By Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne(March 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The leader of the JVP claimed that they are willing to form a government with all the willing partners of the opposition after the election. Of course, it has to be under the leadership of General Sarath Fonseka. If he is really serious, the JVP must be prepared to accept some sort of a common programme. The UNP today is in a coalition with the Muslim congress of Rauf Hakeem and Mano Ganesan’s Peoples Front. Both these parties stand for devolution of power.In the mean time, the Muslim congress has a separate agreement with the Tamil National Alliance to “defend minority rights”. Although the UNP has not come out this time with a clear committment to devolution, as a way out for the Tamil national issue, it has generally accepted that it will not go below the 13th amendment, which the UNP government has introduced in the past. On the other hand the Tamil National Alliance in its election manifesto which was released two weeks back, has proposed a federal solution based on shared sovereignty and self determination for a united North Eastern provinces.
Federal structure
According to Lakbimanews the manifesto states further that “power sharing arrangements must be established in the merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a federal structure, in a manner acceptable to the Tamil speaking Muslim people”. News item stated further that the devolution of power should be over, land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers. The TNA has stated that the Tamil People are a distinct nationality and has described the Northern and Eastern Provinces as the historical habitation of the Tamil Speaking People. Tamil people are also entitled to the right of self-determination, it added. Apparently, the manifesto called for employment generation measures, through direct foreign investment in the North and East and expanding the avenues for tertiary education for those who cannot enter Universities.
Obviously, the JVP which has not broken its ties with the Sinhala chauvinism will not be able to come closure to the UNP led opposition, if they have dealings with the TNA. Also it is not clear how Sambanthan and other leaders of the TNA are going to link up with the other side of the Indian puppet show: Mahinda regime. Only Maha Brahma and the neo Brahmins of Delhi know the intricacies of the tie up they are planning! As usual it will be a grand flop with the Tamil voters of the TNA. In the meantime the day dreaming of Anura Dissanayake also will have a similar effect on the radical vote, attracted by the rhetoric of the JVP. The most, the democratic national alliance says, about the Tamil national problem in its manifesto is, that all three languages Sinhala, Tamil and English will be made equal. What a surprise! Am I not correct to think that this was done long time back by JR Jayawardhane by his 13th amendment? In fact killers of the JVP in 88/89 were hunting us down for the support we gave for the13th amendment which brought equality of some sort in addition to the devolution and provincial council.
Principles of democracy
Today they are merciful; they agree with the old rascal JR to give equality of languages. How long it will take for this petty bourgeoisie to realize that devolution of power is one of the most important principles of democracy? Power of chauvinism is based on their opposition to devolution of power. This is the spinal cord of the dictatorial Mahinda regime. Those who are not willing to concede this truth are only bogus campaigners for democracy. The Left liberation fighters will have to march separately from such pretenders.
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