Opposition Leader Sampanthan way off the mark
True, the people’s jubilation was spontaneous, coming out as it did after 30 years of terrorism that gripped the country. But the former President prolonged this virtual siege of the Tamil community for political capital as Sampanthan knows all too well. These acts no doubt stymied any efforts at reconciliation, their consequences reflected in the January 8 Presidential election results.
by Lalith Allahakkoon
( January 15, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan has been generous in inviting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be involved in the process of the creation of a new constitution. Speaking in Parliament the Opposition Leader said that Rajapaksa who commands a national following should be part an parcel of constitution making as it would help in the reconciliation process.
The Opposition Leader couldn’t have been further off the mark. Rajapaksa’s involvement in the matter can lead to anything but reconciliation, going by the record of his treatment of minorities of this country. Reconciliation was stymied at every turn by nationalist rhetoric and the conscious action taken to humiliate and undermine the Tamils. Rajapaksa took no action to rein in his close followers who were spewing anti-minority venom day in and day out. This was in contrast to JRJ who put the brakes on Cyril Mathew.
How can one expect reconciliation from a person who banned the singing of the National Anthem in Tamil at schools and state functions in the North (the move was even opposed by Vasudeva Nanayakkara a staunch Rajapaksa ally). One recalls how Rajapaksa in the immediate afterglow of the War victory in a rather gung-ho address to Parliament expressing sentiment that clearly was a relegation of Tamils to a lower scale. Patronising words were expressed to rob the Tamils of their dignity. One also recalls the spate of celebrations that followed the war victory where Tamils were made to feel a conquered race, in the very words of Rauf Hakeem, then a Minister in the Rajapaksa Cabinet.
True, the people’s jubilation was spontaneous, coming out as it did after 30 years of terrorism that gripped the country. But the former President prolonged this virtual siege of the Tamil community for political capital as Sampanthan knows all too well. These acts no doubt stymied any efforts at reconciliation, their consequences reflected in the January 8 Presidential election results.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that never has Sri Lanka had a leader in the post-independence era who became such a polarising figure vis a vis the minorities as Mahinda Rajapaksa. Even S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who was blamed for the subsequent communal strife in this country unbent to offer federalism to the Tamils. But Rajapaksa was not willing to compromise, lest he antagonized the Sinhala nationalists that formed his constituency.
Rajapaksa began his anti-minority thrust from the word go, by engineering an election boycott in the North, thus depriving the Northern Tamils their franchise and shutting the door for the minority friendly Ranil Wickremesinghe to assume the mantle of President. Not stopping at that, he went out of his way to block greater devolution to the Tamil minority. Only lip service was paid in regard to implementation of the 13th Amendment. Rajapaksa who gave an undertaking to visiting UN Secretary General Bank- ki -Moon to even go beyond the 13th Amendment (13A plus) completely ignored this undertaking, failing even to implement the basic provisions of the 13th Amendment.
On the contrary, many hostile acts were committed against the TNA ruled Northern Provincial Council leading to the crippling of its functions. Rajapaksa persisted with retaining a Governor despite continuous requests for his removal by the Chief Minister on the grounds that the former was a military officer who was resented by the Tamils.
He also interfered in the administration of the NPC by refusing to accept the sacking by the Chief Minister of the Provincial Secretary, creating a prolonged stalemate. Sampanthan could not be unaware of Rajapaksa’s post January 8 comments at Medamulana where he claimed that he was defeated by Tigers koti mava peredduwa. This, after campaigning in the North for days soliciting the votes of these very same Tigers.
Rajapaksa’s polarising effect extended across the board to include the Muslims as well. No action was taken when saffron clad mobs went on the rampage attacking Muslim business establishments, while a powerful Rajapaksa sibling hobnobbed with the perpetrators.
Sampanthan who wants Mahinda Rajapaksa to be involved in the reconciliation process through his participation in constitution making should take stock of this record. Reconciliation should be preceded by tangible steps. It was only after President Sirisena took office that land held by the security forces were being handed back to their original owners in earnest. Demilitarization is also gathering pace with the Army vacating large swathes of the High Security Zones. There is now a genuine extension of the hand of friendship to the Tamils in the North. President Sirisena, Premier Wickremesinghe and visiting British Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth office Hugo Swire will be in Jaffna today to celebrate Thaipongal. For the first time in decades a leading Tamil politician from the North attended the country’s Independence Day celebrations, an event Sampanthan and his colleagues gave a wide birth to in the past. True, the absence of the LTTE may have prompted this. But the symbolism was glaring. This alone was a reflection of how the reconciliation process was taking shape. Rajapaksa indeed should be involved in constitution making as a former President. But he is not the right candidate to promote reconciliation.
( LalithAllahakkoon is the editor of Daily news, a daily newspaper based in Colombo, where this piece originally appeared as an editorial)
