Southern Consensus is Already
There for a Total Solution
Dilrook Kannangara
However, what some pro-LTTE groups do not understand is southern consensus
alone is enough even without any northern consensus to find a resolution
to the north-east conflict as they number about 90% of the total population.
This is the reality which is cunningly evaded by many pro-LTTE groups.
Going further, the southern consensus they seek is already there! It
has been there all along the past sixty years. Only deficiency was that
sections of the northerners were not willing to accept the vital southern
consensus. Today there exist complete agreement and consensus among
all major political parties in the south for war; a majority of Sri
Lankans support the war effort wholeheartedly. However a majority of
Sri Lankans are vehemently opposed to any form of power sharing, devolution,
decentralisation and the like to satisfy racist, racial and communalist
aspirations. The former President Chandrika tried three times to bring
in her devolution scheme in 1995, 1997 and at a grand showdown in 2000.
All these attempts were defeated by the people. Sensing a large consensus
among the masses against her ‘package’, she wrapped it up
in 1995 and 1997 as any further devolution packaging would have send
her packing! However, the 2000 showdown was unprecedented in Sri Lanka.
Officially devolution proposals were presented to the parliament amidst
wide-spread public anger, hunger strikes, trade union action across
the politically divided trade union spectrum, mass protests and a great
deal of public ill will. These proposals were burnt in parliament by
peoples’ representatives. Although it may seem excessive and rowdy,
it had wide public support outside the parliament. However, it was not
the first time southern consensus was reached against devolution/decentralisation/power
sharing and the like. In 1987 the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord was signed
amidst even more havoc and curfew. Stemming from the Accord was the
13th amendment that envisaged decentralisation which never really happened.
It was not unlucky 13 that caused it, but widespread public dissent
against the decentralisation scheme. Today the Provincial Councils have
become a white elephant and a big cost burden on the people. If only
our decision makers had listened to the people!
But this is the southern consensus after all and nothing else!
The southern consensus was also displayed vividly in 1956 when Sri Lanka
like most democratic nations selected a national language after repeated
yes votes from the people and a parliamentary bill that was passed by
a massive margin of votes. This is the southern consensus the north
must take note of.
Unfortunately some northern elements seek complete submission, silence
and surrender from the ‘south’ in order to advance their version
of the solution. It is even more unfortunate that some political elements
in the ‘south’ have also joined forces with them. What these
elements mean by ‘consensus’ is a complete submission, silence
and surrender from the ‘south’ in order to advance their version
of the ‘solution’ which is not forthcoming. All the ‘southern’
political elements that joined with these evil forces were decisively
rejected and defeated by the people. Today these political bankrupts
languish in utter defeat, hopelessness and defeatism. Why? It is because
of the strong southern consensus is working against all separatist elements!
In fact it should be appreciated that there is a sizable number of people,
militants and political entities in the North-East who identify themselves
with Sri Lankan aspirations. No solution can be given disregarding the
aspirations of those groups including the EPDP, TMVP, etc. As the LTTE
takes a heavy beating, it is expected that this type of splinter groups
will increase in number.
It is high time the international community comes to grips with this
reality. The fact is that there is a strong southern consensus for the
war, a unitary Sri Lanka and for majoritarian rule. Now it is up to
the ‘north’ to comply with that. The conflict ends there;
at least the political conflict that underlies the real conflict ends
there.
However, the conflict is sustained by a terrorist group without any
political backing of the people. Therefore the conflict per se will
not end until all the LTTE terrorists are exterminated. However, those
who howl for a southern consensus for a northern solution must appreciate
the fact that there is strong southern consensus as pointed out above.
Just because they don’t like it doesn’t mean that there is
no consensus. There is no sense in fighting it as the numbers are for
it.
The decades old conflict has entered a decisive stage. Democratic forces
are slowly but surely taking the upper hand in the war. Tamil tiger
terrorists are in disarray and their Kosovo-type Tamil Elam may never
see daylight. However, the Kosovo movement in Sri Lanka has not died
down; in fact they have become more active as the tigers take a beating.
