Indo-US manoeuvrings impact TNA's political future

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 April 2013, 23:30 GMT]
The sophisticated competition between the Establishments of the USA and India in winning Colombo to their side exploiting the plight of the genocide affected nation of Eezham Tamils, has resulted in divisions among the constituent parties of the Tamil National Alliance. The exploitations now revolve around the provincial council elections. Informed sources said that EPRLF Varathar-wing has been recently consulted by New Delhi. Likewise, the son of the late SJV Chelvanayakam and a son of the late A. Amirthalingam have also been consulted by India to back up the ITAK faction that has been aligning with India. Informed circles further told TamilNet that the US officials have been disappointed with the ITAK alignment with New Delhi. 

In the meantime, US officials have stepped up their engagement in Jaffna, eyeing the developments within the former High Security Zone that is being converted into a Sinhala Military Zone (SMZ). 

Protests are encouraged, but whether they would serve Tamil interests or the bargaining interests of the powers with Colombo, wonder Tamil circles in the island.

India, China and the USA have been competing to gain access to the SMZ. Sinhala militarisation of the country of Eezham Tamils is not their problem. They all want the militarisation, but who gets the benefits is their problem, commented political observers in Jaffna. 

Meanwhile, the competitions in capturing Tamil polity and in finding convenient personalities ‘to devolve power’ result in causing crisis within the TNA, news sources said.

On Saturday, one of the parties in the TNA alliance, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), led by Selvam Adaikkalanathan MP, resolved to give two weeks time for the unity efforts now being facilitated by Mannaar Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph. 

The TELO was seeking a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the future TNA, which should be a registered body, the TELO said in a statement released on Sunday. 

If the unity effort is going to fail, TELO, joining hands with EPRLF led by Suresh Premachandran, PLOTE led by T. Sitharthan and the TULF led by V. Anandasangaree would be taking steps to register the TNA, the statement further said. 

The reaction from the TELO, reflecting the sentiments of EPRLF (Suresh) wing has its origins from the arguments put forward by ITAK stalwarts that ITAK should have a dominant role in the functioning of the TNA. 

Meanwhile, informed sources told TamilNet that the four parties are to meet on Monday to discuss the future. 

At the same time, Mr. R. Sampanthan has also responded to media reports. 

“There is much speculation in the media, some of which is unfortunately mischievous in regard to dissension within the TNA,” Mr Sampanthan told the gathering at late Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam memorial event held Friday evening in Colombo, hinting at the reports that have appeared in local media.

“I wish to categorically state that there is no dissension whatever, within the TNA on any matter of policy, pertaining to the future of the Tamil people. Every constituent party of the TNA is committed to unitedly working towards a future for the Tamil people marked by equality, self-respect, dignity and the fulfilment of their legitimate aspirations. We are a political formation that functions on the principles of democracy and we are confident that all of us have the commitment and the capacity to resolve any differences pertaining to our internal matters ourselves, in a manner acceptable to all of us without playing into the hands of opponents primarily interested in damaging the future of the Tamil people”, Mr Sampanthan has claimed.

Basil wants 15,000 trainee graduates to undergo ‘leadership training’ by SL military

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 April 2013, 23:08 GMT]
SL presidential sibling and Economic ‘Development’ minister of Colombo, Basil Rajapaksa has instructed his officials to send 15,000 graduates, who were employed as ‘trainees’ under his ministry in 2012, for a 2-weeks obligatory ‘leadership training’ with the Sri Lankan military this year. As the new students to the universities who fail to attend the military programme losing their university education, the graduates employed as ‘trainees’ are at the risk of losing the opportunity for permanent employment if they refuse to attend the leadership training by the SL military, civil sources in Colombo said. 

The training for the first batch is to commence on 08 May at Oluvil, Vavuniyaa and Anuradhapura.

Followed by the trainee graduates under the SL development ministry, more than 50,000 graduates, recently employed as trainees in the public sector would be subjected to undergo the same ‘leadership’ training with the SL military. 

All the trainee graduates, except the pregnant mothers, are to be instructed to take part in the obligatory training programme, the sources further said.