9 February, 2025

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Logic Behind The Actions & Politics Of The NPC

By Mylvaganam Sooriasegaram

Mylvaganam Sooriasegaram

Mylvaganam Sooriasegaram

It is essential to try to go deep into the actions and politics of the NPC, led by TNA’s breakaway group centred around the Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran and assess the inherent dangers. Separatist ideology and an attempt to return to the barren politics of the LTTE can be seen in every one of their actions. If this is not identified and exposed, once again the Tamil people will be forced to take the road to disaster and Sri Lanka will be plunged into another civil strife for decades. One such painful experience in our history is too many – we have to mobilize ourselves and act together to prevent its repetition. Otherwise we will sleepwalk into another disaster like the one we had to endure during the last 30 years. I am not a nationalist but if we have to choose between the nationalism of the TNA and that of the Federal Party, the latter is a tolerable one. Neither is my choice provided we can collectively work for a truly democratic Sri Lanka where all the different communities can enjoy equal rights, opportunities and privileges, irrespective of their religion, language and ethnicity.

The actions of the TNA rebels headed by the CM cannot be seen as isolated actions of madness. They are interconnected by the dogmatic philosophy of an inward looking separation and isolation, giving false hopes to people in desperation. Another dangerous aspect to the politics of separation is the inclusion of cultural and religious fundamentalism. CM’s lamenting over cultural degeneration and his posing as the guardian of Tamil Culture, if not correctly understood and checked, can lead us on a slippery road similar to Islamic fundamentalism. His resemblance to Ayotola Humani of Iran is not a comforting factor either. His going to India to meet Modi through the back door to have his Swamigi (who was charged and found guilty of child abuse by all the courts in India including the Supreme Court of India) released from imprisonment in India is symptomatic of his religious fanaticism. If his group secures political power and Eelam, the Tamil people will definitely be subjected to religious, cultural and political dictatorship.

We have seen the Chief Minister glorifying Prabakaran as a hero soon after his election to power. Since then he and his faction have joined hands with the pro-Eelamists within and outside of Sri Lanka to take on Sri Lanka once again.

WigneswaranWe can see their incessant cry of not enough powers devolved to the NP even though many important devolved powers and the unusually large government funds allocated to the NP have not been effectively utilized to serve the immediate as well as the long term needs of our people. This is because they want to keep alive the suffering and desperation of the Tamil people to justify the separatist agenda, to which people can again be swayed easily due to government’s failure to restore the legitimate rights of the Tamil speaking people. Sri Lankan government also must not fail to do what is fair, right and just to the minority communities so that they can also happily and proudly embrace and celebrate their Sri Lankan identity. Doing what is fair, right and just cannot be a difficult thing at all in a predominantly Buddhist country. Government failing to do this will not only be offensive to Buddhism but also be foolish enough to give the separatists all the excuses they need to take the separatist line of politics. Government should never be party to strengthen the separatist agenda.

The CM and the NPC have continued their non-cooperating and boycotting stance towards every positive political move and sustainable development effort made by the central government. They failed to participate and even blatantly boycotted the co-ordinating meetings between the PC’s and the central government.

They failed to co-operate with the government in their efforts to solve the Northern fishermen’s livelihood issues brought about by the illegal trawler fishing promoted by Thamil Nadu government. The NPC failed to take up the fight against illegal trawler fishing on behalf of the Northern fishermen and instead were joining hands with Tamil Nadu politicians against Sri Lankan government’s effort to ban trawler fishing in Sri Lankan waters. The agenda of reviving the separatist cry with the support of Thamil Nadu can be seen here clearly.

Sri Lankan government’s magnanimous efforts to provide piped treated water supply to Jaffna, Poonakari, the islands off Jaffna Peninsula and Kilinochchi at a cost of Rs.25 Billion were obstructed and finally forced to abandon by the NPC. Government’s proposal was to raise the bunds of Iranaimadu Kulam to increase its storage capacity and only to use the additionally stored water for supplying drinking water to Jaffna. This was rejected by the Northern Provincial Council for pedantic reasons.

The government’s program to divert the Mahavali waters to Jaffna to meet any water shortfall was also rejected by the Northern Provincial Council again for pedantic reasons.

After rejecting the above internationally tried and tested sustainable proposals to satisfy the water needs of the people of the North, the NPC was insane enough to propose the use of the very expensive and unsustainable desalination technology. Separate Eelam strategy can only be the reason attributable for this approach. NPC wants to cut of the NP from the rest of Sri Lanka and be fully independent and self-sufficient in every aspect, including for its water security. They are not seeking to find solutions for the problems faced by the Tamils within a united Sri Lanka. They are acting in preparation for separation.

Sri Lanka is not a desert country like Saudi Arabia, where there is very little rainfall, no rivers and no underground aquifers (stored water). So Saudis have no choice but to opt for desalination technology in spite of its very high cost. The only other situation where desalinated water is unavoidable is in submarines carrying war heads and naval personnel to operate them because they need to remain under deep water for very long periods, sometimes even for years!

Sri Lankan Tamils neither live in deserts nor in submarines. They are a blessed people, who live in a country blessed with plenty of rainfall, plenty of perennial rivers as well as underground aquifers. When nature has blessed them with so much natural water, it is crazy to opt for desalination technology and burden the Tamil people with unaffordable bills, unless we intend to cut the Northern Province from the rest of Sri Lanka for ever. The scientific arguments against separation, if it is not already apparent, will be given in the concluding stage of this article.

Likewise the government’s program to provide sewerage system and sewage treatment facility for Jaffna City was also abandoned due to pedantic objections by the NPC.

Likewise the government’s investigation into the oil pollution of the underground water in Chunnakam area emanating from disposed waste oils from the Northern Power Station was also not allowed to continue. As soon as the pollution was reported, the government carried out scientific tests at approved laboratories and after confirmation of oil pollution, the government began to supply clean drinking water to all the affected villages and schools by bowsers and tankers. All these arrangements have been stopped by the NPC, leaving the affected people exposed to water borne diseases now.

CM and his rebels have made the people in the Chunnakam area to drink oil contaminated water and also denied the people of Jaffna, piped drinking water and the facility of modern sewerage system both of which are enjoyed by people in other cities in Sri Lanka.

Every one of these actions is intended to put the health and welfare of the Tamil people in danger. Without attending to their basic survival needs with the assistance provided by the government, the Tamil people are being canvassed to boycott the role of central government and to prepare for the political struggle for a separate Eelam – a miserably failed strategy has now been revived by the present NPC administration. It should be carefully noted that this policy is completely out of tune with the policy line of the top TNA leadership, which is co-operating with the present government to come to sustainable constitutional arrangements under a united Sri Lanka to accommodate the legitimate concerns of the Tamil speaking people in Sri Lanka.

The Northern Provincial Council, led by the CM, is taking the Tamil people of the North on a suicidal path with their politics of separation. It is a crazy, whimsical, irresponsible, almost childish and ill thought out approach by people with little or no political experience and credence. They have totally failed in their administration of the NP.

It is essential to save the Tamil speaking people from the danger of them being once again used by these self-seeking politicians.

Separate Eelam is not only unrealistic but historically has been a disaster. The armed struggle for Eelam ended in utter failure, resulting in unacceptably high human losses, internal and external displacements, loss of property and livelihood, destruction and brain drain. It is shown to be unachievable under the existing local, regional as well as geo-political climate, which is unlikely to change and is more likely to get worse. Economically, politically and socially too independent Eelam is unviable and is not in the interest of Tamil people for the following reasons.

In the sixties the Tamils and Muslims were largely concentrated in the North and East. They regarded the North and East as their home land. Their mother tongue was Tamil. Their homesteads were in the North and East but for their employment and livelihood the Tamils largely depended on the South. For this reason the economy of the North was often referred to as Money Order economy. The Tamil speaking people of the North and East shared a common culture and common aspirations. There was sufficient basis to regard the Tamils and the Muslims as a distinct nation within Sri Lanka but still an independent Eelam was not considered feasible due to economic unviability. For these reasons only, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (the only national party in Sri Lanka to do this) put forward “Regional Autonomy” as opposed an independent Eelam for the Tamil speaking people of the North and East. But since then as a result of the ill-fated and despotic armed struggle for Eelam, North and East got separated and Muslim –Tamil relations deteriorated as a result of the forcible expulsion of the Tamil speaking Muslims from the North by the LTTE. Tamils and Muslims got uprooted from their homelands and were scattered in the capital city, Colombo and in other parts of Sri Lanka as well as abroad. The homeland concept and the nation status for the Tamil speaking people got destroyed by the very forces which fought for Tamil Eelam. The one time merged North East Provincial Council under the Indo-Sri Lanka pact was once and for all demerged unwisely by the LTTE itself. For all intents and purposes the North and East have now become permanently separated. Re-merger is looking impossible. Now the best we can hope for is meaningful devolved power for the Northern Province with power sharing at the centre.

