BJP And Sri Lanka’s Ethnic Problem By Izeth Hussain -May 24, 2014 Izeth Hussain What does the BJP tsunami portend for Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem? I think we should first of all get our perspectives right on certain matters. Narendra Modi may have a ghastly record over the 2002 Gujarat massacre of Muslims, but haven’t there been men of power with even ghastlier records nearer home? In 2002 Modi made an injudicious speech, indeed one showing criminal irresponsibility, which led to anti-Muslim riots resulting in the deaths of 1000, may be more but not more than 2000. But over the years it proved impossible to inculpate him for anything more than that, and he has had a reasonable record in dealing with Muslims. I am not denying that he can justly be regarded as an anti-Muslim racist, Fascist, and a dangerous Hindutva bigot. My point is that we should not demonize him unnecessarily. Consider by contrast the record of Sri Lankan men of power towards the minorities. Recently the JVP leader, in making an enlightened address to a Muslim gathering, referred to the fact that when 13 soldiers were killed by the LTTE in 1983, the bodies were not returned to their native villages for burial according to established practice, but brought to Colombo where they were buried with much fanfare. That inaugurated the July ’83 holocaust which resulted in the killing of about the same number as in Gujarat, possibly even more, and it inaugurated also the thirty-year war. The consequences were therefore infinitely more horrible than those of the Gujarat massacre. But, unlike in India where Modi had to face charges in Court, there was no attempt in Sri Lanka to inculpate the notorious racist leaders of the time, such as JRJ,Cyril Matthew, Lalith Athulathmudali, and Gamini Dissanayake. They were either directly involved in State terrorism or heartily approved of it. At the level of the people and the civil society there is a striking contrast between Indian activism over the Gujarat massacre and Sri Lankan indifference to July ’83. So, my point is that in dealing with Modi we should begin by assuming that he is just another leader with whom a mutual accommodation of interests should be possible, while bearing in mind the possibility that he could turn out to be a very dangerous person       Read More