By Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan
In a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) electoral organizers meeting, President Sirisena proclaimed that he would non permit a federal province for the Tamils or merger of the North in addition to East provinces. Reportedly, he had stated that “he would own got to travel killed” earlier this happens. The presidential declaration brought a grin to my human face upwardly because it had elements of humor. However, this is non a joke. This is a serious matter.
The sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe in addition to the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa equally prime number government minister past times the President forced the United National Party (UNP) members in addition to sympathizers to experience “betrayed.” They made him president inward 2015. Some UNPers own got been using interesting terminologies to limited their offend of President Sirisena’s recent actions. These sentiments are highlighted in addition to discussed inward multiple platforms. The Tamils were already feeling betrayed because they also voted heavily for him inward Jan 2015.
Sirisena contested the presidential election equally the “man of reconciliation.” In his election manifesto, he declared, “our province is directly entering a decisive juncture inward its history. Whether the province would plough towards becoming a haven for peace, prosperity, in addition to reconciliation, or whether it would autumn into an abyss of degeneration, instability in addition to anarchy, depends on the means you, my boyfriend citizens that love our Motherland, volition human activity today (p. 9). The President’s alliance amongst the UNP in addition to his statements guaranteeing reconciliation, democracy, in addition to expert governance boosted confidence of the Tamil people.
They responded positively. For example, Sirisena received 74.42 per centum of the votes inward Jaffna (Rajapaksa 21.85%) in addition to 78.47 per centum of the votes inward Vanni districts (Rajapaksa 19.07). One could debate that without the Tamils votes, Sirisena could non own got won the presidency. The departure betwixt Rajapaksa in addition to Sirisena was exclusively well-nigh 450,000 votes. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) induced boycott, which around were calling for, would own got terms Sirisena dearly.
Did the Tamils vote for Sirisena because of love in addition to trust? Of course, not. It was an anti-Rajapaksa vote. It is imperative to depository fiscal establishment complaint that the Tamils overwhelmingly voted for Sarath Fonseka inward 2010. It is safe to assume that the Tamils would own got voted for anyone who opposed Rajapaksa inward 2015.
Nevertheless, the President owed something to the Tamils because he became president mainly (or partially) because of the Tamil votes. The President seemed grateful at the beginning. Consequently, he kept the responsibilities for national “reconciliation” nether his ministry. The authorities took pride inward the fact that the president himself was the government minister inward accuse of national integration in addition to reconciliation. Hence, this was a high priority expanse for the authorities was the argument. He proposed what was called the “national policy on reconciliation.”
Sirisena’s involvement inward national integration helped consolidate international goodwill towards the novel government. At least, around Tamils believed that the President’s involvement would Pb to tangible benefits concerning political in addition to socio-economic issues. However, non much happened inward the foremost 3 years of the yahapalana government.
Meanwhile, the President’s involvement inward Tamil issues did non final also long. He transferred the dependent area of reconciliation to Mano Ganesan when the Cabinet was reshuffled inward Apr 2018. The demoted reconciliation signaled the President’s declining involvement inward Tamil issues equally his middle was amongst Sinhala nationalists. What was to a greater extent than concerning inward this transfer was that the subject, in ane lawsuit considered paramount inward Sirisena’s agenda, was assigned to a Tamil minister. The history indicates that Tamil ministers mostly offered nationally insignificant subjects in addition to they are mostly powerless when it comes to national affairs. Despite Ganesan’s enthusiasm, it was clear that his ministry building cannot undertake transformative measures.
Therefore, the transfer of “reconciliation” to Mano Ganesan’s ministry building indicated the doom for ethnic reconciliation inward Sri Lanka. On the other hand, the transfer also indicated that Sirisena did non desire to travel involved inward Tamil issues.
It is against this backdrop, Sirisena directly says that he should own got to travel killed earlier whatever political autonomy is granted to the Tamils. It is abundantly clear that Sirisena, equally he says, volition non permit whatever concessions to the Tamils. However, my work concern is, why is he maxim this now?
Is at that topographic point an imminent danger of province becoming a federal province or is North-East beingness merged?
Absolutely not. The yahapalana authorities started what looked similar an ambitious projection to devolve might through constitutional reform. Parliament was converted into a constitutional assembly, a steering commission in addition to a number of subcommittees were formed, in addition to the subcommittees submitted their reports. And that was it. The procedure stagnated due to the South’s resistance to grant whatever concessions to the Tamils.
The TNA meekly accepted this set equally the reality, in addition to around United Tamil National Party members proceed to buttress this situation maxim to the Tamil people that constitutional reform volition decease a reality sooner rather than later. They were wittingly misleading the Tamil people when inward reality at that topographic point was absolutely no possibility of the directly defunct constitutional reform procedure to succeed. What this meant was that Tamil nationalism was working mitt inward mitt amongst Sinhala nationalism.
This is ane argue why Vigneswaran has formed his ain political party, the Tamil Makkal Koottani (TMK) in addition to he likely volition Pb a radical Tamil nationalist campaign. Vigneswaran could own got a considerable demeanor on on futurity Tamil politics.
The dot is that President Sirisena at this dot inward fourth dimension has no argue to say that he volition non permit devolution or a merger of North-East. What he is doing is appealing to the Sinhala nationalists. In other words, he is trying to role racism for electoral gains. It was this form of politics on both sides of the ethnic split that led to the vicious ethnic war.
In a way, Sirisena’s recent transition from a human being of reconciliation to a Sinhala nationalist makes sense because of his novel alliance amongst Mahinda Rajapaksa in addition to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Both of these entities are founded on Sinhala nationalist ideology. Therefore, inward gild to travel amongst them in addition to succeed, Sirisena had to travel reborn equally a Sinhala nationalist. Meanwhile, the Tamils experience that they were used similar a condom.
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