Eastern Provincial Council
Election 2008; Golden opportunity to end Tamil and Muslim Communal politics,
wipe out LTTE terrorism from the East and to lay the foundation for
permanent National Integration.
Dr. Sudath Gunasekara
(SLAS)
President Mahanuwara Senior Citizens Movement 25.April.2008.
The present Eastern Province comprises a major part of the once prosperous
ancient Ruhunu Rata east of Mahaweli and a part of Rajarata south of
Maha Oya that falls in to Kokilai Bay north of Trincommallee. In area,
it is the second largest province next only to NCP with a very long
coastal line opened to the vast eastern sea, a heaven for tourism, and
of cause Trincommalle, famed to be the best natural harbour in the Eastern
world, dubbed as the Gibraltar of the East. With a population of about
9.75m (1981census) and an average density of 97.55 per sq km, it has
the largest extend of vacant land for future agricultural development.
This sums up the enormous potentials available within this province
for future development in agriculture, fishing, tourism aviation and
activities associated with shipping and trade.
But since this region was terrorized by the LTTE for the past two and
half decades the people of this province had to undergo enormous miseries
and hardships often paying even with their own lives. It was only with
the recently concluded liberation of the east by the present government
that these innocent people breathed a sense of freedom after a long
period of terror, murder and uncertainty.
Now that the government has decided to hold the elections for the Provincial
Council on May 10th the people of the east has got a golden opportunity
to enter the main stream of democratic process and govern their own
affairs within one state, that is Sri Lanka. This I think is the best
chance for the people of this province to eschew all parochial communal
sentiments and narrow party affiliations and demonstrate their readiness
to live as one people and to demonstrate their commitment to build a
prosperous and a united nation.
The voters of this Province have to decide on the 10th between one
of two things; that is whether they want on the one hand to go back
once again to the LTTE terror days and also pave the way for a separate
Muslim State in the east, creating room for permanent communal clashes
between Tamils and Muslims or else on the other hand protect the freedom
won by the present government for them and pave the way for a peaceful
and prosperous tomorrow for themselves and their children. If you make
the wrong decision you will be left with very little time to breath
because if your choice is no 1 most of you will end up in your graveyards.
Therefore the purpose of this brief article is to give an open message
to the people of this province as to how they should preserve the freedom
the government has won for them at very high cost, by taking the right
decision on the 10th.
As you all know there are two main camps warring for, the Eastern crown.
There is the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) supported by the
Pilleyan Group, (who have given up the bullet and choosed the ballot)
the EDP, Hela Urumaya, the break away Muslim group led by Hisbulla and
few other strong Muslim politicians like Ministers Ms Ashroff and Ataulla
who are already within the government's fold including some independent
groups who stand for democracy and national integration, on a common
platform.
Then on the other hand there is the fragile, leaderless and completely
disarrayed UNP who did not contest the Batticaloa District Local government
election but compelled to come in for this election under public humiliation,
supported by Hakeem, the Dream Prince of the Eastern Muslim Kngdom who
is trying to set fire to Muslim communal feelings in desperation. Although
there is very little in common between them every one knows that both
Ranil and Hakeem have entered in to agreements in the Vanni jungles
with the LTTE assuring them the Tamil EElAM of the North and the East
while the two of them will 'reign' in the South West and the South East
respectively, perhaps paying tax to Prabhakaran.
Hakeem has perhaps only one dream; that is to become the uncrowned
'King' of the eastern Muslim dream land. He appears to think that the
only way to achieve his goal is by riding the UNP elephant. It is a
pity that an astute man like Hakeem has failed to understand the present
miserable plight of the UNP under Ranils leadership. According to the
statement that appeared in the Lakdiva of 13th this month page 10, he
is supposed to have made ' he has come to the east this time to protect
the lost democratic rights and the voting rights of the Tamil people'
(not the Muslims). I do not think any one who knows the true character
of this man will ever believe his cunning flattery.
This reminds me of the story of the senile tiger lying inside its den
calling a she goat getting wet by rain outside the cave saying that
she might catch a cold. I do not think the people of the east are a
pack of goats to believe Hakeem's words. It is strange that he is more
concerned about the eastern Tamils than the Muslims. May be that he
has taken it for grant that all Muslims are with him. What Hakeem has
failed to understand is that the average Muslim man is more intelligent
than these communal politicians. I am sure they will never get aboard
a sinking boat.
