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Tamils voted for Ceylon Independence Act on the solemn promise by DS Senanayake that “no harm need you (non-Sinhalese) fear at our hands (Sinhalese) in a free Lanka.” He was speaking in the State Council in October 1945 when all the Tamil members had unanimously voted for the acceptance of the Soulbury constitution in a White Paper.

“Do you want to be governed from London or do you want, as Ceylon, to help govern Ceylon? On behalf of the (Ceylon National) Congress (founded by Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam in 1919) and on my behalf, I give the minority communities the sincere assurance that no harm need you fear at our hands in a free Lanka.”

DS Senanayake on the year of independence itself deprived the 800,000 Hill country Tamils of their citizenship. The following year he stripped them of their franchise. Likewise, he commenced the Gal Oya development scheme and settled Sinhalese peasants, His son Dudley Senanayake colonized Tricomalee with Sinhalese via the Allai-Kantalai scheme. Today, Tamils are in a minority in Trincomalee and Amparai districts. Out of 13 Pradesh Sabas in Trincomalee Tamils dominate only 3, The area of Trincomalee district is 2728 sq, km. Out of this only 346 sq, km (12.68%) is occupied by Tamils. In 1827 Tamils population was 81.67%. Tamils are subject to slow genocide. 

No Right To Mourn?

The army and the police are cracking down on those who observed even the age-old Tamil Hindu festival of Karthikai Vilakkeedu because of the proximity to the Maveerar Naal (Heroes Day) held on November 27, 2020.cern has a lot to do with electoral politics.

In our homeland, people have been denied the right to mourn the heroes who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of freedom. Those who wished birthday greetings via Facebook to National Leader Prabhakaran have been arrested by the Police.

The army and the police are cracking down on those who observed even the age-old Tamil Hindu festival of Karthikai Vilakkeedu because of the proximity to the Maveerar Naal (Heroes Day) held on November 27, 2020.

Police arrested a student based on information they received that he was trying to pay tribute to fallen LTTE fighters and had brought him to the police station to obtain a confession.

Jaffna University students had gathered at around 6 pm on Ramanathan Road, outside the campus’s Parameswarar temple to light lamps for the festival, as is customary each year.

Likewise, an elderly Tamil couple at Kilinochchi was harassed by the army and the Police when they lighted lamps on Karthikai Theepam day.

Store owners who put down their shutters to honour the fallen heroes, the army personnel and the Police forced them to reopen at the point of a gun.

The Trudeau government has not done anything to ameliorate the living conditions of the war victims though it promised the moon and the stars during the elections. The excuse trotted out? Sri Lanka is a middle-income country, but this is no more true.

Sri Lanka has been downgraded to a lower middle -income group country since the per capita income has fallen to $4,020 in July 2020 compared to $4,080 as of July 2018. So Canada has no excuse to withhold financial assistance to the war victims.

The 150,000 strong armed forces now occupying the Northeast are treating the Tamils shabbily as though they are second-class citizens.

If the Prime Minister is upset and agitated over the striking farmers of Punjab against farm laws introduced by India, where is his milk of kindness for the hapless war victims of the Northeast?

The Trudeau government has not done anything to ameliorate the living conditions of the war victims though it promised the moon and the sky during the elections. The excuse, given was that Sri Lanka is a middle-income country, but this is no more. The country has been downgraded to lower middle - income group since the per capita income has fallen to $4,020 in July 2020 compared to $4,080 as of July 2018.

Now Canada cannot take refuge under subterfuges to deny financial assistance to the war victims of the Northeast. There are over 89,000 war- widows crying for help.

- Nakkeeran

(This article was published in Fortnightly Magazine 'Abel', December 20, 2020)

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