Play it right - Part III:

‘History on a repeat through TNA actions’

Udeshi AMARASINGHE

Q: If we look at how the TNA is behaving now comparing with what has happened in the past, what are your thoughts on this?

A: If we draw references from the book ‘Gota's War’, there are a few things that stand out. When you look at certain developments that occurred during the last three years, if we go back into the history of this conflict, we can see that through the actions of the TNA history is repeating itself.

Now, the TNA has started Satyagrahas, and R. Sampanthan made this statement about detachment during the ITAK Convention. When you go back in history it is the same thing that has happened before. If I quote from this book page 31, "speaking about this ITAK Satygraha in Parliament, Bandaranaike said, that these Satyagrahas look peaceful but they are meant to spread ill feeling and tension all around. What is expected is anything but peace." Now is this not true today? It is the same thing that is happening. In 1956, an ultimatum was given to the government for separation, which led to the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam pact. Then if you look at the Vaddukodai proclamation in 1976 that calls for an independent Tamil state.

Sajin De Vass Gunawardena

Another reference is to A. Amirthalingam and S. L. Rasamanickam declarations, which are similar to Sampanthan's at the ITAK Convention. This is history repeating itself. We see Mavai Senadhirajah going to Jaffna congregating people and having protests about land, having Satyagrahas and calling for detachment. They are going back in time. They are taking the same course of action that leads to in their minds detachment from Sri Lanka, which is not so.

In an article written by K T Rajasingham that came in the Asian Tribune, which I quote "the TNA has decided to bring to the notice of the United Nations against the illegal acquisition and forceful occupation of lands in the Jaffna Peninsula, said Mavai Senathirajah Secretary General of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi and the Jaffna electoral district parliamentarian." Now these are things that they can sort out with us. This is why the PSC is in place. Instead of coming and talking to the government, instead of winning their grouse in the PSC and evolving a solution that can be tailor made for this problem, they are rallying the people who should now be having a proper life because for 30 years this war has ruined their livelihood.

The government has spent more than USD 3.2 billion postwar up to now for development and rehabilitation. Without taking advantage of this they are provoking the people, taking them to do Sathyagrahas and protests, then violence emanates out of this; for whose benefit is this for? The 11 Members of Parliament of the TNA. I am surprised that the larger Tamil population in this country is tolerating this. The time has come, to the point where the TNA should recognise the needs of the people before their political ambitions. The government will have elections in the North very soon once the electoral lists are completed. That can be the venue where the people can vent their desire politically. The TNA should create that opportunity; come into the PSC process discuss these issues - land is obviously an issue that has to be discussed - formulate a mechanism and get them resolved. The only conclusion that I can come to as a Member of Parliament and as a Sri Lankan citizen with a conscience, is that all that the TNA wants is to go back in history. You can see this very clearly and as described in ‘Gota's War’, they are enacting the whole thing once more.

In R. Sambandan's speech he says that the only option left for them is Eelam, in other words separatism and going for self determination. Legally that cannot be tolerated because he is a Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka and under the constitution the first oath that we take when we become a Member of Parliament is to protect the constitution of this country. And the constitution very clearly says that Sri Lanka is a unitary state and there is no division in this country that can be accepted. Sampanthan is a senior politician and a learned personality who I respect in terms of a parliamentarian, but unfortunately he is being misled by LTTE elements to the extent that he has failed to realise the oath that he took in Parliament.

Whatever actions that the government of Sri Lanka has taken we have ensured that the minority populations are consulted. Rightly or wrongly when we take decisions all these parties are consulted. We have a lot of minority representation in Parliament and other civil groups. Therefore, when you look at it, is there a need for agitation? There are enough democratic ways of airing your views.

As you mentioned too many people are handling too many things and that is the strength for our government. We have our critiques.

We have certain people who visit the US State Department on a monthly basis, who walks the corridors of the State Department and is known on first name basis. They feed the US with wrong information, but is it a problem? No, that is their democratic right to do what they want. Let them do that, but we know what to do. By and large we have been good to all communities. One of the headlines recently stated that the IOM has been giving identity cards to rehabilitated LTTE cadres. My question is why are they trying to differentiate them? It is like branding cattle. They carried arms before, but now they are rehabilitated and are part of civil society. The past must be forgotten, so what do these NGOs want? All these NGOs will create an issue asking, ‘why isn't the Army allowing the ID cards' what do they want to achieve? They want to differentiate these people, brand them like cattle, castigate them from society and whenever they require people to take up arms they can identify them; is that their motive? The rehabilitated cadres have come into the democratic process and they have their livelihood. The government of Sri Lanka is treating them equally. If at all it should have been the government that issues separate ID cards so that we can keep a track of them, but are we doing that? No.

