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| People observe a moment of silence at a temporary memorial site where people pay their respects for the victims in last Friday's killing spree and bomb attack, on the shore in front of Utoeya island northwest of Oslo July 26, 2011. - REUTERS |
Norway’s visible engagement with the country began as far back as 1967 when a humane Nord Arne Fjortroft visited the Island. He was touched by the alienation of fisher communities in the coastal areas of Jaffna and decided to help these people.
(July 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Utoya Island massacre and the Oslo blast in Norway this week have triggered a great deal of public comment. Much of it seemed to suggest “damned good for you” by those readers who mistakenly think Norway got involved with Sri Lanka only at the height of LTTE’s ascendancy and with the purpose of securing a separate State of Eelam – that naturally finds popular disfavor here. Nothing is further from the truth.
Norway’s visible engagement with the country began as far back as 1967 when a humane Nord Arne Fjortroft visited the Island. He was touched by the alienation of fisher communities in the coastal areas of Jaffna and decided to help these people. I believe he was largely responsible for CeyNor being established in the Island with funds from various temperance and social bodies in Norway – later to include State agencies. The LTTE was nowhere around then or for decades since then. Originally he helped in the development of modernizing our fishing, shrimp farming, boat building, provision of fishing nets, Ice factories etc., This later developed into a formal Norway-Sri Lankan venture at Karainagar. CeyNor’s activities were extended to Hambantota, Lunuwila, Marawila and other areas in the South as well. With the passage of time several Norwegians visited the Island – worked with and helped the fishing communities here. Similarly Norwegians have helped many other countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Seeing the dedication to hardwork of the local fishermen some of them were taken to Norway as they are short of hands in their own developed fisheries industries. With the discovery of North Sea Oil in the late 1970s the government of Norway increased its investment Into their own fishery industries very substantially. This created new openings for folk with a fisheries background. This worked in favour of our local fishermen, who were welcome in Norway. The fact many of our fishermen were from the Christian community also helped the process – although this was incidental. It may be noted our fishermen were largely Catholic whereas Norway is almost 90% Lutheran. The unsettled events in Sri Lanka in the 1980s and the growing civil war displaced fisher communities here and many European countries opened their doors to Tamil refugees – Norway being one.
It is not denied as the insurrection gathered momentum there may have been citizens of Norway, either in their individual or other capacities to have sympathized – and even provided material assistance – to the insurgents here. But to accuse the Norwegian government and its people with suggestions of helping to divide Sri Lanka will be far-fetched.
Norway is a politically stable and united country. It is also one of the richest countries in the world. In recent years the country has tried to help other countries in conflict to bring peace to them. Their assistance to help the Israelis and Palestians is also well known – and sometimes engages criticism from different quarters for different reasons.
Therefore, to mock at this friendly country and its people pointing a finger at them in the “see this happened to you too” is foolish. This also leaves room for the Norwegians to think of us as ungrateful for what they have done to us in good faith. It is also part of our recent history while we heckled and virtually “chased” Norway away during the CBK tenure consequent to the theatrics of the JVP playing usual populist politics, we had to eat humble pie in inviting them back to help us in the peace process later on. Such is the strange nature of our unpredictable politics.
I believe as a responsible and decent people we should do much more, collectively and visibly, to express our sorrow and sympathy to Norway in its recent tragedy. I am informed in Jaffna and elsewhere memorial church services are being planned.
Norway’s visible engagement with the country began as far back as 1967 when a humane Nord Arne Fjortroft visited the Island. He was touched by the alienation of fisher communities in the coastal areas of Jaffna and decided to help these people. I believe he was largely responsible for CeyNor being established in the Island with funds from various temperance and social bodies in Norway – later to include State agencies. The LTTE was nowhere around then or for decades since then. Originally he helped in the development of modernizing our fishing, shrimp farming, boat building, provision of fishing nets, Ice factories etc., This later developed into a formal Norway-Sri Lankan venture at Karainagar. CeyNor’s activities were extended to Hambantota, Lunuwila, Marawila and other areas in the South as well. With the passage of time several Norwegians visited the Island – worked with and helped the fishing communities here. Similarly Norwegians have helped many other countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Seeing the dedication to hardwork of the local fishermen some of them were taken to Norway as they are short of hands in their own developed fisheries industries. With the discovery of North Sea Oil in the late 1970s the government of Norway increased its investment Into their own fishery industries very substantially. This created new openings for folk with a fisheries background. This worked in favour of our local fishermen, who were welcome in Norway. The fact many of our fishermen were from the Christian community also helped the process – although this was incidental. It may be noted our fishermen were largely Catholic whereas Norway is almost 90% Lutheran. The unsettled events in Sri Lanka in the 1980s and the growing civil war displaced fisher communities here and many European countries opened their doors to Tamil refugees – Norway being one.
It is not denied as the insurrection gathered momentum there may have been citizens of Norway, either in their individual or other capacities to have sympathized – and even provided material assistance – to the insurgents here. But to accuse the Norwegian government and its people with suggestions of helping to divide Sri Lanka will be far-fetched.
Norway is a politically stable and united country. It is also one of the richest countries in the world. In recent years the country has tried to help other countries in conflict to bring peace to them. Their assistance to help the Israelis and Palestians is also well known – and sometimes engages criticism from different quarters for different reasons.
Therefore, to mock at this friendly country and its people pointing a finger at them in the “see this happened to you too” is foolish. This also leaves room for the Norwegians to think of us as ungrateful for what they have done to us in good faith. It is also part of our recent history while we heckled and virtually “chased” Norway away during the CBK tenure consequent to the theatrics of the JVP playing usual populist politics, we had to eat humble pie in inviting them back to help us in the peace process later on. Such is the strange nature of our unpredictable politics.
I believe as a responsible and decent people we should do much more, collectively and visibly, to express our sorrow and sympathy to Norway in its recent tragedy. I am informed in Jaffna and elsewhere memorial church services are being planned.
Written by I.S. Senguttuvan
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