Jayampathy Wickramaratne, in his S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Memorial Oration, 26 April 2014
I am thankful to the S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Commemoration Committee for inviting me to deliver this memorial oration on the occasion of the 37th death anniversary of S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, Q.C., a revered leader of the Sri Lankan Tamils. I am told that I am only the second Sinhalese, after Comrade Bernard Soysa whose birth centenary we celebrated last month, to be invited to speak at a Chelvanayakam memorial event. While I am happy to follow Comrade Bernard, I am sad that it is indicative of the divide between the two communities, a divide that we must endeavour to bridge.
State power- at the core of ethno-political conflicts: Where several communities, defined by ethnicity, language or religion live in one state, questions invariably arise regarding the rights of the various communities, their representation in bodies of government and their share of state power.
In states where numerically smaller communities live dispersed, the demand is for equality. Such communities demand representation in the legislature and the executive proportionate to their strengths. They also demand constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination. They demand their due share in employment. Issues such as economic opportunities, lack of educational facilities and university admissions also arise. The right to safeguard and promote their culture and to use their language when communicating with the government is also demanded. Some smaller communities resent being described as a ‘minority’ claiming that they are a ‘people’ or a ‘nation’. In some languages the word ‘minority’ conveys a derogatory meaning. Continue reading →
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