6 October, 2024

Blog

The Federal Party After 70 Years

By CVK Sivagnanam –

Rife with leadership qualities of every kind, with a heritage of many leaders who sacrificed their all, the Federal Party (a.k.a. FP, Ilangai Thamil Arasuk Katchi, ITAK) continues to work with firm faith upholding the right of the Tamil people to maintain their identity, and establish a governance structure that would help them protect this right to  maintain and their unique ethnic identity, arts, culture, language, religious practices through self-determination for our people. It is to protect and win these rights that the FP continues to labour with tenacity.

In this country the FP is the Tamil people’s most important party with the longest and continuing history. As it celebrates 70 years of service today and its contributions are reviewed today, I wish to review the FP’s great leaders, their great virtues and leadership.

SJV Chelvanayakam, K. Vanniasingam, N.R. Rajavarothayam, Medical Dr. E.M.V. Naganathan, S.M. Rasmamanickam, A. Amirthalingam, Rajavarothayam Sampanthan, and Mavai Senathirajah are the great history-makers who laid the foundations for our party’s proud heritage.

Indeed it is possible to write a whole book on each of these great men. Many books have been written already. An excellent leader must lead, be a sound example to his followers, must command the faith and allegiance of his followers, and enthrall followers through his charisma. Moreover, he must have the vision to examine current events and forecast the future in leading the party.

The late SJV Chelvanayakam is called Father (Thanthai) Chelva, and the Gandhi of Eelam, and is hailed as a Political Prophet.

In the 1947 elections he was elected as a Ceylon Tamil Congress Member of Parliament. In the backdrop of the DS Senananayake government in the immediate aftermath of independence taking away the voting and citizenship rights of upcountry Tamils through legislation, Thanthai Chelvanayagam broke off from GG Ponnambalam’s Congress and founded the FP on 18.12.1949.

Dr. EMV Naganathan, K. Vanniasingam and others joined SJV in this revolt within the Tamil Congress. Foreseeing that what was happening to upcountry Tamils then may happen to us later, he saw the inexorable push to found an entity that would facilitate all Tamil people living in dignity and with self-respect. This was the political underpinning of the FP.

In founding the FP Thanthai Chelva was well aware that he and those associating with him would face numerous hardships. Yet he did not falter and took his decision to found the FP with clarity of thought and courage in his heart.

At the very founding of the FP, he made a firm commitment to the Tamil people’s right to self-determination, a federal government with a Tamil province and a similar Sinhalese province joined together under a common central government, and a socialist economy free of exploitative forces. These were the grand new party’s targets and goals. 

With a view to proving that the Tamil people never gave their consent to the Srimavo Government’s new constitutional framework of 1972, he challenged the government by resigning from his parliamentary seat and daring Mrs. Bandaranaike’s party to contest against him.

Thanthai Chelva could well have kept his seat and its privileges and asked some other MP from the FP to resign. But he was too great for that. On 3 October 1972, in resigning from his seat he made it a central point to say that a major aspect of his protest was that the hill-country Tamils had their parliamentary representation robbed and the places of their MPs were used to increase the number of Sinhalese MPs well above their share of the population.

At that very time Thanthai Chelva had the foresight to know that the Srimavo government lacked the democratic convictions to hold the by-elections immediately. It proved right. The delayed by-election denied the people of KKS of a representative and the government was ultimately forced to hold the by-election on 06 Feb, 1975 only as the legitimate tenure of the 1970 parliament came to a close. In an electorate of 36,569 electors, SJV Chelvanayagam obtained 26,927 (72.55%) votes against the government’s Communist party candidate V. Ponnamabalam’s 9,457 (26.46%) votes – a significant majority of 16,470 votes!

Looking back at the qualities of this moral and intellectual giant, in the 5 June 1956 Galle Face nonviolent Sathiyagraha challenge to SWRD Bandaranaike’s inimical language laws, his son Chandrahasan was attacked by Sinhalese goons. Thanthai Chelva retained his composure and continued to sit without breaking his Sathiyagraha. At a later stage of this just struggle against iniquity to Tamils, when Vanniasingam accepted the mantle of party leadership, his garments were torn and ripped off him by Sinhalese thugs and he was assaulted. Mr. Amirthalingam was beaten on his head and the duo went to Parliament with their wounds and bandages soaked in blood. Together they opposed the Sinhalese-Only legislation that rendered Tamils second class in their own country.

It was Thanthai Chelva who first politically brought the North and the East together. With friendship towards Muslims as Tamil-Speakers, he attracted the Muslim people to the Tamil people in friendship. As a result of his far-sighted vision for a united Tami region, on behalf of the Federal Party he nominated Kariappar for the Kalmunai seat, Mohammad Ali for the Mutur seat and Musthapha for the Pottuvil seat. All three with Muslim and Tamil votes favouring a federal solution to our problems, were handsomely returned.

