Vigneswaran Vs Sampanthan
27 September 2016
TNA and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan should be commended for distancing himself from the protest agitation launched in Jaffna under the leadership of Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran to drawn the attention of the government towards the alleged grievances of the Tamil community in the North. The hartal under the theme Elunga Tamil, or “rise ye Tamils” brought to a virtual shutdown the Jaffna town. Among the grievances highlighted were the Sinhala colonization of the Tamil homeland, the need for an international investigation into atrocities committed against the Tamil people, the continued detention of Tamils under the PTA and the need for a political solution based on the federal model which recognizes the right to self determination. The CM also objected to the construction of Buddhist temples in areas in the North predominated by Tamils.
Sampanthan who disassociated himself and his party with the protest, expressed the view that they were hopeful of reaching agreement with the government on critical issues. The octogenarian politician, with the wealth of experience as a parliamentarian, who earlier was accused of being the mouthpiece of Prabhakaran it appears has come to terms with reality and is today conducting himself as a true Leader of the Opposition, acting with circumspection and good judgement taking cognizance of the sentiments of all Sri Lankans without confining himself to be the spokesman of only the Tamils of the North like his one-time predecessor A. Amirthalingam did.
Sampanthan is well aware that he is now dealing with moderate leaders at the helm of affairs and the best way to win over at least some of the demands of his people is to act likewise, with moderation, dispensing with the extremist option some of his colleagues in the TNA is wont to adopt. The Opposition Leader is also aware that in President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, they have leaders who are not Sinhala nationalist hardliners pandering to the whims of the lunatic fringe, but those who are accommodating and amenable to reason. Hence he knows the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe duo are the best bet to at least coming half away in granting the reasonable demands of the Tamils. Sampathan is only too well aware of the shabby treatment he and fellow his TNA MPs were subjected to under the former President whose primary objective was pandering to the chauvinist elements in the South. He is aware of the dilatory tactics adopted by Rajapaksa in getting a Parliament Select Committee to decide on the unit of devolution which anyway was a non starter.
Vigneswaran, for his part, should act with circumspection and good judgement. He is after all a former Supreme Court judge. He should refrain from playing into the hands of extremist elements in the South who are waiting for just such an opportunity to set the ball rolling. As UPFA General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera noted Vigneswaran is giving plenty of ammunition to the racists in the South to stir up anti Tamil feelings, which in turn would be turned into political capital by Mahinda Rajapaksa, who will not miss this opportunity to go to temples and selected Buddhist monks to apprise them of the dangers awaiting the country. Already a pro Rajapaksa television channel is in overdrive highlighting the incidents in the North, its host, in the morning programme devoted to daily newspaper accounts, giving his own twist and interpretation to events bordering on the inflammatory.
The CM should take cognizance of the fact he wouldn’t have had a chance of a snowball in hell to act so freely as he is doing now had Mahinda Rajapaksa still being the President. His demonstration would have been brutally suppressed, with the deployment of the military, even before they got started. Whatever leeway he enjoys today is due to the moderation practised by the Yahapalanaya government which is already taking heavy stick from its critics due to what they see as giving into Tamil demands. Certain provocative acts such as vandalizing of a Buddha shrine and the attack on the Sathosa lodging in Kilinochchi had not helped matters. The recent clashes at the Jaffna University where some Sinhala students were attacked during a freshers ‘induction ceremony also sent feelings high.
Of course, there may those holding moderate views and look at things dispassionately, who may ask what is wrong in people of Jaffna holding demonstrations when there are agitations of various kinds in the South, some violent, that are treated as commonplace. But those in the Southern parts tend to view all protests and agitations in the North to have the backing of separatist elements or the Tamil diaspora, rightly or wrongly. Even the violent protests in the North that followed the rape and murder of an 18-year-old schoolgirl was viewed by elements of the Joint Opposition as a sign of the resurgence of the LTTE. Hence any incident in the North is being viewed with blinkers here in the South and the Chief Minister cannot be unaware of this fact. That is all the more reason for him to act with foresight, following in the footsteps of his leader.
Sampanthan who disassociated himself and his party with the protest, expressed the view that they were hopeful of reaching agreement with the government on critical issues. The octogenarian politician, with the wealth of experience as a parliamentarian, who earlier was accused of being the mouthpiece of Prabhakaran it appears has come to terms with reality and is today conducting himself as a true Leader of the Opposition, acting with circumspection and good judgement taking cognizance of the sentiments of all Sri Lankans without confining himself to be the spokesman of only the Tamils of the North like his one-time predecessor A. Amirthalingam did.
Sampanthan is well aware that he is now dealing with moderate leaders at the helm of affairs and the best way to win over at least some of the demands of his people is to act likewise, with moderation, dispensing with the extremist option some of his colleagues in the TNA is wont to adopt. The Opposition Leader is also aware that in President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, they have leaders who are not Sinhala nationalist hardliners pandering to the whims of the lunatic fringe, but those who are accommodating and amenable to reason. Hence he knows the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe duo are the best bet to at least coming half away in granting the reasonable demands of the Tamils. Sampathan is only too well aware of the shabby treatment he and fellow his TNA MPs were subjected to under the former President whose primary objective was pandering to the chauvinist elements in the South. He is aware of the dilatory tactics adopted by Rajapaksa in getting a Parliament Select Committee to decide on the unit of devolution which anyway was a non starter.
Vigneswaran, for his part, should act with circumspection and good judgement. He is after all a former Supreme Court judge. He should refrain from playing into the hands of extremist elements in the South who are waiting for just such an opportunity to set the ball rolling. As UPFA General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera noted Vigneswaran is giving plenty of ammunition to the racists in the South to stir up anti Tamil feelings, which in turn would be turned into political capital by Mahinda Rajapaksa, who will not miss this opportunity to go to temples and selected Buddhist monks to apprise them of the dangers awaiting the country. Already a pro Rajapaksa television channel is in overdrive highlighting the incidents in the North, its host, in the morning programme devoted to daily newspaper accounts, giving his own twist and interpretation to events bordering on the inflammatory.
The CM should take cognizance of the fact he wouldn’t have had a chance of a snowball in hell to act so freely as he is doing now had Mahinda Rajapaksa still being the President. His demonstration would have been brutally suppressed, with the deployment of the military, even before they got started. Whatever leeway he enjoys today is due to the moderation practised by the Yahapalanaya government which is already taking heavy stick from its critics due to what they see as giving into Tamil demands. Certain provocative acts such as vandalizing of a Buddha shrine and the attack on the Sathosa lodging in Kilinochchi had not helped matters. The recent clashes at the Jaffna University where some Sinhala students were attacked during a freshers ‘induction ceremony also sent feelings high.
Of course, there may those holding moderate views and look at things dispassionately, who may ask what is wrong in people of Jaffna holding demonstrations when there are agitations of various kinds in the South, some violent, that are treated as commonplace. But those in the Southern parts tend to view all protests and agitations in the North to have the backing of separatist elements or the Tamil diaspora, rightly or wrongly. Even the violent protests in the North that followed the rape and murder of an 18-year-old schoolgirl was viewed by elements of the Joint Opposition as a sign of the resurgence of the LTTE. Hence any incident in the North is being viewed with blinkers here in the South and the Chief Minister cannot be unaware of this fact. That is all the more reason for him to act with foresight, following in the footsteps of his leader.
No comments:
Post a Comment