TMVP breaks its long silence on infighting

By: N Srikanthan

(October, 24, London, Sri Lanka Guardian)The Tamil Makkal Viduthali Puligal (TMVP) has at last responded to the widely reported news about a leadership crisis facing their party. TMVP (headed by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan known as Karuna) in a written statement sent following direct contact with their office in Batticaloa, categorically denied any infighting in their party. The statement ridiculed that certain vested interests are carrying out a ‘hate campaign’ against them and further stated that these ‘elements and their paid agents operating from overseas have embarked on a negative campaign and they will find it hard to defend their campaign when truth takes precedent and their efforts reaches exhaustion’.

Full text of TMVP statement is reproduced below.

‘Polit-bureau of the Tamil Makkal Veduthalai Puligal (TMVP), wish to respond to the scandalous campaign let loose in certain media for the past few weeks by certain elements with ulterior motives to discredit our organisation and our leaders.

‘Some power hungry Tamil political leaders based in Colombo are using their political influence to carry out a systematic campaign to publish news that our leadership is in crisis.

‘We wish to state, our political and military command structures have not gone through any changes as reported in the media and we are continuing with our work without any reported internal difficulties.

‘TMVP note the present hate campaign of the vested interests with interest than concern. We feel these politically bankrupt elements (names withheld to avoid hurt and adverse publicity to those concerned) are attempting to enter the political theatre in the Tamil areas on the peaceful foundation laid by the TMVP, which is continuing to sacrifice heavily to bring about a peaceful life for our people. Even a tiny proportion of what TMVP had achieved within a short space of time has not been achieved by these singular leaders in any part of island they claim to represent. They lack the political charisma or even the will or backing of the people to create such situations.

‘TMVP firmly asserts that it will not succumb to the treacherous campaigns of these elements and wish to advise the concerned elements that they are only making their future political ambitions difficult by their degrading and nefarious campaign against our organisation, which is done with the intention to get a foothold in the areas they could not have ever entered without the TMVP’s achievements so far.

‘The degrading campaign of these selfish vested interests will only help the anti-social Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to enter the progressively democratising and peaceful areas in the east to create mayhem.

‘These elements have no better things to do, than focussing with the ulterior motives to destabilise the peaceful areas liberated by us. Their current effort is the extension of their ongoing campaign to discredit us internationally on various foul charges.

‘These elements and their paid agents operating from overseas have embarked on a negative campaign and they will find it hard to defend their campaign when truth takes precedent and their efforts reaches exhaustion.

‘We appeal to these elements to refrain from carrying out their foolish campaign against us, as it will only cause long term damage to liberate our people from the tyranny of the LTTE. The unnecessary campaign carried out by these elements will only hinder the process to infuse the democratic culture that is needed for the Tamils to play their participatory politics in Sri Lanka.

‘We also appeal to the media to verify any news about us without taking sides and propping up these vested elements.