The divide in Sri Lanka

An old story of a Sri Lankan prince was told to me in Colombo. He would always sleep in a corner of his large bed. He was afraid to sprea...

An old story of a Sri Lankan prince was told to me in Colombo. He would always sleep in a corner of his large bed. He was afraid to spread himself because he felt crowded by the Indian Ocean on one side and the Tamils on the other. This may well provide a psychological peg to the Sinhalese to hang their worries on. But they must blame themselves for not waking up when they should have done so. Time and tide, they must know, tarry for no man.My last visit to Sri Lanka was some six years ago. There were not many Sinhalese who could be persuaded to see that a pluralist society like India8217;s was the best solution to accommodate the Tamils. This time I could hardly find a Sinhalese who was opposed to the idea. Many, in fact, pointed out to me how pluralism was woven deeply in the warp and woof of their society and how the Sinhalese and Tamils worked together in every sphere of activity without bothering who was who.

This may well be true. But the Sinhalese and the Tamils keep to themselves. There is very littlesocial contact. Inter-community marriages are rare and they do not go down well. One reason for the distance between the two is that the only language in which the two communities can communicate is English. This stalls contacts at the general level. The Sinhalese learn only Sinhala and the Tamils only Tamil. This is the case even in mixed schools, which are still very few. There is a proposal to teach both languages to civil servants. But none is in a hurry to implement it.

Again, the Indian Peace-Keeping Force IPKF was once considered a symbol of New Delhi8217;s quot;imperialist designsquot;. The late President Premadasa was applauded when he gave India an ultimatum to withdraw its forces. Today, there is literally no person who does not regret the IPKF8217;s departure. I was told by editors, civil servants and academicians how much they regretted the withdrawal. quot;It would have finished the job by this time,quot; they say.

What is meant by quot;the jobquot; is the LTTE8217;s insurgency. The Lankan army has cleared Jaffna and someterritories beyond in the north. But fear stalks the area. In the eyes of the Sinhalese, the Tamils living there are suspect because they still provide recruitment to the LTTE. The Tamils, on their part, are helpless victims: the LTTE takes away their sons and daughters in teens at the point of gun and the Sinhalese punish them for quot;givingquot; their progeny to the LTTE. The Citizens Commission has reported widespread sexual harassment of village women by soldiers, who also quot;forcequot; the men to work without pay. Some Tamils have tried to defy the LTTE. But they have met the same fate as two Jaffna mayors have: death at the LTTE8217;s hands.

quot;They can hit anywhere and anyone,quot; the Sinhalese living in Colombo admit openly. I found sandbags and bunkers practically on every road. Men in khaki are in plenty and they stop vehicles at their will for a thorough check. This has not, however, disturbed the rhythm of life. I saw the beach within the city crowded and men and women out on the streets even late at night. Storesare full of goods and customers. It looks as if people have begun to live with the fear.

The LTTE has been lying low for the last six months. None minimises its danger but none is willing to concede even an inch of Sri Lanka8217;s territory to it. The LTTE8217;s violence has made even President Chandrika Kumaratunge8217;s offer of devolution of limited powers to all the six provinces doubtful. People, however, concede that the problem is political, not military. And they want it to be solved peacefully and quickly. Somehow they believe that India can help them do so, although as many as 22 countries and international agencies have offered their good offices.

Even otherwise, the goodwill towards India is overflowing. I have travelled through the neighbouring countries many a time. Sri Lanka is the only place where I did not hear the phrase quot;ugly Indianquot;. The common man is friendly and considers you his own. Industrial-ists and businessmen are keen on fostering better relations with India. But, the free trade pact, tocome into force in March, has aroused fears that the Sri Lankan goods may be denied a level playground and crowded out by India8217;s cheaper goods. New Delhi, on its negative list, has mentioned garments, not tea, meaning thereby that they will not be exempted from duty.

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This has not in any way affected the general proximity to India. The sentiment draws strength for religious reasons also. The Sinhalese, 70 per cent of Sri Lanka8217;s population, are mostly Buddhists, who look towards India with respect for being Buddha8217;s birthplace. The clergy, a powerful political force, is influenced by such considerations even when it recalls that the LTTE men were trained, armed and given shelter by India for years.

This spirit of forgiveness encouraged me to think that the shadow cast on relations between India and Sri Lanka during the eighties have practically disappeared. Still I have returned disturbed. I fear a deterioration in Lanka8217;s political scenario. The ruling People8217;s Alliance PA is losing ground rapidly.And, if the way in which elections were rigged in the opposition-controlled North Western Provincial Council is any indication, President Kumaratunge will go to any length to retain power. It would appear that she has developed a vested interest in her office. When Ranil Wickramasinghe, leader of the opposition United National Party UNP, says that elections under her regime are not going to be fair, where can the country turn? Although elections are nearly two years away, people believe that she will quot;do somethingquot; to perpetuate her rule.

I met Kumaratunge first at I.K. Gujral8217;s residence in New Delhi. She was then on her way to Colombo to participate in elections. She exuded confidence and cleanliness. That may be the reason why she swept the polls. But now her image is so tarnished that every deal and scam suggesting kickbacks is attributed to her and discussed endlessly in drawing rooms. Editors of six leading newspapers have one case or the other pending against them. The judiciary is still free butpeople do not put it beyond her genius to devise means to quot;influencequot; it.

What saddens me is that politicians who begin by looking promising end up as authoritarian. Indira Gandhi went the same way. So did Benazir Bhutto. Sheikh Hasina is betraying the same tendencies. Chandrika Kumarathunge is journeying in the same direction. Power certainly corrupts.