WHEN TAMILS KEEP VIGIL AND PRAY
The Tamil politicians are a difficult lot to please. They demand the best for themselves and do the least for their community. What’s strange is that the lawmakers representing this minority community can’t find containment despite having one of the most expensive things a citizen of a country can have; peace.
If one browses through the demands they’ve put forward to potential presidential candidates and parties they suggest that these Tamil lawmakers seem to be a little too ambitious. A close look at these demands would possibly underscore the fact that the majority Sinhalese are going to deal with a difficult lot who possibly have the same mindset of the Late terrorist leader Velupillai Prabakaran (1954-2009). The Leader of both the Sri Lanka Pudujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Opposition in Parliament
Mahinda Rajapaksa has scoffed at these demands and said that they are too ‘ambitious’ even to be brought to a discussion table. Well what would that mean then? The island’s future administrators would have a set of disgruntled politicians representing the minority to deal with. And the trickle down effect of all that could lead to the Tamil citizens, in the north and east, being forced to abstain from voting. The result? Victory for the SLPP led alliance.
Mahinda and his loyalists playing to the gallery must stop. Mahinda’s stance on the 13 point demands has put the UNP under tremendous pressure. The UNP has to obtain the Tamil votes from the north, east and Central Province if it dreams of emerging the victor at the upcoming elections. The Tamil vote though assured if the demands are met might put the UNP in a quandary because that might anger its very own Sinhalese vote base. Only the JVP led National People’s Power (NPP) has responded positively to two of these demands which are to release Tamil owned lands occupied by the Army and abolish the Terrorism Prevention Act.
However the NPP opposes one of the main demands which is the merger of the north and the east. It has also categorically stated that it opposes any proposal that causes divisions among the Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims.
Five political parties including the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and Tamil People’s Alliance (TPA) have put forward these demands which no other party other than the NPP has responded to. Some of these demands include the recognising of the sovereignty of a Tamil nation, resolving the ethnic problem under a federal system, investigating war crimes, the unconditional release of Tamil Political prisoners and having an international mechanism to mete out justice to the victims of enforced disappearances.
As much as this election would decide the future course this country would take, it is also a golden opportunity for those representing the Tamils in parliament to see some of their demands being met by a future regime.
The recent controversial cremation of the remains of a Buddhist monk in Mulaitivu where those organising the funeral processions defied a court order suggests that the majority Sinhalese would do all they can to dissuade the Tamils from continuing to harbour their fondness to have a separate state in the north and the east part of the country. The list of 13 demands made by the Tamil
lawmakers also includes a point which wants certain projects that promote Sinhalese being settled in areas where there is a Tamil presence being stopped. There is also a point among the demands seeking the stopping of the Archaeological Department and Wildlife and Forest Conservation
Department from invading Tamil lands and Hindu religious sites. For the record, these demands have been made at a time when the Sri Lanka Army has released 150.15 acres of state and privately owned lands without compromising on national security.
A point forwarded by critics is that if the Tamils here have voting rights in this island, they can’t be treated like second class citizens. The Sinhalese politicians look to solve the National question only when an election approaches. In this context the Sinhalese politicians have found it easier to approach the estate Tamils engaged as labourers rather than canvass for votes among Tamils residing in the north and the east. This is where Plantations Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake can bring some votes for Sajith. The late Gamini Dissanayake, the dad of Navin, campaigned strongly to back R. Premadasa, Sajith’s father, during past elections. Navin is perhaps returning the favour this time by promising votes for the UNP strongman from Hambantota.
For the record, today marks the 25th year death anniversary of the late Dissanayake. While the Tamil votes in the Kandy part of the Central Province and also that of Nuwara Eliya are likely to swing Sajith’s way courtesy Navin, Gotabaya sees the Arumugam Thondaman backed Ceylon Workers Congrees (CWC) promising the former military man votes from his political ‘den’, thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties.
There are various allegations made against the CWC that their votes were promised to Gotabaya only after a huge sum of money was presented to them, apart from having an understanding that the congress would be allocated three slots to contest Nuwara Eliya from
the SLPP ticket at the General Elections. These claims have been rubbished by the congress spokesperson as reported in newspapers.
While all these election related happenings take place, neighboring India watches with interest the build up to the Sri Lankan elections. Right now Premier Modi’s alliances are with the UNP led Government. The Green Party’s Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa has cultivated a close relationship with Modi with the Indian Premier promising much support for the many housing schemes the Sri Lankan presidential hopeful has initiated or intends carrying out in the plantation sector. Just the other day Indian representatives were present in a big way when Sri Lanka officially declared open the Jaffna International Airport; a facility partly funded by the Indian Government.
Facilities like the Jaffna International Airport will sure boost the image of the Tamils in the north and also promises to provide people in the area with jobs. But what happened to Mattala International Airport, due to political rivalries, could happen to this newly build airport in Palaly in the event there is a change of regime after November 16.
According to political analysts Sajith hasn’t done too well in the last couple of weeks with regard to the count for votes. This doesn’t auger well for the future of this minority community. The Tamils are undecided on whom they’ll vote for because the demands by their politicians have been met with a lukewarm interest by the present regime. Even when this minority community has looked up and prayed these days for their chances in life to improve, the results have been the opening up of the skies! Life for the Tamils at present can be best described as ‘damp’.
Some of these demands include the recognising of the sovereignty of a Tamil nation
It is also a golden opportunity for those representing the Tamils in parliament to see some of their demands being met
Right now Premier Modi’s alliances are with the UNP led Government