Now that the possibility of uniting the North and the East as a single administrative unit is no longer possible, the “Eelam concept” is a dead one. Because the Tamil speaking population is permanently scattered all over the island and abroad, the nation concept and the homeland concept are unsustainable and meaningless concepts.

Eelam has always been and is even more so now economically and politically unviable. Expansion of agriculture is not possible due to insufficient water resources in the North and there is no scope for income generation through agriculture. Cost of agricultural production is too high to market them competitively. Development of the fishing industry is possible but it will not be sufficient to sustain the population.

Majority of the Tamils live now in the South and abroad. They are unlikely to want to migrate to the NP and live under a fanatically religious and culturally dictatorial regime, listening to the sermons of the hinduvite Chief Minister.

Eelam demand will not be supported by India and the west. Securing it through negotiation is not possible. Securing it through armed struggle has already been proved a failure. So Eelam is now a pipe dream of knaves only.

Even if it is secured, sustaining it and defending its borders is even more difficult. Border wars will continue and Tamils will have to live in a state of war for ever. Military expenditure to protect the borders will be astronomically high and the burden will be passed on to the Tamil people.

Tamil people will forego all the benefits of living together with the Sinhala and Muslim people in a larger and more viable economic unit happily and prosperously. Separate state will mean separate defence (army, air force, navy and police), separate transport system (air transport, sea transport, railways and road transport), separate diplomatic missions, separate civil service etc. i.e. a mirror image of all what we have in Sri Lanka plus of course several desalination plants and wind turbines under Minister Ingaranesan – all these in a potty little province! We will become a laughing stock with C.V. Wigneswaran as the President of Tamil Eelam ( what is now Northern Province)

Security of Tamils living in the South cannot be guaranteed.

The only way Eelam can survive economically and politically is to become a puppet regime of the US under which NP will become the theatre of local and international conflicts. C.Vigneswaran, who now makes an outcry about Sri Lankan army presence, will give away an even larger part of NP for setting up US military, Air and Naval bases and “Voice of America”. American military presence, American fast food, junk food and drug culture, wide spread prostitution culture like what we saw in Cuba under Batista rule and full scale Americanisation will take place under the puppet President C.V. Wigneswaran, who will be always dancing to the tunes of the American Empire. This will be the logical end of Eelam.

This article is written in order to provoke a public discussion on the current situation in the Northern Province.

Latest comments

  • 7
    16

    Thank you, Mr Sooriasegaram, for taking the trouble to apprise us of all this. I do hope your article comes in the press and in all three languages.

    • 16
      6

      Well i believe this author belongs to the extreme lower ranks of his society. He should check the successfull and cheap desalination plants in Chennai. Wash your mouth before you talk. Your not welcome to Jaffna.

      • 1
        0

        This idiot doesn’t know anything about desalination. He is just vomiting what his paymasters have fed him. The world biggest desalination plant is in California in the water rich USA.
        The cost of drinking water from this proposed plant is 40 cents (Srilankan)per litre
        For your information
        “In 2008, a San Leandro, California company (Energy Recovery Inc.) was desalinating water for $0.46 per cubic meter. While desalinating 1,000 US gallons (3,800 l; 830 imp gal) of water can cost as much as $3, the same amount of bottled water costs $7,945 (purchased individually in half-liter bottles).
        Desalination – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination

    • 9
      2

      Mr Sooriyasekaram was an ally (advisor) of Douglas Devananda who was part and partial of Mahinda Rajapakse’s corrupt and violent regime in support of Sinhala Nationalism. His article is misleading. There is nothing called “Tamil or TNA Nationalism as he utters. Devolution of Power based on Autonomy or self determination is a scientific method of problem solving. Every one has the right to know about “Truth” and it is not a crime to voice against human rights violation.

    • 0
      0

      Whose agent is Wingeswaran and whose agent is Sooriasegaram? Most of these people are working for somebody’s agenda. Rajapakshe? Diaspora?

  • 6
    8

    A rare voice of wisdom from Jaffna. It is scary that the oil in the wells is there for all of us to see but our leaders deny it and want us to drink it. The Jaffna Chinthanaikoodam has been highlighting the problem but no one seems to care. The NP expert panel has been accused of taking money for stating that the water is free of oil. Members of the Expert Panel appointed by the authorities openly boast of being consultants to the electricity generating company that dumps the oil into the underground water. CV Wigneswaran is a religious madman whom only Engineer/Architect Sooriasegaram is able to see through.

    It is sad that after asking for federalism from shortly after independence, we are unable to govern ourselves even in small things.

    • 6
      1

      Richard,

      I recognize your real identity.
      By the way,I have heard the allegation that the so-called ‘experts’ on the oil contamination issue are no real experts, and are aligned to Aingaranesan, but it is news to me that they openly ‘boast’ about their consulting arrangements with Northern Power. If that is true, please name and shame them right here, and I will take it up with concerned people.

  • 6
    7

    He is a hero any one like or not !! We will get more like him as long as Srilankas government and its leaders deny the rights of Tamils !! As its own citizens !!Mylvaganam Sooriyasekaram should write about Tamils right to live as equal citizen of this country !!

  • 1
    9

    Mylvaganam got a point.

    30 % Srilankan Tamils live outside N & E provinces.

    They have to relocate If Wiggi gets his Eelaam .

    But TNA doesn’t want that because all Vellalas are in that 30 %.

    So they want to eat the cake and keep it too.

    In other words they want Eelaam for the Weekend andd spend the rest in Colombo 7 and Wellala Gardens.

    Is that possible.?.

    Batalanada Ranil is hell bent of giving the Cake to Vellalas.

    Can Bodhi Sira allow it?.

    What about Chathtu Sira and Daham Sira ?.

    Are they going to live in Colombo 7 on dad’s Presidential pension?.

    • 1
      0

      KAS,

      “But TNA doesn’t want that because all Vellalas are in that 30 %.”

      You are wrong.

    • 4
      2

      North AND East for us only and the rest for all of us.

      • 3
        2

        You are aright Soma,

        What is mine is mine.. And what is yours is mine tooo….

        • 3
          0

          KASmaalam KA Sumanasekera

          “What is mine is mine.. And what is yours is mine tooo….”

          Were you listening too intensively to MR’s new year sermon of Humbugtota?

          • 0
            2

            Dear Native,

            I thought you were in Norway , doing X Mas Holiday with Solly..

            When your Colombo Elite mates’ babes were handing over their undies to Englesi ass.

            Happy and a Prosperous Eelaam to you and your buddies in the Yahapalana New Year…

            And more Strength and Longevity to Batalanda and Bodhi Sira to look after the Dalits when separation occurs..

  • 3
    2

    Meanwhile, the Governor Austin Fernando appears busy carrying out his own agenda of ‘Sinhala colonisation’ of the north.

    http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=38064

    The writer’s “suicidal path of separation” is incorrect.
    The TNA has confirmed this many times.
    The TNA’s stand is clear – managing their own affairs without interference, like what the Governor is attempting, within a united Sri Lanka.

    • 1
      1

      justice,

      “Meanwhile, the Governor Austin Fernando appears busy carrying out his own agenda of ‘Sinhala colonisation’ of the north.”

      Is that not the wrong province? I didn’t bother to read what you posted.

      Since when is Tamilnet an objective and credible source for information?

  • 3
    1

    What is that you are eyeing in the yahapalanaya. Last thirty years was bad how about thirty years before that. Until such time Tamil rights are denied there will be c.suntharaslingam,vaddukoddai resolution. Great liberation fighter Pirapaharan, great wiggie will emerge. Of course self centred or family centred Kadirgamar,Sampanthan, Sumanthiran, Sooriathasans will also be there. Irish fought for 300 years. LikexMao said enemy determines what season we tasks couldn’t or non violent.
    Agitation is the only way to get our rights. Not arse liking Samantha power, Sushmacswaraj or Ranil Itbis for personal favours of Sampanthan and Sumanthirans

  • 9
    0

    Mr.Sekaram,
    On providing water to Jaffna, I think you are wrong. I believe there was no real, concrete proposal from the GOSL. The Iranaimadu proposal was opposed by Kilinochchi farmers and the NPC probably couldn’t overcome their resistance. What I have seen is the floating of various ideas, but no concrete proposals nor an engineering consensus.
    Dr. Narendran has been talking about it as well, and he can also tell us where things stand.

