Many reasons are given for the difficulties in resolving the Sri Lankan Ethnic issue. The Emeritus Professor of the Department of sociology, Hunter College, New York offers a fresh point of view. He points out to the ‘want of proportionality’ as the cause for the delay in the resolution of the ethnic problem. The plea is made for intransigent attitudes to be abandoned so as to arrive at a compromise for peace and REST to all.  (emphasis is mine) The Prof. believes that a mature and realistic approach is necessary to coexist at least ‘on account of the children –and the estate!’ This reference to ‘children and the estate’ is perhaps an easily understood concept both in the North and the South. He thinks by adopting this strategy the country can be prevented from becoming a sparring field, destroying everything in the process.  Many moderates in the country also regard this approach to be the logical alternative for a practical solution. Yes, let’s give a thought to the future generation and reconciliation!

What is it to be? 

The two major adversaries to the conflict, the Sinhala and Tamil nationalists, driven by their emotions continue to stir the ‘witches’ brew’ as it were, to retain power for themselves and their supporters.  Power play is not new to the ethnic dialogue but it is important to keep repeating it, to keep it in the public domain. In the psyche of the Sri Lankans conscious or unconscious vibes of insincerity, to their professed cause persists –unabashedly.  The local and international community has to understand this, if Sri Lanka is to progress.

The Tamil extremists want no show of conciliation by any one in their community to the southern power base.  Based on this premise any one making a move towards accommodation is termed a traitor to the cause.  The persistent demand by the extremists for the resignation of the TNA leader from the post of Leader of the Opposition stems from this line of thinking. That the post of the Leader of the Opposition is a strategic position that gives presence, access and influence to the community in the national and international arena is underestimated by the extremists. The position is a vantage point from which to address the nation and the world when necessary.  Why should anyone demand the Leader of the Opposition to abandon such a hard to come by position for the minorities? The need of the moment is to put accommodation and compromise to the forefront. Power politics that keeps conflict on the boil should remain a forgotten factor.

Despite the end of the three decade war sentiments of tolerance, compromise and accommodation have not been effectively popularized by both sides to the conflict.  Finger pointing to highlight shortcomings is what is on the rise; adversaries continue to carry the burden of the past, the consequences of the war such as the hardships people faced and the strangulation of economic and social progress.  Besides this, the Sinhala and Tamil leadership need the phobia of ethnic tension and rivalry to hold on to for their survival. Whether it is the security threat to the nation and individuals or denial of rights to the minorities, or delays in the execution of retributive justice, it is all played out in the arena of power politics and not with the people’s interests in focus.  Whither reconciliation?

Peace for Progress- Government Option

The President and the Prime Minister have repeatedly stated no development is possible in the absence of peace and the establishment of friendly relations among the nationals of this country.  The highly vocal ultra- nationalists who have emerged and are emerging fail to appreciate the policy statements of the government.  They prefer not to as their survival revolves around denial of positive objectives.  In their respective natya/natyam, no space is available for accommodation for problem solving strategies. The government remains passive, a mere onlooker.

All people in the country have equal entitlement for residence.

It has to be unequivocally stated as first priority that all people living in the country have equal entitlement to the country and no one has precedence or weightage over the other. Going back in time to establish as to who came first to settle in the island should bear no significance or relevance to the resolution of the ethnic conflict or any other problem. The communities living in this country have put down roots and no other home is available to any of them.  The argument that the Tamils and the Muslims can reach out to others of the same lineage in other countries is somewhat overstretched.  Relationships are often overtaken by economic interests or considerations of property rights or personal interests.  Then the lineage links cease to be relevant.  A recent article referred to a speech by a visiting dignitary that “the Tamils are peeved that the Modi government is all about economic investments and trade on the premise that growing prosperity is the best solvent of ethnic problems …..” gives weightage to the argument that relationships and interests remain a variable and not a constant.  Therefore it is vital to emphasize that there is no constant in international dealings and this has to be understood by the Tamils so that they can move on too.  Hoping for direct help from the Indian government will be a dream to be given up swiftly which will help the reconciliation process.

Dearth of Information on strategies that address post war problems

In the purview of the ethnic problem one of the disturbing features is the dearth of published strategies to encapsulate the needs of the people.  To improve the quality of life in the war ravaged areas a charged pace in the national development is a must, a premise actively propagated by this government.  Then, it is but logical that the policy is translated into swift action plans for reconciliation without recrimination. For example the government received many accolades for passing in Parliament the Bill to establish the Office of the Missing Persons. To get information about missing persons multiple sources may be tapped but none owned up with responsibility. ‘Don’t know, go to such and such a place, registration of name not in the records, come on another day’ are the stock answers desperate individuals requiring some information of their loved ones are given.  Under these circumstances it is unacceptable that such a lackadaisical approach is taken to establish the institution of the office of missing persons.  Instead of setting up this institution controversial matters are raised constantly and distrust grows leading minorities to revert to their historical emotive standpoints. In an equally disorienting manner the minorities bring up the issue of genocide, followed by appeals to the international community to intervene in their support. This provokes the Sinhalese and other minorities to look upon the Tamils as less than patriotic, perhaps downright treacherous. Consequently fear that other nations sympathetic to the Tamil cause will interfere in the Sri Lankan ethnic problem looms large in the country and is exploited by interested parties for political advantage.  If in fact a security concern exists the problem should be shared with transparency and accountability and strategies to resolve the problem to empower the public with information. If this is a mere political ruse then this phobia should be removed from the minds of the people.

