Freedom in the North

Wasantha Priya Ramanayake Translated by A A M Nizam

Mahattaya alias Mahendrarajah was the second in command of the LTTE in the past. He was a relative of Prabhakaran. He was second to none but only to Prabhakaran. It was this ‘Mahattaya’ who was the leader of the LTTE delegation that held talks with President Premadasa.

These talks ended with President Premadasa winning over Mahattaya to his side. Or else getting Mahattaya hooked up. Mahattaya who was charmed by President Premadasa is reported to have told a story like this. “When you visited Jaffna as the Prime Minister I waved the national flag to greet you as a student at that time. When you come to Jaffna again as the President I will be raising that flag to greet you as the Chief Minister of Jaffna.”

Sirimavo Bandaranaike	Lakshman Kadirgamar
S J V Chelvanayagam	Alfred Duraiappah

It did not take much time for Prabhakaran to become aware of all these things. It was a conspiracy from his side. Prabhakaran killed Mahattaya and all his buddies and ended up with killing President Premadasa as well. This was how President Premadasa’s plan to win over the North ended.

Prior to that Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike also launched a similar plan. That was by enrolling Jaffna Mayor Duraiappah of the Federal Party as a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The then Tamil leaders of the North could not stomach Duraiappah becoming an SLFPer. Ultimately the SLFPer Duraiappah had to pay the prize with his life. This assassination was carried out by a youth of a gang who were boastfully called as ‘Boys’ by the Tamil United Front. He was Velupillai Prabhakaran. It was this slaughterer who later on became the leader of the LTTE. He did not spare not only Duraiappah, but also the ilk of Amirthalingams as well.

Political forces

It is stated that Prabhakaran started his killing culture with the murder of SLFP Mayor Alfred Duraiappah of Jaffna. The North was restless since then onwards. An era of spilling blood for over 30 years and jumbling the whole country dawned with that. This is how attempts made by two South based political forces failed even to establish a base in the North, let alone winning the North. Ultimately the whole country had to face a terrorism based on the North and the East. In the end that terrorism was vanquished in 2009 under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was since then a peaceful atmosphere was dawned in the North and in the country as a whole.

In the past neither the Sri Lanka Freedom Party nor an alliance led by that party had a vote base in the North. That base was there only for the United National Party and for parties like Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party. As a main political party, that base was there only for the United National Party.

Under this circumstance, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and its Fronts and Alliances governed their terms of offices by ‘hiring’ Tamil leaders from Colombo. Chelliah Cumarasuriar and Lakshman Kadirgamar were such Tamil leaders hired from Colombo.

National unity

Some of them were even unable to speak in Tamil and were Tamils by birth only. However, a feat that could not be achieved even by Bandaranaikes of establishing a political base in the North was achieved under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa this time. Even it is sufficient at the moment. It is how the results of the recent Local Government elections held in the North should be viewed.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has no ‘game’ in the South. Institutions like Kaduwela were won by obtaining more votes than what were obtained in the General Election. The game was from the North. The United People’s Freedom Alliance has been successful from the last Local Government elections to get a vote base of 28 percent established on grass roots level, and to get 58 rural representatives in the North. At the same time it has been successful in winning three Local Government Institutions in the North for the first time. Therefore, even in the North, the United People’s Freedom Alliance has established a base as a political party of the national level. This possibility has arisen because of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This result of course is sufficient as an achievement in the first round.

The United People’s Freedom Alliance is infantile to the North. They contested with the Tamil National Alliance of R. Sambandan who has got textbook knowledge of politics from persons like S.J.V. Chelvanayagam and G.G. Ponnambalam. In other words with a Tamil political organization that was about 60 years old. To think at a time like this that the battle in the North can be won is tantamount to lack of knowledge about the politics there and lack of knowledge about grassroots realities there. The amount of votes that have been received is very much appreciable as a foundation.

LG Institutions

The Tamil National Alliance which was confined only to criticisms should now do some work on the grassroots level at least.

It is the responsibility of those in the government not to dodge them. UPFA is the Opposition in all the Local Government Institutions that Tamil National Alliance has secured power. It is they who rule the country. Therefore it has become essential for the Tamil National Alliance to work in cooperation with them. This would also become helpful for the national unity.

There is an adage saying that one can be won over by treating him well. In politics treating well alone will not help. If anyone thinks that people’s thinking or their ethnic stance could be change by providing things on a mass-scale or on a small-scale it is where that such a person would be making the mistake. Especially the minds of the Tamil people in the North who are in a state of confusion cannot be changed by provisions of things. Instead their hearts should be healed with development as well as with honest brotherhood. The ethnic composition of the North and East cannot be changed by us. But we can change their feelings to think that they are living there not in an atmosphere of second class citizens. For this, much ‘home work’ has to be done. For this, there is a need of a non-political force. The artistes could also contribute in this regard.

If we can create a ‘Sri Lankan’ mindset instead of the Sinhala mindset, Tamil mindset and Muslim mindset resolutions could be found for many questions. This is not a difficult task. The separatism would end there. Similarly that Prabhakaran could not maintain the separatism through bullet and the military mindset by force. From wherever it sprouted it could not be maintained on a long-term basis. The rise for freedom against such would arise instinctively. In the North in which a free atmosphere has emerged, any kind of schism cannot be forced upon. Therefore, the grassroots level civil administration and democracy that gets created through the Local Government institutions is tantamount to a foundation for a new journey for the North and East.

Multi-party election process

As it has been explained by Minister Dullas Alahapperuma the confidence placed by the people of the North after 30 years through this election result is a victory gained by the country. There cannot be a capability for those who do politics to accept it in honesty and with patience.

In this context, certain things that are being reported to have happened during the election period in the North cannot be approved. If steps were taken to avoid such things happening it would have been better. Force coupled with power is sweet. But on the day there is no power it becomes sour.

Political parties fall to the status of devoid, even of addresses, due to unpleasant things they do while in power. Ample examples in this regard are available around us. It is not necessary to point them out. The freedom got by the people of the North to exercise their franchise has helped the Tamil National Alliance become victorious. Along with that the North opened up for a multi-party election process. It is a victory gained by the present government. This freedom has dawned after 30 years. It dawned under the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration. The comprehensive importance of the North election lies under this freedom.