TNA confirms military success...

The cat is out of the bag:

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), no doubt is the mouth organ of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). That stands a reality over the past three and a half decades, from the time the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) fondled and nurtured the LTTE addressing the Tiger cadres as ‘Boys’.

After some time, the TULF realised that it had nurtured the second most dangerous animal in the world and later attempted to distance itself from the LTTE. But, it was too late.

Douglas Devananda	Gajendran Ponnambalam

Though the LTTE is the second most dangerous animal in the world, its’ appearance makes its’ the first of such and, Velupillai Prabhakaran only has to see himself before the mirror to know which is the most dangerous animal in the world. The LTTE decided to eliminate the Guard of the TULF.

The only two to survive were Veerasingham Ananda Sangaree and R. Sampanthan. Ananda Sangaree yet braves himself to call the LTTE, the most venomous terror outfit in the world. His life is still at risk. But, the aging Sampanthan, decided to switch over to the TNA, known as the unofficial mouth organ of the LTTE.

The truth has been bitter to both the LTTE and the TNA with regard to developments in the North and East as the TNA believes and upholds that the LTTE is the sole representative of the Tamil speaking people.

By nature, the truth cannot be hidden for long. The mind which believe in justice, trusts in the truth. Even at the slip of the tongue, the truth is likely to emerge. And, so it has happened... TNA’s Gajendran Ponnambalam, a firebrand defending the LTTE, told a weekly newspaper last Sunday that the LTTE has lost much territory it controlled in the face of military successes by Government troops.

He also pointed out that today’s situation was quite different and contrary to the interests of the LTTE when considering the strength gained by the LTTE on territory with the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement in 2002.

Ponnambalam in his words told that newspaper-” The fact is that when compared with the situation that prevailed in the North East in 2002 when the CFA was signed, there is no denying that the Government had gained territory and that the LTTE has lost territory”.

At last, though the LTTE attempts to cover up the military successes in the face of several defeats, it is noteworthy that Ponnambalam from the TNA, which acts as the Godfather of Velupillai Prabhakaran, has confessed that the LTTE was losing ground control contrary to the position in 2002.

The Opposition in our Parliament should now accept the truth and the fact that the troops are on a successful mission to liberate the North from the grip of terrorism.

All political parties in this country must accept the fact that the Security Forces of this country are executing a responsibility by the people and the nation and not by any political party.

There are successes and setbacks in military operations at times of war. When there are setbacks, the Opposition or any political party for that matter, should not rejoice at such times, to gain political advantage.

Only traitors do behave in such a manner. It is appropriate, to recall a story that took place in New Delhi during the Premadasa administration when measures were afoot to send the Indian troops back.

The late Deputy Defence Minister, Gen. Ranjan Wijeratne went to New Delhi as a Special Envoy of President Ranasinghe Premadasa to meet the Indian Premier, V.P.Singh to brief Singh on Colombo’s desire to send the IPKF back.

According to the protocol, such meetings are not meant to make long speeches to educate the counter part or the Head of that Government. A Special Envoy, by tradition was entrusted to carry a message across.

Gen. Wijeratne used the opportunity to be critical of the IPKF conduct on Sri Lankan soil and blamed the Indian troops on many aspects.

After Gen. Wijeratne handed over the message to Premier Singh, the Indian Prime Minister summed the meeting in a few seconds in this manner- “Thank you Mr. Minister, the Government of India and her people have the highest confidence in our Armed Forces”. The statement of V.P. Singh proved that in India, politics always respected the Armed Forces that protected the country.

On the contrary, here we see not only the TNA but also many Opposition political parties being critical of the Armed Forces at times of crises to gain political advantage, ignoring the fact that the troops are rendering a national duty irrespective of Race, Religion or Colour.

Coming back to Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who is protected by the legitimate Police service in this country as a Parliamentarian, believes that the LTTE is a National Liberation Movement. And that the Tamil people are more behind the LTTE today than ever in the past.

Ponnambalam appears to have contracted some mysterious disease to make such a statement in the present context. If he claims that the LTTE is a national liberation movement of the Tamils, fighting for Tamil aspirations, then why on earth is the LTTE killing the Tamils?

And if the majority of the Tamils are with the LTTE, how could the LTTE become weak day by day? Also, why do people want to leave areas controlled by the LTTE? Can one dispute the fact that the people want to leave LTTE controlled to evade being used as human shields?

Ponnambalam further claims that the LTTE is built on popular support. Mr. Ponnambalam looks blind to the reality that an organisation built on popular support will never annihilate the very community on which its’ foundation had been built upon.

The TNA, which calls itself a democratic entity, too has failed to urge the LTTE to free the people under the LTTE grip to avoid excesses at times of war.

