{"id":1621,"date":"2012-04-20T08:04:43","date_gmt":"2012-04-20T08:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/2012\/04\/20\/nita-chicooree-81\/"},"modified":"2019-11-12T03:56:09","modified_gmt":"2019-11-11T23:56:09","slug":"nita-chicooree-81","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/nita-chicooree-81\/","title":{"rendered":"A new life after decades of nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nita Chicooree\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The recent US-led initiative in Geneva, to take a more assertive position against the evasive attitude of the Sri Lankan government with respect to action to be taken against those who committed serious human rights violations in the final stages of an anti-LTTE operation, was supported by India after bilateral talks failed with the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. However, India held a nuanced position and stood in the way of human rights diktats to Sri Lanka by the US and other western powers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka is criticized for trying to wriggle out of its commitments to Sri Lankan Tamils, shirking its responsibility to find political solutions to the grievances and aspirations of the Tamils. What was called the genocide of Tamils in 2009 recalls the long struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), founded to fight for distinct cultural and political recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Initially, India supported LTTE in its struggle for its rights, but in the late 1980s it withdrew its support as LTTE was seen as a terrorist organization resorting to violence targeted at government officials and civilians in several bomb attacks. On a visit to Sri Lanka, Rajiv Gandhi was said to have ignored LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran and treated him with contempt. Consequently, Prabhakaran organized the killing of the former Indian PM in May 1991.<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 2009, the Sri Lankan army launched a final assault against LTTE, and 613 LTTE militants were killed in the very first week. Thousands of civilians were trapped in the crossfire between government forces and LTTE fighters in the Wanni region. Prabhakaran was to escape in a submarine with US help. Sonia Gandhi had an Indian warship sent to patrol the Sri Lankan seas to prevent LTTE chief from leaving the country. In May 2009, Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan forces.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Sri Lanka expresses discontent with the Indo-US initiative to call it to task in Geneva, China and Pakistan have expressed support for the Sri Lanka government. In its support of the US-led move, India is playing quiet, delicate and effective diplomacy and ensuring a deep economic engagement with Sri Lanka, ensuring that its displeasure with the treatment of Sri Lankan Tamils does not turn Indo-SL relations into bitterness. The two countries share solid economic, political ties as well as cultural bonds rooted in Buddhism.<\/span><\/p>\n

On 17 April, an Indian delegation of MPs was in Sri Lanka to stress the need for a resumption of dialogue between the SL government and the Tamil National Alliance, an umbrella group of Tamil political parties, headed by R. Sampanthan. The Indian delegation was categorical in its statement that a solution to the grievances of Tamils should be found only within a united Sri Lanka. The delegation nudged Sri Lanka to quickly resolve the decades-old conflict by devolving powers to areas dominated by minority Tamils as envisaged by a constitutional amendment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Up to now the government has been able to resettle 95% of displaced people in the war-torn areas. The work on the 50 000 development houses funded by India is progressing as well as infrastructure development in roads, railway lines, harbours, airports and the restoration of livelihoods. The delegation will hand over medical equipment to hospitals, newly-built houses to beneficiaries and distribute bicycles to needy Tamils. The Sri Lanka government stated that cash grants and resettlement kits have already been distributed, and six months\u2019 dry food rations have been extended for a further two years.<\/span><\/p>\n

R. Sampanthan’s complaint that the Sri Lankan government is ‘lethargic’ in handling the issue is likely to draw a positive response. Hopefully, the Tamil ethnic minority will restart a new life after decades of nightmare. However, the goodwill of the Rajapaksa government will not help tone down the Geneva resolution in favour of action against those in the army who committed war crimes in the final assaults launched against insurgents.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Les Jeunes au Front<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Une popularit\u00e9 croissante aupr\u00e8s de la jeune g\u00e9n\u00e9ration de la candidate du parti qui pr\u00e9tend rendre \u00e0 la France sa souverainet\u00e9 confisqu\u00e9e et ses valeurs menac\u00e9es nous intime \u00e0 bien nous garder d’en tirer des conclusions h\u00e2tives.<\/span><\/p>\n

La candidate du parti de l’extr\u00eame droite fait-elle miroiter des r\u00eaves inaccessibles ou a-t-elle le m\u00e9rite de lever le voile sur les tabous et les non-dits dans le discours des candidats des principaux partis? Ou alors, est-ce une d\u00e9sillusion certaine avec les deux grands partis qui raflent la mise \u00e0 chaque \u00e9lection pr\u00e9sidentielle\u00a0?<\/span><\/p>\n

La construction europ\u00e9enne a n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 une r\u00e9partition des fonds destin\u00e9s au d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique des nouveaux membres. Ceux-ci ont une culture politique et une gestion des d\u00e9penses les unes diff\u00e9rentes des autres. Cette disparit\u00e9 laisse plus d’un sceptique quant \u00e0 la pertinence de prolonger une aventure qui a plomb\u00e9 la prise des d\u00e9cisions au niveau national.<\/span><\/p>\n

