On Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 2:57 PM, Radhika, Y.<[email protected]> wrote: > one would have to go to Sri Lanka to observe the arrogance of the Sinhala > speaking establishment, the subdued Sri Lankan Tamil (quite unlike the > Indian Tamil), and the blindness to Tamil desperation. Although I didn't > feel autonomy was the right solution, it was easy to perceive the > discrimination.
There isn't any doubt that there is a documented history of discrimination of Tamils, and there continues to be an unequal setting in SL when it comes to recognition of cultural identity. There is also no doubt that the LTTE is (was?) a brutal terrorist regime equally (more?) dangerous to its own people as it was to the world. However, I've met many very successful Tamils in Sri Lanka, who seem to be reasonably happy. In all the cases I saw they've discarded their Tamil identity to a great degree in favor of a Sinhalese identity. Now it is not clear to me in what portion of these cases this change was voluntary, i.e. they have no problem with adopting the Sinhala identity, and how many feel like they are leading a double life. I see this as very similar to the situation ongoing with religious and caste minorities in parts of India. As I said, it's really hard to find the middle ground. It is clear that there have been injustices - but it's hard to find anyone with a clean hand. Cheeni
