TNA – Is It Taking The Tamils For A Ride? – Part II
Kumarathasan Rasingam
Continued from yesterday….
It is still not late for TNA to change its fruitless course for the sake of future of Tamils to ensure its existence in Sri Lanka, preventing an extinction through assimilation, It is imperative for TNA to join the voluntary protests of the people already in progress, besides mobilising protest campaigns for the other actions of the successive Sri Lankan governments like the erection of numerous Buddha statutes and constructions of Buddha Viharas where there is hardly any Buddhists, (mostly in the North and East where Hindu/Christian/Muslims are in majority and where the Chief Minister of Northern Provide is a Hindu and the Chief Minister of Eastern Province is a Muslim) solely to carve an image for Sri Lanka as a Buddhist Sinhala Country.
A mass protest campaign either sit-in or satyagraha (Gandhian style) is the need of the hour to free the lands unjustifiably and unnecessarily seized and occupied by the security forces in the North. Lest TNA would have to bear the blame of complicity in the Sinhalisiation aimed at making the Tamils as minorities resulting in serious demographic changes.
TNA is also wholeheartedly supporting the government for most of its legislations and actions when TNA must focus their attention and campaign towards the international community viewing the internationalised awareness of Tamils’ issues and grievances. First and foremost is the issue of accountability for war crimes etc.
It is worth quoting what the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis stated in her memo to State Dept in 2010. “Responsibility for many of the alleged crimes rests with the country’s senior civilian and military leadership including President Rajapaksa and his brothers and opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka” [http: Wikileaks.org Sri Lankan-President-alleged-war-html]
Secondly, TNA must pursue its election pledges with no let up particularly the setting up of a Federal system, failing which it is worth resigning the parliamentary seats and call for a renewed mandate from the Tamils to strengthen the demand.
Sri Lanka’s agenda and fate of Tamils is lucidly and accurately forecast by Gordon Weiss (Book Cage -page 227) “The evident brutality of the final phase of Sri Lanka’s war, the treatment of the civilians population, the post war militarisation, the rejection of accountability and the political refiguring of the nation imply a political objective that has little interest in the hearts and minds of those who were ‘rescued’. It suggests, instead commitment to the complete subjugation of the Tamil population by force, and an intention to sustain a grip over this restive group through terror and ethnic cleansing”. Unfortunately judging by the current trends on the ground, an astute sooth sayer might guess that the future for Sri Lanka’s Tamil citizens is bleak”. (page 224)
“Under the guise of development, the Sri Lankan Government is indeed using its Army to control the economy of Tamils majority areas, and to change the demography” (Bourke – Australia – March 2012)
“Under the guise of development, the Sri Lankan Government is indeed using its Army to control the economy of Tamils majority areas, and to change the demography” (Bourke – Australia – March 2012)
“The extinction of Tamil Tigers has once again made possible the total domination of the narrative by the state” . (Gordon Weiss – Cage Page 225)
There is little doubt the former UN Official Gordon Weiss who worked in numerous conflict and natural disaster zones – like Bosnia, Afghanistan, Darfur and Haiti, has even-handedly analysed the politics and war of Sri Lanka, and it is hoped Sri Lanka will change its destabilising and destructive course and embark on the path of justice, accountability and reconciliation sincerely and honestly with concrete actions and without empty promises and undertakings to the UN and International community.
For the time being, TNA must cease to continue the history of betrayal and breach of trust and promises staining the dignity of Tamils.
Sampanthan’s worry and concern for the survival of this Government rather than the survival of the Tamils is simply unrealistic and just poor judgement.
Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi’s [ITAK’s] latest distressing episode in relation to Chief Minister of Northern Province Wigneswaran appears to be descending in to a full scale crusade to remove a principled person who has risen like a Goliath to challenge the trio ( Sam, Sum, Mavai) of ITAK.
Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi’s [ITAK’s] latest distressing episode in relation to Chief Minister of Northern Province Wigneswaran appears to be descending in to a full scale crusade to remove a principled person who has risen like a Goliath to challenge the trio ( Sam, Sum, Mavai) of ITAK.
This is nothing but a disgusting spectacle unfolding pitting one group of Tamils against another group of Tamils even calling for Hartal to show the strength as a non-violent struggle. By these actions, the Tamil leaders have plainly, simply fallen into the divide and rule trap of government to destabilize the Northern Provincial Council and paint a picture of disunity, lack of dedication and determination to agitate for the causes of Tamils with hoards of problems facing the Tamils who are still suffering after the brutal war. It is thus unpardonable for the Tamil leaders to waste their time and energy for the sake of self-glory, power and promoting of party interests at the expense of suffering Tamils.