La candidate du Front National, elle, n’a cess\u00e9 de marteler: c’est Bruxelles qui d\u00e9cide. Achetez local, consommez local. Jadis, les deux grands partis britanniques l’ont scand\u00e9 en temps de crise sans que personne ne leur reproche d\u2019avoir eu recours au repli identitaire ou \u00e0 l’extr\u00e9misme.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autre sujet sensible: l’identit\u00e9 nationale et les valeurs fran\u00e7aises. Moins de r\u00e9serve que leurs a\u00een\u00e9s sur l’identit\u00e9 fluctuante du pays, on y discerne\u00a0chez certains comme un besoin de r\u00e9affirmer l’appartenance \u00e0 la nation, d’\u00eatre fiers de l’h\u00e9ritage culturel sous tous les aspects et de pouvoir en parler sans complexe en rejetant l’\u00e9tiquette nationaliste de droite aussi bien que l’identit\u00e9 dilu\u00e9e d’inspiration marxiste de l’international socialiste. Il fait bon de vivre en France, ils ne manquent pas de le rappeler, et leurs travers, ils les reconnaissent sans en rajouter. Napol\u00e9on imp\u00e9rialiste, oui; la France collabo pendant l’occupation allemande? Impuissante et affaiblie, elle n’avait le choix que de la r\u00e9signation.<\/span><\/p>\n

La cohabitation avec les Fran\u00e7ais issus de l’immigration? Qu’ils ne pi\u00e9tinent pas nos valeurs, r\u00e9pondent-ils. Fini le sujet tabou et la r\u00e9serve de leurs parents. La culture de l’excuse pour expliquer les ressentiments des uns et des autres ou les fautes historiques, ils en ont cure.<\/span><\/p>\n

La violence des banlieues \u00e0 cause du ch\u00f4mage et de l’int\u00e9gration rat\u00e9e\u00a0: ce n’est pas une explication valable. Les ca\u00efds de la drogue, les bandes organis\u00e9es et les territoires interdits aux autres o\u00f9 s\u00e9vissent des lois diff\u00e9rentes, c’est inadmissible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quelques exemples de r\u00e9ponses qu’on peut entendre chez les 20 \u00e0 30 ans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Les jeunes Fran\u00e7ais prennent en pleine figure ce que certains intellectuels d\u00e9non\u00e7aient il y a une dizaine d’ann\u00e9es: un racisme anti-Blanc. Au caf\u00e9taria de l’universit\u00e9, le jeune Arabe ou Africain, descendant d’immigr\u00e9s lance\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0Eh toi, tu me paies le caf\u00e9? Tu le peux en tant que Blanc, non?\u00a0\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n

Idem sur le terrain de foot, \u00ab\u00a0Toi, le Blanc-l\u00e0!\u00a0\u00bb sans prendre la peine d’appeler le jeune Fran\u00e7ais par son pr\u00e9nom.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dans le m\u00e9tro, la jeune fille \u00e0 la peau basan\u00e9e est assimil\u00e9e d’office \u00e0 la communaut\u00e9 maghr\u00e9bine \u00e0 qui des jeunes gens intiment l’ordre de se lever et de laisser sa place \u00e0 une personne \u00e2g\u00e9e de leur communaut\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>\n

Il suffit d’une petite bousculade dans le m\u00e9tro et un regard mal interpr\u00e9t\u00e9 pour qu’un jeune homme blond aux yeux bleus prenne un violent coup de poing dans la figure. Chez le dentiste o\u00f9 il montre sa dent cass\u00e9e, il entend ceci: ce genre d’incidents arrive tr\u00e8s souvent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Et que dire de la femme de m\u00e9nage arabe d’une quarantaine d’ann\u00e9es qui se sert copieusement des plats qu’elle pr\u00e9pare pour ses patrons sous pr\u00e9texte qu’ils lui doivent bien \u00e7a!<\/span><\/p>\n

La caissi\u00e8re d’origine africaine du supermarch\u00e9 du coin, visage ferm\u00e9 en permanence, pas un sourire. L’espace d’une altercation, la jeune femme parisienne lance: \u00ab\u00a0Je suis quand m\u00eame cliente ici\u00a0!\u00a0\u00bb<\/span>
\nRegroupement familial des immigr\u00e9s, les enfants en surnombre et les aides de l’Etat \u00e0 gogo, halal et burka. Hargne et ranc\u0153ur qui s’ensuivent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cette vision partielle cache ces milliers d’immigr\u00e9s qui sont int\u00e9gr\u00e9s et qui respectent les valeurs du pays.<\/span><\/p>\n

G\u00e9n\u00e9ralisations irrationnelles ou ras-le-bol du silence et des non-dits?<\/span><\/p>\n

Per\u00e7ue comme un affront, cette pouss\u00e9e des jeunes vers le Front?<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

* Published in print edition on 20 April 2012<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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