Recognizing the inveterate opposition to Tamil rights, it was Thanthai Chelva who first drew the attention of the International Community and their obligation to help us solve our problems that we were unable to. On 4 Sept. 1975, he submitted a memorandum to the International Commission of Jurists, the ICJ. With a view to obtaining their sympathy and intervention, Thanthai Chelva with Amirthalingam visited M. Karunanithy and Prime minister Indira Gandhi, besides others in India, and explained our problems there. Following that, it is now well-accepted history that Mrs. Gandhi herself praised Mr. Amirthalingam’s leadership qualities. It is the meeting between Mrs. Gandhi and Mr. Amirthalingam that laid the seeds for India’s interest in and concern for the sufferings of Tamils in this country.

The credit for bravely standing up to police brutality within the Jaffna Police Station itself with unmitigated courage, goes to Dr. E.M.V. Naganathan and Mr. A. Amirthalingam.

As for Dr. Naganathan, he on every occasion that any Sinhalese leader exhibited hauteur of any kind, showed his mettle and bravado. His was a heart that feared nothing. During the 1961 Satyagraha when the government Agent for Jaffna tried to leave the Kachcheri, Naganathan laid himself on the load in front of the vehicle. He was baton charged by the police for that. Probably on that occasion or perhaps another, the baton broke upon hitting him. For that he earned the people’s respect and the sobriquet “Iron Man.”

After serving as the Federal Party leader for six years, Thanthai Chelva in the year 1955 at the once in 3-years party Conclave in Trincomalee, passed on the leadership to K. Vaniasingam and took on the post of party General Secretary. Following his example, at every conclave it became the tradition of the FP to select one of the senior members as the new Secretary General. Credit for this greatness goes to Thanthai Chelva. Few other parties have this kind of internal democracy.

The time Vaniasingam was the FP leader was troublesome for the Tamil people and riddled by crises. In particular, this was the time we faced the implementation of the Sinhalese-Only Act, and the fears and tribulations of the 1958 communal attacks on the Tamil people. Vanniasingam bravely spoke of our woes in and out of parliament, and grew the FP as a popular force. At public meetings he answered questions like a sophist and handled difficult questions by turning them into a difficult question directed at the person asking the question to make that person feel awkward.  

When confronting K.M.P. Rajaratne who was wont to spewing rabid nationalism, Vanniasingam remarked “Hey! Your name is Konarage Mudiyaansalaage Podiappuhamy Rajaratna. You carry the ancient heritage of the Tamil called Konarage.” That silenced Rajaratna.

Vanniasingam also evinced strong interest in economic development. An exemplary result of his interest is the Neervely Plantain Bunch Changam that still functions helping the people in an area that produces a good part of our plantains. In 1958 when floods hit Batticaloa, it was Vaniasingam who went there with goods to help. When our lands were subject to Sinhalese colonisation, Vanniasingam with the intention of stopping those settlements he got land allocations made to Tamil traders and made arrangements for the lands to be used for agriculture.

Mr. Amirthaingam’s debating skills have been praised by many a Speaker in Parliament.

The reason for Ceylon Tamils being regarded from 1947 onwards as a unique national ethnic people is the duo consisting of Thanthai Chelva and Mr. Amirthalingam. They believed in shared and devolved leadership just as thy pushed for the same in Sri Lankan governance. It is for the same reason and to include the Eastern Province within the effort to share Tamil leadership, that S.M. Rasamanickam was appointed Party Leader twice. He once was a representative elected as a UNP candidate. However, when that party took to the Sinhalese-Only policy, he was driven by his love for the Tamil language and for Tamil speaking people, to join the Federal Party.

Mr. R. Sampanthan served as the leader of the FP until the year 2014 ad in the Congress held that year handed over reins of FP leadership to Mavai Senathirajah. He continues as head of the TNA, but is regarded as the FP’s Great leader.

In the times of the armed war, and later too, he guarded and sustained the Tamil people’s political goals and dreams, and continued to work for these noble ends.

On top of these contributions, Mr. Sampanthan who leads the TNA, in current times has included and embraced many and in the midst of personal conflicts has cultivated agreement between those in conflict, and functions as a political savant with finesse. Like a Chanakyan, we see him accepted in the International Community as one who can and must contribute towards a solution to Sri Lanka’s deeply divisive problems. We pray for a solution within his lifetime.

