Has the UNP changed its anti Tamil policy followed by its pioneers FROM 1936 by manipulating to form a pan Sinhala cabinet....!!!

Presidential Election and Tamil community

Dr. Michael Fernando

History has offered the Tamil community of this country an opportunity to contribute decisively to create a peaceful and harmonious society in Sri Lanka where the future generations will be able to coexist, enjoying our common cultural heritage the benchmark of which is in unity in diversity.

In achieving this goal, we have to understand the recent as well as past history of this country, to correct the mistakes we have committed.

Furthermore it is imperative to identify the forces that pushed the country towards a civil war that devastated Sri Lanka economically and culturally and also, to defeat those forces responsible for this human tragedy. While the whole country suffered heavily during the past five decades the Tamil population was the most affected.

Lost rights
In 1936 the pioneers of present United National Party (UNP) undermined the Leaders of the Tamil political partiers by forming a pan-Sinhala Cabinet in the State Council.

The Tamil speaking population lost their Language rights and was discriminated when Sinhala language was made the only official language in 1956 by the government of the MEP.

The young Tamil youth were victimized in the field of Education .

In the 1958 disturbances caused by the state language policy many Tamil people lost their lives and property.

After 1977 attacks against this community became a regular feature.

In 1981 the voting rights of Jaffna people were violated at the Jaffna Development Council elections as the Ministers of the UNP government themselves carried out an open vote rigging campaign.

Jaffna library
During the same year one of the most precious cultural heritages of the Tamil people, the Jaffna library, was burnt down by gangsters incited by the Ministers of the UNP A government. It was a loss not only for the Tamil culture but also was a crime against the world culture as a whole as some of these books and documents were irreplaceable

In July 1983 one of the most serious crimes against the Tamil people was committed by the forces supported by the UNP government killing thousands of Tamils and destroying their property.

Crushing opposition
After committing this crime against the Tamil population the UNP government used it as an excuse to crush the opposition political parties and its suppression of the JVP dragged the country into a spate of terror .

During the 1980s the legislation introduced by the UNP government forced the Tamil political leaders to leave the main political stream in the country paving the way for an armed struggle by a section of Tamil youth leading to a situation of civil war that devastated the country for more than 30 years.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the present leader of the UNP was a senior member of the Cabinet of the UNP government since 1977 and he cannot evade responsibility for all these crimes committed by the government against the Tamil people during this period including the 1983 holocaust.

People including Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims suffered heavily. However the destruction caused to the Tamil community as a whole and the atrocities they had to face under the LTTE rule and during the civil war was immeasurable.

Fuelled conflict
It is also a fact that the prevailing global geopolitics under the situation of cold war contributed to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

Almost all the political parties including the left parties and moderate Tamil parties have contributed to the situation of communal disharmony in the country in some way or another. The left parties were the first to understand A and admit their mistakes and rectify them.

The main political parties which were in power including the UNP tried to correct themselves, sometimes forced by the international community including India.

However no government took any interest to fully implement the Provincial Council System that was established as a solution to the ethnic conflict under Indo-Lanka agreement in 1987 when the UNP government was in power. Any political organization is susceptible to misdeeds or mistakes committed wittingly or unwittingly.

However the credibility of a political party, the main duty of which is the maintaining of law and order when a government is formed under its leadership, depends on its ability to publically admit its mistakes and to rectify them.

During the 1990s the leader of the United Front government of SLFP, LSSP, SLCP and several other groups, on behalf of the Sinhalese people publicly extended an apology to the Tamil People who suffered during the 1983 holocaust launched by a section of Sinhala people who were instigated by the ruling government at that time.

However, the United National Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna have never admitted their mistakes and declared their readiness to rectify them.

Political solution
Paradoxically, the United National Party (UNP) the political party that committed the most atrocious crimes against the Tamils of this country during the past 50 years, and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the pseudo left (no political party can be called Marxist or even leftist when it follows a chauvinistic policy) nationalist extremist party which has been opposing any political solution leading to a power sharing arrangement have formed a front and put forward an ex-army general as their common candidate. It is also well known that the JVP has followed an anti Indian policy from its inception which affected the country relations with India.

Currently one of the most important Tamil parties in the country, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), that was under LTTE control during the past several years, has come to an agreement with this front to support their candidate.

Chauvinistic policy
Has the JVP shed its chauvinistic policy and decided to agree with a power sharing arrangement that guarantee the rights of the Tamil community of the Island? If so it is a welcome change from the point of view of those who wish a just and lasting solution for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka (even if this change would be called opportunistic).

And has the UNP changed its anti Tamil policy followed by its pioneers in 1936 by manipulating to form a pan Sinhala cabinet and was carried own by the present leadership since 1977? Has General Fonseka, the presidential candidate of this front changed his anti Tamil stance expressed publicly by the latter stage of the civil war that amounts to warn the minorities including Tamil population to accept the hegemony of the Sinhala majority? ( This statement was met by a great uproar against it by all peace loving sections in the country through media and the protests made in the parliament are recorded in the Hansard too.)

Quite clear
The Tamil community, especially the intelligent followers of the TNA have to ask the above questions from their leadership.

The policies followed by the present government lead by the other candidate , president Mahinda Rajapaksa, and their strengths and weaknesses and also the potential are generally known.

It is very clear that the only way to find a solution to the problems of the Tamil people and to the ethnic problem as a whole is to unify and strengthen all forces that are genuine about creating a just society whether they are in the government or representing the opposition. Selecting a leadership with a proven anti Tamil stance just for the sake of a change is not only meaningless but also very dangerous.

There is no need to advise or canvas the Tamil community of this country regarding the use of their democratic right to vote for a candidate of their choice. The only intension of the writer is to draw attention to some of the apparent contradictions of the opposition front and its campaign

The writer is former Department of Fine Arts Head, University of Peradeniya

DAILYNEWS.LK