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Negotiating separation is an offence

Only those unacquainted with the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka will suggest negotiating with any ethnic group or any organisation to separate. Suggesting separation or secession is a treasonable penal offence. Discussing it is illegal.

If such a territorial separation is required, it has to be canvassed in Parliament through the presentation of a Bill as Sri Lanka, constitutionally, is an indissoluble union of regions, and the homeland of all registered Tamils, Muslims, Sinhalese, Malays, Burghers of Dutch and Portuguese origin and even eminent foreigners who have been honoured with the gift of citizenship, for their contribution to enhance Sri Lankan society, like Sir. Arthur C Clarke, the British space scientist.

Foreign ambassadors and visitors from the UNO or other World Organisations are forbidden to brazenly suggest negotiating away any part of Lankan land as a separate ‘homeland’ for the ­Tamils.

The LTTE, supported by the worldwide Tamil diaspora, buys its way through all obstacles, with the ultimate aim of setting up a Tamil state in Sri Lanka.

Since Sri Lanka is indissoluble, Mahinda Rajapaksa, when he first assumed office, invited the LTTE to talks. He has repeated his request at a public meeting recently at Matara. The Constitution debars the President discussing separation. He searches for peace to develop the country. He proposes to first attend to the bedraggled north east, by diverting the money spent on the war to development in that area.

Religious dignitaries of the Christian faith continue to suggest the south should share power with the north east. Sharing power will entail two administrative units, two legislatures, two armed units, and two judiciaries. That will be the sure and certain road to incessant war. They, however, do not draw in the Muslims to the equation.

Muslims form almost 8% of the population. Sri Lankan Tamils have dwindled to an almost equal proportion with many of them having migrated to foreign lands. However, they do not suggest a separate state for the Moors.

With some Tamils under terrorist leadership engaged in war with the Sri Lankan state, many Western Christian countries present money and war paraphernalia to the LTTE to fight and suppress the Buddhist state of Sri Lanka. Could it be a conspiracy to bring the Buddhists to their knees and thereafter proselytise them to the Christian faith?

The government is likely to soon disband provincial councils and administer through the district. The far-flung province leaves room for conspiracies against the state. The closely knit district with smaller boundaries will permit avid government supervision.

Sri Lanka, though little, is a sovereign Buddhist state, and does not need the advice of the international Christian community. Once the forces of terror have been defeated, the government need not talk to anyone but govern through the district.

The President proposes to introduce district development ministers, 25 to each district, whilst reducing the number of ministers in Parliament. A home grown solution on the district map of Sri Lanka has been found.

I. L. P. Samarasinghe
Dehiwela

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An open letter to the President

Dear President,
I read with a great deal of interest the editorial titled, ‘Mob Justice’ and also ‘An ungainly blob in lawless landscape’ in The Nation on December 30. These two write-ups are indeed food for thought for the powers that be and to the people to follow the norms of civilised life.

Reading them motivated me to write you a letter expressing my sentiments on the episode and your lackadaisical approach to it so far.

You will agree that 2007 was an eventful year, the climax of which was your notorious Minister Mervyn Silva acting like a bull in a China shop, and bringing shame and disgrace to you. His ‘borupart’ came a cropper and ‘Mervyn the Vermin’ met his waterloo.

Enough was enough and the staff resorted to what they thought was best. There is no smoke without fire. So there was mob justice, as said by The Nation. The consensus of opinion is that the angry employees taught this political thug the lesson of his life!
You are supposed to be the champion of the downtrodden. You are the man of the masses. You have the grassroots level touch with the common folks. Your rapport with the humble rural people is such that you know their pains, sorrows and sufferings. I know your good intentions to bring sanity and prosperity to the country. This alone is not enough.

You must rein in your delinquent ministers. You have failed miserably in this regard. You haven’t moved fast enough after your ‘borupart’ Minister. You know the responsibility of a minister and the discipline that goes with it. But the black sheep Minister seems indispensable to you. He behaves like a ruffian but you continue to ignore his boorishness.

What moral right has he to walk into a public institution with another criminal suspect and intimidate and manhandle an official? Today, it is the SLRC. Tomorrow, he may invade another media organisation with his goons and assault the editor or chairman. Has democracy become a mockery?

Surrounded by his lackeys of hoodlums and criminals, this cardboard Hitler runs amok creating pandemonium and causing much displeasure. Don’t think he is a disgrace to you and to your ministers?

The majority of the people do not approve of his stupid and high-handed behaviour. But you don’t care a tuppence. Why is this? You were on the trot to take action against the two SLFP dissidents for dissenting and expressing opposition to the style of your governance.

Silva comes from the national list. He has not been elected by popular vote. He has a penchant to browbeat all and sundry.
Today Silva stands naked in the eyes of the country for his despicable and damnable behaviour. His offensive act is a criminal act and an infringement of the law of the land. The rule of law should prevail at all costs. No one is above the law. Trespassing is one offence; assaulting is another. He is a political reject and enjoys the freedom of the wild ass. You, Mr. President, have all the powers to nip these in the bud.

The Police is duty bound to act impartially. On the strength of the victims’ complaint, the Police must act and must execute its duty.

M. Azhard Dawood
Dehiwela

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Religion – the answer to encouraging public to be honest

The President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, conscious of the indifferent attitude to their duty as government servants, made all public servants recite a pledge on January 1. this was done while reciting the National Anthem and hoisting the national flag. The same pledge was repeated in all state institutions reminding employees of their duty to the country.

