Ethnic conflict and reconciliation

When we speak of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka it refers to a conflict which exists between minority community of Tamils in the North and majority community of Sinhalese in the South. It is a matter of research to find out whether there is a conflict in reality between masses of majority community of Sinhalese and the masses of minority Community of Tamils in the North of Sri Lanka. Nevertheless it appears there is a conflict between the ideologies of political leaders who represent the tamil community in the North and the political leaders who respond to the ideologies of the South.

Ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka has been created by politicians of both communities. It has been initiated by the politicians who represented the tamil community in the North. Although political leaders of both communities joined hands for achieving independence, the attitude of political leaders of both communities towards each other had become competitive subsequently because of their need for survival in power politics. Initially political leaders who represented tamil community in the North have set their political vision on setting up an autonomous State for Tamils in the North and keep on agitating on the same in the guise of various interpretations namely fifty-fifty representation, federal status, Tamil Eelam and at present have reverted to the federal status. This presumption is confirmed by the Vadukodai Resolution and several other resolutions recently adopted by the Northern Province Chief Minister.

On a research done on actual needs of the tamil community in the North it has been revealed that their burning needs are nothing but eradication of poverty, social disparity, miserable living standards inappropriate health conditions and devastation caused by LTTE Terrorism. The demand and agitation for a separate and autonomous Tamil State is totally out of their concern. It has also been revealed that demand and agitation for an  autonomous state seems a shrewd strategy craftily devised by Tamil politicians who represent that community to ride on the masses for sheer survival of themselves in politics. This is the strategy these politicians use to provoke the tamil community in the North against majority community and thereby to consolidate their vote base in their favour.

To substantiate their demands, Tamil political leaders have cited various misconceptions namely right of tamil community in the North for autonomous status based on of Ethnicity, Nijabhumi, Human rights and Federal Status. 
What is Ethnicity? Ethnicity is defined as “a phenomenon having to do with a group of people who have common national or cultural traditions or referring to origin of birth rather than by present nationality”. There are several ethnicities in most of the countries all over the world. Political authorities of most of those countries were able to keep them under the umbrella of nationality, thus emerging conflicts have been reduced to a great extent.
Merging of ethnic groups together through the passage of time seems historical and natural process. This process has become intensified due to development of science and technology. Originally anthropologists have classified the human race under two categories, Aryans and Dravidians. Human beings all over the world are being rapidly converted to a global race breaking all barriers of caste, creed, ethnicity and racism.
It is a fact that an immeasurable number of Tamils and Sinhalese have been mixed up and merged together throughout history in this country. Let us see how peacefully these two communities are living all over the island more particularly in Colombo city. In spite of all these factors politicians who represent tamil community in the North are reluctant to identify them as Sri Lankans. Provoking of Tamils based on their ethnic rights seems nothing but sinister attempted to set one community against the other. The claim based on ethnicity is a misconception not acceptable to the natural course of merging human beings together recurrently.

On the other hand if Tamil politicians who represent tamil community in the North interpret “Nijabhumi” as birth place of Northern Tamils, those Tamils who were born in other provinces of this country could claim those provinces as their “Nijabhumi”. In that context “nijabhumi” concept is nothing but a misconception used by these politicians to provoke emotions of Tamil masses in the Northern Province against majority community of the South.
Arising from “Nijabhumi” concept, Tamil politicians in the North have given an impression that the Northern Province has been exclusively inhabited by the tamil community throughout history. This is also a misconception; Royal Proclamation inscribed in Vallipuram Gold Plate has stated during the reign of King Vasabha in 1st Century BC, Northern Province was ruled by his minister called Isigiriya. It says “Amathe Isigiriya Nakadiva Bojameni”. Historical Sources including Mahavamsa have confirmed that Northern Province was under the rule of Kings of this country and Tamil leaders from South India who encroached this province from time to time were defeated and expelled by Sinhalese Kings. In addition historical sources (archeological, epigraphical and Buddhist ruins) have confirmed there was a mixed population in that province majority of which was Sinhalese. It was a fact that communities other than Tamils in North and East Provinces were systematically evacuated by Tamil radicals and Tamil terrorists in order to substantiate that province was exclusively inhabited by Tamils.  

Federal status within unitary status is also considered a misconception due to the fact both concepts are contradictory with each other. One cannot exist with the other practically and Federal Status is not acceptable to the majority. If devolution of power is granted up to the level of Federal status or autonomous status it cannot be confined only to Northern Province. Other provinces do not require such status.  
The government has to play a role of mediator in the process of reconciliation by collaborating, accommodating and compromising of aspirations and views of both communities and politicians who represent them.