TN should rise from ‘domestic tunes’ to reality-Senior Minister Gunasekera

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Politicians of Tamil Nadu should rise from creating domestic political impacts on their soil by laying emphasis on political problems in Sri Lanka in their political campaigns to fulfill their political ambitions, said senior Minister for Human Resources D E W Gunasekera, yesterday.

He said, “although Tamil Nadu ministers and Parliamentarians have criticized Sri Lanka unfailingly during each and every election they have held in their state, none of them has visited the country since independence.”

Minister Gunasekera said, “The state ministers in Tamil Nadu can interact with Sri Lanka with genuineness instead of making Sri Lanka a topic among the Tamil Nadu public to gain political mileage in Tamil Nadu domestic politics.”

Referring to Tamil Nadu DMK president M Karunanidhi’s recent call for the formation of a separate Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, Gunasekera said, “ This is what Tamil Nadu politicians do as a rule in their elections.

‘They have been doing this sort of politics for so many years.”

“This is associated with their politics. They do this to entertain the masses to highlight themselves to gain political mileage,” he explained.

“There is no reason that Sri Lanka should worry about such statements. This has been a part of their domestic politics for some time. These are happy tunes,” he added.

“Let us keep aside the wild side of politics and focus on building relationships on actual grounds.

In truth the Tamils in the country’s North and East are now free and the conditions have been restored that they live without any fear in these areas unlike when they were under the grip of LTTE rule”, the Senior Minister said.

”There was a time that India went on to throw food from air to Sri Lanka’s North during President J R Jayewardene’s era.

It was because of a decision taken by Jayawardene government, not to send food to the North during the war with the LTTE in the 80s,” he said.

“In the wake of the war against terrorists in 2009 under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’ reign, the government not only sent food to civilians but also to the LTTE cadres that were fighting against the Security Forces,” he explained.

On being pointed out demands made by politicians in India about removing security troupes from the North, Gunasekera said, “The Security Forces are not only in the North of the country. They are also in the South. It is about the the country’s national security,” he said.

Commenting on the the 13th Amendment, he said, “It is already law in Sri Lanka.

“It is important that all political parties and everyone discuss issues with genuine commitment for national reconciliation. India as our closest neighbor will naturally be taken into account,” he added.