    And why are you bringing up the bogey of Eelam when even the BTF, GTF, etc., have given up that idea, with only the isolated TGTE still advocating it?

    The NPC may not want to fight with TN leaders on the fishermen issue, but it is silly for you to imply based on that the NPC wants Eelam.

    • 1
      3

      Agnos,

      “The Iranaimadu proposal was opposed by Kilinochchi farmers and the NPC probably couldn’t overcome their resistance.”

      I believe that there was a concrete plan and even financing available but the NPC decided to study the problems of the farmers more. That was the official reason given for not starting the project.

      “Dr. Narendran has been talking about it as well, and he can also tell us where things stand.”

      Dr RN and others do have the details.

      “And why are you bringing up the bogey of Eelam when even the BTF, GTF, etc., have given up that idea, with only the isolated TGTE still advocating it?”

      It is not only the TGTE and there are local supporters of Eelam in the North and East.

      • 1
        0

        Dirty Hari,

        There may be some local Eelam advocates, but they, too, are very much isolated. More importantly, CVW himself has never been an advocate of Eelam; Mr. Segaram loses credibility by bringing up politically charged accusations, and if he was associated with Douglas Devananda, as Ajith says in these comment pages, he should reveal his own conflict of interest in making such wild allegations.

        The water issue is a serious issue, and there may be enough reasons for faulting the CM and the NPC for not showing leadership and taking the right initiatives. But such criticism should be made without making wild allegations.

        First, there must be clear identification of what the GoSL is responsible for, and what the NPC can and should do. In addition to the GoSL’s and NPC’s own water resource engineers, there are many Tamil water resource engineers in Australia, the US and the UK who can be tapped to bring their expertise to the task of coming up with concrete proposals, with clear engineering feasibility studies and a consensus. Others can only make suggestions, but cannot claim they have made a clear technical proposal. That applies to even those who have expertise in other engineering fields.

        Even in the US, government works very slowly on such issues, conducting many studies that take several years, so people can’t fault the NPC for everything they are not happy with.

        • 0
          1

          Agnos,

          “Mr. Segaram loses credibility by bringing up politically charged accusations, and if he was associated with Douglas Devananda, as Ajith says in these comment pages, he should reveal his own conflict of interest in making such wild allegations.”

          Maybe Mr Segaram is behind the EPDP press statements in excellent English that others sign? I have seen most of his allegations before.

          “First, there must be clear identification of what the GoSL is responsible for, and what the NPC can and should do.”

          This in my opinion is one of the major problems and not only in water problems. The situation must be similar in other provinces also.

          “Even in the US, government works very slowly on such issues, conducting many studies that take several years, so people can’t fault the NPC for everything they are not happy with.”

          I agree but has not the NPC declared Chunnakam water safe to drink? If they claim that the water is good enough there is no need to study how to solve the problem. Apparently the plan to bring water from the Vanni has been stopped not just delayed because of further studies.

    • 3
      8

      Agnos,

      I have known Soori for the past six years and he is quite involved with affairs in the north, he knows more of the issues and their details than most of us.

      He in an earlier comment point out the dancers of operating sea water desalination plants. This prompted me to read in detail on the subject. He was right.

      Further, Kiilinotchchi MP Sri Tharan was backing the agitation against Irranaimadu water being supplied to Jaffna. I think Soori probably knows more on the involvement of the NPC in this. He should let us know more details.

      The present government had according to reports a few months back indicated allocated money for diverting Mahaveli waters to the Irranaimadu tank. I am sure Soori can provide details of subsequent developments.

      What is happening on the Chunnakam water issue is a crime against humanity. The Minister in Charge is part of the cover up. He is going around getting himself photographed at events to distribute even 50 chicks! It is worse than Nero fiddling while Rome was burning! Very soon government officials will stop even doing this because of the distaste they feel of the publicity seeking stunts they have become. Hasn’t Aiyngaranesan anything better to do.

      I suggest that Sorti writes more details on each issue he has raised, in separate submissions in CT.

      Let us pay attention to the issues rather on the person shining a light on them. We have to be critical of our politicians, their actions and their theatrics. If not, there will never be true democracy in the north and they will continue to play their tricky games with us

      Further, I read in a report today that the CM has acknowledged the good the army has done in the north after the war. If correct, I welcome this development, because that is an undeniable truth. Everything they did was not wrong and cynical moves to destroy the Tamils as a people. There was much good done.

      Further two statutes have been passed and approved by the government at last, recently. One relates to the education department and the other relating to the agriculture department. Which means that there are 148 more statutes to be passed. Any way even the rather minuscule progress has to be applauded.

      Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

      • 13
        4

        From what I have read of your comments and the author above, both of you seem to have a penchant for masquerading YOUR OPINIONS as FACTS. I am glad that some others have also called your bluff (author and RN).

        • 2
          2

          Robert R.,

          You are absolutely right.

          Now it has been established that Rajasingham shamelessly succumbed to MR regime’s enticement with an all-paid luxury vacation at the expense of the starving children and widows. In return, Rajasingham carried on propaganda work for MR over a five year period, post-Nandhikadal. Finally, it seems MR and Gota abandoned him as his boasts of fund-drives among the Diaspora fizzled out!

          A “small” minded greed who succumbed to Sagin’s well known enticement of a free-luxury vacation to Sri Lanka, which now Rajsingham wants to glorify as going on a “delegation”! How pathetic?!

          Cheap. Credibility in shambles. Shameless. An educated snake-oil salesman, if there was one! Every one of his propositions, however innocuous looking they may be, are nothing but selfish greed masquerading as social concern. Watch out!

          • 1
            4

            Are what you manufacture with gay abandon and utter maliciousness, facts?

            Please counter what Mr.Sooriyasekeram has said and what I have been saying about the NPC and CVW, with facts that are known to you, but remain unknown to us.

            Dr.RN

            • 2
              3

              Rajasingham,

              Yes – I realize you would like to keep us all in the dark about your wheeling and dealing while you continue to criticize and undermine anyone likely to be a hindrance to your avarice!

              If not, why can’t you make clear about your recent confession on the “delegation” that you, none other than a Diaspora member, went on, paid by Sagin from the funds donated for the destitute?

              For two and a half years you avoided answering my question “Did you or did you not go on an all-paid luxury vacation paid by MR”. It took you two years multiple grilling in this blog before you saw no escape but to finally cave in and concede, still with your sly valiant attempt to glorify it as a “delegation.”

              If it was an official, legitimate delegation and not a cheap bribe that you succumbed to in your greed offered by MR to get you to help out with a traitorous false propaganda, can you be transparent as to your qualifications for being included in this “delegation”, what the purpose was, who the other “officials” who joined you, what and with whom did you guys discuss, and what you guys achieved? Let’s start there. Do you not realize that our attempt to slither out with “I don’t have to tell” is more telling than you think?

              Are you not avoiding transparency only because that would shame you conclusively?

              Rajasingham, as I have previously advised you, I do not have to defend or justify Sooriyasekeram, Wigneswaran, or any others – They can and will express and take responsibility for their action, and if they feel your comments have even an iota of legitimacy and intellectual curiosity rather than just venom, they are “Big Boys” who can and will handle that, unlike the “small” podian you are who seem to eternally try to weasel your way into power play, first with MR and now, with god-knows-who-is-bribing?
              If you feel my accusation is unfair on any count, then begin by being transparent on your “delegation” – not by trying to divert attention to other issues.

      • 1
        5

        Dr RN,

        “Hasn’t Aiyngaranesan anything better to do.”

        He has recently taken up in the media the claim that Jaffna will be under water soon. First in Tamil and today in English in the Daily Mirror. He has even talked about polluted ground water. Unfortunately I cannot post a link at the moment.

        Hens are part of his duty as the poultry minister.

      • 4
        0

        Dr. RN,

        Some months back, I proposed that the NPC shake up its cabinet and that Ayingaranesan should be replaced by someone against whom there is no allegation of conflict of interest. Since the oil contamination is a health hazard, maybe this can be brought under NPC’s minister of health, who is probably a medical doctor and therefore can listen to other activist doctors like Murali Vallipurananthan?

        • 1
          2

          Agnos,

          “Some months back, I proposed that the NPC shake up its cabinet and that Ayingaranesan should be replaced by someone against whom there is no allegation of conflict of interest.”