Like the LTTE, the TNA too claims that it represents the rights and aspirations of the Tamil speaking people. If so, why cannot the TNA convince the LTTE to enter into a dialogue with the Government if the TNA believed there can be no military solution to the crisis.

The passage to such process is easy because the Government too holds on to the same belief that not a military but a political solution is the need to the crisis.

The TNA is at cross roads today. If it talks of a political solution or enters the negotiating table, can it go back to the North to do politics? With that being the reality, the TNA has no other alternative but to dance to the melody of the LTTE all the time.

That was why Ponnambalam like a blind man claims that the LTTE has gone from strength to strength while confessing that the LTTE has lost much territory unlike the situation after the CFA in 2002.

The TNA views the EPDP of Minister Douglas Devananda as an opposition Tamil political party. As much as Ponnambalam admits about the LTTE’s loss of gained territory, Douglas Devananda too holds the same view and describes it as a natural process to happen.

For Ponnambalam, the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran looks a Saviour while Devananda calls for the elimination of Prabhakaran and the LTTE leadership for the people to progress and look for new political alternatives.

Devananda makes his new adventures known, being a well trained liberation fighter in his early days. Ponnambalam, with no experience at all in so called ‘ armed liberation struggles’ should learn from Devananda, who says by experience that militancy could only get a person to the half way mark, and beyond that lies the political path.

Ponnambalam, to the knowledge of the public is yet to see even the half way mark of militancy, though he happens to convert a terrorist movement into a national liberation movement of the much respected Tamil community, which is an insult to the entire Tamil community.

Ponnambalam must also realize that Devananda is qualified to express such views as a former militant who represented the EROS, EPRLF before taking command of the EPDP.Devananda claims he learnt from past mistakes.

For Ponnambalam, a Colombo educated elite and affluent life activist into politics, after the tragic demise of his father, has much to learn from the Tamil political outfit of today rather than leaning onto a terrorist organisation like the LTTE which has no future.

Instead of wasting valuable time on the LTTE to be a spokesman for a ruthless terror group, Ponnambalam should concentrate on the urgent need to affirm the national character in our society which is pluralistic in nature.

The priority before Ponnambalam and his TNA is to first forge unity among all Tamil political parties to seek a lasting solution to all problems faced by the Tamils. Neither the Government nor the majority Sinhala community would deny that Tamils have no grievances.

That is why the notion of a political settlement or a solution has been accepted and tried many times. All Tamil political parties must realise that as long as they stood divided, a solution would stand only at a distance.

Ponnambalam cannot deny the fact that LTTE terrorism has today divided the Tamil people. Any Tamil politician or political party bent on finding a solution is viewed as a ‘traitor’ or an ‘enemy’ of the LTTE. Tamils are being held to ransom, killed or either blackmailed by the LTTE which acts under the guise of liberators.

Isn’t the plight of the democratic minded Tamil at stake with the LTTE flexing its’ muscles on the unarmed innocent Tamils? Shouldn’t other communities rise to their defence to save them from the clutches of a ruthless terror group? Though belated, its’ opportune for all Tamils to set aside their differences and unite to stand up against the LTTE.

Tamils must also forget the sad past where some Tamil leaders misled them promising a separate state for political gain and popularity. Many of them perished with that unrealistic dream.

That even happened to the so called LTTE Theoretician, Anton Balasingham and the Political Leader, Tamil Selvam, who are now in the Land of No Return. The more the Tamils remain divided, it makes difficult for any Government to work out a solution.

A solution to the crisis has to be worked out on the willingness of the people and not to the satisfaction of an armed terrorist group.

That is why, Tamil unity is paramount at this critical juncture to explore and examine possibilities to find a lasting solution that could meet the aspirations of all peace loving Tamils in this country.

Such a just solution should also satisfy the future of all people. All Tamils must realise that Prabhakaran cannot survive under a democratic framework. That position has been substantiated by many political leaders of this country.

Prabhakaran fights for his survival and not that of the Tamil community. There are many lessons for Ponnambalam to learn even from Douglas Devananda from the ‘Path of Militancy to the Fountain of Democracy’. Before the Indo- Lanka Accord, even Devananda called the Colombo Government a ‘Sinhala Government’.

But, today he accepts it as the Government of Sri Lanka and believes that the Tamil political leadership has ample space to enter into the mainstream to make and see the difference.

The time is ripe for Gajendran Ponnambalam and his TNA to forget the LTTE and embrace the mainstream of democracy to experience the difference as Douglas Devananda had already done. The TNA must also remember that Prabhakaran is a man who has no mercy even for his Godfather.

That is nothing but the Gospel truth and, if the late TULF leader, Appapillai Amirthalingam was alive, he would have certainly endorsed that view.