Sinhala majoritarianism

13/June/2019

 

Tamil-speaking Muslims, particularly their politicians, who have been siding with the ruling regimes of the mainstream Sinhala parties the past, should now review their strategy and consider joining hands with the Tamils. They must have learned the lesson of their past failures, commented veteran Muslim journalist ALM Saleem, based in Kalmunai of the Ampaa’rai district. A single monk has managed to move the entire SL regime resulting in the resignation of the Muslim governors and the politicians holding portfolios in the government on Monday. It is an important lesson. The Muslims should not place their trust on the majoritarinist political parties anymore, Kalapoosha'nam Saleem said. 

The lesson has always been the same for the ‘minorities’ since the majoritarianism removed Article 29(3), which was supposed to safeguard the rights of the minorities in the constitution enacted by the British for the independent Ceylon, the Tamil-speaking Muslim journalist from the East said

 

Instead of carrying out a judicial inquiry on alleged accusations against the Muslim governors and ministers, they have been tricked into resigning en-masse due to the hunger-strike waged by Athuraliye Rathana Thero, the parliamentarian cum monk of the extreme Sinhala nationalist Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU). The hardline monk played a role in promoting the regime change and was appointed as national list parliamentarian of the UNP in 2014.

The current misery is due to the outlook of the Muslim leaders, who have been competing to collude with the majoritarian polity on the island. They have been pre-occupied with safeguarding their positions, titles and the income, he said. 

The journalist also noted that the SL regime, which didn't respect the continuous protests of Tamils in Keappaa-pulavu as well as the protests of Muslims in the East against Sinhala land-grab, was listening to the hunger-strike of a single monk. 

The militant JHU and the JVP waged similar strikes in the past shaking the Norwegian mediators during the peace process, which included the scuttling of the PTOMS joint mechanism, de-merger of North-East as well as advocating war against the Tamils. 

The JHU is also backed by all the Theravada Sangha establishments as these Sanghas never opted to challenge or pacify the extremist influence of the militant monks.