A new beginning

The Tamil National Alliance though being the chief Tamil Political entity in terms of Parliamentary representation following the 2004 General Election, woefully failed in its mission to serve the Tamil community in the North, tied as it was to the LTTE yoke. Instead of giving voice to the suffering and privations the Tamils were put through by the LTTE, it became the voice of Tigers. What was voiced both inside and outside Parliament by the TNA leaders was the script written for it by Velupillai Prabhakaran.

There was no mention of conscription of minors to the LTTE's baby brigade. Nor about the taxes levied on innocent civilians or the appropriation of food and medicines meant for civilians by the LTTE. True, TNA members could not voice these concerns lest they go the way of Amirthalingam or Yogeswaran et al. But the party lost all credibility among the people of the South for its blind allegiance to the LTTE's diktat.

Now that the LTTE is no more, the TNA has been given the opportunity to play its role as true representatives of the Tamils in the North in a meaningful way and dedicate itself towards the uplift and emancipation of the Tamil community in this post-conflict era.

There is a crying need for a unified effort to rebuild the North. The Tamil community would ask for nothing more from its representatives.

It is in this context that the pledge made by the TNA to work out a joint mechanism with the Government to explore solutions to the national question and issues related to resettlement of displaced civilians should be lauded.

At a meeting with President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Monday, the two sides pledged to work on the basis of trust. "The President asked us to trust him. We also asked him to trust us. When trust is restored it is easy to pursue a political solution," TNA Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran was quoted as saying to an English daily following the meeting.

This indeed is a positive development and indicative of the gradual shift in sands in the relations between the Government and the one time LTTE proxy whose previous engagements with Government leaders were only marked by bitterness and rancour. It could also be termed as the breaking of the ice considering that this was the first meeting between the President and the TNA since September last year. That was a time when the defeat of the LTTE was still fresh in the minds of the TNA and emotions were running at a high, contributing to strained relations on both sides.

The party which was virtually rendered orphaned with the elimination of the chief source of its bargaining power, did not hesitate to veer towards supporting Gen Sarath Fonseka's Presidential bid even disregarding the fact that he was the Army Commander responsible for leading troops in the battle to eliminate Prabhakaran.

But the conciliatory note struck by President Rajapaksa in his victory day speech in Parliament lent towards healing the past wounds and may perhaps changed the attitudes among hitherto hardline political parties such as the TNA. It is also appropriate to come to terms with reality.

The defeat of the LTTE has left the TNA with little option but to enter into mainstream Tamil politics. Operating on the fringes hitched as it was to an armed terrorist organization brought no solace to the Tamil community. The success achieved by the likes of Douglas Devananda who opted to enter the mainstream politics long ago in delivering to the Tamils community it is hoped will inspire the TNA leadership to change course.

As it has rightly put its finger on, building trust on both sides is a vital factor for the thawing of past hostile relations. For, trust is an essential element for mending fences and building confidence, a pre-requisite for ensuring the success of any joint mechanism. President Rajapaksa has already revealed his bonafides by pledging to extend his trust. It is up to the TNA leadership to seize on this opportunity to forge ahead with a new beginning that would pave the way for it to serve the Tamil community in a more tangible form.