Tamil Chauvinism

| by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
( May 6, 2014, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian ! "ri#e in res$onse #o #he Lanka
Guardian ar#i%le &'re (amils a minori#y)* by Pro+essor ,yan-oda, re$ublished by Sri Lanka
Guardian.
(he ar#i%le %on+irmed #o me ye# a-ain #ha# some Sinhalese have demons#ra#ed #ha# #he %laim o+
soverei-n#y "ould be le-i#ima#e only "hen "e +a%ili#a#e $reserva#ion o+ soverei-n#y o+ o#hers
"ho are a $ar# o+ our sys#em alon- #he #ime based ver#i%al line o+ hierar%hy or alon- #he la#eral
line o+ demo%ra%y #hrou-h "hi%h "e #ake #he o#her as our e/ual o$$osi#ion 0 so #ha# #he $i%#ure
o+ our soverei-n#y is in%om$le#e "i#hou# #he o#her. (he la##er is no# easy "hen #he &o#her* side
is seen #o be +ar less #han 102 o+ #he "hole. (amils %anno# %laim na#ionhood "i#hou# res$e%#in-
Sinhalese as #he &o#her side* "i#h 3/ual level o+ soverei-n#y as #hemselves. 4or be##er or +or
"orse 0 "e are in #his #o-e#her.
Pro+essor ,yan-oda is re$or#ed #o have s#a#ed on 11 Mar%h 1565 7
8Mr. '. 9aya"eera, in his $olemi% a-ains# :rs. S. ;. 4ernando and ;arlo 4onseka s#a#es, in
$aren#hesis, #ha# #he (amil $eo$le in Sri Lanka are no# an o$$ressed na#ional minori#y, bu# an
o$$ressed na#ion (Lanka Guardian < 9anuary 11#h. ! en#irely a-ree "i#h him on #his $oin#. !# is
a ma##er o+ re-re# #ha# almos# all #he le+#is# $oli#i%al $ar#ies and -rou$s in #his %oun#ry have been
%ommi##in- #he +undamen#al error o+ %onsiderin- #he (amil $eo$le in Sri Lanka only as a
na#ional minori#y.=
>ne needs #o vie" #his in #he %ons%iousness o+ #he au#hor and his ba%k-round. (he (amil
a%#ivis# as $er #he Sri Lanka Guardian s#a#es7
8?@is ar#i%le %ondemnin- #he Sinhala Le+#*s +ailure #o -ras$ #he Aa#ional /ues#ion in #he island
is remarkably a$$li%able in #he $resen# %on#eB# o+ $ro#ra%#ed -eno%ide and mili#ary o%%u$a#ion,
and dis$lays #he resilien%e o+ Sinhala %hauvinism "hi%h is endemi% #o #he Sri Lankan le+#. Ci#h
#he due eB%e$#ion o+ #hose %oura-eous Sinhala %omrades, many "ho are eBiled, "ho have
risked #heir lives due #o #he $rin%i$led solidari#y dis$layed #o"ards #he (amil $eo$le and #heir
s#ru--le, mos# o+ #he Sri Lankan le+# dis$lays #he %o-ni#ion and ra#ionali#y "hi%h ,yan-oda
ri-h#ly %ri#i%iDes as non<MarBis# and %hauvinis#i% #hree de%ades a-o,E #he (amil a%#ivis# says.=
'n inde$enden# (amil Aa#ional "ould ma#%h #he re%o-ni#ion by Pro+essor ,da-ama and "ould
have %on+irmed #he eBis#en%e o+ Sinhala Aa#ion ins#ead o+ Sinhala ;hauvinism "hi%h "ould be
in#er$re#ed by #he %ommon reader as %ons%iousness o+ majori#y +or%e %ou$led "i#h #he
advan#a-e o+ +ormin- -overnmen# #hrou-h #he sys#em o+ demo%ra%y. !+ #he $o"er o+ #he likes o+
Pro+essor ,da-ama is no# s#ron- enou-h #o %over #he "hole o+ Sinhala %ommuni#y 0 #hen #here
is no Sinhala Aa#ion. (amil Aa#ion %ould #here+ore no# be re%o-niDed by su%h a $erson nor #he
(amil a%#ivis# "ho demons#ra#es #ha# sFhe is seriously a++e%#ed by Sinhala %hauvinism. (amil
Aa#ionalism "ould no# be de$enden# on Sinhala ;hauvinism.
(o my mind, #he bes# Aa#ural measure o+ (amil 3/uali#y "as demons#ra#ed no# by #he armed
rebellion led by #he (amil (i-ers bu# by #he s#a#us in Sri Lankan $arliamen# a+#er #he 1566
3le%#ions, "i#h (amils as 3/ual >$$osi#ion #o #he Governmen# re$resen#in- lar-ely majori#y
Sinhalese. (his "as +a%ili#a#ed by #he drama#i% +all o+ Sri Lanka 4reedom Par#y led by Mrs.
Gandaranayake "hose husband "as #he ar%hi#e%# o+ #he Sinhala >nly le-isla#ion. (hen "e
s$oil# i# all #hrou-h (amil only rea%#ion. (o my mind, Aa#ural +or%es "orked #o %on+irm #he
3/ual s#a#us o+ (amil ;ommuni#y led by !nde$enden# (amils 0 i.e. (amils inde$enden# o+
Sinhalese leaders. ,nder #hose %ir%ums#an%es, bo#h na#ions "ould o$era#e inde$enden# o+ #he
o#her "here #hey are %ul#urally diverse and in %ommon "here #here is no es#ablished diversi#y.
Chere "e need ea%h o#her as our o$$osi#ion 0 "e +orm >ne Sri Lankan Aa#ion.
