How Tamils divided Tamils...

The world has been misled to believe that it was the Sinhala majority that divided the Tamil community, through the disinformation campaign of the LTTE. But, the truth is quite different to the disinformation campaign of that deadly terror movement.
The division of the Tamils were written on May 14, 1976, by Tamil political leaders who misled their own community for political gain. It was on that day, the infamous Vadukkodai Resolution gave birth to, making a treacherous call for separation.

Distant dream

It resulted in many Tamil youth, forming groups as militants, to fight for an impracticable demand for separation, which was a distant dream. They all had the tag ‘Eelam’ on their heads.
They fought each other for supremacy. Many of them later realised that separation was a distant dream and returned to the democratic fold. The LTTE continued with the separation tag on its head for survival.
It is no exaggeration to state that this country has reached a critical juncture. No Head of State, in the past nor present, ever dreamt of a war within this country. Terrorism dragged the country to war. And violence, continues for the thirty second year in succession. During that period, several ‘Peace Pundits’ habitually attempted to portray that the Sinhala majority administrations were racist.
The Government of the day of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, too was viewed in that manner, by the squint eye of those self proclaimed Peace Pundits. Belying all such Cassandra-like prognostications, Presidents of the past and present extended the hand of friendship to the LTTE. But, the LTTE bit that hand of friendship. Isn’t it clear that it was the LTTE which dragged this country to war, time and again?

The division

Let us now get back to the period where the dark clouds began to hang over the peace loving Tamil population of this country. The division, of the once united Tamil people of this nation, was written on May 14, 1976.
A Resolution was moved seeking a separate State at the Vaddukkodai meeting of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) on that ill-fated day. Those who moved that resolution were living in a dreamland but never dreamt they would perish sooner or later, as a result of such a perilous resolution.
May 14, 1976 was a jubilant day for the then TULF high - command. Crowds thronged the meetings they addressed in that year in preparation for the July 1977 General Election. What more?
That dream was confined as the theme on every political platform. In the true sense, the intellectual Tamil political leadership knew it was only a distant dream. As usual, it was only a political slogan to mislead the Tamil voters.
The tragedy of the Vaddukkodai Resolution was that Appapillai Amirthalingam, a much respected leader of the Tamil community himself was a victim of LTTE terrorism, that was born as a result of that resolution. When Amirthalingam realised that a separate state was impossible within this small island nation, he had a change of heart.
Truly, he was a democrat, who believed in the divinity of democracy. Hardly two years later, from the Reporters’ Gallery in the old Parliamentary Complex in Colombo Fort, I reported Opposition Leader, Appapillai Amirthalingam’s speech on the debate to extend the State of Emergency by a further month on December 19, 1978. He said - ‘Mr. Speaker, people who have broken the law must be caught and punished.
Whether they are Tigers or Lions, they must be caught and punished and, that is the duty of the Government’-. Amirthalingam further stressed that innocent law abiding citizens must be able to go about their normal vocations without being attacked.
While Amirthalingam expressed and stressed such democratic ideals during that debate, his colleague, M.Sivasithamparam interrupted Amirthalingam several times to scream,-’We want Eelam and we will continue to demand Eelam’-.
An angry Industries and Scientific Affairs Minister, Cyril Mathew hitting back on Sivasithamparam said,’ Sir, I have also got to say the truth. There is also a political terror group stalking this land today, that is killing at will’. Hell broke out in Parliament that day as Amirthalingam looked a dejected man.
The TULF Members forced the leadership that the party should leave the Chamber. Amirthlingam was the last of the 17 TULF MPs to leave the Chamber that evening. As they were leaving, Minister Gamini Dissanayake said, ‘Certainly, that is not the Gandhian way of principles! All I can say is, Mahatma Gandhi would have been ashamed of disciples of this sort’.
The reason for the TULF to leave the Chamber had nothing to do with the ethnic problem nor the demand for a separate state during that debate. Home Affairs Minister, K.W. Dewanayagam pointed out to the Speaker that an accused in the Alfred Duraiappa (slain Mayor of Jaffna) was seen in the Public Gallery in Parliament.

