Ettappans And Don Quixotes In Sri Lankan Tamil Politics
Wigneswaran
One must despair about the destiny of the Tamils of Sri Lanka when one reads the words of a Ranawake, Wimalawansa or a Mahindapala or a Seneviratne, or a Peiris and Amerasekere and Gunasekere,or one or other of various Silvas and even Ratnajeevan Hoole—not to speak of the internet commentators of doubtful wisdom or insight.
One must however feel a sense of despair too when one reads the outpourings of certain members of the overseas Tamil community with grandiose titles that they have given themselves and their fellow travelers. Reading the words of these overseas cabals one feels that the Tamils of Sri Lanka should worry more about the Don Quixotes among them rather than the Ettappans. In Cervantes’s masterpiece the good Don imagines himself a knight and engages in various fantasy activities including seeking a duel with a windmill.
The late lamented leaders of the ITAK used to describe those who disagreed with them with words like these on public plat forms and look where it took them. Some of their fanatical followers took them at their word and in the end turned on them and too. Some of their latter day followers are too ready to fix these labels of traitor and Ettappan on those who disagree with them and have a different agenda for the Tamils. The latest exercise of this form of labeling is from “Diaspora Tamil Activist“. He compares Justice Wignesavaran with a certain traitor and then puts forth certain proposals that any Tamil chief minister should follow. He wants the CM to ask the international community to investigate the conduct of the Sri Lankan Army and the Sri Lankan state for war crimes and to have Sri Lanka condemned in international councils. Read More
Basil, Wigneswaran And Trust Building For Reconciliation!
Austin Fernando
‘Trust’ is defined as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Therefore, to consider trust as the closest relative one has, is right.
This definition is reminded as two politicians from the Government and the Opposition, worrying over trust has revealed “the extent to which absence of trust remains an obstacle to ethnic reconciliation in Sri Lanka.” (The Hindu reporting Minister Basil Rajapaksa), while concomitantly the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister (CM) Candidate- former Supreme Court Judge CV Wigneswaran- has told media (Lakna Paranamanna in Daily Mirror) that he firmly believed “trust can be built through mutual understanding.”
The Minister has reiterated his heightened mistrust on devolution saying “Sri Lanka would never risk a provincial government forming its own “army” through devolved police powers (PP).” Yes, it could happen only if the government does not implement powers clearly demarcated in the Reserved List and some powers in Appendix II and if NPC blocks implementation by some means. Distrust emerges again!
There had been pro-government politicians commenting that sharing land and PP to the Provincial Councils (PCs) would lead to separation. Is it jockeying distrust? Minister Rajapaksa has been charitable by dropping land powers – not mentioning even once- in his presentation. Did he mean that land powers were already devolved? Or, is he silently distrusts such finality? May be, ignoring Appendix II, he considers that the National Land Commission has to fulfill its functions consonantly with List II – “National Policy on all Subjects and Functions”.