I think the Muslims of the east know that it was neither Hakeem nor
the UNP leader (who publicly denounced and devalued the eastern victory),
who got their 75,000 acres of paddy fields back from the LTTE. They
also may know that even if Allah comes to the rescue of UNP, it cannot
win the Provincial council this time.
Although the JVP also has joined the fray, I do not want even to mention
about their presence, as it is now clear that the JVP has almost come
to a dead end, since Wimal, the man who could have sustained it, is
no more there. Very soon JVP will also go in to political oblivion just
as the LSSP and the CP did in 1950s. Therefore, other than raising some
public opinion against India, which of cause would benefits the government
I do not think they could make any impact at this election.
As I see it, what the UNP - Hakeem alliance is trying to do is to make
way for the LTTE to come back to the east. The people of the east have
to make a choice between the devil and the angel. That is whether you
revert to the LTTE days of terror, death and destruction by voting the
Ranil-Hakeem alliance or lay a foundation for communal integration,
peace and prosperity for the whole country by voting the UPFA who have
already liberated the eastern region from the LTTE and won freedom for
them. They alone are capable of developing the region with strong government
support and the support of the local people both Tamils and Muslims,
under the present conditions.
Therefore, in my opinion the people of the eastern province should
resort to the second option. Because a vote cast for the Ranil -Hakeem
Alliance will ultimately be a vote for the LTTE and that will definitely
be self destruction to the easterners imposed by themselves on them.
A victory for this Alliance will definitely be a direct victory for
the LTTE. Because every one knows that both Ranil and HAkeem have already
met them in Vanni jungles and have entered in to MOUS with them to support
the cause of Eelam.
This situation might certainly create a big problem to hard line UNPers
and Muslim Congress men. But in this crucial issue I think they should
place the country and their own well fair before blind party affiliations.
Because one must remember that parties in this country exist only for
the benefit of the party leaders and their henchmen and not the people.
The perpetuation of the Provincial council system, the preferential
vote system and the district MP system that have made representative
democracy a big mockery, and their clinging to unlimited privileges
when the masses are suffering, clearly speak of this situation.
In spite of that, why should people vote the UPFA. That is because,
as it is, only the UPFA could consolidate what is already won for you
and only it could take you to peace and prosperity. The opponents can
cry wolf saying that the UPFA will make Pilleyan the Chief Minister.
But what is the harm in doing so if his group gets a majority number
of seats. Will Rani-Hakeem alliance not appoint him as the CM if he
gets a majority? What is more is it is immaterial as to who becomes
the Chief Minister under the UPFA. Because whoever becomes the CM, he
will have to work under the general directions of the present government
within the policy frame they have declared. If he goes against government
policy the government has the power to remove him and appoint some one
else in his place. The government has very clearly stated its policy
against LTTE terrorism and also has vouched to treat all three communities
alike.
Therefore I think the people of the eastern province must make this
election an opportunity to forget their blind party affiliation, which
takes you no where, forget your ethnic identities, rise against communal
politics and lay the foundation for a united Sri Lankan nation by voting
the UPFA.
At this election they should also discard all divisive and communal
politics introduced by the colonial invaders as well as such parochial
political notions implanted by power hungry Tamil politicians since
1921 and by Muslim extremists in more recent times and begin to think
at least now as one nation - the Sri Lankan nation- I am confident that
President Rajapaksa is capable of providing that leadership to reach
this goal.
Before I conclude I must also warn the major political parties in the
south to stop fighting among themselves, and make a joint effort on
a common national agenda, to first, consolidate the status quo that
has been won, secondly, to take all measures to prevent future LTTE
infiltration and finally to ensure harmony and integration among the
different communities, that will open the doors for peace and development.
This note I think will not be complete if I do not mention a word of
warning to Pilleyan as well. If he wants to enter history as a democratic
Sri Lankan Tamil leader he should rise above communal slogans and forthwith
stop his public claims for the CM post as a Tamil. Instead he should
try to be a voice of all three communities in the east because he should
remember that the concept of the east being a mono-Tamil region is a
by-gone thing and today the presence of both Sinhalese and Muslims,
proportionately in equal numbers is an established fact. He also should
not have any hidden agenda up his sleeves.
If he wants to be the Chief Minister of the new Provincial Council
then he should clearly demonstrate that although he is a Tamil by birth,
as a politician he is a Sri Lankan representing the interests of all
communities in this country. At the same time the government may also
have to be warned in advance that its new ally Pilleyan is not allowed
to use the ballot to do what Pirapaharan could not do by the bullet.
|