The difference

Sivasithamparam claimed the man in the Gallery was not a Tiger. In reply, Prime Minister R.Premadasa in a jocular mood quipped, “ Mr. Speaker, it is the Hon. Sivasithamparam who knows the difference between a ‘Tiger’ and a ‘Non-Tiger’, because he lives with them”.
With that being the state of affairs in the North and East three decades ago, smuggler turned terrorist, Velupillai Prabhakaran began his violent campaign against all Governments in power, under the guise of seeking a resolution to the ethnic strife.
But, at the back of his mind, he used the TULF slogan of a separate state to mislead the Tamils for his survival. Prabhakaran used several MPs in the 1977 Parliament to defend his terror group.
One of them were the vociferous speaker, Vettiveli Yogeswaran from Jaffna. It was quite unfortunate that Yogeswaran, his wife Sarojini, a former Mayor of Jaffna and Amirthalingam were gunned down by the very LTTE, for whom they spoke in defence, in the hallowed Chambers of Parliament.
In this tragic journey which now spans over three decades, the majority of the TULF, have now turned as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), except for the strong minded, Veerasingham Ananda Sangaree, who yet braves the dreaded LTTE. The TNA is the mouth piece of the LTTE at present. But, the ruthless Tigers have not spared those in the TNA, who voiced democratic views to find a lasting solution.
How long could Tamil politicians survive in this manner is the question. The cream of the Tamil politicians had been wiped out. Only a few more of them are left. Tamil political parties are in disarray. The LTTE resorts to brazen attempts to kill all opposed to them. Race, religion or colour do not matter to the venomous minds of the LTTE. We all have witnessed many a horrendous acme of the LTTE. Even pregnant Tamil women are used on suicide missions. What more brutality than that?
Be it the North or South, it is time to stop hair splitting over the ethnic problem. Political parties should not absolve themselves from the process of finding a resolution to the problem. Always condemning the brutality of the LTTE will not help. Politicians must put the nation before themselves.
The All Party Conference should not look a cosmetic gesture, for parties to come, abstain or withdraw. Instead, all must join hands to exert maximum pressure on the LTTE at this point, where the LTTE looks weak, both militarily and politically. The LTTE, by its recent killings had not assured the international community of its credentials. Hence, this is the time most opportune for all political parties to speak in one voice against terrorism.

Resurgence

The resurgence of LTTE violence, in other parts of the country continues unabated, despite heavy setbacks they suffer in the battlefront. The people cannot always remind all our politicians of the need, to join hands to safeguard democracy, nation and the people. Politicians should realise that they are on a mission for the people. The crucial hour has come to speed up national reconciliation to seek peace.
Reconciliation and Peace are twin elements in a country’s process of reconstruction and development. Politicians must seek the participation of the people to achieve those goals. Politicians should not await invitations to resolve national issues. Be they in the Government or Opposition, they must rid themselves of the phobia to hide behind power, or, to come to power early. And, national crises should not be made a bait to gain political advantage.

