Much has been written about the victory against the separatist terrorist organisation. As we celebrate the 14th anniversary of the ending of the 30-year war on this historic day,
it is worth examining the claim made by some people that it was a defeat of the “Tamil People” of Sri Lanka. In other words, they claim that the war was between the ethnic Sinhala and the Tamil people.
While we can argue about this until the cows come home, I doubt that there will ever be a definitive resolution. But in saying so they invariably acknowledge that the Tamil people indeed lost the battle. They accept that the ones who were defeated are the Tamil people. If so, then let us explore why the Tamil people lost.
If we look at it from a military perspective, then it boils down to the strength and leadership between the two sides. And when they claim that it was an ethnic war, then it logically concludes that the Sinhala army was stronger than the Tamil army, and most importantly the Sinhala leadership was greater than the Tamil leadership. In other words, the proponents of the ethnic war, are saying that the Tamil fighters are weaker than the Sinhala warriors. This must be a very difficult pill to swallow for many Tamils. It’s an insult to the Tamil pride.
Perhaps there is some truth to this. For example, Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa left his foreign life and returned to the motherland to lead, who they call the Sinhala army. He gave up his safety in a foreign country and chose to risk his life for the Sinhala people. But did any such Tamil living abroad come to Sri Lanka to fight as they say for the Tamils? No. The members of the Tamil diaspora were living jolly well in foreign countries. They didn’t risk their lives. All they did was pay their poor brothers and sisters to blast themselves. They didn’t have the guts to actually come to the battlefield, help with strategy, help with technology and actually fight for what they claimed as their greatest cause. It is a serious moral weakness on their part. Their fight seems only half-hearted. It must be killing them inside to know that they failed their people.
Then what about the Tamil people who are living in Sri Lanka? We know that the majority of them did not join the LTTE. The terrorist organisation had to forcibly recruit soldiers. If it was indeed a fight of the Tamil people as they claim, then why didn’t the majority of the Tamils willingly join the fight? Many of the educated Tamils were buying expensive but gaudy apartments in Colombo while a group of their people were carrying a cyanide capsule around their necks. The hill country Tamils were not considered part of the Northerners and were thus rejected. So they didn’t take part in the war. Hell, the LTTE asked the “Tamil-speaking” Muslims to leave the North altogether. If it was indeed a fight of the Tamil people as they claim, then they failed miserably to unite as one nation.
While, as they claim, the Sinhala leaders were able to win some of the main military leaders of the Tamil people, the LTTE went on killing the Tamil leaders such as Mr Lakshman Kadiragamar. This shows a huge weakness in the leadership and long-term strategic thinking of the LTTE leadership. Just look at the mediocre Tamil politicians who they are left with today. They have no vision or capacity to help their own people let alone the country. They simply play the same old separatist politics to become MPs by deceiving the Tamil people election after election. They blabber rubbish in the parliament for their self-glory.
This finally brings us to the point of the lack of independent thinking among the Tamils as an ethnic group in Sri Lanka. In every election, they simply cast their vote following the order given by somebody else. In the last presidential election, the vast vast majority of Tamils voted for the comedically verbose Sajith Premadasa, who is a Sinhala politician, whose father was killed by the LTTE themselves. And before that the whimsical Sirisena, who was the right-hand man of Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa during the war. And before that Sarath Fonseka, who as they claim the very Commander of the Sinhala Army! And before that, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who actually defeated the LTTE or as they claim the Tamil people. How gullible can the Tamil people be?
And still today the Tamil people are being played fools by a few others. They are being told who they are and what they must do. They have no authentic leadership for themselves. Their sorrows are still being abused to collect foreign funding for the NGOs. The Tamil diaspora still isn’t coming to actually put their money where their big mouths are. So it doesn’t matter whether or not the war was between the Sinhala and the Tamil people. As they claim, the Tamil people are defeated. But it is their own making. May the Dharma Guide Our Way!
@ Eranda Ginige
18 May 2023