Mavai Senathirajah serves the people as one who personally knows all the people and lands of the North and the East. It is for that reason that when he contested in Parliament he garnered a creditable number of votes. His nature is to include everyone. With that good natured spirit, he embraces all Federal Party members. I must record that in times when the FP faced difficulties, Mavai guarded the interests of the party and the Tamil people well.

*CVK Sivagnanam was Commissioner of Jaffna Municipal Council and recently Head of House, Northern Provincial Council. This is his speech at the 70 anniversary of the Federal Party’s founding at the Young Artistes’ Hall in Jaffna, transcribed  by N. Lohathayalan 

Latest comments

  • 9
    3

    People may criticize ITAK/TULF for failures, decision making, wrong strategies and many others, but I do appreciate them for putting up with oppressive governments numerous struggles and hardship through out their journey and still standing strong as the sole representative of that community. Where as parties which are much older including SLFP, LSSP, NSSP , communist, Muslim parties (and to some extent UNP/GOP) have disappeared without a trace. That proves their credibility, among the community they represent.

    • 0
      2

      CVW represents only a small minority of Tamils & therefore, his words don’t resonate with the true Tamil community but, it provides hot topics for racists in the south to keep S/B on toes thereby pushing S/B votes to GoRa camp! Another one in the S is A Rathana. He worked shoulder to shoulder with Hizbullah during the election to make sure GoRa wins. Now, after the election, he has jumped on to the Muslim phobia bandwagon again to make sure GoRa’s votes stay with the SLPP! S/B voters must understand this hypocrisy.

      Ranil is also doing his best to kill the enthusiasm of floating votes flocking to polling booths to vote for anybody other than his choice of opposition candidate. Ranil made sure that the MaRa’s revenge will not reach him and Ravi. The message is clear: If others also want to be safe, be surrender to Ranil!

      • 3
        0

        I think you are confusing former Jaffna municipal commissioner CVK Sivagnanam of ITAK/FP (the author of this article), with CV Wigneswaran, the retired supreme court justice from Colombo who was the Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister and now has his own little party.

    • 1
      0

      Once Dr.,Naganathan identified the pedigree of some sinhala rabist who were of Tamilina origin.He spoke about four girls who came to the south and married into prominent Sinhala families.Konnara Mudiyanelage was one family, who were the others? Were Bandaranayakes and Aluvihares too descendants?

      • 0
        1

        Did Mrs Amirthalingam , in her famous speech about making slippewrs talk about the ancestry of a..ratana? who feeds on
        From Feces To Flies To Feed: Innovating The Lifecycle Of Human Waste

  • 6
    3

    The Federal Party has been dismantled by Sampanthar and Sumanthiran on the instruction of Ranil. But they are unable to reassemble it due to a lack of spares.

  • 3
    4

    Why isn’t that banner in all three languages?

    • 9
      3

      Adrian,
      .
      If you were actually at the meeting and asked the question, I’d understand your concern.
      .
      You come to my area, and I’ll take you to plenty of places where all writing is in Sinhala only. Nothing particularly wrong in that. Banners are drawn up for their audiences. Where the entire audience has a common language, the banner must not shrink writing in one language to display the graphics of some other language which will not be looked at by anybody.
      .
      In any case, three languages? What are the others you want? Egyptian hierographics, Sumerian, Greek, Pali, Sanskrit, Veddah, Chinese or Korean?
      .
      Guys like you don’t believe in peaceful co-existence, do you?

      • 3
        2

        Sinhala_Man
        .
        ‘Guys like you don’t believe in peaceful co-existence, do you?’
        .

        Are you sure a blanket statement like that is accurate? Read my other posts. Here is one about the Swiss embassy affair.
        .

        This lady will just join the list of political prisoners and be forgotten. Ranil and Yahapalana did nothing for them, some held for thirteen years without trial. Shame, honor, fairness….some of the qualities totally absent in our politicians.

        • 7
          0

          Dear Adrian, Not withstanding your fair assessments in general, let us make observations that suit each situation, independently. There was nothing unworthy in Sinhala_Man’s response. He just tried to bring to your attention a point of view that you seem to disagree with. I am not sure if the Sinhalese counterparts make banners in all three languages when their meetings are held in the South. As such, your moot point is quite controversial. Live and let live. Thank you.

          • 5
            0

            Thanks, Thappu, but I hasten to add, no offence taken by me.
            .
            What Adrian has further stated is also true. I’ve checked. No, he doesn’t, as a rule, make outrageously racist comments. there are so many (including me!) making comments using pseudonyms that usually make no sense. Actually, mine is a prime example, provocatively made by me, to actually seem racist at first sight!
            .
            When I made my comment, yes, I thought that Adrian was indeed a racist. I won’t make this comment about every trio of commenters on CT: I think that all three of us are decent human beings.