Mos# %ommuni#ies have lar-e %om$onen#s driven by #he seen and #he heard. (hey need #he
$o"er o+ #hose "ho have realiDed !nde$enden%e, #o le-i#ima#ely %laim soverei-n s#a#us.
Sho"in- "ins #hrou-h %lever use o+ "ea$ons does no# %on+irm !nde$enden%e. Preserva#ion F
Hes#ora#ion o+ !nde$enden# s#a#us is %on+irmed #hrou-h "ea$ons only "hen #hey are used a+#er
all o#her hi-her avenues have been eBhaus#ed and #his is %on+irmed by #he mos# !nde$enden#
member o+ #ha# %ommuni#y. (ha# leader "as Lord Irishna in #he Gurushe#ra "ar. Aei#her #he
(amil nor #he Sinhala leadershi$ %arry #his %redi# o+ +orbearan%e.
Ce all %arry $osi#ive and ne-a#ive 3ner-ies. 's%e#i%s medi#a#e in $riva%y and a%%umula#e
s#ron- $osi#ive 3ner-y "hi%h %ould be a%%essed by #he needy. !# is +or #his reason #ha# ;3>s
and o#her ;hie+s have s$e%ial $riva%y arran-emen#s. ' %ommuni#y limi#ed by subje%#ive $o"er
#ends #o be lo%al and #his $riva%y $o"er a# #he leadershi$ level is more im$or#an# #o su%h a
%ommuni#y #han #o one #ha# is demo%ra#i% and #rans$aren#. !# is more e++e%#ive +or su%h
%ommuni#ies #o be led by #he ver#i%al sys#em o+ au#o%ra%y #han usin- demo%ra%y. (amils led by
#he (amil (i-ers 0 and #heir &vi%#ory* #hrou-h use o+ "ea$ons 0 are #he $arallels o+ a ,niversi#y
#ha# sho"s money F business $o"er above #he $o"er o+ !n#elle%#ual !nde$enden%e.
Mos# %oun#ries are in #he #ransi#ional s#a-e 0 +rom au#o%ra%y #o demo%ra%y. (he sys#em #ha# is
mos# a$$ro$ria#e +or a -rou$ #ha# seeks #o demons#ra#e harmony 0 is #he sys#em a%#ually
$ra%#i%ed by majori#y in #heir everyday lives. 9us# be%ause $aren#s are older #han %hildren does
no# mean #ha# #hey are more $o"er+ul #han #he %hildren. Gy #he same #oken "hen %hildren s#ar#
earnin- money and s#a#us 0 #hey are no# more $o"er+ul #han #he $aren#s. Heal s#a#us needs #o be
as $er #he 3B$erien%e on behal+ o+ #he "hole. ! #ended #o s#ay "i#hin and sho" res$e%# +or #he
seniors in my -rou$ 0 a# +amily, "ork$la%e and so%ial levels. Gu# a+#er my re$ea#ed +ailures in
#hese %ommuni#ies %ro"ned by #he le-al losses 0 a# Aa#ional level here in 'us#ralia 0 ! de%ided
#ha# #o %on#inue #o %on#ribu#e #o #ha# subje%#ive sys#em even a+#er kno"in- #he (ru#h in #erms o+
our ;ommon $ur$ose 0 "ould be #o lose my o"n hard<earned inde$enden%e. '# +irs# ! s#ar#ed
leavin- F se$ara#in- mysel+ +rom #ha# ins#i#u#ion F -rou$. Gu# la#er ! %ons%iously #ook #he
$osi#ion o+ ordinary member 0 so #ha# ! did no# eB$e%# re%o-ni#ion a# a hi-her level.
,nder #he ver#i%al hierar%hi%al sys#em 0 #he eB$erien%e is made %ommon by #he junior
allo%a#in- s#a#us #o #he senior. Chere #his ma#%hes reali#y < #he rela#ionshi$ is no# only seen #o
be harmonious bu# is also really harmonious. Gu# "here #he senior +ails #o a$$re%ia#e #he
inde$enden%e o+ #he junior on%e #he junior s#ar#s $er+ormin- a# a hi-her level #han #he senior 0
#he senior "ould #end #o be%ome di%#a#orial. ' $erson o+ a$$aren#ly junior s#a#us 0 %on#inuin-
#o add herFhis s#a#us #o su%h a senior 0 "ould be a%%umula#in- ne-a#ive ener-y. ' rela#ionshi$
needs #o mer-e "i#h #he "hole ,ni# 0 "hi%h needs #o mer-e "i#h so%ie#y on%e #he rela#ionshi$
is %om$le#ed. (hose #ha# are driven by (ru#h F Love "ould be%ome na#urally %ommon and
mer-e na#urally.
(amils "ho are %ons%ious o+ L((3 "ins 0 are handi%a$$ed in realiDin- inde$enden%e. !n a
&+ree* environmen# 0 "here "ins and losses have e/ual s#a#us < #hey are likely #o be%ome
di%#a#orial like #he L((3 leadershi$. !+ #hey rely on #heir o"n 3B$erien%e durin- #ha# #ime 0
#hey "ould %arry i#s value in#o #his neB# s#a-e o+ usin- -lobal sys#ems #o a%hieve sel+<
-overnan%e. Like"ise, Sinhalese %ons%ious o+ army "ins "ould need #o %ons%iously renoun%e
#hose "ins and #ake only #heir eB$erien%e in#o #he neB# $hase o+ -overnan%e. (he %om$e#i#ion
needs #o be as #o "ho -e#s #here +irs# and no# "ho redu%es #he o#her*s s#a#us more.