Sampanthan attacked by Sinhala chauvinists and Tamil nationalists

By Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne-2018-03-01

Rajavarothayam Sampanthan has been attacked from two extremes. Firstly, by the Sinhala chauvinists who warn him as Prabhakaran in disguise; secondly by Tamil nationalists who claim that Sampanthan is stabilizing an impotent Sinhala regime. However, the Leader of the Opposition describes their campaign, 'I want to put on record that my Party at this Election, in our manifesto, talked of a political solution within the framework of an undivided, indivisible, single country.

There was no campaign carried on, in anyway, in the North and the East which talked of division of the country. We only talked of a solution that is acceptable to our people - that is reasonable and substantial power-sharing within the framework of a united, undivided, indivisible single country.' So the situation is clear. While Tamil leaders campaign for a single country lotus bud bearers shout: "The Eelam bud that is. What is power-sharing if not Federalism? What is Power-sharing without talking of history, demography and geography if not devious machinations for land theft based on a myth-model? What is 'substantial' in this context if it is not a legitimating of a lie in its extrapolation?"

Sampanthan has however, placed the real deal on the table. He's not playing politics-of-the-moment.
He is not indulging in conveniences. He is speaking the truth of the Eelam bud. Mahinda uses phrases such as 'substantial devolution' or 'maximum devolution' in a context where Tamils have identified the territory of 'historical homeland' on lines drawn by the history of Jaffna kingdom and bitter struggles since the 13th century. Such words are tossed around in ridicule, in a context of a painfully identified legitimate history; a refusal to peruse real evidence to back claims, blood spilled, tears shed. In addition fascistic mockery says:

"Let's get this straight. Sampanthan and the Eelamists, now in defence mode and in reduced circumstances following the military rout of the LTTE, are indulging in federalist talk. Federalism is about territories with distinct peoples voluntarily coming together.

It naturally implies that having come together, any of the entities thus 'united' (another problematic word used by Sampanthan and his ilk) can voluntarily choose to go it alone. This is the bud. This is the rub. This is the bud that the federalists in the
business of constitutional reform are carefully and surreptitiously watering and fertilizing. Rajapaksa, because of his careless, ill-advised uttering, has no moral authority to cry foul over Eelam-budding, but that does not mean people need not be concerned about it. After all, when G.G. Ponnambalam was spouting communalism, few would have thought that the 50-50 bud would bloom into a rabid terrorist outfit like the LTTE which would reduce people like Sampanthan into choirboys and cheerleaders.

The Rajapaksa camp, then, does not have the moral right to raise fears over an Eelam-bud, but it does not follow that the fears expressed are without basis. He cannot talk, but others can and must. They must because Sampanthan has clearly reiterated that there is an Eelam bud and because the entire constitutional reform project is run by lackeys of the bud-blooming project. Most importantly, they have demonstrated their utter lack of integrity in 'processes' by refusing to enumerate grievances and by refusing to consider undeniable historical, demographic and geographical factors. It has been reduced to a process of predetermining telos and constructing conditions and modeling myths to obtain that end point. As long as the Eelam-bud exists, then it will be named as such, Sampanthan should understand this. Just because someone doesn't have a moral right to call it such does not mean it does not exist. Sure, various people can nurture it, but the principal gardener is the federalist.Sampanthan, if you want to put a name to it."

This description of the Leader of the Opposition by fascistic clowns, before long, will end up in the dustbin of history.