War and Peace: Learning from Einstein

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" - Albert Einstein.

The Government and the LTTE will agree with Einstein on the subject of negotiating for peace. Both sides would say we have tried it out with them enough and hence trying it again would be insanity.

The Government and the LTTE will disagree with Einstein however respectively on the subject of waging war for peace and waging war to create a separate state. Both sides will keep trying out the war strategy. For them this cant be insanity. How can it be? You will be considered unpatriotic on both sides if you say it.

Hence, Einstein you are not very helpful. I am sorry, I am frustrated.

CJ: Demerger judgment sought to recognise cultural differences

The CJ speaking at the opening of the Kalmunai High Court Complex has according to the Sunday Times observed on his North East Demerger judgment as follows: "The landmark judgment on the de-merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces was given taking into consideration not any political reasons, but differences in culture and traditions in the two provinces".

Now i thought the judgment was given because the decision taken by JR Jayawardena to merge the two provinces through an amendment made to a law using the powers under emergency was ultra vires the powers of the President (that he exceeded the authority and powers given to the president).

So the above reasoning was just legal veneering over the actual reason which the CJ has inadvertently now disclosed: the cultural differences. The CJ said this is not a political reasoning. By all means it is a political consideration. Who is he decide, with respect, that cultural differences exist between the Eastern Tamils and the Northern Tamils. I am not saying there are none but is this what the court does?

And if i may with respect post this question to the Hon Chief Justice. The Tamil people in this country obviously have 'cultural differences' with the Sinhala people. So applying your logic Mr Chief Justice may we de-merge them from the rest of the country, because they have 'cultural differences'? So do you approve the claim for a separate state Mr Chief Justice?

See related post on this blog here.

Displacement in the Vanni

Photo courtesy: puthinam.com

People from Killinochchi are getting displaced and are moving towards interior Mullaitivu - Tharumapuram, Puthukudiyiruppu etc. I listened to BBC Tamil service's daily programme day before yesterday which reported that people have to pay between 10,000-15,000 rupees to hire vehicles - mostly lorries - to get displaced with their belongings. Those who cant are leaving their belongings behind, carrying with them whatever they can.

The BBC interviewer in the course of interviewing a resident from Killinochchi, now stuck at the Killinochi hospital, asked as to why people are not going to Vavuniya. His reply was simply that there is no road that will take him to Vavuniya. I also wonder whether any road be safe enough to travel towards Vavuniya even if there was an accessible one. The interviewee also noted that there is no public transport system functioning between Vavuniya and Killinochi. Earlier when the A9 used to be open public transport within LTTE controlled areas were given by the LTTE's 'Thamileala Transport Board'. That is obviously not possible now. So much for the call of the Government asking people to come to Vavuniya. Where is this humanitarian corridor? A Thinakkural news item quotes the Commissioner for Essential Services admitting that the efforts to bring the people to Vavuniya was a failure. He is reported to have said that it might have been because the LTTE did not allow them to or because people thought it fit to remain in Vanni.

A representative from the World Food Programme was also interviewed. He had said that the food that was recently brought with the 'permission' of the Government can last only for about a week. Imalada Sugumar the GA from Mullaitivu noted that the availability of liquid money has become an issue of concern.

All over the North and East without any discrimination life for the tamil people has been always on the wheels. Of course its for their liberation one way or the other. So we should'nt be complaining. My staying in Clombo which was registered last week in a census exercise was also according to the government a census of those who had got displaced from the north. And yes whatever you say about how my eastern bretheren being different they are not being discrminated. They are queuing up to register today. And yes in this the Government does accept the North and East are from the same mould.