Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

17 May  2020

Coronavirus stopped the War Victory Celebrations

‘The 11th Victory Day falls tomorrow, though the country will not be in a position to celebrate due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Remembrance Day, as Victory Day is also called, is known as the Rana Wiru commemoration day in Sri Lanka.

It marks the capitulation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the victorious end to Sri Lanka’s battle against terrorism on May 18, 2009.’ – Sunday Observer – ‘Defence Secy. who led the battle then, now leads the nation’

Remembrance day is common to both sides to the war. Victory day is particular to those who are conscious that they ‘won’. One cannot be called the other. As per the above article it was ‘Victory day’ to the Sunday Observer. That is fine – as each one has the right to name her/his experience. But one who claims victory has no right to claim rights over side’s experience. This is why we have an Opposition in Parliament to represent the other side. The fact that   Tamils all over the world are Remembering those who died in the war confirms our deeper investment in sovereignty than those who celebrate the day at the same place. THAT is the real return for the sacrifices made by us. The picture of that sovereignty in the minds of Tamils may be North-Eastern Sri Lanka. But that would naturally  merge with any other sovereign part of Sri Lanka and/or the world.

Sunday Observer has named the above picture  ‘We are finally liberated from the jaws of LTTE terror. .......... Liberated civilians return to the arms of the Security Forces.’

WE? The author is a Sinhalese speaking for Tamils! Sinhalese who celebrate the departure of British from Sri Lanka on Independence day are Separatists. Hence Remembrance day is celebrated as Victory day. To the extent we feel pain after the physical event – it is remembrance day. To the extent we feel joy after the event, it is victory day. Those who celebrate victory day and call themselves Sri Lankans – generate exodus power which confirms mass separation. Anyone who includes them as part of themselves and share in their pain – acquire the moral right to represent them in common forums. That was how the UNHRC Resolution came about. This eventually resulted in ‘self-isolation’ by Sri Lanka under the current President. The curfew in the name of virus – confirms the ‘desire’ to use  armed leadership. LTTE also would have done likewise. But Tamils never elected LTTE to represent them in Democracy. Sinhalese did because they have become subservient to army power.

The levels at which we make decisions are : Emotional, Intellectual and  Spiritual (Feelings based). Looking at the picture how can anyone read the joy of liberation? They show separation pain – not from LTTE but from their homelands. The author talks as if they were orphans without a home. They ran away from war areas to other less affected areas. How can that be ‘liberation’? The fact that they were ‘imprisoned’ in camps confirms that the true purpose was not liberation but imprisonment.

Sinhalese who were in pain due to the war have stopped talking about the war. Theirs was therefore much weaker pain at community level than that of the pain of Tamil community taken as a whole. The separation will therefore continue and our karmas would take different shapes and forms. One of them is how we remember 18 May. The separation with Tamils led to losing Hambantota to the Chinese who are fast becoming the Emperors of Sinhalese.

Tamils and Muslims at community level will continue to maintain their Sovereignty and to the extent Sinhalese include them – they get to share and preserve their own sovereign powers.