The Chief Minister of Northern province Justice CV Wigneswaran has cast his thoughts over what he regards as significant in consolidating the future road map of Tamils in the island. Tamil leadership should realise the futility of collaborationist politics and focus on a rights oriented struggle with a positive outlook, he said. Describing the strengths, he emphasized the cooperation with Tamil diaspora, support of Tamil Nadu, stepping up global pressure on the SL Establishment, increased solidarity with Sinhalese who understand the concerns of Tamils, and the last but not the least, the edification of Sinhala masses on the real share, history and the ownership stake of Tamils to the traditional homeland in the North-East. He was also seeking attitudinal change among the upper echelons of the Tamil society. The Tamil leaders are trapped into a collaborationist politics, which would not deliver anything tangible, Justice Wigneswaran said.
The following is the translated summary of the content, which was originally formulated as question and answer in Tamil and sent to the press on Sunday:
Tamils are facing existential threat in the North-East.
The Sinhala political and religious leaders have succumbed to the illusion that any attempt towards sharing political power with other peoples in the island would tantamount to the annihilation of Sinhala Buddhists as a race in the island. This is why they want to retain absolute political power at their hands.
Their thinking is that Tamils should either be accustomed to slavery under their system of rule or leave the island and join Tamils in Tamil Nadu in South India [if they want political rights].
The persistent denial on political power sharing seems to be the political philosophy of Sinhala political and religious leaders.
From time to time, they come up with some promises, and they have a habit of backtrack on these promises. Giving promises to backtrack on them later is a polished tactic of advancing their political philosophy.
What happened to Banda - Chelva Pact and Dudley Chelva Pact, recurred in the case of the nullification of merged North-East after 18 years of it’s de jure existence.
The Sinhala polity in the South is even sitting on the devolved powers [to the provincial council] under the existing laws.
Eight years have elapsed after the end of war. But, the Prevention of Terrorism Act has not been revoked.
What can you expect from those who have not been able to deliver even this simple gesture?
And, what has happened to the promises given by the SL State to the international community [at the human rights council]?
There is no use of expecting anything tangible to be delivered by them in a magnanimous manner. The collaborationist politics, which is being practiced by the Tamil leaders, will not work.
The Tamil leaders cannot be so uninformed on the realities of the persistent denial, which the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence Mr Pablo de Greiff was able to witness.
How come the Tamil leaders who know what should be drafted as the content of our political manifesto during the times of elections, did not know this reality? How do they succumb to the collaborationist politics aftermath the elections?
It is therefore paramount that the people understand that the Tamil struggle could only be advanced through a righteous struggle-centric approach.
With this realisation, the Tamil-speaking peoples in the North-East, Up-country and South should rally around a unified polity.
When the Tsunami hit our island, the Tigers and the SL military responded in a united manner for some days. Similarly, all the Tamil-speaking people should unite realising the looming existential threat.
This unity should not be based on a [negative] thinking, which is opposed to the Sinhalese. The unity should be based on advancing the interests of the Tamil-speaking people in a positive manner.
Secondly, cooperation between the Tamil diaspora and the Tamil polity in the homeland is an important factor.
Thirdly, it is vital to harness the support of South Indian Tamils.
When we put forward our demands in a joint manner at the international arena, these would have to be honoured by the international community.
Our attention should be drawn to expose the myths and establish the facts among the Sinhala people enlightening them on how the history has been twisted by the extremist Sinhala Buddhist sections.
It is of greater significance to inform and educate the Sinhala masses to make them realise that the Buddhist remains in the North-East are in fact traces of Buddhism that prevailed among the Tamils in the past and not the traces of a Sinhala Buddhist population in the North-East as they tend to imagine.
At the same time, international pressure [on the SL establishment] should be stepped up. We should be sharp in asserting the rights provided by the international legal framework.
In addition, there needs to be a consolidated collaboration with the sections of the Sinhalese who are supportive towards our cause.
It is time to shed competing interests and focus towards greater unity.
Particularly, those sections claiming to be upper echelons among the Tamil society need to embrace egalitarianism and change their attitude towards greater inclusiveness for the betterment of the larger society.