          I have heard of conflict of interest, incompetence, corruption and possible nepotism but has there been any concrete evidence? If there is evidence somebody should make a complaint.

          “Since the oil contamination is a health hazard, maybe this can be brought under NPC’s minister of health, who is probably a medical doctor and therefore can listen to other activist doctors like Murali Vallipurananthan?”

          I don’t know how well Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam and Dr Murali would manage to co-operate but otherwise the idea is good.

          The contamination of ground water is a health hazard but the solution is maybe more for others than Ministry of Health.

          • 3
            0

            “I have heard of conflict of interest, incompetence, corruption and possible nepotism but has there been any concrete evidence? If there is evidence somebody should make a complaint.”

            That is what I have been asking as well, but no one is doing so. I know a friend in Pennsylvania who works with Murali and makes all kinds of allegations like that, but when I ask him to produce evidence so that I can take it up, he quotes from some obscure Tamil websites, and I have no way of establishing their credibility. Likewise, Richard above ( It seems to me he is Dr. Jeevan Hoole) says the ‘experts’ are boasting about their consulting arrangements, but when I asked him to name and shame them here, he hasn’t done so.

            It shows people are simply venting but either because they are just angry but have no hard facts, or because they are afraid of something, they are not helping to make any progress on the issue.

            • 1
              1

              Agnos,

              “It shows people are simply venting but either because they are just angry but have no hard facts, or because they are afraid of something, they are not helping to make any progress on the issue.”

              I agree with you.

              I don’t know if hard facts are always needed and the reasons for a complaint should be investigated.

              One major problem is that people in Jaffna are unlikely to sign a complaint because of fear.

              I really wonder what happens if and when we receive a Right to Information Act.

          • 4
            2

            Agnos,

            The problem lies with the ITAK (FP). It has always been a highly inbred organization and continues to be so. It selects members who will not rock the boat and hence ends up with persons incapable of new thoughts and skills. It is hence unable to renew itself to meet the demands of time. Further, the emphasis is also on electability and not capability. Both have been rarely combined. We are paying the price for these faults in the NPC. Shaking up the NP Council of Ministers will end up being like a game of musical chairs!

            Dr.RN

      • 2
        2

        Dr RN,

        Our provincial minister for poultry and environment Ponnuthurai Ainkaranesan has stated that “the entire peninsula would go under water.”

        “He said in addition the peninsula could also become obliterated if people continued to deepen the wells indiscriminately.”

        “He said an effective public awareness programme in this regard would be launched.”

        Is this effective public awarness campaign going to stop deepening of the wells in Jaffna or is his intention to stop global warming with a Jaffna based campaign?

        http://www.dailymirror.lk/101343/jaffna-peninsula-under-threat-from-rising-sea-levels-minister

        • 3
          2

          Inspector Dirty Hari,

          If he continues to perform as he has on the Chunnakam water issue, the Jaffna people will be poisoned long before they are drowned! He is indeed a very kind man!

          Dr.RN

  • 4
    6

    Why doesn’t Wiggie promote Tamils also get married to Sinhala people as his two sons did.

    Wiggie never lived in the North and he spent his life in colombo and now is trying to leade Tamils in the North.

    It is very clear, a game of tribalists.

    • 2
      1

      One of the very very few points by Jim Softy where I saw some logic…

  • 6
    0

    The essayist says….
    This article is written in order to provoke a public discussion on the current situation in the Northern Province….

    The contents are all in the realms of Fantasy!
    Surely, CM Wigneswaran is not as stupid to move in the direction of a state of Eelam?

    This is a case of washing dirty Linen in Public!

  • 7
    0

    My inquiry is limited to the factual accuracy or otherwise of several statements of “fact” that the author makes. So far only one comment (by Agnos) has partially challenged the exactness of one of the author’s statements of fact.

    Since so many facts are referred to, it will be good if knowledgeable persons could confirm (or otherwise) the statements of fact made by the author. We can each have our views about the analysis, that’s a separate point.

    • 2
      4

      Isn’t our Politics all Fibs?.

      Except the plan to punish the Rajapaksas and the Armed Forces and give Vellala Sambanadan his Eelaam.

      And destroy the Sinhala Buddhist influence in the country.

      • 1
        0

        KASmaalam KA Sumanasekera

        “And destroy the Sinhala Buddhist influence in the country.”

        Could you define what you mean by Sinhala Buddhist influence.

        Is it kill the Veddah, rob the Buddah and blame the Suddah?

        Or is it Sunday Sil Monday kill?

        Or is it to do with “I forgot”?

  • 10
    3

    This man Sooriyasegaram, who is he , what is he, from what part is he, I do not know and many of us do not know. He has written nonsense and very critical of the Chief Minister Vigneswaran without any rime or reason. He seems to be a supporter of the government like the TNA. It has been the existing problems of the Tamil people. Mr.Vigneswaran and few others setting up of a an organisation for the benefit of the Tamil people is no danger to the Tamil people but Mr.Sooriyasegaram feels it is a danger to the TNA which fears had been explained by the TNP. Anyone has the right to set up a party but a joint effort is always ideal but it will not happen within the Tamil kingdom. Sooriyasekaram who is old enough to know as to what happened to the Tamil race in past 60 years under the Sinhala Rule. A Unitary form of government set up by the British when they left the country was favourable to the Majority Sinhalese and was a danger to the Minorities. Wherever the British occupied and left, this problem exist. The Eelam demand came up in the Vaddukoddai resolution under the leadership of SJV.Chelvanayagam who was a very moderate Tamil leader as he felt that no Sinhala Government would grant the legitimate demands of the Tamil people, a federal form of government for the Tamils with so many pacts signed and abrogated. Even now the present government with the support of the TNA is going to form and set up a new constitution where the Tamils will not benefit anything out of it. The Tamils will be always subjugated by the Sinhala Government and gradually Sinhala colonisation will take place in the North by taking over lands belonging to the Tamils thus bringing the Tamil majority in the North to the minimum like what happened in the East .

    • 2
      1

      Read again what has WRITTEN, forget who is he , what is he, from what part is he.

    • 0
      1

      Mr Sellam, does the Tamil Nation include those tamils who practise Islam as religion and those Tamils who arrived after the British?

      Sinhalese should not have any objection to going back to the pre British situation provided these two Tamil categories are immediately absorbed into the ‘Tamil Homeland’.

      Soma

  • 9
    0

    Mylvaganam Sooriasegaram
    When I started reading the first few lines of your story, I thought you have got your facts wrong and I must correct them – there is no breakaway group in TNA etc. – after reading the whole story. As I kept on reading, I realised you are a lunatic, liar and a leper. Too many lies to count on. You have a pathological mind. Go for early investigation.

  • 0
    2

    [Edited out] Please avoid typing all capitalized comments – CT

  • 1
    5

    While all the racist antics of Wingeswaran can be tolerably viewed as foolish or unwise his ‘genocide’ agenda is most devilish in intent, the long term objective being to drive a permanent wedge between future generations of Tamils and Sinhalese.

    Most Tamils apparently thought it was a clever gimmick to rope in international involvement in the separatist agenda. Sinhalese ignored it as plain lunacy.

    I sensed that even Sampanthan and Sumanthiran were hesitant to be dragged along this precipitous path.

    Soma

    • 0
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      [Edited out]

    • 2
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      No more wedge is required after state sponsored riots of 1956,1958,1977,1981,1983, 1970 language based standardization and finally state run genocide of 2009

  • 3
    4

    Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! article.

    See!!! After all, time is the healer!

  • 4
    3

    Mylvaganam
    You are either an imbecile or an agent provocateur employed by the ancien regime to poison the minds of the enlightened sections of the Sinhala community and provoke backlash against Tamils. A senile, sick mind cannot provoke healthy discussion. Can you cite a single instance, post-war, of Wigneswaran or any other Tamil leader, including TNA leaders, advocating / promoting Eelam demand? Please stop your idiotic, irresponsible, diatribe – nay, discharge of diarrhoea. Don’t ever abuse or pollute the space for healthy, productive discussion. Your litany of unmitigated lies make people sick. To preserve the peace and tranquility of the nation, you and the likes of you must get off the public domain.

  • 1
    6

    Mylvaganam Sooriasegaram,

    Thank you very much for your article.

  • 3
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    Soma.

    Driving Wedges between the Sinhalese & Tamils could not have been on the agenda of CM.Wigneswaran.
    The Mahavamsa looked after that well & truly.

