You know, I always find it funny when people go on about Lakshman Kadirgamar like he was some great statesman, or diplomat, or one of these fancy people in Suits, that our people like to worship as “Sirs”.
The Sinhalese elite, especially the Colombo 7 types,(i only remember the old Colombo, so i dont know if Colombo 7 is still the old posh place i knew, so bear with me.) who sip tea, wine, coffee, and talk politics in their clubs, cafes, old heritage buildings, etc etc, (you know those buggers!) You know they just love him.
Kadirgamar is like their token Tamil!
He is Sinhala people’s Muthiah Muralitharan of politics. You know them! The Muttiah Muralitharans, the lot that doesn't care about the Tamils, the lot that will spin and chuck everything in favour of the Sri lankan government and smile for the pictures advertising their race and ethnicity in order to assist in the whitewashing of the Sinhala State's crime.
But do the Tamils also feel the same? Well, not so much. In fact, for most Tamils, Kadirgamar is not a hero at all. He’s more like… well, let’s just say his name has gone down the drain. I mean, if someone called me a Kadirgamar, I would consider it as an insult, since I have self respect.
Now let me get back to the reason why i started this rant, Kadirgamar. Yes some people say Lakshman Kadirgamar came into politics through Neelan Thiruchelvam, who introduced him to Chandrika Bandaranaike. But then, there’s another version that he was already buddies with the Bandaranaikes. Either way, it wasn’t like he came as some “people’s leader.” He came in through connections, privilege, and caste. That’s the reality.
See, Kadirgamar was Vellala. The dominant caste amongst Tamils in Ceylon. Back in those days, Vellala and Govigama (the Sinhala elite caste) had this unspoken bond. They basically ran the show, across both communities, while everyone else was left struggling. It was less about being “Tamil” or “Sinhala” and more about protecting their caste privileges. So of course Kadirgamar found it easy to slide in with the Colombo elite. They were his kind of people.
But then, along came the Tamil Tigers!, And you know what really scared and annoyed people like Kadirgamar? The Tigers didn’t care about caste, they sought its abolishment. They spoke of social liberation, which sought the abolishment of caste. Their leadership wasn’t Vellala. In fact, they were the first major force in Tamil politics which had leaders who represented the diverse religious and caste identities of the Tamil community. That alone was revolutionary. And for Saiva Vellala elites like Kadirgamar, who were used to their caste deciding who gets to sit at the table, that was unbearable.
So what happened? He became one of the Tigers’ biggest haters. Not just because of politics, but because they were undoing the very system that gave him status. His collaboration with the Sinhala ruling class wasn’t some noble vision of “multi-ethnic unity” like people like to romanticize today. It was just caste interest protecting caste interest. Plain and simple.
And let’s be honest, as a diplomat, he wasn’t exactly Colombo’s sharpest tool. Always moody, always snapping. His track record? Covering up war crimes. The Chemmani mass graves? He tried to sweep it under the carpet. The Navaly church bombing, where innocent Tamil civilians were slaughtered? He went around doing PR for the state, like nothing happened. This is what his career is remembered for, not some big diplomatic achievements.
If he hadn’t been assassinated, I swear, he wouldn’t even get a proper footnote in history books.
Then there is this BBC interview or something of Kadirgamar that his fanbois keep sharing. I say, do you guys remember Ranil? The coat, suit wearing
Maha
Shri
Sir of his excellency
the lordship of Colombo 7,
The Daddy of all "I say uncles" of Colombo, Mr.Ranil.? Do you guys remember that bugger’s recent interview with Mehdi Haasan. Remember how his genius was dismantled in front of that large audience in UK? Well, Kadirgamar was lucky because he didnt face someone like Mehdi Hasan or any journalist with integrity. Had he met them, his whole media act too would have been dismantled.
That said, here’s another layer people forget.
Kadirgamar entered parliament on the national list! He never faced an election, never had to win the people’s vote. He openly acknowledged Sinhala-Buddhist supremacy while the country was busy killing his own people. Meanwhile he was busy securing international recognition for Buddhist holidays. See his priorities!
He also largely encouraged the Chandrika government and was a real war monger. Take the matter of medical treatment for Thesathin Kural Anton Balasingham, for example. When the Tigers tried to send Anton Balasingam to the UK for treatment, and released a few Sinhala military prisoners as a goodwill gesture, Chandrika was ready to help. But Kadirgamar? No! he convinced her not to. That’s how deep his hatred ran, and how obsessed he was with war over any hope of peace.
But of course, after his death, the Sinhala political class made him into this larger than life figure. Why? Because they say the LTTE killed him. That’s the only reason he’s celebrated today. Not for his actual work, but because of who allegedly pulled the trigger.
Ask any Tamil about him today. They don’t name their children “Kadirgamar.” Just like “Duraiyappa,” that name is spoiled forever. These were men who betrayed their people for privilege, and history has given them their place. Among Tamils, the name Kadirgamar doesn’t inspire respect. It inspires anger, even shame.
Today, as we continue to unearth the bones of children, men, and women from the Chemmani graves, we are reminded of people like Lakshman Kadirgamar who played their part, in burying the truth alongside the bodies, and hiding the crimes of the Sri Lankan state from the world.
So next time someone puts him on a pedestal, just remember, if not for the way he died, he’d be a forgotten man.
-mrpaluvets
TableTalk
22/08/2025
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