The US, UK, EU, and Canada seem to be eternally parroting the need for an inclusive society, and so too are the UN and its associated organisations, while the Western-salaried non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international NGOs, and civil society also preach the need for inclusive and a peace-loving society, and their slogans are “togetherness”, “assimilation”, “unity”, and whatnot. 

What baffles us is this – why are all these entities pulling every string possible to implement the 13th Amendment that aspires to divide Sri Lanka along ethnic lines? Do they believe people wouldn’t question their hypocrisy when they openly chant “peace, unity, and inclusive society” but sheepishly try to divide Sri Lanka along ethnic lines?

This effort is shrouded in hypocrisy, by not only those that pretend to be angels of peace, but also by the recipients themselves, who are divided.

Who wants the 13A?

India – for its own geopolitical advantage as a means to gain access to South Asian seas and create a base for itself in northern Sri Lanka.

The US and its allies – also for its own geopolitical advantage, with no difference to how they have created satellite states in Japan’s Okinawa, Indonesia, Philippines, Kosovo, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and many more countries that the US and its allies continue to occupy, including Germany, where the American and British camps remain even after the end of the Second World War. The West’s poodles, in the form of NGOs and civil society organisations, are only paid to mouthpiece what the US and its allies want, and carry out grassroots-level programmes to facilitate this quest.

The LTTE diaspora – primarily because segments of the diaspora are either working with India, or with the Western bloc as their mouthpieces, and co-ordinate efforts in Sri Lanka amongst Tamils. The persistence of the LTTE is such that the ageing LTTE Diaspora parents have already assigned the continuation of the LTTE to their children, who are already using their foreign education, technological, and academic skills to take the bogus claims to a new level. All this is to ensure the wheels of their campaign continue, not necessarily because they want to give up Western citizenship and move over to live in Sri Lanka, but for a set of objectives that includes satisfying their egos and seeking revenge for denting their programme, and to keep their money-making kitty alive. Only when they show that they are relevant, and able to steer emotions of the people in Sri Lanka, will they be in the basket of international geopolitical players who outsource their dirty work to them. 

Tamil and other politicians – that can be bought into the separatist basket are equally co-opted to mouthpiece slogans that fall in line with the separatist quest.

How far the India-West diaspora are cohabitating in unity will be seen closer to the realisation of their goals. While the LTTE diaspora will remain the outsourced party, which is able to monetarily influence foreign Parliamentarians in their home states/towns, the strategic decisions will be taken by India and the West. How far India will allow the West to roost in their home turf is questionable, given the animosity arising from Church-Hindu differences in India as a result of mass conversions. India is well aware that, like the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia were Balkanised, India is well-targeted to be similarly cut up into independent states. 

This plan is quite open and clear. How far Indian politicians themselves have been co-opted to facilitate this effort by the West and diaspora groups, is something for India to ponder. We all know that Indian diaspora groups are extremely influential in the West but inclined to be advancing Western agenda and not necessarily the protection of a Bharath Hindu India. Even Kamala Harris on the issue of Kashmir openly declared that the US will not hesitate to take action in the interest of the people (which people, exactly, was never elaborated).

Kosovo was divided on ethnic lines – it is a proven failure, one on which the UN has to also take the blame. South Sudan was divided on ethno-religious lines – another proven failure for which the US is also accountable. Those that preach globalisation and global society, cannot at the same time be promoting division of countries along ethnic or religious lines.

What is even more laughable about Sri Lanka’s scenario is that with the 13A creating a separate State for the Tamil ethnic group based on the argument that the Sinhalese are discriminating against Tamils and marginalising them – the Tamils who are living among the Sinhalese want to continue living among the Sinhalese.

This implies Tamils prefer to live throughout the island while having a separate area only for themselves, while Sinhalese cannot live in the North but would have to live with all other communities.

Will the US agree to allow the US to be divided along ethnic or religious lines? Will the US demarcate a separate state for Black citizens but allow Black citizens to also live in other parts of the US, although white Americans cannot live in the Black-separated state?

Will India allow a separate state for Muslims where Indian Hindus cannot live, but allow Muslims to live in all parts of India? Note the British, when creating “India”, gave an ethnic state to Muslims called Pakistan, but made India combining all ethnic groups, instead of declaring it a Hindu state.

Dividing countries on ethnic or religious lines is ridiculous. It is something that can never be done and should never be promoted. Does it mean Tamils can only rely on Tamil-only planes, Tamil-only buses, Tamil-only schools, Tamil-only restaurants, Tamil-only kovils – when Tamils are divided by caste and the Jaffna Tamils hate the Trinco and Batticoloa Tamils, and when these Tamils all hate the estate Tamils. How ridiculous is it to implement 13A and create a Tamil-only homeland of people who presently live divided, and are not even served tea in the same cups and saucers?

(The writer is an independent political analyst who writes on a broad range of topics, and was previously the International Human Rights Commission’s Goodwill Ambassador for Sri Lanka)

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.