Nations, States and National states (Translated)
World was something like this ....
This time I am going to talk to about a bit awkward topic. It’s about nations, states and national states. Let’s have a brief look at the definitions of these. (Boring? Yeah, I know that. But hold on. This is a very important thing though people of our generation often tend to ignore it.)First about the nation. A “nation” is defined as a group of people who are inter-connected by a common language, intensions and culture. (Some add a common territory too as a necessity; This has inevitably been the culprit for the most of the modern world atrocities.) Remember that we can include Sinhalese and Tamils to the list of nations neglecting the fourth necessity according to this definition. However I must tell you that these definitions are not based on our culture so that either we can alter them or ignore them. I must tell you frankly that I could not understand a single word of the definition for the “state“. And then we can move onto the “national state”. According to the definition there can be only one nation in a national state. Yes, of course. France belongs to the French and Germany to the Germans. But don’t you think that for Sri Lanka the two definitions are contradicting? According to the second one either Sinhalese or Tamils should not be considered as a nation. Or none of them. That’s what our politicians have done. They have created a so-called Sri Lankan nation neglecting the different cultures and languages of Sinhalese and Tamils. However that doesn’t mean that we cannot live together.[”WHAT?”](Yes, America is an exception. But if you think deep it is not an exception. Anyone who goes there become an American by his body and soul.) So, you must be able to understand the origins of the much talked about so-called Sri Lankan nation. And you must be able to identify the results of this mess. And one more thing ; the difference between a race and a nation is that the nation has the political independence. Wow! Tempting. Isn’t it? We have gone through a 30 year civil war just because of these words.
I think that there were no problems of this nature in the past. We have lived in harmony. Both nations have understood their needs as well as of the other and not demanding what cannot be achieved or given.(The end of the civil war just gives the indication of that.) So, we can see the drastic change the words have done. So, I will give my solution to this crisis;
1.)We have to admit that Sinhalese and Tamils are two different “something”s with different cultures, languages and intensions.
2.) We have to admit that we should live in peace and harmony in this country just neglecting these damned definitions.
3.) Create our own definitions that suit our culture, according to our culture.
A simple plan.
You comment is highly valued and sometimes will correct me on this Holy(?) issue.
1.)We have to admit that Sinhalese and Tamils are two different “something”s with different cultures, languages and intensions.
2.) We have to admit that we should live in peace and harmony in this country just neglecting these damned definitions.
3.) Create our own definitions that suit our culture, according to our culture.
A simple plan.
You comment is highly valued and sometimes will correct me on this Holy(?) issue.
ah,it is a good article....i hope you have read 'Sihala Abiyogaya':Champika Ranawaka
ReplyDeleteyea, the people who wants to build the Sri lanakan nation, not identify the historical and ground situation in SL.
Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese , all we have different cultures and we all love our own cultures too..so the need of the hour is not building a Sri lanakan nation,which is not practical, but teach our children ( and our own generation too) to respect our Tamil,Muslim cultures while learning our own past and future challenges.
BW ignorance of our own senior engineer is such that, he challenged me that there is not a nationality called Sinhala where only exists Sri Lankan. My simple reply to him was that, just to check with the birth certificate where this government document has stated nationality as Sinhala. this happened to me in an interview and I think you are able to guess the out come of the interview..ha ha .
Finally, my belief is that learning each others cultures and learn to respect them will solve our present day problem of distrust between communities.
Aw there are some administrative issues which should be addressed immediately, which is beyond the scope of my comment at this moment.
@ Yasela Ayya:
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment.Actually I haven't read "Sinhala Abiyogaya". I read my father's some Political science books and Prof.Nalin de Silva's articles.
It is interesting to know what was happened at the interview and to know whether a Sinhalese nation is not accepted in the modern world.(Co-operate)