Lasting solution

While the political tug-of-war continued among all political parties for past three decades, to find a lasting solution to the ethnic crisis, the LTTE advanced to aircraft power. Did we ever think of the need to behave in a manner that would promote the desire to eliminate terrorism, to move towards reconciliation? Are we truly doing it now? All politicians must answer these national questions.
Playing the ball to each others court had been the practice for three decades. At least now, our politicians need to act with a sense of responsibility, towards a honest response. Traversing on such a path could be discomfiting. But, political party leaders and their parties should not live on petty agendas. The Opposition has a major role to play in that direction.
All politicians must realise that the LTTE is now in utter desperation, out to destroy the lives of important individuals. It wants to bring fear to the minds of the people and drive home the point, that the country is on the brink of a division, a dream that is now far from reality.
Political leaders of today cannot behave in a manner ignorant to the obvious needs of the people. Nor should they sacrifice national needs before the Altar for political gain.
Only devotion and commitment could stop the cyclonic ill winds that blow across this nation. Having suffered for over three decades due to ruthless terrorism, the people wish to live in a land devoid of racial conflict, terror, corruption and abuse of power. Politicians are bound to lead the nation towards the reality of that noble dream.
The extremist groups of the Sinhala society must now stop demonizing the LTTE. The LTTE has miserably failed in the battle field, as well as before the international community. Extremism from any quarter does not pay dividends.
Those extremist groups must now let the Government and other political parties place their cards on the table in an open manner, that would hopefully bring about a settlement, acceptable to all, to this festering national agony. Those ‘extremists’ who stage protests and ‘scream’ as patriots, must realise that more we delay a resolution to the crisis, those who live fine would be our fortunate politicians. And, the not so fine are the unfortunate masses. If that is allowed to play, we would lack form and content in the direction towards stability as a nation.
Petty politics and the misconception of ‘man before country’, has dragged the nation into darkness over the years, since dark clouds began to hang over this thrice blessed land three decades ago. The crisis will prolong and drag us into further darkness if, both the Government and the Opposition continue to judge each other with suspicion and contempt, as they have done in the past.

The light

The people yearn to witness a process that is more responsive to humanity. Democracy must be defined to devolve power to the people, and not to satisfy the aspirations of a few politicians. People should not be destined to experience misadventures as a result of political errors.
The completion of the first decade of this century, is quite near and at hand. It’s time to create adventures that we could be proud of, and leave them for our next generation. Could our politicians rise up to that challenge in a unified manner?
If they do, the people could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then, the first century of this new millennium will no longer carry the dreadful plight of men, women and children with broken limbs and torn bodies as a result of terrorism.
Gone are the days of the Vaddukodai Resolution. It had died a natural death. Tamils do not now demand a separate state. Only the LTTE terrorists dream of separation. Many former Tamils militants have now embraced democracy. There’s no reason at present, to suspect or hate the Tamil community.
Let not await another day, to build up partnership to take this country forward towards prosperity. That is the clarion call of the people to all politicians. Only a power sharing mechanism will strengthen democracy to bury separation. Terrorism could be buried with such a noble concept.
“Unity lies in the current of blood and not in torrent of words”, said Rabindranath Tagore.(DailyNews)

Development mechanism revolutionalised, says President

Several arduous tasks presumed almost impossible and thereby abandoned in the past, have been fulfilled and accomplished successfully, within the last three years, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing a ceremony to symbolically confer 960 appointments to Cadet Officers cum English Teachers at Temple Trees yesterday.
President Rajapaksa said terrorism which was once considered invincible by certain parties who voluntarily demarcated specific regions in the North and East, and handed over to the LTTE on a platter, by written agreements, was defeated convincingly. Unemployment has been brought down to five per cent for the first time ever, he said.
Similarly he pointed out that an array of other constructive projects such as Mathata Thitha (Campaign Against Alcohol and Drugs), obtaining loans from international lending agencies sans pre-conditions, the construction of mega infrastructural development projects such as the Norochcholai and Kothmale Thermal Power Stations, were some other tasks rejected in the past, but launched successfully by the Government.
The remotest villages were developed with the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art ‘Information Technology’ such as Nena Sela and the provision of acquiring a knowledge of English, which was confined only to Western Province in the past. “A single individual who served the village in the capacity of an English teacher, has been able to transform the entire village, into a wonderful place to live in,” President Rajapaksa said.
“We have amply displayed and convinced the entire world that anything is possible and achievable with total commitment and dedication.
We have revolutionised the whole mechanism of development in the country, making a paradigm shift to transform and re juvenate the most remotest villages. This is part of a mega, integral project of village development, where 960 English teachers would be dispatched to the villages as Cadet Officers,” he said.
He told the new appointees that they received not merely an ‘appointment letter’, but in a more broader perspective, they took over a ‘Challenge’ to venture into the entire country and work for the betterment and prosperity of the future generations of this land.
“The concept of ‘border villages’ has been eliminated from our vocabulary and ground map now.
The Dushkara Palath (Difficult Areas) reference too, would be wiped out similarly,” he noted.
President Rajapaksa was of the view that physical development only, would not suffice, and an integrated approach, wherein the spiritual and moral values too are upheld and cultivated, should be adopted.
“We have a duty and the responsibility of bringing about an environment wherein a pluralistic society could co-exist and live in harmony sans fear nor suspicion.
We believe that these new appointees would perform their duties towards their motherland,” President Rajapaksa added.(DailyNews)

