Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

01 December   2021

 

Are Tamils Minorities in Sri Lanka?

“It was a pleasure to meet with M.A Sumanthiran today. We discussed upholding human rights, post conflict accountability and reconciliation, as well as the importance of respecting the rights of all minorities” - Lord (Tariq) Ahmad

 

We regret and oppose @tariqahmadbt stand that Tamil's conflict is over, and Tamils as minorities. Tamil's problems are not yet over, and we are not minority but are Tamil Nationals with a traditional Homeland and distinct cultural and linguistic identity

So – who is right and who is wrong? To my mind, both are right at different planes. At the physical level – as seen by others – we are a minority by number. Hence Lord Ahmad is right as an outsider. At belief level – we the believer feels Absolute power and to the extent Telo believes in its claim that the community has its own homeland – that is also true. But then by definition absolute power does not recognize any problems. Someone’s problem is another’s opportunity in the world of the Absolute. This is the basis of democracy. One who recognizes the net value as problem or Opportunity is not yet a believer.  The net value looks like zero but its power is infinity.

There is a Tamil film song that most Tamils of my generation would be familiar with. That is ‘Poojiyathukulle Oru Raajiyathai Aandu Kondu
puriyaamale Irupuaan Oruvan; Avanai Purindhu Kondaal ; Avandhaan Iraivan

Translation –- There is One lives within a zero and Governs the Kingdom but could not be understood ; When realized He is God – denoted by

- which is two zeros of Equal size. One zero represents problem and the other opportunity.

Sri Lanka taken as a whole measured by an external person – through global common measures shows net problem to Lord Ahmad. Also to an Eelamist who considers Sinhalese as outsiders also – there is a problem. But to the extent we are not able to preserve our sovereignty without alien assistance – we are not entitled to claim that we are sovereign.

Minority by number need to believe to realise infinite power. That power brings us the universal power through other sovereign bodies. All we have to do is believe.