Similarly in schools around the country, the New Year would have begun with the principal addressing the students. Thereafter in most schools the week begins with all children assembling in the school hall, and the principal reminding them of their duty to themselves, their parents and to society. This is followed by prayers invoking the help of the gods.

If the country is to progress, employees must work and not idle. Reminding them of their duty to the country is welcome. Any further urging to encourage them to be honest, is for the state to issue pictures of Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary ,and any available pictures of the Hindu Trinity, a well as pictures of the Prophet Mohamed to be hung up in prominent places. Quotations from the Vedas, Bible, the Dhammapada, and other religious books will also help.

Only religion can stimulate people to work efficiently and honestly. Pictures of politicians and even that of the highest in the land, will only serve to remind those workers who are not supportive of him politically, to do some dastardly evil to sabotage his governance

Only this will take this country forward.
Ralph de Silva
Dehiwela

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Leave Islam alone

I write with reference to the article titled “The blessed days of Ramazan” in your esteemed newspaper of 30.09.07 in the Letters/ Crossword page.

Under normal circumstances, the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have been referred to as much as possible, wherever possible, as touchstone to highlight or elaborate the Islamic perspective to impress and dignify the authenticity and gameness of Islamic comprehension discussed in the open forum.

Instead, quoting sources other than these is considered as an un-Islamic approach. Such moves perhaps, could be categorised as the personal views of the author or a mischievous attempt to pave the way for innovations.

The topic, “The blessed days of Ramazan”, could be widely and eloquently discussed. Because the matter of this nature has sufficient well nourished and authenticated ‘Hadeeths’ and quotes in the Holy Quran. But the author has deliberately overlooked these manifestations. The first part of the article has shown some essence of thoughts on the subject.

But the Islamic concepts articulated in the final stage of the article, is questionable. Ignoring all the guidance stipulated in the Holy Quran and Sunnah, the author of the article has quoted substances from one Hazrat Merza Ghulam, of Indian origin, who died in 1908, purported to be the promised ‘messiah’ of the author. The true believers of Islam, absolutely reject and condemn these tactics. This implication.

The Muslims are blessed with the best guidance. The guidance from the Lord of lords, Almighty Allah. Islam did not neglect any information that would be needed by the people to reach happiness and to avoid harm in all matters, whether minute or large.

Therefore, Islamic sentiment expressed by the so-called men made ‘messiah’ in the article, is redundant. We also condemn the author’s attempt to seek treacherous move to drag Almighty Allah’s religion to promote and impose recognition of his man made ‘messiah’, through your prestigious newspaper.

At every Friday sermon Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to say. “The best disclosure is the book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, the apostle of Allah “Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has also said, “Beware of newly invented matters, for every new matter is an innovation and every innovation is misleading”.

The promised messiah had come and gone. Only his movement is actively involved in misleading and misguiding the Muslims, in general.

It should be noted that the ‘predicted messiah’, narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol: III Hadeeth 425, in the last days of the world. There is no dispute over this issue.
Allah is Omnipotent – Allah is Omnipresent – Allah is also Omniscient; Hence, Allah alone has the right to prescribe the date of the arrival of the “Predicted messiah! Be patient.

Do not offend the religion of Islam. Do not spread innovations. Do not deviate from the truth.
“Allah best knows the men who stray from his path and those that are rightly guarded” (Suratual Al-An;am-177)
A true believer.

M. Z. Mahamood
Raddolugama

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What is a political solution?

(Only a hidden agenda)

There is nothing called a ‘Political Solution’ to end the North-East conflict in Sri Lanka. The western countries may say that war is not a solution to the said conflict - there has to be a Political Solution.

But, eradicating terrorism is our (Sri Lanka’s) task. So, defeating or eradicating terrorism is not war. We have to do it. Otherwise, we cannot exist as a Nation - just as America fights Bin Laden. So, our armed forces are up to it.
Sri Lanka has abrogated the CFA and is in the right direction to capture the LTTE.

It is the bounden duty of our government, either to extradite Prabhakaran to India, for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination or, to bring Prabhakaran to the gallows or, serve 200 years of rigorous imprisonment imposed by High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya on conviction for the Central Bank bomb attack on January 31, 1996. So, the EU should accompany the Sri Lankan police to Kilinochchi - only as a facilitator in this context.

The aspirations of the Tamils (Tamil politicians) is to get legitimate control of North-East - by hook or by crook, with the help of India. The Plantation Tamils can control the hill country, along with the Badulla District. Colombo and suburbs are all most already in the hands of the Tamils. So, even if Prabhakaran meets with a natural death, his dream of a country for the 80 million Tamils worldwide, is nearing completion. That is why a Political Solution is essential with respect to North and East, for which the Tamil parties are impatient.

But, eradication of the LTTE in the North-East, will pave the way for elections to be held there and restore the country to its standard before 1977 - a Unitary Sri Lanka ­for free movement and to live anywhere in the country, for all the communities ­irrespective of the nationality.

So, the politicians of the day, should explain the statues quo - to the international community - with respect to the North-East and there is hardly any Political Solution or an option for obvious reasons.

S.A.P. Subasinghe
Senior Citizen

NB:-
It is only to get the legitimacy for the Tamils in the NE that Anandasangari needs Indian model of Devolution. Douglas Devananda needs Interim Council/PC polls or the implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Constitution - to all of which the government does not need to bow down.
What we need is Leaders of the calibre of Pervez Musharraff of Pakistan, if Sri Lanka is to survive. It may be that India wishes to have close ties with Sri Lanka, as a Province of India – unofficially, under the Indian Regime. It is no secret that Tamils living in Sri Lanka, always treat India as their motherland, even at present.

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