  • 4
    1

    This blogger is a confused man.
    A reading of the fourth para of his blog indicates that fact because has tried to adorn his input with half truths and fantasy as another commentator has observed in this column.
    The contents of the fourth para of his input confirms that.
    To launch a personal attack on the CM of the NCP describing him as a bearded Ayotola Humani because he went to India and met it’s PM and attribute a Hindutwa motive is not only inappropriate but wholly mischievous and intended as an insult of those who voted to elect him to that position.
    The writer asserts that the government offered to provide a drainage and swerage system and piped clean drinking water system to Jaffna via the Iranaimdu tank but was rejected bythe NPC.
    Would Mr.Soori proved any evidence available on this?
    That apart why is the writer going on about the Tamil people being led along a path of self destruction by the CM when the Tamil people themselves had not supported the Facistic LTTE which brought in MaRa as President after having lived as hostages under the LTE and him for a decade when they themselves had rejected a separate Eelam , unless he is trying to bring back MaRa and his cohorts like dubious Dayan, Vasideva ,Wimal Wansa Douggie Devananda and such.

    Ending his write up hey saying that the security of the Tamils in the South and following it up with the dire warning about a life under US domination in the North sad in Cuba under Batista it is evident he is going haywire and it is time to have his examined by a good head specialist.

  • 4
    6

    I agree on every word you have written. CM is taking advantage of Tamil community’s general obsession with ‘educated man’ ‘god fearing man’ image. We are going back 40 years, if not more. All these years CM has taken the best advantage from the center based political elite and doing the same with the Northern elite and diaspora Tamils… He is playing with the system.

    His newly formed group is nothing but the combination of losers and un elected and untested people who are seeking fast track glory .

  • 6
    0

    The author says “The NPC failed to take up the fight against illegal trawler fishing on behalf of the Northern fishermen and instead were joining hands with Tamil Nadu politicians against Sri Lankan government’s effort to ban trawler fishing in Sri Lankan waters”

    It may be recalled that M. A Sumanthiran filed a bill at the parliament prohibiting mechanized bottom trawling and demanded to amend the existing Fisheries Act. So, the Ministry of fisheries has to amend the act. It is not clear how could author blame the NPC for not banning the trawling!

    Author seems to prefer to extend Moragahakanda diversion to to Iranaimadu Kulam and supply water to Jaffna, Poonakari. The proposed plan is good, but the water should be distributed to Mullaitivu and Killinochi district, which are facing severe water shortage .Definitely not to Jaffna. For Jaffna, desalinization is the only solution. Moreover, there is a suspicion that the Mahaveli water is the cause for kidney disease (CKDu).

    Author says “They are a blessed people, who live in a country blessed with plenty of rainfall, plenty of perennial rivers as well as underground aquifers”. It is utter nonsense. Almost 2/3 of the Sri Lanka is identified as facing water deficiency (except the wet zone). The North and East receive very little rainfall (less than 1200 mm) that too within very few days during the three months period of the Northeast Monsoon. The evaporation is very strong there is no way the water could be stored on the surface on freshwater lakes. The author seems to have no knowledge on the hydrology, which is the subject he seems to try out. Most probably he is a civil engineer; he may be remotely connected by having some experience on constructions of dam. Moreover, the ground water of the Northern Peninsula could not be used as its is polluted beyond recovery (fertilizers, pesticide, fecal matter, oil, etc). Jaffna has no river, water cannot be stored at surface due to higher evaporation. Jaffna is facing a disaster!. This man, propagating false about desalination plant, holds the Jaffna people on ransom.

    Author says “Likewise the government’s program to provide sewerage system and sewage treatment facility for Jaffna City was also abandoned due to pedantic objections by the NPC” Does he have any proposal on the above government program. I am surprised as even on the Colombo, the raw sewage is directly discharged into the coastal waters. Anybody, travel on the Marine Drive, by the smell itself would be known the point of discharge.

    The author refers to “government’s investigation into the oil pollution of the underground water in Chunnakam”. Which is the government agency wanted to do the investigation? Can he clearly spell it. Because I am living in Colombo for the last 25 years, couldn’t find a place to check quality. I am aware that a MBBS doctor making mockery of the whole thing, similar to donkey trying to do the work of a dog!

    Other things are nothing to comment; obviously the author seems to have some personnel problem with the CM. Most probably, he might have asked for some post at the NPC and couldn’t get it.

    • 0
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      Kanapathy,

      “Because I am living in Colombo for the last 25 years, couldn’t find a place to check quality”

      How about Water Board and CEA labs?

      • 2
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        Sri Lanka laboratories do not have proper equipment for specific analyses. There are no qualified lab technicians for some of the critical analyses. Well, the country does not provide adequate business to purchase, service and maintain such equipment and technicians.

        • 0
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          Rohan,

          “Sri Lanka laboratories do not have proper equipment for specific analyses.”

          Are you sure about this? Based on what?

          “There are no qualified lab technicians for some of the critical analyses. Well, the country does not provide adequate business to purchase, service and maintain such equipment and technicians.”

          If you are correct then all the studies on water quality are useless. Why would our experts allow a situation like this? To my best knowledge very few doctors have taken up health problems caused by water.

          As I already wrote an NGO or group or whatever sent water samples from Kelani river to India and promised their report later this year.

    • 0
      1

      Mr Kanapathi

      “They are a blessed people, who live in a country blessed with plenty of rainfall, plenty of perennial rivers as well as underground aquifers”

      What the author implies is Sri Lanka as whole and one people.

      Your impulsive protest “It is utter nonsense” comes from your separatist mentality though you lived your life in Colombo. At the same time you acknowledge that

      “The North and East receive very little rainfall (less than 1200 mm) that too within very few days during the three months period of the Northeast Monsoon. The evaporation is very strong there is no way the water could be stored on the surface on freshwater lakes…….Moreover, the ground water of the Northern Peninsula could not be used as its is polluted beyond recovery (fertilizers, pesticide, fecal matter, oil, etc). Jaffna has no river, water cannot be stored at surface due to higher evaporation. Jaffna is facing a disaster!.

      It is precisely why we must live in one country sharing what little resources we have. That is what this author attemps to convey.

      Further more Jaffna is like to face the effects climate change and go under water before the rest of the island.

      So long as we all live in one country the right to Mahaweli waters or any other resources is equal among all citizens irrespective where you live. But a Federal unit for North East will mean that constrained life in that arid land. As a man who lived in Colombo with heart you consign your future generations to that misery, mr Kanapathi? This author attemps to paint that pathetic scenerio.

      Soma

      • 2
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        somasss

        “It is precisely why we must live in one country sharing what little resources we have.”

        Are you sure we are still left with some resources after being robbed for the past 40 years (10 years intensively)?

        Are you blaming the clan for not being able to wipe clean the state coffers?

        “Further more Jaffna is like to face the effects climate change and go under water before the rest of the island.”

        Am sure you will be happy to see that part of the island going under the sea for you need not to worry about non-existentThamil Eelam anymore and Tamils will be happy that the Sinhala/Buddhists will not be able to occupy their land.

    • 0
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      Kanapathy,

      “Moreover, the ground water of the Northern Peninsula could not be used as its is polluted beyond recovery (fertilizers, pesticide, fecal matter, oil, etc).”

      Some wells are polluted like you say but hopefully not the majority. You forgot the main problem of brackish water. Where are your facts coming from?

      “Jaffna has no river, water cannot be stored at surface due to higher evaporation”

      Rain water is and has been stored in tanks and ponds. They serve the need for drinking water and irrigation for most of the year. Maybe you should come and have a look at the amount of water that has been stored during the rainy season?

      Rain water harvesting should be developed instead of expensive foreign reverse osmosis technology.

  • 2
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    Dear Soori,
    Putting everything in one bucket is not sensible thing to do in any situation. That cause more damage. We have seen it all! This what you have done is similar to Tamils looking at everything government does through ethnic lens. Iranamadu project, desalination project, chunnakam water pollution all have different intent and expose the level of corruption and irresponsible attitude towards people’s needs and environmental issues in Our society. Creation of Tamil council and conflict within TNA are issues related to personal rivalry and struggle for dominance of ultranationist forces and diasporas influence to gain control of domestic political leaders to continue their business. Dealing with them as separate issues help to solve them. No need to claim all have some intention towards Elam. Far far from it. They are much more to do with weaknesses in our abilities resolve conflicts and being sincere and committed to welfare of the people. It’s unfortunate CM not focused to give priotiries to important issues affecting people and persevere to find solutions. There is no need to put everything in one bucket! You more intelligent, I am sure you will understand the wrong conclusions can only delay finding solutions.regards
    Sajith

  • 1
    4

    The curse of the Northern Tamils is their inability to respect each other and work together towards a common goal. When they cannot work together among their own, how can the Sinhala masses trust them and give them equal status? Chief Minister – Unjust(ice)Wigneswaran is either playing in to the hands of Rajapakse who is supported by his “Sakalai” Vasudeva Nanayakkara (Under Rajapakse only he became the CM) or he has been purchased by the remaining LTTE diaspora.

