All We Want Is Peace – Sivakkolunthu Agilathas
by Thushari Nathaniel-Thursday, August 11, 2016
Northern Provincial Councillor (NPC) Sivakkolunthu Agilathas claims that the Northern people are not in the least interested in protests and demonstrations to topple the government. He further said the new good governance regime have not been given the space to make a difference in the country. In an interview with The Sunday Leader he said that reconciliation should be a two-way street. He went on saying that although he was a Tamil from the North, he was saddened to see the Tamil people wanting benefits from the government, yet slandering people of the south the moment they (Tamil people) have received what they want. This, he said, should not be promoted if true reconciliation is to happen.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
Q: What is your view on Jana Satana Paada Yathra that the Joint Opposition staged?
A: As far as the Tamil people are concerned, no one cares about these protests. I think that staging these paada yathras will serve no purpose. This will not provide solutions to any of the issues that the people are facing now. The SLFP and the UNP are jointly in this government now; so, they should put aside the minor differences and try to work together to take this country forward. There is no purpose in one party trying to bring down the other at every opportunity they get.
The people now enjoy complete freedom. Hence, this sort of activities should not be done. All of us must try to support the government and allow them to serve the country better in their period. They have been elected by the people and others should respect that decision and give them the space to carry on their services during this period.
Q: There are allegations that the Joint Opposition Paada Yathra behaved unacceptably in front of the SLFP office and also condemned the President. What do you think of this behaviour?
A: That was very wrong. Even if a principle is changed at a school and appointed a new, its children have to study under the new principle. Similarly, even though the head of the SLFP has changed, its members should have had some respect for the party. Shouting slogans and hooting in front of the SLFP office is not acceptable, we cannot condone it.
Q: Some NPC members too are criticizing the government. They feel that they have failed the Tamil people. Do you agree with this claim?
A: No. I believe that the government under President Maithripala Sirisena has done a commendable job so far. Nothing can be done overnight. We all have to give this government enough time to deliver on their promises. We cannot expect instant results. The president is laying the foundation for long-term benefits, and we will only be able to reap them in the future. So, we need to be patient and help this government take forward their plans, instead of trying to destabilise them at every turn.
Q: This is not the view of the entire NPC. TNA too believes that the government has failed the Tamil people. What is your view on their claim?
A: No, I don’t agree. Even TNA expects the government to resolve all the issues within three months, which is impossible. Also expecting so is unrealistic. We cannot expect solutions to problems that have been festering for the past 30 years in just one year. We need to give the central government enough time to resolve these issues.
Q: Recent incident at Jaffna University raised concerns amongst people that racial tensions were still quite evident despite efforts made for reconciliation. What is your view on this development?
A: I think that was ignited by some political hand. I admit that there were some shortcomings on the part of the administration. They had not programmed the agenda properly.
I don’t see any harm in allowing Kandyan dancers to perform at Jaffna University. Tamil dances are performed in the south regularly and the Sinhalese people have no issue with them. So, I don’t think that the Tamils should have any concerns or objections to a Sinhala dance being performed in Jaffna.
We need to put aside all these racial thoughts and try to live in this country as Sri Lankans irrespective of our race or religion. Not only the Tamils, but the Sinhalese also have their own culture and they (Tamil people) should respect that right.
This was a minor incident and it should not have been blown out of proportion. The new NPC governor is doing a great job, and we are very happy with his efforts. We as Tamils cannot only expect benefits from the Sinhalese people and then treat them badly. We too must learn to accept them and be more understanding. Reconciliation should work both ways and cannot only be restricted to the Sinhalese. We Tamils should also make an effort.
Even the Tamil newspapers in Jaffna exaggerated the whole issue.
Q: What is your view on the military presence in the North?
A: The people in the North are not demanding for the removal of the military in the North; it’s the politicians that want the removal. During floods and even during the tsunami and beyond, we wanted the military to come and help us. However, when the Tamil politicians poison people’s mind of the North, they demand that the military be removed. This is unfair. Just as we take their help, we should also be grateful to them and treat them well.
In fact, the military now does not come out of the camps. Now there are lots of incidents taking place here because local boys are out of control. If not for the military, these locals will steal most of the Tamil people’s jewellery and valuables. This situation is controlled to some extent only because of the military presence. The people are now beginning to understand the truth.
They want to live in harmony, but TNA is instigating hatred. The Tamil people want to live peacefully with the rest of the country. We have suffered enough due to the war and now all we want is peace.
