New Generation Tamil politicos Up in Arms!

By Ananth Palakidnar

Kankesanthurai (KKS) is the region which remains in the Northern most part of the Island and the region remained a historically and economically an important significant region in the Island.

If the Tamil politicians from the Northern Province had paid their attention economically towards developing the Kankesanthurai region with the resources found in the region, Northern Province and the country at large would have prospered immensely. However the past political representations of Tamils had done everything to destroy the people in the North as well as in the East by instigating communal feelings and aggravating the sensitive issues to hamper the ethnic harmony. It is not only the Tamils from the North and East, even the Sinhalese politicians with their `Ox-Bridge’ background didn’t think of building a healthy reconciliation among all ethnicities in the country.

So the communal and religious issues right from the beginning of the Island nation gaining independence had led to every sphere in the socio economic and the political atmosphere in the Island.

The latest issue to come up at the very beginning of the National People’s Power (NPP) Government’s first year of its governance is the Thaiyitti Buddhist temple (Viharaya) in KKS.

In the good old days in Jaffna, KKS thrived as an industrial and a port city in the Northern most part of the Island. The cement factory located in KKS was a great blessing to the people in Jaffna with nearly three thousand Jaffna men had found job opportunity at the KKS cement factory. There were even significant amount of Sinhalese and Muslims also labored at the KKS cement factory.

KKS being a Port city the Sinhalese officials even worked at the small harbor as customs officials. A Naval base and a Police station also existed at KKS.

Therefore the Buddhist Viharaya which was considered to be a historic one was worshipped by Sinhalese who lived in KKS prior to the communal upheaval and extremism in the Island.

Special religious events were also held during full moon days as well as Vesak and Poson holy days in the Buddhist calendar with the participation of a large number of Buddhists lived in Jaffna as well as Buddhists coming even from Southern part of the Island.

The Nagadeepa (NainaThivu) Buddhist Viharaya is another historically and spiritually a significant place and it is the only Buddhist temple situated in an islet in the Northern Peninsula and the country at large.  

It is believed even Buddha had visited Nagadeepa during his visit to Sri Lanka.

In the city of Jaffna at Ariyakulam area, a Buddhist Viharaya exists for several years and the land to build the Buddhist temple was also donated by a Tamil philanthropist from Jaffna.

In Jaffna a large number of Sinhalese also lived prior to the turbulent days doing small businesses as well as working as Government officials. Several Sinhalese students also studied in Jaffna and there was a Sinhalese school situated near the Jaffna Railway station it was known as Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya. A prominent and a highly respected Sinhalese politician K B Ratnayake also studied at one of the prestigious schools in the Island, Hartley College in Point Pedro. Several more Sinhalese students had even studied at various high profile Jaffna schools such as Jaffna Central College, Jaffna St.John’s College, St. Patricks college and Jaffna College in Vaddukottai.  

However the recent Buddhist Viharaya issue in KKS had emerged as a challenge for communal and spiritual harmony as a result of a Buddhist monk attempting to infiltrate into a private land and Buddhist temple.

First of all the agitators should verify and confirm whether the land is a private land. Secondly it should be found the necessity for the Buddhist monk to build a new viharaya in KKS, when there is already a viharaya exists in KKS.

The earlier regimes one after the other right from the beginning the country gained independence had fanned communal and religious differences with the support of the Buddhist clergymen in the Island.

Therefore the new NPP regime which has identified itself as a progressive one should ensure the petty differences with regard to communal and spiritual coexistence are not raising its ugly head again.

On the other hand the Tamil politicians from the North and East who had learnt a bitter lesson in the past must also ensure the communal and spiritual co-existence shouldn’t be hampered at any cost.

So the relevant Government officials as well as politicians must get into action and thwart the enmities taking shape at the very beginning of the land issue over Thaiyitty Buddhist Viharaya in KKS.

On the other hand Buddhist Sinhalese in the Island should also be well informed and educated that there were even Buddhist Tamils and the five Tamil epics were also based mainly on Buddhism. 

It was Sir Ponnambalam Ramanthan had made enormous contribution to Buddhism and it was late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in 1999 brought a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly to make the Buddhist holy day Vesak an International day of celebration.

So the present generation of Tamils as well as Sinhalese must understand the significance of co-existence and secularism instead of fanning communal and religious upheavals.