Traitors of Motherland
Colombo University History Lecturer takes up JHU challenge
(Published on Thursday, 26 July 2007)Ruwanthi Kariyawasam
COLOMBO: Colombo University History Lecturer Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri has taken up the JHU challenge to prove the Tamil homeland theory and a Tamils` right to self determination.
Dr. Devasiri said he is willing to prove the Tamil homeland theory and the rights of Tamils for self determination if the JHU is willing to come for a debate with him on this issue.
Dr. Devasiri said this at a seminar on the JHU`s APC proposals held at the Colombo National Library Auditorium recently, referring to the JHU proposal that it would accept these two theories if they were proved with historical and legal facts.
Dr. Devasiri said the Sinhala Society has been built on four mythologies viz. Buddha`s visit to Sri Lanka, Advent of Prince Vijaya, advent of Arahat Mahinda Thera and King Dutugemunu`s war to vanquish king Elara.
He said ?we accept these four myths because we like them?. Similarly Tamils in the North and East accepted the homeland theory because they liked it.?
Dr. Devasiri said ?I have stood by the Tamils` right for determination for the last 22 years. Tamils do not want to argue this now because they have gone far beyond it. The JHU proposals have said that the Tamil homeland theory is a myth. But it is a fact and I am prepared to prove it.?
Peradeniya University Philosophy lecturer Charitha Herath said that eventhough he followed JHU policies he would use the forum to contest some JHU thinking as the seminar was attended by JHU members and sympathisers.
In the first instance the JHU had not understood the present crisis in a proper and pragmatic way. Herath said he saw this crisis as a crisis aimed to create a post Colonial Sri Lanka.
The JHU adduced this crisis to the inability of Tamils to seek exalted posts held by the Tamil elite during the Colonial period. We should ask as to how the Tamil elite could establish a homeland theory in the minds of Tamils and why we could not defeat that notion.
Tamils were today sacrificing their lives acting as human bombs and contributing to their earnings to the homeland theory which the JHU calls a farce. Why can`t we act as true Sinhala Buddhists and go in for a more positive and fraternal agreement to solve this problem altogether, he asked.
Attorney Shiral Laktilleke said the JHU document tabled at the APC looked like a battle cry. The State cannot have a colour or religion. If anyone tried to give a Buddhist or Catholic tinge to a State it would exclude a section of the people.
At the outset of the seminar JHU Legal Advisor Udaya Gammanpila gave a brief resume of the JHU proposals. He said he would place Dr. Devasiri`s challenge for a debate to the JHU hierarchy for a decision.
Prof. Buddhadasa Hewavitharana acted as moderator.
Source(s)- www.dailynews.lk
Wolves in sheep’s clothing on advisory panel
(Published on Wed, 2010-10-27)
By Janaka Perera
The Sri Lanka Government – perhaps unwittingly – has found itself in similar circumstances. It has appointed three dubious characters key advisory persons to the Cultural and National Heritage Ministry.
They are Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri, Jagath Weerasinghe and Premakumara De Silva. All three of them have been consistently supporting the so-called traditional Tamil Homeland theory which was the LTTE’s propaganda slogan from the very beginning of their violent separatist campaign.
The irony of the ministry appointments is that the Advisory Board of which they are members is headed by a staunch patriot, Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thera, who has steadfastly stood for the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
In contrast, the three members in question have been justifying right through the war the Tigers’ position through various ‘peace’ campaigns such as the Sudu Nelum Movement. The idea was to give the Tigers a moral boost and demoralize all those who stood against separatism. The LTTE prevented the excavation of and destroyed archaeological sites that disproved their bogus homeland theory. Nirmal Devasiri argued in favour of this theory at a seminar held in the National Library Auditorium, Colombo, three years ago. The Daily News of July 26. 2007 reported Dr. Devasiri as saying that “he is willing to prove the Tamil homeland theory and the rights of Tamils for self-determination if the JHU is willing to come for a debate with him on this issue.” He reportedly said that the Tamils now (2007) did not want to argue on their ‘right’ to self-determination because they have gone far beyond it.
Last year when Sri Lankan armed forces were on the verge of crushing the LTTE Dr. Devasiri and eight other Tamil separatist sympathizers – Dr. Vickramnabahu Karunaratne, Professors Sucharitha Gamlath, Kumar David and Jayantha Seneviratne, Dr. Terrence Purasinghe, Attorney-at-Law Chandrapala Kumarage, Rev. Fr. Yohan Devenanda and Patrick Fernando called for a immediate halt to the anti-Tiger military offensive to “prevent further destruction of Sri Lanka.” On April 24 they issued what they called an appeal to international civil society. It said, “The Sri Lanka Government backed by the Sinhala supremacist oppressors, has almost crushed the struggle of the Tamils for their rights, in order to retain the structure of the Sri Lankan State as a Sinhala Chauvinist regime… We representing the civil society of the island, extend our deepest regrets over the inaction and silent approval given to the Lankan regime by the international good governance systems like UN amidst these unfathomed crimes of Lankan rulers and their allies.”
Obviously the ‘allies’ these so-called anti-war crusaders were referring to were mainly China and Pakistan.
In a media interview sometime back Devasiri called Sri Lankan soldiers ‘mercenaries’ because they were paid a salary whereas LTTE combatants were fighting for a cause. By this strange logic of Devasiri all national armies world wide are mercenaries!
In a paper on ‘Buddhism, State and Nationalism: Reordering a Sacred Site in Postcolonial Sri Lanka,’ Premakumara De Silva referred to “waning multi-religiosity” and alleged that a sacred site (Sri Pada) had been turned into “hegemonic Buddhist religious site.”!
Are these the people who are expected to be guardians of Sri Lankan culture and heritage? Unless a very close check is kept on these wolves in sheep’s clothing the State might end up inadvertently promoting LTTE ideology.
As the pithy Sinhala saying goes there’s no point in screaming, “I am being bitten” after allowing poisonous snakes to creep into the clothes one is wearing.
– Asian Tribune
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