A Connection to the Hills
The National Movement against Terrorism – that movement
which is causing much controversy- that which is called ‘Anti-Establishment’
that which managed to shove the Devolution Package, brought forward by the Government,
under the table, had a rally to introduce, in Nuwara Eliya- the hub of the tea
plantations- their proposal on how to combat terrorism, In the form of a booklet titled
"National Plan Of Action Against Terrorism" on the 30th of April,
1999.
They contacted the Police and booked their space a month prior to the event. They launched their proposal in Colombo, on the 1st of September, 1998. Since then they have had rallies and Talks in different parts of the Island without any contention of any kind.
A group from the movement went up to Nuwara Eliya several days prior to the event. On the 27th they started putting up posters advertising the rally. Their showpiece was a 60 foot banner which read in Sinhala
"A Celebration to launch THE WAY TO DEFEAT THE TIGER. A proposal by the National Movement of Terrorism" and below, it read,
"It is more honorable to fight in the name of humanity rather than bow down to slavery imposed by barbaric terrorism".
The next day they found their posters covered by other posters advertising the Ther Festival, a festival celebrated by the Estate Tamils. A trip to the Police Station, a complaint made, an interview with Radhakrishna - member CWC and organiser, Ther Festival, the matter was resolved amicably and fresh posters put up.
29th evening around 7.30 p.m., Arumugam Thondaman MP., Son of S. Thondaman, MP, Minister of Livestock Development & Estate Infrastructure, Leader CWC, arrived in his car with acolyte S. Sathasivam,MP., in it, surrounded by several trail bikes (in some the riders were armed). Sathasivam demanded the banner be removed. Kumara Wijeratne, organizer NMAT Nuwara Eliya, assured him that the banner would be removed after the meeting. Thondaman and entourage departed without incident.
The reason given for wanting the banner removed being "It was disrupting preparations for the May Day rally to be held on the 1st of May".
Thondaman’s May Day Rally is usually held in Talawakale. When the organizers of the anti terrorist movement fixed their venue, they were not aware of Thondaman’s plans. The Police too at that point may not have been aware of Thondaman shifting the venue. Now it was to be held at the central bus stand Nuwara Eliya. The NMAT rally was held at the Nuwara Eliya Public Library a quarter of a mile away. How can the banner of one rally held on the 30th of April, at a location a quarter of a mile away disrupt the preparations for another to be held the next day? It takes an artful politician to find an answer to that one.
Shortly after, the town of Nuwra Eliya was terrorized by several registration plate- less trail bikes racing around with armed riders and tearing off the anti terrorist posters. One of the bikers was caught and handed over to the police where upon his immediate release, without an entry being made was effected by someone.
With the above we find we have moved on to the second stage of the game. The semblance of democracy is no more. The facet of terrorism has immerged.
Head Quarters Inspector Premartne, arrives on the scene. Along with several officers he inspects the condemned banner. He has an inquiry on the spot and leaves several officers to guard the banner. Premartne calls a meeting that night at the Police Station to resolve the matter. The organizers of the rally attended the meeting. Thondaman and Sathasivam refuse to come. Instead they want the organizers to come to the Ministry House. The organizers were not about to risk life nor limb. They refused to go. Senior Superintendent of Police Poojitha Jayasundara is summoned from Kandy and arrives at 1 a.m. the next morning.
Now a new player enters the game. He is S. B. Dissanayaka, MP, Minister of Samurdhi, Youth Affairs & Sports. Minister Dissanayaka is no stranger to anybody. His involvement in Youth Affairs & Sports have been much publicized.
Minister Dissanayaka call S.S.P. Jayasundara on the phone. His malediction is loud and vociferous. All present can hear it. The blame falls squarely on the Police force for having let NMAT hold this meeting! Inspector Premaratne with issues order removing all police protection accorded to the Banner and rally.
Minister Thondaman’s affiliation with terrorism is no secret. Minister Dissanayaka’s affiliation was an eye opener. We now know he has other interests besides Youth Affairs & Sports.
The organizers of the rally considering the safety of their expected audience, and sympathizing with the predicament of the Police Force- caught between performing their lawful duty and pandering to the will of Politicians- offered to remove the offensive banner.
Was it the banner or what was written on it that Minister Thondaman found offensive?
The National Movement Against Terrorism had their rally. Finding a considerable number of Muslims and Tamils - Hindu and Christian- in the audience the Speaker made them all welcome. After all it is a National Movement.
This shows the Estate Tamil labour to be not quite so insular as their Jaffna counterpart. It could be as all Estate Tamil Labour speak Sinhala and so are able to integrate. Integration may have been facilitated by the fact that the Jaffna Tamil always thought the Estate Tamil to be beneath their notice.
In fact the dearth of Tamil Teachers in the Hill Country is not due to a lack of Tamil Teachers but, as Jaffna Tamil Teachers are not amenable to teaching Estate Tamil Children.
The last Provincial Council Election showed the power of Minister Thondaman diminishing. For the first time in his political career spanning fifty years, he contested on his own steam, the CWC, without latching on to any major political party.
His CWC collected 102,000 votes the in the last election as opposed to the 304,000 collected the previous one under the UNP banner.
The CWC achieved 9 seats as opposed to the previous 17.
The figures have halved.
Election losses of Chelvanayagam in the 1970s made him turn to terrorism. He started inciting the Tamil youth in the north, against the majority Sinhala. Feeding them the Myth of a Tamil Home Land, he used them to retain his flagging political power. The many lives that have been sacrificed to date, on a separate state in the North alone should deter Thondaman from treading the same route. This is not to be. He is planning his separate state, Malyanadu, where he hopes to reign supreme.
Who is Thondaman and How did it all begin?
Kana Eena Wana Runa Saumyamurthi Thondaman is his name. Born and bred in Tamil Nadu, the youngest son of Karupiyah – a Tamil immigrant to Sri Lanka.
Karupiyah lived by trade and barter. He traded his people to the white planter. The Indian National Congress, which came to being during India’s fight for Independence, made this trade in labour illegal. Even so the trade waxed and flourished. Karupiyah, an estate labourer, with a monthly income of Rs.9/= , saw the profitability of this trade. His business acumen was amply manifested when in 1910 he was able to purchase Wavendon Estate, the plantation he had worked in as a labourer. To take over the family business, in 1924, he brought down his younger son, Soumyamurti Thondaman, from Munapuder, South India.
After the demise of Karupiyah his son Thondaman took over the family business. These Tamil traders, cultivating the favour of the English, grew from strength to strength, within the estate economy, to become a land owning elite. The Tamil labour spread from the Hill country to Sabaragamuva and central Uva, their culture, traditions, religion, language, marriage rites, and lifestyle essentially South Indian, considering their Mother-Land India. This reason prompted the statement of K.P.S. Mennon, Officer for the British in the Government of India, in 1933, to not let the Tamil labour have a vote in the Lankan State Council elections.
The forming of the Trade Unions within the estates, in 1947,enabled the Estate elite to use that block vote to attain political power. At this point it must be noted that no separatist movement was apparent though Tamil Labour had been drawn together as a separate force.
With Independence, in 1948, Sinhala Rulers took over the country from the British. Thondaman became a politician and a master at the art of using this vote to bring a political party of his choosing to power. He was then able impose conditions and demands on the said party.
Moving forward in his father's footsteps, he too traded, bartered with or pawned his people. Manipulating to slavery, the people he ruled over as a king, holding them to ransom, and also the Government in power, playing one against each other, his reign over the hills puts Machiavelli to shame.