Editorial - Don’t paw the Olympians
29 July 2012 06:30 pm
The fact that the Tigers putting their paws into any international event with a Sri Lankan participation, is nothing new. Despite tight security measures, the pro-LTTE sects of the Diaspora always find ways and means to make their presence felt to the rest of the world. The cameras, stationed to capture the actions, inevitably capture the fluttering Tiger flags and the boards that carry anti-Sri Lanka slogans; a convenient yet stingy publicity move, coming from a body that can afford better methods of campaigning.
Pro-LTTE demonstrations became a topic of discussion last week when the newspapers reported that there were strong rumours that the vociferous Tamil Diaspora of England was planning to demonstrate against the Lankan participation in the London Olympics.
Once before, the LTTE Diaspora resorted to the lame attempt of distorting the morale of the Sri Lankan cricketers at the 2007 World Cup finals at the Granada National Stadium, West Indies. Later, it was revealed that they were openly backed by the London based Amnesty International. A repetition of it followed when the home team was touring in Canada in 2008 where Ajantha Mendis was singled out in their attacks due to his involvement with the Army.
History being thus, the Sri Lankan team taking part in the Olympics has become the latest target of the Diaspora that attempts to humiliate Sri Lanka in international platforms. No doubt, the countries that house the Tamil Diaspora may have fully assured people’s right to carry out peaceful demonstrations. Yet, what escapes the scrutiny of the authorities is that, the individuals who harp on a dangerous separatist cause, only misuse the aforesaid right. Peaceful may be their demonstrations, but the cause advocated by them, is far from it.
Besides, no sportsman or sportswoman who represents the country at international level deserves such horrid treatment. They are not there to promote war or separatism. Even during the troubled times, it had been the worthy sportsmen and sportswomen who brought glory to the country, that reminded people that there were better things in life. Their victories brought hope to those who died a daily death. Sri Lankans, not for a moment, segregated their sport stars on the grounds of ethnicity. The legendry Muttiah Muralitharan’s career alone would speak volumes on co-existence, the Diaspora seems to be deliberately unaware of. It was an outcry of an entire nation that rose against the umpires who no-balled him in 1995. For us, he is a Sri Lankan before he is a Tamil or a Hindu. Sadly, the Tamil Diaspora is too drunk with separatism to understand it.
Sports bring together nations and shed differences. Hence, no separatist cause should come between the sports personalities and the value of unity they promote through their mission. The Tigers can snarl alright, but they should not paw our Olympians!