Archives

by R. Sivagnanam

The leaders of the TULF, TELO, ACTC along with Suresh Premachandra have entered into the Memorandum of Understanding among themselves and with the LTTE to contest the general elections with the sole objective of conveying one single message - "We do not matter, we are here only to tell you that the LTTE is the sole representative of the Tamils". They are contesting the elections under an umbrella organisation called the TNA.

Will they dissolve their organizations?

It is not clear from the various pronouncements made by them or by others on their behalf, whether Mr. Anandasangari and his cohorts have dissolved their organizations. In any event, if the avowed purpose of their participation in the forthcoming parliamentary elections is only to act as an errand-boy of the LTTE, there is little purpose in continuing to maintain their own organizations with such grandiose names as Tamil United Liberation Front. In that, sense the acronym TNA - the Tamil Nondescript Association - seems more appropriate.

Men with no history

At their press conference in Colombo, TNA spokesperson Smapanthan was questioned about the murder of the TULF, TELO, ACTC and the EPRLF leaders and activists, by the LTTE. The response of Mr. Sampanthan was pathetic. He said we must forget the past and think of the future. One may ask him whether he has any future at all? We are what we have stood for, what we have advocated and what we have achieved. It is our past, our history, our behaviour that distinguishes us from others. Furthermore, what we do in the future is largely determined by what we have done in the past. How we deal with other human beings in the future is often governed by how we have related to others in the past. Tigers never change their spots.

In fairness to the LTTE, they have not said that they intend to change the way they have operated before, they have not agreed to permit democratic rights to other Tamil organizations where they hold sway. Even now Mr. Sampanthan et al cannot open an office, hold a meeting or even organize a little tea party in the LTTE-controlled areas. They can only shoot their mouths in the south and the areas controlled by the government in the North and East.

Every TULF leader who has had the guts to stand up to the LTTE was killed by them leaving the yellow bellies like Anandasangari and Sampanthan to genuflect at the feet of Prabhakaran. The TELO leader Sabaratnam was killed by the LTTE in the most vile and brutal manner imaginable. That does not prevent the little men who speak in the name of TELO today to lick the boots of the self-appointed "sacred leader". Suresh Premachandran takes the cake in trying to portray himself as the true heir of Padmanabhal and the EPRLF. In one act of mass murder almost the entire leadership of EPRLF was slaughtered by the LTTE in Madras. Padmanabha was a man of great courage and vision. He would turn in his grave at the sight of Premachandra kneeling before a philistine like Prabhakaran.

What have they got in return?

What have they got in return? Have they persuaded the LTTE to stop recruiting little infants to fight their war? Alternatively, have they been able to impress on the need to stop exacting heavy taxes from the poor who live in the LTTE controlled areas? They could scarcely do that when the kappam kings like Suresh Premachandra and TELO are king pins in the TNA. Alternatively, have they told the LTTE to stop stealing all the food and medical supplies that are sent from Colombo to the people in the Vanni? Not a chance. There is not a ghost in hell's chance of Anandasangari having the guts to raise such issues, let alone persuade the LTTE to adopt some civilized standards of conduct. So, Mr. Anandasangari and company have gained very little in return, except perhaps the hope of winning a seat in Parliament and, if the LTTE permits, enjoying the perks of an MP. Already, the LTTE newspapers have warned these puppets that if they get out of line they will pay a heavy price. What a dismal sight! No doubt they will remember what happened to the Batticaloa MP Nimalathasan, who won the elections claiming that he supported the LTTE, then failed to carry out their diktats.

A fascist concept

The whole orientation of the TNA leaders is a negation of all civilized values, of democracy and pluralism. The bizarre political platform of the TNA amounts to one key demand. LTTE is the sole representative of the people. Why should there be a sole representative of any group of people? Every national and ethnic group is a conglomeration of different economic, social, cultural and political interests. The essence of democracy and pluralism is that all such groups and interests must have an opportunity to express their needs and concerns. It is the most tyrannical and fascist movements that have sought to obliterate such differences and impose a totalitarian political regime. No one has the monopoly of the truth and no one is always correct in their assessments, judgments or decisions. Tyrants do not permit criticism because they are too frightened to subject their ideas to open discussion and debate. They are scared that they may prove inadequate, illogical or simply wrong. So the very platform of the TNA is a retrogressive one and a disservice to the Tamil nation which has a rich and varied intellectual heritage. The TNA is seeking to turn the clock back to the dark days of the Middle Ages.

Any decent Tamil politician worth his salt would have stood up to the LTTE and told them that they are wrong, that their demand is an insult to the Tamil nation and that days when one man could determine the destiny of a nation by divine right has gone. But the men who lead the TNA have no guts, no backbone, no moral fibre. They are a just a bunch of wimps.

Would you vote for a Wimp? I would not.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager