A Haunted Nation: The CCNH Document

By Rajan Hoole -October 29, 2013 

Rajan Hoole

Sri Lanka: A Haunted Nation - The Social Underpinnings Of Communal Violence- Part 4

Another important contribution towards fudging the issue, whitewashing the Gov- ernment and putting much of the blame on the victims themselves, was the document issued by the Citizens’ Committee for National Harmony (CCNH). This group comprised sev- eral of Colombo’s best known intellectuals of the day including Fr. Tissa Balasuriya and Godfrey Goonetilleke (see Some Impressions of 1983, Cen- tre for Society and Religion, Dossier No. 103 of 1st November 1984). Some extracts follow:

“The violence no doubt began in reaction to the senseless and brutal killing of 13 soldiers in the North. That act itself inevitably provoked the moral indignation of the people, the Sinhala majority in particular and aroused widespread sympathy for the families who had to bear the cruel loss. But what was more tragic was that this indignation against the cruelty of terrorists had to find expression in far greater and more irrational violence against the innocent and defenceless Tamil community in the South…

“Both communities must share the blame for the processes which have inexorably taken them in the direction of violence and counter-violence… The vast majority of the Sinhalese who deplored the savage violence were rendered helpless by the almost total collapse of law and order, which enabled well- organised aggressive groups of attackers to act freely…

“Although the Government has acted with com- mendable speed in re-establishing normal conditions after the disruption and loss caused by recent events, there is still a deep sense of insecurity and widespread fear that communal violence can erupt anytime…

“The action of the Government in outlawing sepa- ratism has helped to allay the fears of the Sinhalese majority regarding the division of the country…

“It is important to note that the majority of ac- tive participants in recent acts of violence belonged to a very young age group…[and hence a need for those in authority and the religious leaders to devote more resources in teaching them sound values.                                           Read More

To be continued..

*From Rajan Hoole‘s “Sri Lanka: Arrogance of Power  - Myth, Decadence and Murder”. Thanks to Rajan for giving us permission to republish. To read earlier parts click here