These innocent looking separatists must understand that there is no
consensus for their Kosovo movement irrespective of their fancy pet
names like devolution, decentralisation, federalism, power sharing,
etc. Regional development has nothing to do with these fancy Kosovo
schemes. The reason for underdevelopment of the North-East is complete
anti-development approach and attitude followed by peoples’ representatives
from the north-east itself. Even before the war, they were only interested
in separatism and violence and deliberately neglected development. Therefore
relying further on them for development is a joke and a complete waste
of time, money and resources; the central government should take these
areas directly under its control and supervision and carryout development
programs as per the national development plan.
The ‘hearts and minds campaign’ in liberated areas was much
talked about in the past. Who should win and continue to win hearts
and minds of the people in liberated areas? Is it their regional governing
body or the government in Colombo? It must be the government in Colombo
that should win the hearts and minds continuously. If it was the regional
governing body and if that is inimical towards the ‘central’
government (in most likelihood it will) then that region may end up
as Kosovo anyway. On the other hand if the ‘central’ government
directly carries out development work, it will win over the people and
that is the true and meaningful integration of these former terror colonies
into Sri Lanka as before. However, no amount of work can win over everyone
and hence given the limits on resources, winning over those who are
pro-Sri Lankan only would suffice. Essentially the development program
of the north-east should strengthen the pro-Sri Lankan elements there
and cripple and destroy anti-Sri Lankan elements that simply do not
deserve to remain alive in Sri Lanka. Heaping very limited resources
upon pro and anti Sri Lankan elements alike is a strategic blunder;
hoping and praying that Tamil Elamists would become Sri Lankans by developing
them is an even bigger blunder.
Colonisation of the North and the East is a vital part of the development
process. North-East of Sri Lanka has extremely low population density
and a very large extent of arable lands, minerals and other resources.
These must be exploited by Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans for national development.
As soon as the war ends, the government must vigorously distribute these
lands to willing settlers who would be provided with adequate security
by large military garrisons that will be set-up in Vanni, etc. The services
of pro-Sri Lankan armed Tamil groups will become handy again in developing
the North-East. This is one successful way to gain sustainable northern
consensus that was evading us for so long.
Finally it is important to isolate the problem Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans
should strive to solve. The resolution must essentially benefit Sri
Lankan national interests and the interests of all Sri Lankans. Solving
only those problems faced by a particular race is not going to benefit
the other races and hence the other races should not support such an
adversarial solution. If a proposed ‘political’ solution cannot
do any tangible amount of good to the Sinhalese and Muslims vis-à-vis
the Tamils, there is no sense in supporting such a ‘solution’.
Essentially a good political solution should strengthen the pro-Sri
Lankan elements and cripple and destroy anti-Sri Lankan elements. Such
a solution will never meet resistance from the masses; it fact the masses
will compel the government to bring on such a solution in the same vigour
they rejected race-based ‘political solutions’ in the past.
There would be no need to bribe ‘peace activists’ by NGOs
and other foreign elements to put pressure on the government to come
up with a ‘political solution’; there won’t be a north
and a south as all Sri Lankans will be integrated into one nation and
pro-Tamil Elamists will be either killed or compelled to seek shelter
in Tamil Nadu. Above all, such a pro-Sri Lankan political solution will
be sustainable in wide contrast to an unpopular ‘solution’
the government may pass in parliament with extreme difficulty only to
be reversed by the next government.
The government with the integration of its military and political campaigns
should usher those who wish to be Sri Lankans to Sri Lanka and Tamil
Elamists to hell; that is the southern consensus and that is the only
viable and sustainable solution. That is exactly what a political cum
military solution in unison must accomplish. The consensus is already
there among those who call themselves Sri Lankans; and that’s all
that matter.
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