The other well entrenched concern is that international opinion remain biased towards Sri Lankan minority interests can be discounted with investigation. The persistent poaching by the Tamil Nadu fishermen encroaching into Sri Lankan territorial waters lay to rest the theory of eternal friendship of Indian Tamils towards the Sri Lankan minorities. Fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters affects the livelihood of Tamil fishermen; yet they persist in fishing within Sri Lankan boundaries.  This goes to prove that in the face of self- interest faith in permanent friendships becomes an unfounded concept.

Devolution

The Tamil demand for devolution rests largely on the premise that their leaders want to self- manage the interests of their community in the belief that their governance will be better than that of the central government with a Sinhala majority.  A profoundly disturbing fact following post war turbulence is that none amongst the Tamil or Muslim parties had put out anything like a white paper outlining plans to develop and improve the quality of life of the people in the North and in the East.    Simple strategies can be adopted to bring relief for many by providing micro finance to selected individuals to increase their earnings; a tested method to reduce poverty at the base level. The houses commissioned for construction should have been distributed on completion.  No one needed a Rajnikant and the attendant expenses such functions entail, to distribute title to the people!  It could have been distributed much earlier had the leaders remained close to the pulse of the people.

The ‘release of lands, detention of Tamil political prisoners, grievances of the missing persons- these are some of the issues that are considered essential for the building of trust. While they do receive priority consideration sufficient pressure is not put to place them on the fast track. Therefore not much happens. This remains a serious lapse that creates mistrust among the people as the land issue is vital for them to start their lives; to build a home. Release of political prisoners and missing persons are also matters that give the people their identity as citizens and faith that they are also equal before the law. The authorities fail to take a bold stand because of their need to stay in power with the support of the hard core extremist constituency.  This does not speak well for the quality of leadership. The weakness in the system has to be understood and resolved if any progress is to be made in the reconciliation process. Is it to be statesmanship or parochial political party interests? Dialogue through social media may be an answer but computer and skills availability need to be assessed.  

Fast Track Solutions

It is time that the Tamil leaders too began to formulate programs to help the minorities not in competition or in conflict with the central government but as alternative strategies to fast track implementation.

Funding and expertise from the diaspora are two assets waiting to be exploited. It is hoped that funds will come in with only one agenda and that is to improve the lives of the people. Government can then permit free flow of funding without too many restrictions. If the Tamil leaders concentrate on the local problems and success stories come up then investments will flood the place. It is an accepted fact that nothing succeeds like success.  Alongside government, private sector funding from local entrepreneurs will enter the investment market. Development will appease the war weary people, make them less frustrated and will help in dousing extremism. Reconciliation can become a reality.

 It must also be made clear that the central government is an entity that is made of all the people and has no life outside of the whole.  The minorities must learn to win the south from a point of strength and not weakness and the majority must become more sensitive to the minorities.  Personal egos must be put aside while the community and national interests gain priority.

The New Constitution

Constitutionalism has never been the bedrock of national systems management.  Therefore to look upon the new Constitution as the panacea to short circuit all or most of the systems’ deficiencies will be a mistake. Even as early as 1948 the Constitution was distorted when the Citizenship Act was introduced which denied citizenship to sections of the Indian plantation workers.  Article 29 in the Constitution, to protect minority rights was an entrenched clause in the Constitution, when the Sinhala Only Bill was passed. Therefore it is not the Constitution but the spirit of the Constitution that should be upheld for relief.

The small success stories and bonding with national identification will have to precede expectations from the Constitution.

Stay Together or Take a Collective Fall

The principle of equal opportunity must be upheld to allay fears of inequality between majority and minority ethnic communities. Making pretentious sound bites that our country is a Democratic Socialist Republic helps none. Equality must become a vibrant moving feature in bonding relations between people and among people and one which reflects their interests.  We have to stay together or we will collectively fall.  Our strength is in recognizing the wisdom in this statement and work out a methodology to secure its success. Our political and economic systems must work for all and not for a few at the top layer in society. The bottom layer does have strength in numbers which must be remembered lest we permit another 1971 or 1987 or the 30 year war.