    The time is ripe for President Sirisena to realize what his pal Wigii is up to and cut him off from offering any more photo opportunities. President Sirisena should openly condemn “Thankless” Unjust(ice) Wigneswaran for passing the “Genocide” resolution after he offered to release lands.

    May be the President should dissolve the Northern PC and appoint another authority.

    Its time for President Sirisena to move now. If the President does not speak out against Wiggi then the trouble Wiggi is going to create has to be blamed on the President.

    • 8
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      Regarding dissolving of nothern provincial council, the government will not do it openly as it will fall foul with international community. There is going to be a constitutional council set up on 9th January to draft a new constitution. Though it is touted that the purpose for a new constitution is to get rid of the Presidential system, it will also be used to get rid of the povincial council system to satisfy the majority of the Sinhalese. Once the constitutional council starts functioning, government will say as there is going to be a new system of devolution, and will dissolve all the nine provincial councils. By this way they will overcome any criticism of international community that they are selectively targetting northern provincial council, although the main aim is to jeopardise the northern provincial council. Since the majority of Sinhalese are against any provincial councils they will not object to the dissolving of all provinvial councils. What Tamils are going to get in the new constitution is village councils under unitary system where powers will only be delegated by a Sinhala majority parliament and no powers devolved to any Tamil majority leislative body.

      • 0
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        [Edited out]

  • 3
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    This essay is not written to average person.
    His posting appears like to have come from Colombo. This is the style Sinhala Intellectuals like Wimal the Weerakuddy use to convey messages to Sinhala Modayas crowds.

    [Edited out]

  • 2
    4

    Let us look at this problem sans politics, separation, etc etc. This project was in the pipeline for several years. It is funded by the Asian Development Bank at a cost of US$250 million. The project envisaged the raising of the Iranaimadu bund by another 2 feet to hold more water. Mr. Sritharan, MP led the campaign against the project by instigating the farmers of Kilinochchi claiming no water should be taken to Jaffna sun or rain. It was electoral politics. The fact of the matter is Iranaimadu is not situated in his electorate. This is the crux of the problem. The campaign against the project lacked merit since only excess water will be taken to Jaffna. The needs of the farmers of Vanni will take precedence over the people of the people of Jaffna. Today, the proposal to raise the water level of Iranaimadu has been abandoned thanks both to Sritharan and NPC. The desalination project is now in progress. It is a pity that the pros and cons of raising the Iranaimadu water level and desalination was not subject to professional scrutiny and advice. At least not to my knowledge. No one need to fear about the TPC since it is a project hatched by defeated political parties and politicians and those who failed to get appointed from the TNA National List.

    TPC need to come to terms with the reality that only the TNA, with its parliamentary clout as the main Opposition, can push for any political solutions in parliament. Whatever proposals made by the TPC, will not be acceptable to the government as well as the international community led by US and India. Wigneswaran is already at loggerheads with India and US. He is a visionary and a Hindu fundamentalist who has built an ashram and temple at Mankulam to the serial rapist Premananda who received two consecutive life sentences for raping 13 girls some under the age of 16 and murder of a young engineer Ravi who questioned his sex exploits. Last March 2015, Wigneswaran forwarded a letter written by 4 other accused persons sentenced to life imprisonments asking for pardon. In endorsing the letter Wigneswaran claimed that the case against Premananda was false! The Indian authorities were taken aback over the ludicrous claim by Wigneswaran when the case against Premananda was tried and convicted by the District Court, Puthukkoddai. An Appeal to the Madras High Court was turned down and conviction and fine upheld. And finally the Supreme Court of India upheld the judgments of the lower courts. Premananda died inside the prison in 2011 afflicted by multiple chronic diseases. In his time Premananda had a large clientele some of them foreign. The elite flocked to him when he started materialising gold chains, rings, watches, statues etc (like Sai Bawa).

    • 6
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      “He is a visionary and a Hindu fundamentalist who has built an ashram and temple at Mankulam to the serial rapist Premananda who received two consecutive life sentences for raping 13 girls some under the age of 16 and murder of a young engineer Ravi who questioned his sex exploits”

      When did you know these things? After selecting him to stand for CM post or before?

    • 5
      1

      Thangam,

      Federal Party gave seat to CV. Federal Party gave seat to Sumanthiran too. CV directly went to CM of NPC by an election of people. Sumanthiran was appointed for a term to take training and then test in the general election. Sumanthiran worked hard to replace Shiranee and Mokan Peiris in Colombo. CV stayed minding only NPC matters. Sumanthiran appeared in the Mig case. But UNP withdraw the case. After toiling too hard for UNP in the CC election, Sumanthiran was offered a useless paperboy ministry by UNP Ranil. This is the basis for all Sumanthiran CV sparing. After election, Sumanthiran is developing an inferiority complex, instead of turning into a statesman like CV. Those who are presenting Premananda case are not presenting Sumanthiran’s Mig case. Nor they are talking Dougee’s awaiting murder case in Chennai and his paramilitary’s rapes and murders.

      Sumanthiran is, too much worried about South, unaware of the problems in the NPC. Neither he nor Sampanthar is taking it to Colombo at Parliament level. Sumanthiran publicly criticized CV. Sampanthar in turn criticized Sumanthiran for that. Sumanthiran has repeated Opposition Leader Thavarajah’s acquisition on NPC, without convene a meeting of TNA on the operations about the NPC. If he is going talk without meeting NPC members under umbrella of the TNA party, is Sumanthiran on ruling side of the NPC or EPDP side? For me, it is inappropriate to criticize any right and wrongs of NPC from here. But it should have been Sampanthar’s and Sumanthiran’s job to get clearance for NPC’s projects when Colombo puts political blockades to those projects. NPC is managed by an official called Provincial Governor. NPC can provide technical explanations of the projects only to the bureaucratic level. But the actual blockades come from Colombo’s political leadership. Now NPC has said it has spent the money, but not on its projects, probably on Sumanthiran’s, Thavarajah’s, Ranil’s, New King’s… etc projects. Will those, who want their projects implemented by the NPC, requests a separate money allocation for them from Colombo than the allocations comes to NPC which is the legitimate elected body. Will they stop teaching NPC, to how take 40%, the Colombo culture? Could you stop carrying flag for Ranil on the name of Sumanthiran?

      I have written on CT suggesting dissolving NPC. NPC is being used by Colombo. Ranil had given money to TNA’s Colombo MPs, to divide their relationship with NPC. Even Mavai, Suresh.. refused deny publicly the accusation that they did receive the dividing money from Ranil. CV complained to New King. As usual nothing happened.
      Iranamadu was turned into big political meat for chew to some TNA supporters and others by Colombo. From Galoya Project, Senanake Samutra through New Prince’s shopping in the water projects to Hambantota white Elephants, Megapolis white elephant, Colombo Port City and all others were done for Sinhala Land. There were many projects written and re-written to rebuild the Iranaimadu, the only lake in the Tamils area. Colombo polluted the Jaffna water using a Sinhala Power Company. Unable to talk any of these at Colombo Parliament, some 40%s within TNA are blaming TNA for the Jaffna’s water problem. At the last minute, ADB was presented with the Jaffna water problem, not promoting any of the original projects for Iranaimadu. Thangam, please put it in your head, that NPC cannot bring ADB on its own or borrow money from foreign funders to put its own project for Iranaimadu. ADB was brought by Colombo only to divert the Iranamadu water to manage the emergency of Jaffna situation while it is building more and more new, new facilities and housing projects in the North to the occupying Army, megapolis and Port Cities in Colombo. If you have a problem in questioning the sincerity of the Colombo in those, as usual your sincerity has to be questioned.
      For ADB, when a question arises whether drinking water from a lake or irrigation for the famers is important, they will vote for drinking water. But for the Farmers that is the only lake for irrigation. There is a reasonable fear of farmers thinking when the water is started to divert drinking purpose, ADB will insist on priority for that purpose. It will not accept doing farming on the money it pays for drinking water. Even the most ignorant farmer will suspect this. Will you give your car, which was waiting in your driveway for a repair done because of lack money in your pocket, to a man who is suggesting that he can take it over and repair it then you can lease it from him for small money so you need not to pay a large outlay to repair it? There is a lot to understand the reluctance of farmers’ readiness to lose the control of the lake. They would think one day they may find a way to fund the repair of the lake which Colombo has been purposefully ignoring. It is your comedy blaming Sritharan; but everybody does know the part EPDP played in that. Just because you are against CV, you are playing into the hand of Thavarajah. That is really the story of “Arasanai Nampi Purunsanai Vidurathu”.