SC nod for TMVP leader’s entry to House

The Supreme Court yesterday refused to inquire into the rights application against the appointment of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman on the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) list to Parliament.
Petitioner Silva stated that the appointment of third respondent Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan as a Parliamentarian under the UPFA National List is arbitrary, illegal and in violation of the rights of the petitioner and the people of the country.
The petitioner stated that following the resignation of JVP National List Parliamentarian Wasantha Samarasinghe on July 1, the petitioner had nominated Sujith Priyantha Kuruvita as a National List MP to the first respondent UPFA General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha, under the MoU signed by the JVP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in January 20, 2004, that had established the UPFA to contest in the 2004 General Election.
According to the petition, the first respondent had refused to have Sujith Priyantha appointed as a JVP National List MP. Then the petitioner had re-nominated Wasantha Samarasinghe as their National List MP, unsuccessfully since the first respondent had failed to take any action with regard to the appointment of Sujith Kuruvita.
However, the petitioner stated that the respondents illegally had taken steps to appoint Muralitharan on the UPFA National List as an MP.
The petitioner was seeking to have the extraordinary gazette notification dated October 06, by the Election Commissioner appointing the third respondent as a MP, annulled.
He also sought declarations that the gazette and nomination of the third respondent is in violation of the rights of petitioner and that the petitioner is entitled to have the nominee of the JVP declared elected by the election commissioner as a member of Parliament from the UPFA.
The petitioner cited UPFA General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha, SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithreepala Sirisena, Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake and the Attorney General as respondents.(DailyNews)

Australia considering Tiger ban

Australia is considering formally declaring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a terrorist group, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday.
Visiting Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said he had asked Canberra to join countries such as Britain and the United States in taking the step against the LTTE.
“As I indicated to the Foreign Minister, that is currently under consideration by the Attorney-General,” Smith told reporters after a meeting with Bogollagama in Canberra. Smith said the Tigers were already effectively banned in Australia.
“For a considerable period of time the LTTE has effectively been listed under United Nations arrangements, that effects a freeze on LTTE assets in Australia and as a consequence (it is) unlawful for the use of LTTE assets in Australia,” he said.
Bogollagama said it was time that Australia named the Tigers as a terrorist group in a bid to help forge a political settlement with the Tamil community.
“It’s time we addressed terrorism and isolate terrorists and bring the community on board in terms of a political solution,” he told reporters. Smith said he had also raised with his counterpart Canberra’s concerns over the violence in Sri Lanka.
“Australia’s view remains that Sri Lanka’s conflict cannot be resolved through military means alone,” he said.
“All parties to the conflict must work towards a political solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans.”
Australia yesterday pledged an additional US $ 4 million over three years to improve access to primary school education for Sri Lankan children, Smith said.
Bogollagama also said the war on the LTTE will not be slowed by international financial turmoil placing pressure on the Government’s military budget. “We are coming to the final stages of taking on the LTTE.
We are quite confident our financial resources can sustain the current engagement,” Bogollagama told journalists. Bogollagama said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had no option but to continue an offensive that gathered pace earlier this year when the Government formally annulled a 2002 ceasefire, accusing the Tigers of using it to re-arm. Bogollagama is in Australia to talk about “post-conflict” Sri Lanka.(DailyNews)