    • 2
      1

      A valid question indeed!

  • 2
    3

    The -( TNA), what have done last 5, years. Sampanthan, and his ( Indian backed Group), had nathing, thanthai / father Selva, never talk in Tamil, in bambalapitya saraswathi Hall there were planty of Tamil meetings going on, before -1983. , l lived near the Kovil, we ( Bambas boys) , go to the meeting and stay near by stage, Ex. Selva start to speck in English, there was a interpreter, he Translate in Tamil. But what Ex, selva spoken, he never translate, because these people are fooling Tamil people, some time we ( Bambas boys) , met son of Ex, Selva, and if we ask , why this translate and others speak lies, he ( Mr, ChanderaHassan) , put a smile and go on his way, because Mr, Chandera Hassan , lived in Babalapitiya, my father and Mr, Chandera Hassan studied in Law college,
    When Tamil meeting going on -Saraswathi hall, ( Ma wai / Uma makeswaran ) stand out side hall and talk , today ( Ma wai- President For TNA). and Uma, in Bombay, big gangster,in India,

  • 14
    3

    The trouble is that the Tamils have neither a credible leader nor credible political aims any more than Sri Lanka has. Playing hide and seek will not get us anywhere. While passing a political meeting recently where many important TNA leaders were on the platform, I heard Prabhakaran being advanced as our Thesiya Thalaiver (national leader). What sort of political programme does that imply? There are several issues we can campaign on, where the world would gladly support us – a secular state, removal of the eyesore of barbed wire and an enormously costly bloated army to guard these enclosures and deny the people their commons.

  • 5
    6

    “The Federal Party After 70 Years”

    R.I.P.

    • 4
      3

      Eagle Blind Eye


      “R.I.P.”

      Did you mean Revived and Inspired by Prabaharan.

  • 4
    3

    TNA has become a senior citizen’s dent( Madam). They don’t believe in what they are saying , talk some things in the north and another in the south. The other day Mr. Sampanthar the leader was telling elsewhere killing Prabakaran and winning LTTE is Okay with him. What does it mean! giving a positive signal to Gota? Yet you speak about Federalism still in the north! Tamils have experienced very many false promises and they wouldn’t be fooled further.

  • 1
    4

    Only 40% of Tamils live in the North and East. then take the number Postal votes and see even what percentage of that 40% likes to move to the South. Even during the heavy fighting Tamils moved to Galla, Matara like areas which Tamils consider might be hostile to Tamils. Sivagilingam could not win an appreciable percentage of votes. so, if Gotabhaya Rajapakse handles Tamils properly, they all vote to Gotabhaya Rajapakse and He has to consider the caste – importance to Tamils. I think, Tamil youth is not that (except the Jaffanishtan university) Tribalist and are open to sinhala people. What ever it is Tamils and muslims should not be handed over to Tamil and muslim politicians respectively.

  • 5
    2

    Sampanthan, and his ( Indian backed Group), had nathing, thanthai / father Selva, never talk in Tamil, in bambalapitya saraswathi Hall there were plenty of Tamil meetings going on, before -1983.
    Anan
    Writing in broken-English you are a bare-faced liar! A barefaced liar is one who displays no shame about lying. Thanthai Chelvanayakam always makes it a point to speak in Tamil in public platforms. He is not an orator like A. Amirthalingam who was his lefthand man, nonetheless, he delivers his message calmly, succinctly and pointedly so that his audience understands. him. Brevity was the hall-mark of his speeches in Tamil as well as English. He is not prone to make inflammatory speeches. Only in parliament, Thanthai Chelvanayakam speaks in polished English to drive home his message to those not conversant with the English language.

    • 3
      0

      Thanga,

      I think “Anan” might have meant E.M.V. Naganathan, not SJV, as the Tamil leader who didn’t speak in Tamil. My elders told me that Naganathan always spoke in English even among Tamils.

      An editor of a major Tamil newspaper wrote in the early 1990’s that, when he was a reporter in his earlier days, Naganathan was dictating something to him in English. The word ‘irresponsible’ from EMVN sounded ‘responsible’ to the reporter; he noted down that word even after the former repeated ‘irresponsible’ a few times. EMVN got angry and hit the journalist. The latter then told him, ‘only God can save journalists from politicians like you.’

  • 6
    8

    The trouble is that the Tamils have neither a credible leader nor credible political aims any more than Sri Lanka has.
    Rajan Hoole

    This person, who is a denationalized Tamil, thinks he is a super intellectual and an epitome of knowledge and wisdom.

