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.
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