Sangaree promotes Indian model with expat Tamils

COLOMBO: TULF Leader V.Anandasangaree writing to Lankan expatriate Tamils declared the Indian model as the only alternative acceptable to the Tamils as a solution to the present conflict in Sri Lanka.

He cited two reasons for this namely that the Indian Constitution was neither Federal nor unitary and that this would satisfy Tamil Nadu politicians who demand separation without knowing the ground situation.

“An Indian model will silence them since they can’t ask for more powers devolved in the various regions in Sri Lanka than what their own states enjoy,” he said.

The letter appealing to the expat Tamils states:

Inspite of several setbacks during the last few years, I now see a positive development towards finding a solution for the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka. For the information of the Sri Lankan Tamils I enumerate here certain facts, I consider relevant and very necessary for everyone to know.

The most important of all is that the successive Governments in India had spelt out clearly their Opposition for separation in Sri Lanka and their support for a solution within a united Sri Lanka. The only reason that can be attributed for this stand is that India does not want a revival of the cry for separation in Tamil Nadu.

By the Oslo and Tokyo Agreements, the Sri Lankan Government is committed to a federal solution within the frame work of a united Sri Lanka. The international community had clearly expressed its Opposition for separation and is prepared to give all support for a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka.

Fifty years have passed since the ‘Sinhala only’ became law. During these fifty years from 1956 the country had witnessed a series of failures with regard to finding a solution. The Banda-Chelva Pact, the Dudley-Chelva Pact the District Development Councils Act and lately the Provincial Councils, all have failed.

The North-East Provincial Council is supposed to be run by the bureaucrats, but in fact all the Government Servants take orders only from the LTTE. The General Elections of April, 2004 was conducted under the direction of the LTTE. Some Election Monitoring Teams even recommended nullification and re-poll in the North and the East. There is no democracy in the North and East while democracy flourishes in the South.

For the first time in the fifty year history of the ethnic issue, the two major political parties that take turns to rule the country, the UNP and the SLFP have committed to a federal solution.

The UNP candidate at the last Presidential Election had offered a federal solution and polled 49.7 per cent of the votes and the SLFP in turn had a resolution unanimously passed to offer federalism as a solution to the ethnic problem, although the President had signed a MoU with the JVP contrary to this resolution.

However the views of the SLFP members and that of left parties are supportive to a federal solution. The JVP had said more than once that if the country wants a solution in a particular way that they are not going to oppose it. In any case if the LTTE gives up its demand for separation, almost all parties will give their support for a federal solution.

I am strongly of the opinion that the country is prepared for a federal solution. I had discussions with various political party leaders, religious heads and representatives of various organisations on this subject. There is hardly any opposition for it.

I have also very clearly informed the JVP and the President that the Tamils after so much of loss of life, damage to property and the sufferings underwent, they will not be prepared to accept a solution within the unitary constitution under which no solution was found for over fifty years.

The only alternative that will be acceptable for the Tamils is the Indian model that too, for two reasons.

The first is, the Indian Constitution is neither federal nor unitary. The other reason is to satisfy some Tamil Naad politicians who demand separation without knowing the ground situation.

An Indian model will silence them since they can’t ask for more powers devolved in the various regions in Sri Lanka than what their own states enjoy.