    In the past Tamils were fortunate in having leaders like SJV Chelevanayakam, K, Vanniyasingam, A.Amirathalingam and last, not least R, Sampanthan, president of the Tamil National Alliance. TNA is the authentic representative of the people in parliament. It enjoys the overwhelming support of the Tamil people. Suffice to say that out of 18 MPs elected from the Northeast, 16 belonged to the TNA. Leaders cannot be manufactured or imposed, they emerge from among the people.

    • 4
      0

      Thanga

      “The trouble is that the Tamils have neither a credible leader nor credible political aims any more than Sri Lanka has.”

      But you had V Prabaharan who single handedly took on the Hindian IPKF and won and then kept the Sri Lankan armed forces run for their life.

      Is he still alive?

    • 7
      5

      Apart from S. Nadesan, who was not a nationalist, SJV Chelvanayakam and EMV Naganathan must be given their due credit for being the only major Tamil leaders who spoke against the Citizenship Bills of 1948/ 49. As to the problem with Tamil leaders today, it does not take PhDs, who mostly lack commonsense, to see the irony. The honest farmers of the North have known it for a long time.

      If Prabhakaran is Thesiya Thalaivar, what are the following Tamil leaders killed by the Thalaivar: A. Amirthalingam, V. Yogeswaran, A. Thangathurai, Pon Sivapalan, S. Namasivayam, Sarojini Yogeswaran and Neelan Thiruchelvam?

      Are they too traitors like Alfred Duraiappah and others who paid the price of opposing the Thesiya Thalaivar’s fascism? Playing hide and seek with this question condemns us to the doldrums or much worse.

    • 5
      2

      Dear Thanga,
      .
      Who is “this person”? If it is Rajan Hoole, he is an intellectual whom you should be proud of.
      .
      He doesn’t hold an inflated opinion of himself, as far as I know.
      .
      The majority of readers of this article will be speakers of Tamil. I know that i’m an outsider, and I have no wish to cause dissension among you. My “outsider” view may be of some use to you. Similarly, when you comment on what happens in the South of Sri Lanka, it is useful, provided your intention is not to confuse us further.
      .
      We Sinhalese speakers have caused quite enough problems for you!

    • 1
      0

      Thanga, I agree with you on the list of leaders and Tamils were fortunate to have them including Mr Sampanthan. However, Mr. Sumanthiran’s close association with Ranil and the blind alignment of the TNA with the UNP is taking the TNA down a dead end. Something needs to be done before the Tamil people’s vote is made irrelevant even more.

  • 2
    1

    Living with memories of past does not make any good for the present, unless one has vision. Skewed vision in the past for a separate state have proved utterly futile and never going to happen. What north and east need as a priority is economic development and priority among this is WATER. Running in parallel with economic development are education and health.
    Federalism or similar can come later when people are full and intellectually sharp.

    Get rid of the current lot as they are morally corrupt and are incompetent.

  • 1
    0

    Mr C V K Sivagnanam has revisited history in {“The Federal Party After 70 Years”}
    One cannot miss the glare of the fact that not a single Sinhala political leader ever underwent the state sponsored brutality inflicted on Tamil leaders.
    Not emphasized is the fact that FP opposed state sponsored colonisation which involved eviction of rightful owners. It is a fundamental right for a citizen to BUY land at market value anywhere.
    The language-divide which evolved into language-religion divide. This has resulted in deterioration in Law & Order and the grassroot is struggling.

  • 1
    1

    why all are making a very negative comments against FEDERAL PARTY. please wait for another 5 months and we can see what is the response from tamil people of north-east regarding the past actions of FP-TNA. just because if in any case VICKNESWARA SUWAMIGAL and others like MANDIAN NAYNAR,PONNAMPLAVANAR elected to go to parliament they can”t do any thing better than FP-TNA. every body including FP-TELO-PLOT-EPDP-TAMIL CONGRESS-SIVAJI-SRI KANTHA-ANANTHI-VICKEYAR knows heart to heart their hands are very tight due to current political situation but THEY ARE ALL FIGHTING TO GO TO PARLIAMENT FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT.AS SJV SAID ONLY GOD CAN ENSURE THE SAFETY OF TAMILS IN SRI-LANKA.

  • 2
    1

    seventy years of leading the Tamils up the garden path to no where

    • 2
      0

      rajash

      can you blame only the leaders?don’t the people get the representatives they deserve?Now it is easy for you to blame the leaders,but take your mind back to your past history.The leaders did what they did due to pressure from idiotic people.

      ps.take a look at videos of hitler standing in a jeep with the heil salute while germans and austrians waving and cheering him.Then take a look at berlin when the russians invaded it.The people scrummaging for food among the ruins.

      ps.always do what is right and fair,not what you think you can do.

