V.Anandasangaree  Secretary General – TULF

Hon.R.Sampanthan M.P
Leader of the opposition
Colombo.

Dear Mr. Sampanthan,

Forging unity of Tamil Parties is now your sacred duty

This is the second in the series of letters, I promised you in my last one. As usual you have not replied it. It does not matter. I repeat very firmly that I am not at all interested in gaining power and position but only interested in finding early solutions for our ethnic problem and for some other complicated issues. As a first step I request you to drop the TNA garb that is causing much confusion, and come to the ring, with clean hands. The TNA has lost its credibility due to frequent misuse of that term. It brought much luck to you and to some others but certainly not at all to the common people. They are now beginning to think that they are being cheated, after your admission to the media that the LTTE had nothing to do with the formation of the TNA. You are not unaware that the TNA was the creation of the TULF, of which you and I were Secretary General and President respectively. I alert you that the new development about the origin of the TNA,  will cause damage to the very existence of the so called Good Governance.

It is a pity that you and the ITAK members of the Alliance are not taking seriously, the pathetic situation our poor people are facing and just marking time. You convinced the people that you are their saviors representing the LTTE but you have now left in the lurch both the Tamil people and the LTTE. They were made use of by you to enter Parliament. Now ungratefully and unreasonably you are demanding that the LTTE should be tried for their war crimes, when they should be treated as minors. I wish to remind you that right from the beginning the TULF took up the position that the LTTE cadre was made use of like  weapons to fight the war which most of them joined  innocently, voluntarily   and under compulsion. They should not be treated as a conventional army.

All these years the TULF was compelled to remain silent on some of these matters fearing repercussions from your group and to avoid getting branded as a traitor to the Tamil cause when in fact all 60 years of my political carrier was devoted for the welfare of our people and the country. Things are now going out of control. The people who had full faith in you have lost their faith. The most honorable thing for you all to do, is to resign the membership of the ITAK members in the TNA, handover the TNA back to the TULF and to leave the issues facing the Tamils in the hands of the TULF that never failed in its duty to the Tamil people. We were only deprived of it by you of the TNA. I hope you will recollect how in 1983 the entire 18 Members of Parliament of the TULF resigned en-block to save the Democracy in our country, when the Government extended the term of office of Parliament by a full period of six years.

Whether you like  it or not, the TULF for your information and for the information of others declare that it will toil hard to achieve the following objectives, facing any hardships that we may have to face in the process.

1. We are determined to see that this country that will not face another war and that the TULF will go all out to prevent it, necessitating the need to maintain a small army and increase the Police force.  
2. Solicit the support of everyone, to whichever ethnic group one may belong, to cooperate in the process of eradicating any disparity that may exist among various ethnic groups and religious groups.
3. Negotiate with the Government for the unconditional release under a General Amnesty, of all those detained either for the participation or suspected involvement, in the war.
4. Release forthwith all private lands taken over by the forces during the war and after.
5. Refrain from taking over state lands for the use of the Services, close to human settlements and have them barracked at normal times.
6. Resolve the ethnic problem based on the Indian model along with the adoption of the Bill of Rights of the South African Constitution.

When there is strong opposition mounting both for the merger of the North and the East and for the establishment of Federal system of Government from various quarters, the time is now not opportune to successfully persuade the country to accept them. As an interim measure accept the Indian Model till the fear of separation is erased off from the minds of the people who are suspicious of division of the country. Powers devolved, as found in the Indian States may be acceptable to the Sri Lankan community. If adopted along with the Bill of Rights as found in the South African Constitution, almost all our problems relating to various Rights will stand resolved. I am of the opinion that if determine efforts are taken to promote good will and confidence among all section of the people, very soon the country will be in a position to adopt any form of Government with the support of everybody.

I am still unable to find out as to why you are reluctant or avoiding to meet other leaders to discuss and arrive at a solution generally and reasonably acceptable to all.  This is a compelling need under the present circumstances. Please don’t try to escape or avoid this situation.

Thanking you,

V.Anandasangaree
Secretary General – TULF