Beyond criticisms and correctness, revolt of people has emerged in north through “Rise Up Tamil” after 7 years passed from Mullivaikal tragedy in which Tamils left isolated as helpless and had no more to lose. Medias and Social Medias are filled with arguments and discussions in this regard.
Some say that this event is the last hour of reconciliation. Some howl that this event is an act of disquieting the efforts of finding a solution through the constitutional reform. Many lament that this event would lift up Mahinda faction which is getting fallen. Some others shout that Sinhalese people would dent the efforts towards the political solution because of this event.
The experiences gained through wisely learning the politics of ethnic conflicts over the past five decades by the Southern political leaders are not experienced by the Tamil political parties and its leaders. It could not be understood whether it is unfortunate or curse to the Tamil people. Understanding the cause of this plight is also of no use.
Various parties that take part in the reconciliation government led by the President Maithripala and the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe oppose many things in the constitution. They reject the devolution of power. They express racist views. They say that they would not express their support to the formation of new constitution if their comments are not taken into account. However, they are not opposed, blamed and traitorized by those who support the reconciliation government and the President & the Prime Minister who strive for reconciliation. Their views are also taken into consideration.
The Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter and the Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith publicly stated that Sri Lanka should be called as the Sinhala-Buddhist country and the importance for Buddhism given in the constitution should not be reduced. But, the government of reconciliation did not criticize and condemn the comments made by the Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter and the Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith. As usual they just passed these by turning their blind eyes.
Both the UNP, which came along the lines of D.S.Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, Sir. John Kotelawala, J.R.Jeyawardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa, D.P.Wijeyatunga and Ranil Wickramasinghe, and the SLFP, which came along the lines of S.W.R.D.Bandaranayake, Thakanayake, Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa, unanimously welcome the growth of Sinhala extremist forces against the attempts of solving the ethnic issue. Both the UNP and the SLFP turned their blind eyes on them and gave their supports indirectly. They do so with the intention of disregarding the attempts of solving ethnic issue by stating that they would be come under the fire from the Sinhalese people and their government would be toppled if it continues whenever the pressure is exerted on them by the International Community. If the criticisms are strongly made, then they would stage hypocrisy by making the semblance of condemning the extremist forces while actually motivating it.
It is not known whether it is because of the curse or unfortunate to Tamil people as those who show themselves as the redeemers and leaders of Tamil people do not have this political cunningness.
Over the past half-century, ethnic conflict and the Sinhala supremacist doctrine are being kept alive by the Southern politics by balancing both the soft and hard powers of Sinhalese politics.
But, in Tamil politics, soft power influences the hard power when the soft power became dominant. This situation could be viewed in pre and post armed struggle. If not, hard power influences the soft power by crushing the soft power by means of its armed power. Such a situation could be viewed until 2009 from the mid-80s. It is yet to be understood in Tamil politics even after the Mullivaikal tragedy that both soft and hard powers are necessary to move towards a political solution.
If it is understood, conducting mass mobilization with the involvement of pressure groups like Tamil People’s Council, Civil Society Forum, Public Organizations and Trade Unions should have been welcomed by the parliamentary political parties while they are engaged in the political talks, political maneuvers and diplomatic missions in the parliamentary politics. If not, they should have kept quiet like the way main political parties in the south behaved. Unfortunately, it is not viewed that none of those in Tamil political arena has such a mature attitude.
Such an uprising of the people will not be allowed and welcomed by those who want whatever to be happened because of them, and those who are afraid that their political existence would be questioned and endangered because of such an uprising of people.
Those who oppose and criticize the event named “Rise Up Tamil” should understand one thing that mass mobilization became possible despite buses were not sent door to door, Jaffna based popular newspaper did turn its blind eye on this event, people were not forcibly taken to the event and nothing granted such as food packages, rewards and promises. Thus, it could be understood that reconciliation has not been disturbed by the “Rise up Tamil”. “Rise up Tamil” has upraised as the reconciliation itself is getting disturbed.
