Michael Roberts
A FEW DAYS BACK, on 28th November 2023, I circulated this item among Lankan aficianado…. [ Let me add, here, that I was prompted to do this by the burgeoning world debate on the Palestinian-Israeli War that has been raging since August]. ………………………………………………………………….. https://thuppahis.com/2014/11/18/cartographic-photographic and -illustrations-in-support-of-the-memorandum-analysing-the-war-in-sri-lanka-and-propaganda
ROHANTHA GUNARATNA in Canada responded in critical fashion. …. So I circulated his Memo to some personnel with this NOTE: “I encourage responses [to his Memo] from interested personnel – here, quite deliberately, reaching out beyond Lankans to Indians and Brits familiar with the Lankan scene in that period past.”
EMAIL NOTE from ROHANTHA GUNARATNA, 28 November 2023
Hi Mr Michael Roberts ,
I cannot see the point in this regurgitation you seem to be hell bent on .
This stupid war finished over 12 years ago and in that span of time the British were reconciled with The denizens of Dresden after having flattened it to rubble just a few months before the ending of WW 2 killing many civilians and children far far too many than the IDF is executing in Gaza.
Very much like what the “ treaty of Versailles “ did unintentionally was to fan the flames of phoenixes by creating a monster called Nazism a form of fascism with a disdain for liberal democracy.
Let me highlight the many tentacles of bonding that was taken as absolute norm in my family circles before the rise of Prabakaram
My fathers brother Richard ( also a Royalist ) married from the Tamil community, siring a Dr Motilal now in the US
My first cousin Hema de Zoysa (also a Royalist) , a Director of the World Bank married from the Tamil community. His grandson died in the Easter bombing at the Cinnamon Grand whilst on holiday from Washington.
My uncle Sir Lalitha Rajapakse , the very first Minister of Justice under DS with the unique accolade of being one of the youngest PHD in Law in the UK had a sister in law married to a Tamil MP of Batticalloa.
Indrajit’s father in law married a lady ( Tara’s mother ) also from the T C.
My mothers flower girl was Dr a Ratnesan’s mother .
Both of my eldest sisters weddings were attested by Professor Mylvaganam.
Skanda’s sister is married to the son of Bunty de Zoysa one time Attorney General .
My best friends at Royal were Ratna Sivaratnam, Indy Perayerawar, the Selvaratnam boys, and very many others.
My niece Rangita de Silva de Alwis a present Law Professor at Penn University with a Masters and a PHD at Harvard flew in to give an oration for the requiem memorium of a famed Tamil Harvard law graduate Dr Nilan……who was assassinated by the Tigers.
For Pete’s sake man do not fan the flames of hatred , have empathy and the compassion to douse the flames and let all bond and live life without enmity.
The latest vote in the Canadian parliament to have a law passed for a Tamil subjugation week’s remembrance is a unnecessary adding fuel to a dying fire simply because having lived in England for nearly 60 years see visibly a sense of togetherness developing by solid “ give and take bonhomie.
Think about what I have spelled out please without rancour and imbibe friendship like you and I seem to link through Ismeth and Dilini ( my friend from school years )
Kind regards.
Rohantha Gunaratna.
PS.
I will look forward to anyone’s comments .
********************
HEREWITH SOME INITIAL COMMENTS
Email Note from Mo Marikar [a Trinitian from yesteryeaer], 2 December 2023:
ALSO NOTE …. Apropos Darini’s Note
EMAIL COMMENT from Vinod Moonesinghe in Colombo, 3 December 2023:
“Dear Michael, Rohantha Gunaratna’s note highlights the issues which led to the Eelam Wars. I too went to Royal College, and had friends from the non-Sinhalese communities. I also have relatives who married non-Sinhalese, including Muslims, Bohras and Burgers. The problem is that we belong to the ruling class, the lumpen-bourgeoisie. Gunaratna’s list shows his rellies all to be pukkha elite.
Essentially, ethnic issues emerge in situations of shortage of resources. Why is there a problem in Palestine, because the Zionists arrived and took away the available resources from the indigenous population. I saw a similar situation in an urban settlement in Colombo Central not too long ago, where a Sinhalese-Muslim riot had taken place. It turned out that there were only about 4 public toilets in the settlement, and 100 people would queue up to use one. Imagine you are dying to pass a motion and you have to wait for 99 other people to finish. It can only lead to irritation. Somebody who dresses differently and talks differently has an altercation with you, and your frustration takes over.
Of course this is an extreme example. It is not something that happens often within the elite, because the elite rarely needs to worry about a lack of resources.
Best wishes, Vinod Moonesinghe
John Lennon’s “IMAGINE”, where he was envisioning a country without borders, where there was no religion and so on, is my Terra Firma Anthem.
There is no entity other than organized religion which is responsible for all the wars.
Mo Marikar
Alumnus of TCK, U of Ceylon, and GWU.