      Why there is one rule for Colombo political leadership and another one for NPC? How it is not acceptable to Colombo politics to allow the Port City go ahead, basing only on just because China is building the Port City on its money that is how the farmers are not ready to lose the control of the lake just because ADB will fund it. Iranamadu has to be developed for farmers. Colombo politics, who urgently build the Mattala Airport, has to pay for this too. Can’t they put a condition to China if it wants to build Port City it has to repair the Iranaimadu too? It is Tamils a remittance is the one going to be used for white elephant projects ‘loan service. But farmers can wait few more months. The drinking water of Jaffna which was spoiled by Northern Powers of Colombo politics is an urgent one. They have to pay for Jaffna drinking water and have it restored.
      As I said earlier, I have suggested a few times in CT, to dissolving the NPC. It is a carrot hanging on the head of the horse- the TNA- to destroy the Tamils’ unity. Even the India’s agent Varadhar could not run NPC while Indian army was backing him up. It is only a daydream for TNA running it other than being turned into a Panthankara like EPC CM Pillaiyan, opposition leaders Thavarajah, Minister Dougee…. to the Colombo politicians. This carrot has weakened the dissolve of TNA to fight for an International Inquiry to the genocide of 145,000 murders too. Sampanthar has to let NPC to go and take CV and others with him to the negation table, instead he Sumanthiran go alone there. Sampanthar has to remember, it is not Sumanthiran, it was CV and Bishop Rayappau reunited TNA during the NPC election and brought massive victory to Tamils. In contrast, Sumanthiran was having doubt of his own seat in the General Election. Not just honored by other Tamils parties in the NPC election, Some Sinhalese suggested CV to stand for EP. That time Sumanthiran wanted the CC organizers to answer those Sinhalese why they can’t promote CV to EP. CV’s leadership is one even the enemy respect it. That is what you call leadership. Taking a place in the heart of the enemy is the one you call as statesmanship. Don’t try to oversell the Premananda case. Thangam, in the recent days you are becoming of another Rajathuari in your thinkings.

  • 1
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    Mr.Kumar David,
    Many statements as ‘facts’ are untrue and misleading,especially
    “The governments program to divert the Mahaveli waters to Jaffna to meet any
    water shortfall was also rejected by Northern Provincial Council for pedantic reasons” after rejecting the above internationally tried and tested sustainable
    proposals….
    The original Mahaveli Diversion Project with a Twenty-four feet diameter Tunnel at Bowattenne was changed to a Twenty-two feet diameter Tunnel thus reducing the
    quantity of diverted by billions of gallon per second.Now the quantity of water
    diverted remains fixed and is sent in rotation to the irrigation projects in three
    Districts viz (a) Polonaruva (b)Kantalai (c)Anuradhapura in a smooth oderly manner.Any attempt to take water from this Mahaveli Diversion will upset the working of the system and earn the wrath of the farmers of those districts.
    Raising the capacity of Iranamadu tank can only help to store any excess seasonal rain water from Anuradhapura district if directed into Kanagarayan Aru in addition to the existing Malwattu Oya-Giants Tank project.
    The (south vanni)Anuradhpura district gets much less rainfall than the north vanni and Iranamadu may not get filled equally every year and a new fight for water between farm-owners and home-owners may start with the Iranamadu supplying water to Jaffna.

  • 1
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    Dr.Rajasingham Narendran, you seem to agree with the author dangers of operating sea water desalination plants. Sir, it seems to be good starting point, Could you kindly list the dangers of operating sea water desalination plants?, so what it could be scientifically discussed, instead of talking utter nonsense “Sri Lanka is blessed with water, plenty of water, lot of perennial water..”, while the country is facing a water crisis!

    • 1
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      kanapathy,

      Here is a little information.

      Key Issues in Seawater Desalination in California: Marine Impacts

      http://pacinst.org/publication/desal-marine-impacts/

    • 3
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      Kanapathy,

      The issue of seawater desalination has been discussed in CT before and links to information provided. Who is talking utter nonsense. If you are unable to conduct a civilized discussion using civilized language, it is a grievous fault in you. Please do a google search if you want to know more about the subject. If you learn anything from that exercise, let us know. I sm open minded enough to learn.

      I can of course tell you that I have been involved in water treatment plants in Saudi Arabia and am familiar with the processes, problems and costs.
      Dr.RN

  • 2
    1

    The issue is not the quantity of water but quality, the island is surrounded by sea, still many of us may not know that the seawater off Colombo, Ratmalana, Polhengoda, even Arugam Bay are not even suitable for bathing, as they contaminated with ecoli, which could cause many health problems.

    Prior to 1970’s (prior to the focus on intensive agriculture, a common man could drink water from open dugwell and bath in the ponds, scattered in the peninsula. Is anyone who boost that we are blessed with water, do the same as of 70’s, that is drink water from open dug well and bath in pond. If so, why do every one carry a water bottle (though we do not know the quality)?

    Extensive fertilizers, residues of pesticides and weedicide and fecal matter had contaminated the river water and ground water. Do we know the level of arsenic and cadmium on the river water? Do we know the nitrate level and number of ecoli on the underground water of peninsula?

    Somebody seems to suggest to get to know it from Water Board or CEA, Is there anybody out there who can get it the numbers (heavy metals, trace elements, microbial contamination) for Kalani River from Water Board or CEA and let us know?, Kelani River – a water source for the Colombo citizen? Mahaweli River is contaminated even at the upper steam, what would you expect from the down streams?

    Someone invited me to visit to see the freshwater bonds in Jaffna, my family have been doing farming and paddy cultivation in Jaffna for generation. Most of the ponds are dried up in the month of August, September and October. If water is available, paddy culture could be done thrice a year or at least twice a year. But in the peninsula paddy cultivation is done only once a year, that too depend on the rainfall. Are we blessed with water?

    Somebody questioned me about my patriotism. I am worried about the water crisis faced by my country, I am a patriot than any one of you, who mixes the water issue with national, regional, local politics.

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      4

      kanapathy,

      What do you drink yourself?

      “Is anyone who boost that we are blessed with water, do the same as of 70’s, that is drink water from open dug well and bath in pond.”

      Almost all the families I know drink water from open dug wells because there is no other source for drinking water. There are some villages where taps have been installed to distribute drinking water from a central tank. The water comes from a dug well that has less salty water than other wells.

      I drink water from an open dug well myself.

      “If so, why do every one carry a water bottle (though we do not know the quality)?”

      Every one? In rural Jaffna? We don’t carry a water bottle unless you mean kids in schools and nurseries. Do you think that the people here can afford bottled water?

      “Extensive fertilizers, residues of pesticides and weedicide and fecal matter had contaminated the river water and ground water.”

      Yes but remember that there is no river in Jaffna.

      “Do we know the level of arsenic and cadmium on the river water?”

      Which river?

      “Do we know the nitrate level and number of ecoli on the underground water of peninsula?”

      Some wells have been studied most not.

      “Somebody seems to suggest to get to know it from Water Board or CEA,”

      I thought that you wanted to test your own water.

      “Is there anybody out there who can get it the numbers (heavy metals, trace elements, microbial contamination) for Kalani River from Water Board or CEA and let us know?,”

      Wait for the RTI Act and be patient. Did not some authorities and NGOs totally disagree on the quality of Kelani river? Did not a NGO promise facts in April or later this year? I think they sent samples to India but maybe I am wrong.

      “Kelani River – a water source for the Colombo citizen? Mahaweli River is contaminated even at the upper steam, what would you expect from the down streams?”

      I agree with you and prefer our water from the open well.

      “Someone invited me to visit to see the freshwater bonds in Jaffna, my family have been doing farming and paddy cultivation in Jaffna for generation. Most of the ponds are dried up in the month of August, September and October.”

      As I wrote they can provide water most of the year. We seem to agree don’t we?

  • 2
    1

    Hari, No one (including me) knows, the quality of water we do drink! We drink water either from dugwell or river water directly or indirectly (via taps). Since, there is no other alternative and also there is no way to say dug water quality is better than river water or vice versa.

