A Federal System Means a Tamil Nadu in Sri Lanka

By Thomas Johnpulle

(February 05, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The naked reality of Indian federalism can be seen from Tamil Nadu. It is terrifying on one hand and kind of outlandish on the other. India has been a federal country. But unlike many other federal countries in the world, its federal boundaries run along racial lines. Nothing much has happened over the years in terms of colonisation of Tamil Nadu by non-Tamils. Over 95% of India’s Tamils still live in Tamil Nadu and over 95% of those who are living in Tamil Nadu are Tamils! There are many freedom struggles across India based on race. Development has done little or nothing to take away separatism.

However, India with its third largest army and the largest paramilitary force in the world has managed to keep separatists under check. When compared to the wealth of the LTTE, India’s separatist fighters are penniless. Tamil Nadu had its own separatist struggle before 1962. It failed owing to many reasons, most importantly thanks to anti-separatism legislation. But the flame of separation has not died. Their desire to be a separate nation is channelled to sympathy for the Tamil Elam struggle across the Palk Strait. At least two Tamils have committed suicide showing support to the ‘liberation struggle’ in Sri Lanka and at least two more have attempted it within the space of a few days.

Open Support for Tamil Elam and LTTE

Most Tamil Nadu political parties support Tamil Elam and the LTTE to various degrees. They have done their share to please the LTTE. This is exactly what will happen in Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka if anything similar to Tamil Nadu is created without proper ethnic integration.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuwel Karunanidhi played a number of antics until the Sri Lankan Army Commander’s comments brought him to his senses. Thirumavalavan also showed what he can do with a four day fast unto death! Vaiko used his eloquent nonsense to make his presence felt. These are the type of politicians Sri Lanka will have if a Tamil Nadu is created here.

Given the massive support for the Tamil Elam struggle from Tamil Nadu, one can only imagine the support a local Tamil Nadu will have for it. Therefore when a federal structure creates a Tamil Nadu equivalent in Sri Lanka, federations on both sides of the Palk Strait will be on fire demanding Tamil Elam in one voice.

Rulers of Sri Lanka should not be carried away by petty assurances given by their close associates who are either running regional administrations in the north-east at the moment or tipped to become administrators in the near future. The period of honeymoon won’t last long. Their camaraderie is only with the incumbent President and no sooner he leaves office, hell will break out.

The outcome of regional elections immediately following military victories cannot be considered representative of ground realities. But as time passes by, seeds of separatism will again germinate as before. They have almost a century-old divisive/racial political infrastructure to build on.

LTTE – a political affair

Nothing about the LTTE is a political affair in Central India. LTTE ban that was imposed in 1992 continued regardless of who was in power. However, in Sri Lanka the LTTE ban has been a political affair. It was imposed in 1998 by the PA government and within just months after UNP assumed office the ban was lifted in 2002 only to be reimposed by the UPFA government. Political parties made agreements with the LTTE in the lead up to crucial elections in 1989, 1994, 2001 and possibly 2004 and 2005. In simple words main political parties made alliances with the LTTE in all national elections after 1983. If this is the plight of the national political parties, the plight of regional political parties in the north-east will be much worse. They will have to please the remains of the LTTE, its still functioning overseas branches, its ancillary organisations in Canada, UK, Singapore, etc.

Eventually regional administrations in the north-east will become puppets of overseas LTTE branches.

It was reported that the Tamil Nadu police was after troublemakers who caused havoc in the name of supporting Tamil Elam. Police did a good job in quelling trouble. However, in Sri Lanka this will not happen. The police will be either under the regional administration or the central administration. Or it may be torn between the two! In any case the police will be serving its political masters. As a result if a Tamil Nadu equivalent is created in Sri Lanka, its police will be no more than legitimised rebels.

Racial politics

Race-based political parties only care about the people of its race; they don’t pay any attention to others. If a representative from another community is included in their party, he would be just a yesman. Examples are All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Singhala Maka Sabhai, Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi, Tamil United Liberation Front, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (registered in 1989), Tamil National Alliance, Muslim Congress, Sihala Urumaya, Hela Urumaya and Sinhalaye Maha Sammatha Boomiputhraya Party. In wide contrast national political parties are concerned about a wide section of the population irrespective of race.

