in Sinhala is 'Kandi' in Tamil. Is it a preference by the Tamils to copy from the English, in preference to the rich meaning of the Sinhala name?

As for the 367 Hindu temples that he alleges have been destroyed, it is best if such reports are substantiated with exact names and locations, and the history of these places for proper responses to be given by Sri Lanka, or good inquiry to be made by New Delhi.