      • 1
        0

        Wise words, Shakar.

  • 1
    0

    Chandrika came to power promising that she would stop the war and restart peace negotiation. Unlike in the Gota Chitanta election, where minorities rescued them not bending to this government, in 1994, Sinhalese, Tamils & Muslims all voted overwhelmingly to CBK and she got an amazing 62%, so far nobody has gone near to which landside. But once ascended to power, she declared War for Peace, but no to Negotiation for Peace. Her election talk was only an Aappa Diplomacy talk. Tamils didn’t comprehend it during the election time. She sent out Kathirgamar to get the support of India and Western Countries, claiming she cannot make Peace with LTTE so she needed to annihilate it. Her somersault to international community was if the LTTE can be abolished, Sinhalese will be willing to grant the denied Tamils rights back to them. She kept working until the end of her two terms on annihilating LTTE, while protecting the Rapist Army using Sinhala Only Jury Verdict. That was the one Old Royals adopted and wiped out Tamils, not just LTTE. After the war, I heard Tamils who were pretentious pundits cursed all Tamil leaders, including GG, SJV, Piraba, Sampanthar et al as divisionists, not Peace makers, missed all the opportunities, that is why Sinhalese could not make peace with Tamils. They praised Kathirgamar’s, Douglas’, Karuna’s…… path. They condemned Vatukkottai Convention as the Tamils leaders’ deeds to sacrifice the Tamil youths for their whimsies. Last Five years TNA wasted on Secret Solution, instead advancing Tamils’ case to international jurisdiction. Last 4 years, TNA voted to anti-Tamil Budgets to drench more army in North East. After splitting and stripping TNA to practically Federal Party only & and dissolving the Secret Solution in Mahaweli River, Ranil willingly handed over the government to Royals, one year earlier than his term. So, now the sprayed out Shrapnel of TNA are singing of FP’s past pride of Federal Party.

  • 1
    0

    The day before Yesterday Douglas complained about Sumanthiran that Sumanthiran has no right to ask him to resign from his minister post. Douglas had said he unwillingly accepted his Minister Post as he was not elected. Sumanthiran is accusing Doulas that Douglas has promised of Federal Solution to Tamils, but the King had refused for any solution. Sumanthiran’s argument is Doulas should resign to pass the people Mandate back to them, so people can reuse it for whoever would really bring Federal Solution. We know Douglas’ Para-Military life and surrendering to Ranil and thus being handed over to Old King as a coolie. Now he has got a minister post in the three month Royal Government. Douglas’ talk had two outstanding points, 1). He has not yet got the people’s mandate and he is waiting for the election for it; 2). He feel conflict in discharging his national minister duties while he is still fighting for Tamils rights, its loyal range is mainly limited to North East. Yesterday Old King laughed at Sampanthar that Mr. Sam is only dreaming because there is no way he can get a federal Solution. Sampanthar has advised his MPs not to antagonize this government as he still wants to work with them for the secret Solution, though Ranil washed his hands off, one year earlier. Jan 2012, Old Royal’s Mahinda Chitanta, which was negotiating to grant a 13+ under the pressure of Manmohan Singh’s government, pulled back from negotiations, with a physical threat to Sampanthar. Then a PSC was formed, Nimal presiding, including Doulas as a member, to completely abolish 13A & NPC election in 2013, for which Douglas was looking for CM post. 13 A is still waiting its constitutional clauses of land, Police right for North Easterner implemented and a referendum to merge North East held.

  • 1
    0

    From Jr’s times all government has worked on some kind of federal solution to Tamils. This sentence is leaving behind the abandoned, Banda-Chela and Dudley- Chelva facts which were that time governments had formulated as solutions for Tamils. Neither of those governments was defeated for the reason of making those facts. In 2005, Old King came to power by paying to leader Pirapaharan. It was purely Sinhala votes he got in that election. Then, based on that mandate he received, he set up all party committee meetings to make a new constitution to grant Tamils’ right. Tissa Vitharana committee recommended a federal based solution with the approval of all parties. It was well open to Sinhalese that Old King had given promise to IC and especially to India that he was working on 13+ for Tamils. Old King received a higher majority in the next election. If 13+ had been granted, as promised to Manmohan Singh, North East could send one rep to the upper house too, in addition to the other 7 reps. It was Wimal who divided North East, which was merged under 13A. Old King has agreed to Sampanthar to merge them as per the court’s recommendations. Wimal action of dismissing Shiranee from CJ was the main incidence Sinhalese started seeing Law and Order deterioration and defeated Old King in 2015. Lemon Puff Weeraya never gained acceptance within Sinhala mass. In 2010 Old King received a higher number only for defeat LTTE and 2019 King got it back to power for Ranil’s Nariya work on ISIS bombings. Other than Chandrika’s call for Sinhalese to make peace with Tamils and receiving highest mandate so far, there is no mandate from Sinhalese against solving Tamils’ problem and making peace.