When two race-based political parties compete with each other, the party that is seen as most racist wins because race is the main criteria and the reason for the parties’ existence. Unfortunately this is what happened in north-east politics ever since 1931. A gradual descend is seen from the ACTC to TNA. ACTC was with the 1947 elect government in most part of its existence. Its successor, ITAK, joined with the governing coalition for a shorter span of its existence. TULF and TNA were worse and showed no co-operation whatsoever and the latter being the worse of the two. As explained above this gradual descend into total tribalism is the outcome of competition between two or more race-based parties.

Without a doubt the northern region and the eastern region will be dominated by race-based parties in time to come when the heat of the military victory dies down. That was how these regions have always been! Then it will be much worse than all the above mentioned parties combined. Please note that none of the above mentioned parties had any instrument or establishment to govern at will. In a federal structure or reasonably autonomous structure, these parties will have a large territory and sufficient powers to play with. The outcome will be calamitous.

To make things worse they will influence the central government as well. Their support in forming a ruling coalition in parliament would be crucial and their co-operation would be on condition of support to their agendas. At Presidential elections, they can shut out the voters if they so desire altering the outcome. Like in Tamil Nadu they will flex the muscle to get what they want from the central government. Although the Indian central government, especially the Indian Prime Minister stood firm, Sri Lanka will never have politicians of that calibre!

Racial Federalism

The Northern Province is a Tamil only region after the LTTE succeeded in a double genocide by 1990. If a federal structure is created either along provincial boundaries or racial boundaries, it is ‘racial federalism’ we are talking about. This is not going to solve the ethnic problem. In fact it will only aggravate it by further isolating communities.

Culturally the Northern region will be with Tamil Nadu, not Sri Lanka; spiritually it will be with Tamil Nadu, not Sri Lanka; politically it will be with Tamil Nadu, not Sri Lanka (the sheer number of visits our northern politicians made to Tamil Nadu explains this); economically it will be torn between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka (especially when thriving trade between the two ‘states’ recommences after the war). Clearly the Northern region will be in most part aligned with Tamil Nadu, India than Sri Lanka!

Is this what the people of Sri Lanka (irrespective of race) want? They have shown otherwise by vehemently rejecting federalism; even toned down versions. Governments had to risk their very existence trying to push these ‘solutions’. As the (political not racial) majority do not support them, they will never succeed on the ground. Forcing federalism (or toned downed versions) on the people under curfew, under siege from a foreign army, under threat of sanctions or any other compulsion will only make it worse.

Another big confusion is about ‘who needs a solution’; should it be Sri Lankans or Tamils? If it is Tamils, and not all Sri Lankans, then there is little justification for non-Tamils to agree on such a solution. It is as simple as that. When 20 million people are craving for solutions to their problems, only solving the problems of Tamils while the others are still hungry and craving, will lead to commotions, if not war.

As long as some proponents of ‘political’ solutions fail to grasp this reality, there cannot be a political solution which means either the parties must battle it out or live with it.

The Right Solution

The right solution should defeat racism, separatism and block the avenues of another potential uprising. As long as the North remains mono-ethnic, race-based politics will rule it as it did from 1931 to this date. This is the ideal breeding ground of racism, separatism and terrorism. In fact the north was the only place race-based politics thrived most. Most separatist leaders emerged from the North and without a doubt according to the Mahaveer listing of the LTTE, most fighters also came from the mono-ethnic North! This is no coincident.

The only way is to ethnically integrate the North as any other province. There is a huge added economic advantage too. There are hundreds of thousands of hectares of arable land and hundreds of kilometres of coastline that offers gainful employment to the farming and fishing communities that are crammed into an unsustainably small area at the moment. Once a thriving economy shared by Sinhalas, Tamils and Muslims is created in the north which in turn benefits the country, the country will be inseparably bound to the north and vice versa. It will also change the mono-ethnic North into a bubbling multiethnic community where race is no longer a political tool.

The North will be as diverse, colourful and beautiful as the National Flag leaving no room for separatism. How can separatists claim it as Tamil homeland (or part of it), if Tamils are only one part of its community?

As a by-product, it will also rubbish the Tamil homelands concept which stood in the way of ethnic integration for over 80 years.

However, the separate Tamil cultural and religious identities must be kept as they are. There is no justification for a dilution of the unique Tamil culture in the name of integration. Separate Tamil political aspirations would disappear in favour of national aspirations.-Sri Lanka Guardian