Dilrook Kannangara

It was recently reported that the President has secured the desired number of seats (150) for Constitutional change. Although there is a quantitative advantage it comes at a loss of quality. When national traitors are accomodated to get the two thirds, their anti-national demands also must be given. The calibre of these opportunists is such that they don’t anything good for the country without extorting anti-national favours from the government. Rauf Hakeem has been a traitor of the nation state of Sri Lanka all along. His MoU with the LTTE leader hit headlines. (Link – http://www.spur.asn.au/Hakeem_Prabha.jpg) In 2001 as a Minister of the weak Chandrika government, he wanted to create his own Terroristan. A year later in 2002, he met the INTERPOL wanted terrorist leader ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Parabakaran ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and signed a Memorandum of Understanding assigning LTTE the right to be the sole representative of Muslims in the North and the East. Since then every week LTTE terrorists killed innocent Muslims in the East during the early CFA time. In 2003, he took part in secret talks ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” hilariously called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”peaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ talks – with the LTTE. (Further on the story – http://www.asiantribune.com/node/1579)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He was alleged even more misconduct when his alleged paramour ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” a relative of a former UNP MP of Kalutara ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” committed suicide by self-immolation right in front of his house.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In 2007, following a LTTE attack on innocent Muslim civilians, he instigated unsuspecting people in the East to create civil disturbances and attack the STF. He whitewashed the LTTE and blamed the STF for killing a number of Muslim villagers. Many anti-Sri Lankan statements came from him. When the 2008 budget was taken up in parliament, he voted for it in the first round only to make unreasonable demands soon thereafter. His extortion attempt failed when the government flatly refuse to entertain his racist demands.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Without any shame, he now goes after the President begging this and that. Apparently, he had begged certain things from the President. Going by his character these things must be racist demands only favouring one particular race and must be rejected with contempt.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President must not try to please everyone; certainly not traitors like Hakeem. These elements bring misfortune for the entire nation. They are best handled differently, to say the least. At the last election people voted out the SLMC in favour of the UNP. Not a single SLMC MP was elected to parliament! Those who claim to be SLMC were elected from the UNP including Hakeem.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If the President is genuinely interested in the welfare of Muslims, he has enough senior, honest and wise Muslim politicians and elders around him. Alhaj AHM Fowzi and Abdul Cader are two very senior Muslim politicians who command respect of not only the Muslims but also people of other faiths too. Hasheem and Bakir Markar are two UNP stalwarts who also command respect of many. This is the calibre of gentlemen the President should be associating.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President also has a duty to disclose what was discussed with this person in secret. In a democracy, secret discussions donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t sound right. If what was secret was well and good, there is absolutely no reason to keep it secret! This further proves that what was discussed is so damn racist that it cannot be revealed to the public. If the President was trying to undermine the UNP leadership that is split over the Cader affair, it is opportunism, which will backfire. UNP should be commended for dissolving the race-based Muslim Congress in favour of a united national front.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Muslims, like others, have problems. These must be answered within a national framework that works for everyone. Government should approach Muslims directly without going through bankrupt politicians who jump from district to district to get elected. Directly addressing concerns that affect Muslims will make Hakeem irrelevant. On the other hand hoping that he will change his past and uphold Sri Lankan values is foolhardy. Even KP had to work hard to show that he is committed to the wellbeing of Sri Lanka and ensured the collapse of the LTTE’s attempts to reemerge overseas. But Hakeem has done nothing to show that he is a changed person.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Quality must come before quantity in constitution making. Otherwise the new Constitution too will lack quality – unfortunately a persistent problem in Sri Lanka.