The need of unity of Tamil speaking communities of Sri Lanka

(February 03, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka's major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance is in talks with the major Muslim constituent Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to form an electoral alliance. If the talks will succeed, the alliance will be able to achieve a resounding mandate from the people of the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka at the upcoming general election. 

But, an extensive dialogue is needed to set forth a declaration of common aspirations of these two minority communities. For that, the coalition is needed to be one that exceeds the limits of mere electoral alliance. 

Sri Lankan Tamils and Muslims share same language although they are culturally different. The Tamil struggle for equality in state was for a Tamil speaking polity in its early stages. However, the sentiments of a narrower Tamil nationalism among the Sri Lankan Tamils, the majority among the minority communities, led the other minorities like Muslims and Upcountry (Indian origin) Tamils to deviate from the Tamil struggle. 

Later, the Muslim and Upcountry Tamil communities developed identical polities and they have their own aspirations now. But unity among the minorities is a must to struggle for more opportunities in the political, economical and social spaces in this island vis-a-vis rising ethnic chauvinism of the sectors of Sinhala polity that are in power.  

Sri Lanka ruling coalition likely to resort to racism as the minority community leaders express support to opposition presidential candidate

(January 09, Colombo - Lanka Polity) “Sri Lanka ruling party is likely to resort to Sinhala racism or ethnic chauvinism in the days ahead up to January 26 presidential since major elements of the ethnic minorities of the island nation are bent to express support to the opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka.

Sivageetha Prabakaran, the lady Mayor of Eastern Province Batticaloa Municipal Council has expressed her support to Fonseka breaking away from the ruling alliance while Minister Segu Isadeen, a Muslim leader of the ruling coalition also did the same on the same day.

Ms. Prabakaran was elected the Mayor via Tamil People's Liberation Tigers (TMVP) ticket in the local government elections held immediately after the state forces wiped out the Tamil Tiger rebels from the Eastern Province.

Rumours are spreading that her former colleague, Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan, an ex-rebel, is also likely to express support to Fonseka's candidature. No wonder if former Deputy of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman, a Minister of National Integration will also cross over to the opposition in this context..

Two political leaders of the Upcountry Tamils recently expressed support to Fonseka and rumors are spreading that Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) leader and powerful Minister Arumugam Thondaman will also express support to Fonseka before January 26.

The major Muslim party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is supporting the opposition candidate from the beginning.Ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Muslim leader Minister A.H.M. Fowzie is also slated to express support to the opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka.

There is a long list of names of the Ministers that are to express support to Fonseka and it appears that the opposition campaign managers are using these 'resources' thriftily.

In this backdrop, the campaign managers of President Mahinda Rajapaksa have already turned to brand Fonseka as a traitor who is backed by the remnants of the LTTE despite the claims that Rajapaksa led the forces to wipe out the rebels outright. The major evidence cited is the backing of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Fonseka is receiving. TNA was considered a proxy of the LTTE when the latter was powerful. In any case, the TNA is still strong among Tamil people and Rajapaksa also discussed with them to win their support before it discovered the TNA was the same LTTE, as a Minister stated on Friday.

Analysts point out that Rajapaksa regime will resort to racism and ethnic chauvinism as they have decided to lay all their eggs in the basket of Sinhala vote base. Sinhala polity is also divided since opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka is also an arch-Sinhala nationalist who in September 2008 said to Canadian National Post "I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people...We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country...We are also a strong nation ... They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue thing."

Fonseka, the ex-Army Chief led the state forces to an outright win over the Tamil Tigers and he claims for equal credits with Rajapaksa for the war victory.

What is the reason behind the clash between two Muslim sects in Beruwala, Sri Lanka?

(July 26, 2009 -Lanka Polity) Two people were killed and around 40 were injured in a clash between two groups of Muslim sects in Beruwala. The clash was between the laymen of the ancient Buhari mosque (Jamaeth of Buhary Thaikiya) and the new Rahuman mosque (Sunnath Ansaary Jamaeth).

"Buhari mosque had its 135th annual Kandoory on last Wednesday and the Rahuman mosque apart from criticising the Kandoory had also conducted the Friday Jummah prayer (Sermon) on this issue angering the Buhary Thikiya Jamaeth party.The party of Jamaeth of Buhary Thaikiya went to the Masjidul Rahmaniya mosque of Sunnath Ansaary Jamaeth at the Mahagoda road in Beruwala and attacked the mowlavi who conducted the Friday Jummah prayer and others who were with him. Later they set fire to the mosque," reported Lanka Muslim Guardian website.

Weekend English newspapers reported the incident highlighting various causes that are contradictory to each other. 

The story of the Sunday Times was different from the Muslim Guardian. "clashes erupted over critical remarks made by an Imam (a cleric) who was leading Friday's Jumma prayers at the Buhari mosque against a Muslim group who style themselves as Thawheed. The group's members are strongly opposed to Muslim shrines and the conduct of feasts in mosques and are calling upon traditional followers of Islam to shed those habits," it said.

The Nation newspaper said, "Muslims who were attending Buhari Mosque had been holding a pooja for three days with the participation of a mass of devotees from 18 areas. Apparently, Muslims from Rahuman Mosque had questioned why Buhari Mosque was not allowing Muslim women to participate in the pooja that was being held there. And both partied had argued over the matter, which ultimately culminated in a clash that left two people dead and eight others injured."

According to Lakbima News, "The clash is the latest showdown in a long standing rivalry between the two Islamic sects, identified as Ahal Sunnat Jamaat and Thauhid. The latter strictly adheres to Islamic fundamental principles and regularly complained against the Ahal Sunnat Jamaat, which practices a ritual related to alms-giving involving meat, at a Mosque situated near the seaside."

Police imposed curfew to control the situation. Meanwhile, some people blame police for its inaction to control the situation.