  • 1
    0

    It is under this background, 1). Sampanthar wants to restart the talks; 2). Old Kings is saying is he cannot grant any solutions as Majority opposes it; 3). Sumanthiran is saying it as it is Douglas’s responsibility he needs to resign.
    We are not sure from where Sampanthar is getting this hope of negotiating, instead persuading the IC go for an investigation on the Genocide, which will give IC a legal authorization to interfere in Tamils genocide in Lankawe, instead of Sampanthar dreaming of getting Federal Solution from Old King . Old King during the war promised all countries supported to his war effort that if he can destroyed the LTTE he would be able to grant Tamils’ rights back. But now he is telling it is like sharing the Sinhalese rice plate to Tamils, if give them their right. He seems to be reluctant to accept that it is the UN declared rights so far all what Tamils are asking. Tamils are asking about their ancestral Land. Their talk is about what Chankiliyan lost to Portuguese. Tamil didn’t willingly accepted Soulbury’s yoke to pull the cart of Lankawe for Sinhalese. Tamils are only dreaming to fly in the air of their Tamils Eelam. It is their birth right. Denying that to self-actualization of his ego, Old king is pledging the peace of Sinhalese, in all future to come. He thinks, he fooled the IC and had the won the war on Tamils. Then fooled Ranil and had IC defeated. Then he fooled Modayas and now has defeated Ranil. But his puny brain seems to have no traction to understand that none of these are permanent. He will become one day like Gadhafi, Salam, Pinchot, Hitler…… ….

  • 1
    0

    In Ranil’s Yahapalanaya government, Sumanthiran challenged many times of getting the Secret Solution. One time he said “When it comes (December 10, 2017) we (Tamils) are going to tell Tamil Eelam missing, but they(Sinhalese) are going to tell that Tamil Eelam is given” . Though Sumanthiran gave that kind of hope for Tamils, the real Draft Constitution never came to Parliament. He never apologized to fooling Tamils like that. Then he challenged to resign if that was not done in Yahapalanaya Government. But after the 2018 coup, he conceded it would not happen in this term, but started to give hope for next term. That was meant to tell that the Yahapalanaya Government is coming back and he would resign only if he did not have it done in the next tem of Yahapalanaya. Later (one week ago) he said that he would resign on his own accord if it is not done. For 70 years Federal Party could not bring Federal government. It fooled Tamils saying that they could not get name Federal, but the new constitution would be better than Federal Structure. Now he is asking Douglas to resign because it was only Douglas who has been promising of Federal Government. Sumanthiran was responsible forcing UNHRC to grant additional time in Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. Neither Sampanthar no Sumanthiran has ever sincerely asked any external governments to take forward the resolution 30/1 as Sinhalese government never really will give back the rights of the Tamils, but only putting forward an argument that as Sinhalese has no other land, Tamils should leave Ceylon voluntarily, otherwise face the wrath of Sinhalese, time to time.

  • 2
    0

    Mr Sivagnanam

    Why do you have two names for your party ? If ” Ceylon Tamil state party ” as it appears in the banner appearing in the picture above is correct, why do you have another name as ” Federal party ” ? I believe you and your ” FP’s great leaders ” knew the vast difference between the two, yet you all have been very good in keeping the Tamils in a dream of Tamil state, for the last seven decades. No doubt you will continue it, if not you will be doomed. So long as Tamil voters are emotionally subdued by your party’s rhetoricians arousing intense ethnic feelings and repeating your leaders appeal to the youths ” to come forward to throw themselves fully into the sacred fight for freedom and to flinch not till the goal of sovereign state of Tamil Eelam is reached ” , you wouldn’t have difficulties to be in power for another seventy years!

  • 2
    0

    Rajan Hoole is good in criticizing others. The 1958 Tamil pogrom and loss of thousands of jTamil jobs following Sinhala Only policy brought desperation in Tamil Community. Prabakaran was a byproduct of these discriminatory policies. Harping on the violence generated by Prabakaran does not help Tamils. May be it helps Rajan Hooles psyche. Never seen Hoole coming up with a solution for the suppressed Tamil masses.

  • 2
    0

    The author has contributed to the downfall of the party and to the present plight of the Tamils and now tries to wash clean and absolve all sins the party is morally responsible.

