The Solution Tamil Nadu can offer India and Sri Lanka
– by Shenali Waduge –
We feel for Jayalalitha, Karunanidhi, and a handful of other not so popular Tamil Nadu politicians who can gain fame only in protesting against sovereign nations. Their misery and anguish have dragged on for too long. At 80, the former Chief Minister should not have to subject himself to fasts. The ugly competition between the present and former Chief Minister is not healthy for the entire state of Tamil Nadu. Precious time and energy is lost on issues and money spent on posters related to a sovereign nation when there is much to be done in Tamil Nadu. There is a way to come out of the woods. The solution is to offer citizenship in India and to reside in Tamil Nadu to ALL Tamils in Sri Lanka who also feels that the “Sinhalese chauvinistic Government discriminates against Sri Lankan Tamils”. The Tamils in Sri Lanka can be given a choice and that would solve a matter that is unnecessarily causing friction between 2 nations and their people.
The issue of Tamils is the one and only factor that binds Sri Lanka’s Government to India and is keeping bilateral relations at a deadlock in view of Tamil Nadu ranting.
For too long the issue of “rights” “dignity” “respect” blah blah blah have been the cornerstone of diplomatic statements issued from India accusing Sri Lanka that it is not doing enough for the Sri Lankan Tamils. These unfair accusations are humiliating an entire nation internationally. We would have loved to see these same statements appear during the last 30 years directed to LTTE from India along the same lines. Now everyone is in competition with the other on who issues the most strongly worded condemnation letters to the President of Sri Lanka and the prize is sponsored by the West.
This charade cannot continue year after year. It is now affecting non-political areas like education, sports, tourism and religion as well creating unwanted tensions.
When Tamil Nadu says they are concerned about their brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka in view of their origins from Tamil Nadu we should not ignore this. Unfortunately, the brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka do not hold placards in protest for issues in Tamil Nadu. Be that as it may the bottom line is that no one should come between these filial bonds.
For far too long we have been running around something called “political solution” like a dog running behind its tail – some do catch it but most don’t. We are in the “most don’t” category. What if the dog didn’t have a tail!
Political solutions are meant to benefit only Governments in power. Years of blabbering “political solutions” needs to look at things practically and what directly suits the people concerned. To solve that the only solution is to take into consideration the main factor – The Tamils and what would help them live in peace without any discrimination. Tamil Nadu offers that choice.
If India is not going to give a Homeland and neither will Sri Lanka agree to a separation of its country those Tamils that feel imprisoned to live in Sri Lanka should by all accounts be given a choice. No one should live in a country that he/she abhors. That is not democracy.
It is a perfect time for India and in particular Tamil Nadu that has managed to uproot Delhi’s role on the international arena to be magnanimous and offer citizenship to ALL the Sri Lankan Tamils who detest living in Sri Lanka among “chauvinist Sinhalese Buddhist Government” so that they may go and live in India and as tourists they would always be welcome to come to Sri Lanka. With this solution offered we can put to rest all ill will though we believe those who sincerely love Sri Lanka enough to want to remain Sri Lankan will finally make their voice heard.
This offer of citizenship will certainly break the deadlock and the Sri Lankan Tamils that remain will live as Sri Lanka going through all of the ups and downs that all citizens go through whilst those Sri Lankan Tamils that hate to call themselves Sri Lankan can live happily in Tamil Nadu and that offer must also be extended to the Sri Lankan Tamil politicians as well and perhaps all others who detest living in Sri Lanka.
The solution offered will help all issues that are in stalemate and break the deadlock that currently exists.
Bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka can then be pursued without Tamil Nadu – as there is a saying that two’s company and threes a crowd.
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Since Jayalalitha is now asking India to call for a referendum through UN, this would be a great opportunity to put this suggestion also to the referendum.
Also, a referendum would be great through UN to ask Tamils in the World whether they would like to create an independent state for Tamils in India. I am sure that choice would be the preferred option by overwhelming majority of Tamils in the whole world.
If a referendum is to be on dividing Sri Lanka, then it must be open for the whole Sri Lankan population (only Sri Lankan citizens in and/or out of Sri Lanka) to vote for, not just by Tamils. Otherwise it will be like a seriously brain-dead fool asking from the fox whether he would really like to have the chicken.
The writer Waduge Says:
“The solution is to offer citizenship in India and to reside in Tamil Nadu to ALL Tamils in Sri Lanka who also feels that the “Sinhalese chauvinistic Government discriminates against Sri Lankan Tamils”. The Tamils in Sri Lanka can be given a choice and that would solve a matter that is unnecessarily causing friction between 2 nations and their people.”
Comments:
1. You have a good point here, as it gives the option of becoming a Sri Lanka Citizen or Indian Citizen. This option was given between Pakistan and India during the 1947 partition with the resulting bloodbath, and the unresolved, illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
2. This option of going to India should be given to all the Indians who came to Lanka in the past. After all they are ALL INDIANS and are NOT NATIVES OF LANKA. So, all the original Hindus who came from Prakrit Orissa-Bengal and Tamil South India should be given the option of going back home to Hindustan, the Land of the Hindus, even though they came 2500 to 1000 years ago. The acceptance of another religion, Buddhism or any other should not be an issue.Indians should use DNA testing to qualify to be taken BACK TO INDIA.
3. Lanka should be given back to the original natives OF LANKA, the Yakkas, the Nagas and the Veddahs who were Demonized by the Racist Monk, Mahanama of Mahawamsa (Fame-Notoriety) with its synthesized myths interposed with history.
4. Lanka will then be as peaceful, egalitarian and moral with no Sinhalese or Tamil chauvinistic ideologies.
5. Then, Lanka will not have any Indian Problem.
Great article but the only drawback is, if everything goes as per plan TN politicians as well as some SL Tamil Politians will have no basis for their politics