Sri Lanka relies on hard drinkers to raise tax revenue

Sri Lanka's government hopes to raise an additional two billion rupees a year in tax revenue through a recent increase in excise tax, a senior treasury official said.
The tax on a litre of hard liquor has been increased by 50 rupees and on a litre of beer by 10 rupees, he told our sister news website Vimasuma.com.
The revenue from the tax hike in the remaining months of this year is expected to be around 300 million rupees, he said.
The tax hike would raise the retail price of a bottle of hard liquor by about 35 rupees.
The treasury official said the increase in retail prices could result in a fall in sales of liquor.
Nevertheless, he said, he expects an estimated 45 million litres of hard liquor to be sold this year.
The government is strapped for cash owing to rising expenditure, especially on the war against the Tamil Tigers, and on a bloated bureaucracy.
Raising revenue by taxing drinkers has long been a favourite tactic of successive governments in the island where per capita consumption of alcohol is high. (LankaBusinessonline)

Work for a lasting solution in Sri Lanka: Puthiya Tamizhagam

Political parties in the State and also at the national level must work together for a lasting solution to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka, founder-president of Puthiya Tamizhagam K. Krishnasamy told presspersons here on Monday.
“We will participate in the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai on Tuesday, as it is important that all the parties in Tamil Nadu should come together to press for a permanent solution. At the same time, we cannot merely discuss the issue and pass resolutions. The meeting must decide on some strong effort, as Tamils are fleeing Sri Lanka to save their lives,” he said.
Dr. Krishnasamy appealed to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam general secretary Vaiko to take part in the meeting, stressing unified efforts from Tamil Nadu.
The Puthiya Tamizhagam leader called for a national-level effort on Sri Lanka and regretted that an anti-Tamil caucus was at work in New Delhi.
Though he started off by demanding a political resolution of the crisis in Sri Lanka, Dr. Krishnasamy also called for a decisive intervention on the part of the Central Government, recalling what was done in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) to liberate it from Pakistan.
When pointed out that the Bangladesh example only stressed a military solution and not a political one, Dr. Krishnasamy said that he only meant a decisive step and not exactly what was done for the liberation of East Pakistan.
On the demand that the DMK quit the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre over the Sri Lankan situation, he said everything would be discussed at the all-party meeting. (TheHindu)

Sti Lanka Minister Milinda Moragoda meets Telugu Desam Party Leader Chandrababu Naidu

Minister of Tourism Mr. Milinda Moragoda met with leader of the opposition of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu in his office with the senior officials. Mr. Chandrababu Naidu is also the founder of Heritage Foods. He is currently the president of Telugu Desam Party, the second largest legislative party in Andhra Pradesh.

The two held bilateral discussions which focussed on cultural, economic and tourism issues. They agreed that further meetings between their respective officials should be held to pursue a number of areas of mutual interest. Minister Moragoda briefed on the measures taken by Sri Lanka to develop the tourism sector, with private-public sector partnerships. India he said is one of the largest markets for Sri Lanka’s tourist industry, providing around 20% of visitor arrivals.
The promotional efforts by Sri Lanka have also included the Conventions Bureau successfully approaching several leading Indian Companies, with a view to encouraging them to hold their meetings and other business related gatherings in Sri Lanka.

Tourism Ministry has encouraged contacts between the State level tourism administrations in India further strengthening collaboration in the field of tourism between their two countries. Minister Moragoda met Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the Indian state of Gujarat also in his reason visit to India and before that Ministry delegation had a bilateral agreement with the Kerala state situated at the southern part of India, on Ramayana Promotion.
- Asian Tribune -