“Get lost” around the corner for the TNA
Posted on February 5th, 2012
Written by Malinda Seneviratne
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is making demands from the Government. Seeking betterment is legitimate in a democracy. ThereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s nothing wrong in wanting the moon. Proposal must match grievance, however, aspirations should be reasonable and practical realities cannot be wished away.
First of all, there is the issue of territory and relevant boundaries. Arbitrarily drawn, the provincial boundaries make for claims that are ill-supported by history and demography. Tamil Chauvinism has always been thin on fact, thick on myth and fidgety when it comes to substantiation and in drawing a solid line between grievance and proposal. More than half the Tamils live outside the North and East. Vast swathes of land in the East happen to be traditional Sinhala villages and this is discounting ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”colonizationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. The TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s one time lord and master, Velupillai Prabhakaran ethnically cleansed the Jaffna Peninsula of Sinhalese and Muslims. The archaeological evidence rebels against exclusive homeland claims while place names and their Tamil corruption further compromise the Tamil chauvinistic narrative.
And yet the TNA insists that the Government must give into its demands before that party agrees to submit names to the Parliamentary Select Committee set up to hammer out a lasting solution to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the problemƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. The TNA first demanded the devolution of land and police powers and now wants fiscal powers to be added to the equation.
The TNA is not negotiating with the Government but with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the major partner in the ruling UPFA coalition. ThereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s nothing wrong in two political parties to come to agreement on any issue, but the SLFP cannot promise on behalf of the UPFA or the Government.
The TNA polled 233,190 votes at the last General Election (2.9%). The UPFA obtained 4,846,388 (60.33%). With less than 3% representational power, the TNA is essentially asking for racist control of one third the land mass and more than half the coastline. Indeed, even if one were to put aside the myth-mongering with respect to the North and East, what this less-than-three-percent bunch is determined to chart the political future of the entire country. Nothing wrong in wanting, but there is thing called sense of proportion.
What is most galling about the TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s chauvinistic posturing is the utter lack of logic in the demand. The TNA proposes ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as a non-negotiable precondition to sitting in the PSC. Now letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s assume the SLFP agrees. ThatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s a two-party agreement. If they do agree, and since the SLFP is the major party in the coalition, then why bother wasting time with a PSC? In effect the TNA, even as it says that it has not rejected the option of thrashing things out in the PSC, it has rejected the idea.
Here are some more numbers that tell a story. The UPFA secured 144 out of the 225 seats (64%) and has since won over enough MPs to have a two-thirds majority in Parliament. The TNA has 14 seats (6.2%). The composition of the PSC gives the UPFA only a little more than a 50% share of representational voice.
This country doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t belong to the SLFP or the TNA. If any changes in the institutional arrangement are required, such proposals have to be debated in and approved by the Parliament. Proposals hammered out at a PSC made of all political parties has far greater chance of translating into a legislated reality than agreements between two political parties.
The TNA needs to understand where cart and horse should be, relative to one another. Today, the TNA is using the same pernicious ruse adopted by pro-LTTE operators pretending to be peace-makers. Having determined that federalism (if not secession) is the non-negotiable and only ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, they proposed dialogue to negotiate ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”settlementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. Dialogue must include consideration of all claims pertaining to grievances and all aspirations (located within realistic frames). Positing end-point as starting point smacks of political brinkmanship.
ThereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s only one thing that the TNA needs to understand: what Prabhakaran could not secure in 30 years of terrorism, his yes-boys will not get on a silver platter. The TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s insistence of walking the chauvinist path is likely to test the patience of Sinhalese who have had enough of myth-mongering and wails whose volume is not consistent with nature of wound.
The TNA can walk the world and state their lie as loud as it wants. Sooner or later it will meet a person called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Vast MajortyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and that will be on Sri Lankan soil. I wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be surprised if that individual will look the TNA in the eye and say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Enough!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Get lostƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is around the corner, the TNA should take note.
[Published in ‘The Nation’ of February 4, 2012]
Written by Malinda Seneviratne
February 5th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
“With less than 3% representational power, the TNA is essentially asking for racist control of one third the land mass and more than half the coastline.”
This is exactly the racist sakk*liyar thinking of Jaffna Tamils. They think this is FAIR and they DESERVE it.
It is time ALL SLs in one voice tell to this 2.9% who consider themselves “ELITE” of the Tamil community to GET LOST.
Saying it alone won’t work. They must be MADE TO UNDERSTAND it by removing their excess power by putting other Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese in charge of them.
February 6th, 2012 at 3:23 am
I cannot understand why no one has taken the initiative to organise a mass uprising against the TNA without causing injury to any one or damage to material. The people have long suffered from the ceaseless comedy of these « jokers ». It is time to put a stop the pranks of this terrorist residue- the Tamil National Alliance.
February 6th, 2012 at 6:02 am
It is not for GoSL alone to decide on TNA demands. It is ‘We the People of Lanka’, in this Democracy to decide on TNA demands and other issues of national importance where the Security and wellbeing of the citizens are at stake. it is high time new & better practices in Democracy came to this land, and a Referendum be held on issues of national importance.
If JRJ held a Referendum as should have been done, the 13-A would never have come into fruition.
February 6th, 2012 at 7:42 am
MR’s home grown solution declared at the independance day celebrations at Anuradhapura is supposed to be the chilling news to the racists, terrorists and seperatist TNA. No seperate ethnic regions in Sri Lanka. One country for all Sri Lankans. Well said and well done MR.
February 6th, 2012 at 8:09 am
The TNA is 3%. But the wealthy Colombo Tamils Maharaja, their mdeia), as well as the Sunday-Leader types, and even wealthier Diaspora Tamils back them. So, their financial clout is not 3% but more like 30% inside the country, and 70% outside the country. Various NGOs like Center for Policy alternatives have always pushed the same agenda as the TNA.
You you can’t kick them out. You need to DIVIDE the TNA. The first step should be to SPLIT the Northen province in to Mannar Province with some Sinhalese areas upto Kalpitiya included so that electorally it becomes more useful to us. Similarly Trincomalee area should be made into a separate province with some of the near by sinhala areas included in it. Jaffna and Vanni should also be divided so that the jaffna politicians and Vanni politicians have to argue with each other for goodies.
February 6th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Brahmin is quite right.
“The TNA is 3%. But the wealthy Colombo Tamils Maharaja, their mdeia), as well as the Sunday-Leader types, and even wealthier Diaspora Tamils back them. So, their financial clout is not 3% but more like 30% inside the country, and 70% outside the country.”
Also agree with his idea of DIVIDING the NP and northern part of EP (and as a result the TNA).
Confiscating Maharaja and other violators of the 6th amendment will wipe out their 30% financial support base.