Reviving the Soul of Eelam: The Role of the Humanities
Ruben Nagesparan Chandrakumar, BS
The lack of historical and humanities education for Tamils within the curriculum of Sri Lanka’s education system serves as a hindrance to the realization of the people’s ideals. The failure to educate Tamils about their culture, their central myths, and their historical role within the country and in the world has had significant consequences. Additionally, the lack of education on the changes which occurred during European colonialism and other key aspects of the island’s history further exacerbates these issues. As a result, the ability to think, discuss, debate, and formulate a comprehensive, coherent vision has been debilitated.
The educational success of Tamils within the fields of science, medicine, engineering, and mathematics is truly commendable and noteworthy. However, the lack of interest, encouragement, and valuing of the humanities has left the Eelam nation at a marked disadvantage. This has resulted in the nation being equipped with the extremely powerful tools of science and mathematics, without a grounded awareness and education of human nature and societies. This wisdom is fundamental to providing both the direction and ethical framework for those pursuits.
This lack of emphasis on the humanities is one of the most corrosive and detrimental components of the political system and movements. By failing to consider the consequences of eliminating the freedom to disagree, the Tamil population was extremely susceptible to the ideological dogma espoused by both the LTTE and other militant groups. The lack of concern for human rights, instead of just Tamil rights, during the war and in the support of the war is both appalling and terrifying to consider. There were many Tamils who were ecstatic when Sinhalese were murdered—not in military operations, but rather in brutal massacres of innocent civilians. This support for murder and the hypocrisy of wanting rights, justice, and freedom, yet oppressing both Sinhala and Tamils alike, stunted the independence movement dramatically.
The most disturbing aspect of the war was the celebration of killing innocents; this occurred when the presumption of innocence was eliminated almost entirely from the lexicon of the country. Both sides had devolved into a place where the other population was all considered guilty via collective blame; this led to the enforcement of collective punishment from both sides. Although the proportionality of the collective punishment and the number of crimes—and sins—that were committed vary substantially, Tamils had adhered to a murderous philosophy and must look deep within our psyches to reorient our values and vision.
How might the Tamils go about doing so? It appears there is no other way than returning to a religious and philosophical orient. The absolute atrocities that occurred and the way in which evil so easily manifested itself necessitates a call to the humanities. The soul of the nation—the collective conscious—must revive itself, undergo the most scrutiny it can endure without dying, and be reborn with a balanced, nuanced perspective. We must incinerate all that is insufficient within ourselves and revive the sacred aspects of our culture to find a future. In the way that the flaming swords of the cherubim guard our entrance to Eden and protect the Tree of Life, we must be willing to let go of all the inadequate aspects of our philosophy, our behavior, and our desires to live within a state of goodness—to manifest our potential for paradisiacal life amidst suffering. Like Moses and the Israelites, we must find our way past the desert and trek an arduous path to reach the promised land.
The only other option that remains is to substitute one dogmatic ideology with another. This solution has been tried and tested; yet, it has failed every time it was implemented, with disastrous consequences. If we do not place an emphasis on all that comprises our culture—including the core myths and values of the Mahabharata, the Tirukkural, and the Sangam poetry—and fail to spend our time resurrecting this into our modern life and the zeitgeist, we will once again fall into an abyss that will lead us all the way to hell.