    In 70’s (in the peninsula) we used to drink water directly from well, now days we boil it and carry in a bottle along with us during travelling. I guess, it is a good habit and need to be encouraged, as it atleast remove microbial contamination.

    Most of our dug wells (in the peninsula) are salty (hard water), few of them yield drinkable water. We really do not know what make them hard water, calcium?, magnesium? Saltwater intrusion? soil?

    At Rathupuswella, in Gampaha district people were drinking water, its pH was ~2 (acid), people blamed on rubber factory some say it could be soil! Even after few deaths, the struggle for good water still continues.

    The chronic Kidney Disease, which started at Padavia, Siripura now spread to endemic level. These areas being fed Mahaweli River, there is a thought that the polluted water of the Mahaweli River could be the cause? However, still no one seems to know the cause, because the country as whole have no adequate infrastructure or willingness to test the quality of water for the heavy metals , trace elements, etc. But, what I was trying to say that Mahaweli water diverted to Iranai Madu Tank and supplied to Jaffna could be a chemical soup but not drinkable water!

    Kelani water quality – recently a news item was there waster oil (or some chemicals?) was discharged by a soft drink company and its licensed is cancelled. I know that the soft drink company is working, but I don’t know what was discharged into the Kelani River and what happened thereafter.
    If we are really blessed with water, there is a possibility to do paddy farming three times a year or at least twice a year. But paddy farming is practice only once a year, that too depend on the Rain God. Are we blessed with water?

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      2

      kanapathy,

      Why don’t you

      A) Test your drinking water and buy a suitable filter?

      B) Join forces with others interested in having safe drinking water for all.

  • 9
    5

    Mylvaganam Sooriasegaram

    Logic Behind The Actions & Politics Of The NPC

    *** Before I begin my Countdown let me sound a note of Caution. You sound like someone who is trapped in a Tamil Body with a Sinhala D.c. and let me give you my reasons by tearing into your Artice.

    1) It is essential to try to go deep into the actions and politics of the NPC, led by TNA’s breakaway group centred around the Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran and assess the inherent dangers. Separatist ideology and an attempt to return to the barren politics of the LTTE can be seen in every one of their actions. If this is not identified and exposed, once again the Tamil people will be forced to take the road to disaster and Sri Lanka will be plunged into another civil strife for decades. One such painful experience in our history is too many – we have to mobilize ourselves and act together to prevent its repetition. Otherwise we will sleepwalk into another disaster like the one we had to endure during the last 30 years.

    *** You sound like a man possessed with a Sinhala Deamon in your belly.

    2) I am not a nationalist but if we have to choose between the nationalism of the TNA and that of the Federal Party, the latter is a tolerable one. Neither is my choice provided we can collectively work for a truly democratic Sri Lanka where all the different communities can enjoy equal rights, opportunities and privileges, irrespective of their religion, language and ethnicity.

    *** With a Tamil name how can you be a Nationalist. Without a Nation you cant be a Nationalist. What rubbish are you talking about. You are a SLAVE at the hands of Sinkalams.

    2) The actions of the TNA rebels headed by the CM cannot be seen as isolated actions of madness. They are interconnected by the dogmatic philosophy of an inward looking separation and isolation, giving false hopes to people in desperation.

    *** No you illiterate. The CM was elected by the Tamils to rule and to speak and it is the betrayal by the elected Sinkalms ( by the Tamil vote) to deliver which has precipitated this action which is not isolated. It is a mass movement to get answers.

    4) Another dangerous aspect to the politics of separation is the inclusion of cultural and religious fundamentalism.

    *** When people seperated by Ethnicity, Language and Religion what do you call it other than Political Seperation.To Govern and not be Governed. Get to grips man and who is prafticing Religious Fundamenatlism.

    5) CM’s lamenting over cultural degeneration and his posing as the guardian of Tamil Culture, if not correctly understood and checked, can lead us on a slippery road similar to Islamic fundamentalism. His resemblance to Ayotola Humani of Iran is not a comforting factor either.

    *** The cultural degeneration he is talking about points to the lack of Moral Ethics and the importation of Immoral Practices. I dont think you quite understand the meaning of Islamic Fundamentalism. Come and see me and I will teach you.

    6) His going to India to meet Modi through the back door to have his Swamigi (who was charged and found guilty of child abuse by all the courts in India including the Supreme Court of India) released from imprisonment in India is symptomatic of his religious fanaticism. If his group secures political power and Eelam, the Tamil people will definitely be subjected to religious, cultural and political dictatorship.

    *** It is better than BBS pushing down theirs down our throat.

    7) We have seen the Chief Minister glorifying Prabakaran as a hero soon after his election to power. Since then he and his faction have joined hands with the pro-Eelamists within and outside of Sri Lanka to take on Sri Lanka once again.

    *** My friend Prabakarns mesage will reverbrate for a very long time untill we reach Parity.

    8) WigneswaranWe can see their incessant cry of not enough powers devolved to the NP even though many important devolved powers and the unusually large government funds allocated to the NP have not been effectively utilized to serve the immediate as well as the long term needs of our people. This is because they want to keep alive the suffering and desperation of the Tamil people to justify the separatist agenda, to which people can again be swayed easily due to government’s failure to restore the legitimate rights of the Tamil speaking people.

    *** You really are talking RUBBISH. The Sinkalams can fool a fool like you but not the CM. Do you know the CM cant even vist the Army Camps whereas Sinkalams from the South can do so on a day trip.

    9) Sri Lankan government also must not fail to do what is fair, right and just to the minority communities so that they can also happily and proudly embrace and celebrate their Sri Lankan identity. Doing what is fair, right and just cannot be a difficult thing at all in a predominantly Buddhist country. Government failing to do this will not only be offensive to Buddhism but also be foolish enough to give the separatists all the excuses they need to take the separatist line of politics. Government should never be party to strengthen the separatist agenda.

    *** How do you expalin the above and why are you complaining. First you talked rubbish by saying that the CM has all the powers to deliver and now you are saying that the Sinkalams have failed.

    10) The CM and the NPC have continued their non-cooperating and boycotting stance towards every positive political move and sustainable development effort made by the central government. They failed to participate and even blatantly boycotted the co-ordinating meetings between the PC’s and the central government.

    *** You need to quickly see a PSYCHIATRIST before it is too late.

    11) The Northern Provincial Council, led by the CM, is taking the Tamil people of the North on a suicidal path with their politics of separation. It is a crazy, whimsical, irresponsible, almost childish and ill thought out approach by people with little or no political experience and credence. They have totally failed in their administration of the NP.

    *** No Sinkalams. He is doing the Job he was elected to Do.

    12) Separate Eelam is not only unrealistic but historically has been a disaster. The armed struggle for Eelam ended in utter failure, resulting in unacceptably high human losses, internal and external displacements, loss of property and livelihood, destruction and brain drain. It is shown to be unachievable under the existing local, regional as well as geo-political climate, which is unlikely to change and is more likely to get worse. Economically, politically and socially too independent Eelam is unviable and is not in the interest of Tamil people for the following reasons.

    *** So what do you suggest. Live as SLAVES. No man

    12) Now that the possibility of uniting the North and the East as a single administrative unit is no longer possible, the “Eelam concept” is a dead one. Because the Tamil speaking population is permanently scattered all over the island and abroad, the nation concept and the homeland concept are unsustainable and meaningless concepts.

    *** You are utterly wrong and the Tamil Land and culture has survived for thousands of years and the Sinkalms cant destroy it even with your help.

    13 ) Majority of the Tamils live now in the South and abroad. They are unlikely to want to migrate to the NP and live under a fanatically religious and culturally dictatorial regime, listening to the sermons of the hinduvite Chief Minister.

    *** Speak for yourself. India is sending half a million back and using this to wrest control of the North by building Houses for the returnees.
    14) Eelam demand will not be supported by India and the west. Securing it through negotiation is not possible. Securing it through armed struggle has already been proved a failure. So Eelam is now a pipe dream of knaves only.

    *** May be but 13th Amendment and beyond is the Brain Child of India which will suit us nicely.

    15) Even if it is secured, sustaining it and defending its borders is even more difficult. Border wars will continue and Tamils will have to live in a state of war for ever. Military expenditure to protect the borders will be astronomically high and the burden will be passed on to the Tamil people.

    *** After the Bridge and Tunnel the border will be extended to Galle down south. Depressing isnt it because Sovereignty lost. Sorry to rub it in.

    16) Security of Tamils living in the South cannot be guaranteed.

    *** Are you predicting more RACE RIOTS. May be you know something I dont but the CM may have heard it through the GRAPEVINE.

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