|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Wednesday, 11 February 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| 'Ponnambalam and Chelvanayakam united under TULF banner' Jaffna special correspondent V. Anandasangaree, President TULF speaking at the 27th memorial meeting of the late G. G. Ponnambalam, PC, President, All Ceylon Tamil Congress said that the reorganisation of All Ceylon Tamil Congress was a betrayal of Ponnambalam's political ideology and an attempt to tarnish his honour and dignity. Of all those who claim close association and attachment with Ponnambalam I have the honour and privilege to be his close associate from the time I joined the Tamil Congress and represented the Kilinochchi constituency as a Tamil Congress parliamentarian. Before his death I spent a week with him at his home and was able to study his noble qualities and his political philosophy. He was a diamond that could be cut only by another diamond. He started his political career sacrificing his wealth for the emergence of the Tamil nation as an independent race. His political slogan was "Stand upright with your head erect and call yourself a Tamil" (Thamilan enru sollada, thalai niminthu nillada). He used to wind up his speech with this slogans. He said he was one of the Presidents of Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the other presidents being late Mr. Chelvanayakam and Thondaman. It was a United Front of the Federal Party, Tamil Congress and the Ceylon Workers Congress. Until his death he extended his full cooperation to the TULF. Anandasangaree said that he was instrumental in taking Ponnambalam to Chennai to defend Karnanithi, President DMK to wriggle him out of a very sensitive litigation. He said that late Ponnambalam was an international figure whose speech at the United nations kept the representatives present spell bound. He was also a legal collossus before whom his opponents were dwarfed as pygmies by his irrefutable legal bludgeon. Chelliah Wijeratnam (TULF) said that late Chelvanayakam and Ponnambalam who were poles apart in politics joined together under the TULF banner for the unification and liberation of Tamils. The service we should render to these two leaders is to keep the unity achieved intact and work under the TULF banner without giving artificial respiration to defunct political parties. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