The government is doing everything in all sincerity. The former LTTE cadres have been taken off the wrong track and rehabilitated. We have given them the opportunity to lead normal lives, have a means of earning an income and having a family. Recently I saw a news item where a soldier has married an ex-LTTE cadre. That is what reconciliation is all about. It is not the normal Tamil people in this country who have a problem, it is only the 11 TNA MPs who are unhappy because they want political power for themselves. They are trying to achieve this power in a wrong manner. The objective of the government is bringing in a long-term settlement to this question. The 13th Amendment plus factor is to bring in a more wider participation into the politics of Sri Lanka, especially minority politics of Sri Lanka. This is not confined only to the North, but also to the other areas. Let the Tamils, let the Muslims, let all minorities come in numbers to mainstream politics.

From my personal perspective, I see that the TNA is in a very peculiar situation. The TNA was the proxy of the LTTE in Parliament, that is a widely known fact, which no one can argue. They were voicing the opinions of the LTTE. Today the North is open to everyone whether they are a foreigner, a local or the TNA they are free to do politics anywhere. Previously when the LTTE was present there was no free will. They had to do what the LTTE asked. Otherwise the solution would have been a gun to your head. But that is not recognised by the TNA unfortunately. The fact that they are propagating the ideologies of the LTTE is saddening. A person told me recently that the TNA has started going to schools. They have started giving lectures about Prabakaran, about what he stood for and the fact that he should be revered and the ideology taken forward. Now for whose benefit is this? Keep the ideology aside for a moment, keep the TNA's desire for detachment from Sri Lanka aside, but when you go into schools, when you go to youth and try to brainwash them by saying that what Prabakaran did was right, that terrorism should continue and the war should resume, what are they trying to do? They are trying to ruin the younger generations and again propagate the psychological warfare that these children went through for the last 30 years. Who will say this is right?

The TNA must also appreciate the normalcy that is there and also the freedom that they have been given to propagate in their political work. Recently, the President chaired the district committee meeting in Jaffna. The majority of them were TNA elected members who were talking very openly with the President wanting certain actions taken on development, which was addressed then and there. At the grass root level administration is taking place. This is what the TNA Members of Parliament do not want. They do not want a proper administration to be in place, they do not want the people to get used to a civil administration. They keep on harping on the LTTE. With the North opening up and the younger generation getting involved in politics who is it going to be bad for? Not for the government nor the people but for the elected TNA members. It is high time that the Tamil polity of this country who reside all over Sri Lanka - not only confined to the North and East - wake up and tell the TNA that they should sit down and talk to the government and finish this, because we have to progress as one nation.

Q: How can we foster moderate Tamil leadership? The TNA is not the sole representatives of the Tamil people.

A: The perfect example I would say is Arun Thambimuttu who is our SLFP organiser in Batticaloa. Arun's parents were killed by the LTTE, they were looking for him as well, but he managed to save his life. That is one example of the new leadership that has come up. However, for us to draw in more individuals then a conducive environment must be constituted. But what is the TNA doing today? They are poisoning the minds of the people. They want to keep them as close to their fists as they can. From the perspective of the government we are encouraging minority participation. MP Namal Rajapaksa does a lot of work in the North and the East and there is a lot of enthusiasm that is generated from the youth.

They participate in these programmes and it is essential that they realise that there is another side to the coin; that there are opportunities. You know its not an easy process everything has to happen by and large simultaneously with the aspect of reconciliation, integration of societies, individuals and ethnicity into the larger cycle of life. Therefore, it is an integrated process. If the TNA comes and becomes part of the political process to settle the remaining issues, the flood gates will open with increased opportunities and development. This is exactly what the TNA does not want. I think this question is more pertinent to be asked from R. Sampanthan and the likes of the MP Suresh Premachandra or maybe Mavai Senadhirajah than from me.

To be continued

Courtesy: Business Today