Diaspora Artiste 'Voice for Peace & Fraternity' 

Karoshee Vijayasekere is offering her sixth Charity Concert for Children, at Waters Edge, on February 23rd, 2016, from 8pm. Cocktails commence at 7pm. Daily Mirror Life met her at her parent's residence, at Thalawathugoda. 

You are a soprano trained in Paris. But you don't sing in operatic style? 

Yes, I'm graded a soprano, according to my voice and musical talents, and I'm trained to sing Western Classics. But I also like to sing French and Latin American Popular Classics. Because I don't want to be a professional singer - opera or otherwise, I preferred to sing for a social cause and for pure pleasure. The two modern day tragedies in my country of birth also demanded my civic attention and my devotion as a vocalist: post-tsunami and post-war situation of children. 

Karoshee, you say, you sing "in Honour of Jaffna children." Why? 

In 2005, immediately after tsunami, I, as a child of fifteen, founded "Karoshee Trust Children" to offer hope to the traumatized post-tsunami children of Koralawella, Moratuwa, in the South of Sri Lanka. This is also why I named my first three Charity Concerts HOPE 1, 2 and 3. After ten years of work in the South, KTC decided to move to the North. Why? For the most obvious reason: today, post-war children in Jaffna are priority number one, for any sensitive person or organization. It's with the true 'blessings' of Jchildren in Jaffna that peace and true 'reconciliation' can be initiated. 

How aptly highlights Thirukkural, the 2,000 year old Tamil classic poetry by Saint poet Thiruvalluvar: "For seven births, no evils near - If blessed with children faultless, dear." 

The loss of 40,000 innocent lives by Tsunami has unbearable, scarred memories. The same tsunami hit the North of Sri Lanka, Wadamaaratchi, in particular. Although small, KTC is already active in Wadamaaratchi. But simply, the number of persons with major physical injuries, thousands of lives lost and properties devastated - on all sides, by a thirty year civil war is incomparable, and is the worst. Of them, again, the children and their mothers suffer most. If these deeply traumatized children of North and future mothers are not attended adequately and honoured their needs, early, it's another irreparable tragedy that awaits future Sri Lanka.
It's not only for such negative reasons, however pressing, that KTC moved to North; we in the KTC firmly believe that situations of depression can produce the most positive benefits - so long as proper and futuristic guidance is given. So, let's make Yaal, a Holy Land of Peace and Fraternity. 

You are residing and working in Canada. Do you consider yourself another member of the diaspora? 

My answer is positive: yes, I'm a Sri Lankan diaspora member; but I'm also another positive thinking member and who is very conscious of one's sacred, humanitarian duties. Yes, I'm also fully aware of the cheaply popularized but very negative opinion about the diaspora, particularly, against the so-called Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. But these anti-reconciliation opinion-makers themselves know that there are very significant segments, perhaps, the majority, of this diaspora that are neither extremists nor against Peace in Sri Lanka. One of the first issues that is wrong and unscientific is to 'label' these former citizens who were made to leave Sri Lanka under varying situations, as Tamil diaspora, Sinhala diaspora, Muslim diaspora, Burgher diaspora, etc.? Should one's attachment to one's religious, cultural, linguistic heritage be ill-considered to further racialize them, and victimize them, again? Secondly, shouldn't all concerned citizens and their friends work together to use this historic moment in ethnic relations, to forge a common nationhood? Thirdly, isn't it the responsibility of the present generation of diaspora members to guarantee an equal and unified Sri Lanka for the future generations, and endow them with an embattled but a country of proud cultures? 

Your concert is called "Voice for Peace." How will "Karoshee Trust Children" (KTC) realize your motto? 

Again, with TRUST in Children, there will be two initiatives: a) KTC will try to facilitate diaspora children to get in touch with children in Jaffna, beginning by their urgent needs b) the children from South and North of Sri Lanka will be helped to meet each other, to build mutual understanding and together, to voice for peace, equality and fraternity. In the first case, being an extremely willing diaspora member living and working in Canada, where the majority of Tamil diaspora also live, I and my Tamil friends will try to launch a soft, cultural and educational movement, soliciting volunteers among the diaspora children and youth in Canada. For this, KTC will furnish with photographic accounts, etc. on the ground reality in Jaffna. The diaspora youth and children themselves will be encouraged to obtain such information, directly, and together, we will discuss and arrive at some potential projects. 

In the second project, KTC which has a 10-year experience in working for children from South, is already active in Jaffna. The present chairperson of KTC Sri Lanka, who is none other than my mother -- a former Principal, and a Muslim, fluent in Tamil, is working with KTC Jaffna. With the sole financial resources from Charity Concerts, for the moment, 20 scholarships have been awarded. The children and families of South have shown their keen interest to go up to meet the children and families of KTC Jaffna. Again, together, they will make their voice for peace be heard, I am confident, and, that's our road map for future peace and equal development.