    First IATK aka F.P. , then TULF, and TNA with LTTE Mask and now the real true face of the villains.

    What will it be in the coming general elections garden lizard or gabaragoya?

  • 2
    0

    Lets take a walk in recent History. In the 70s, I believe 1976, the TUF as it it was then called decided to work towards creating a so-called Separate State. Amirthalingam at that time was not an MP and he was waiting in the wings to take over from Thanthai Chelva who was in very poor health [Parkinsons Disease ]. Came the 1977 general election and the TUF now the TULF won practically all the seats in the North-East. If the Mandate they had was to create an Independent State of Tamil Elam why on earth did they go to Colombo and take part in the proceedings of Parliament of Srilanka? Perhaps they were quite not serious about it hoping that they may be offered something short of Elam. But the militant groups they created,[ particularly the LTTE ] WITH THEIR ELOQUENCE AND Rhetoric took ELAM seriously and even Amirthalingam had to pay the supreme price in the end. But it was not the end in a sense. Mrs.Amirthalingam and her son visited Srilanka building houses for the Policeman who shot and killed those[ LTTE ] WHO KILLED HER HUSBAND.! !
    Indeed in the 70 odd years of the FP [ TULF, TNA] THERE HAS BEEN MANY A CONTRADICTION.

  • 0
    2

    The best and absurd part of the speech is that ‘India and Indra’ learned from this ITAK/TULF/TNA ‘folly’ the discrimination of Tamils in Sri Lanka??

    Having both countries succesfully working together closely in the Non Aligned movement/India saved our Nation from the JVP kids running around to topple our government/surviving the cold war as a Nation and Regionally while all that went on in India/Pakistan/Bangladesh war/Vietnam war is it not amazing this lot educated India about the descrimination of Tamils in Sri Lanka?? Did they tell them too how they systematically kill the Tamil and Sinhala aspirations by killing all their opponents using our children trained in India or did India say thank you for the support when all India wanted was to remove JR from giving access/footing to America in the region??. This is a foreign sponsored event for their regional security issues where our children were sacrificed in the form of Freedom fighters and Armed forces?? it is the Mother Lankan blood that was spilt?? to achieve what exactly.

    I would not even qualify/fact check the rest of the speech/statements in the article?? we know exactly who did what to sell the entire Nation to foreign interest? The question is who is going bring the ITAK/FP/TULF/TNA to books?? The 1977 elections were a disaster to our Nation building activity?? Not sure if we can ever recover from this as now we are the ‘sacrificial cathode’ for all the Regional security requirements proven beyond reasonable doubt. Even our government now use the same to destroy the Tamils?? unless we remove them from politics for good??

  • 0
    2

    How many more summersault do we need to see from this rump? No one in our nation given GG/SJV/ Amir and the rest to speak for anyone let alone Tamils be it Indian or Sri Lankan?…….when this was exhausted…. not elected/and the thuggery did not work the folly got together to form TULF and had our children do the dirty work of killing all their opponents whom the Tamils started looking up-to for the mess?? Indian Congress in the upcountry did the same..Muslims did the same..Jaffna Tamils did the same. When someone force themselves to have an intercourse is called rape??????? is exactly what happened?? under the so called educated Lawyers who the parliament into a courtroom drama for the past 70 years.

    Can someone provide evidence of the life long ITAK/TULF/TNA politicians objection for all the killing spree went on Jaffna?? Translate Suthenthiran paper for the past 70 years to English and let the world read will be the evidence for us to take this lot to task. I did can also answer the UN and the World about their training camps for the Sri Lankan children??

    Our Hon judge had a great opportunity to put the horror and the killings/slaughter went on in Jaffna in the name of Tamils this and that since 70’s after 2009. Jaffna Tamil Research Conference invited Indians to the stage without the elected Major of Jaffna??with the provocation for the police to act by the Killing of the police officers in the first place. If this is what the developed countries call democracy/mandate we have a lot more to share to the world?? then again who cares about the facts and the truth……now the folly feeding into the Geo politics of the region without knowing the consequences for all that is alive……

  • 0
    1

    The only statement ITAK/TULF/TNA should make is as follows
    – what is there part in educating and delivering progress/development to the respective electorate 24/7 other than Tamil ISSUES they themselves created through their actions without being mindful to all SL citizens needs? The answer is zero over 70 years.
    -what is there part in SENDING our children to the training camps being snatched/stolen from the schools/tuition centres/streets without the consent of their families at an age of 15 or younger in 70’s??
    -explain to the world word by word every political platform speach/suthenthiran articles inclusive to all the Sri Lankan CITIZENS…….. policies/participants/calling people traitors/praising thuggery and attempted murders and the actual murders itself.
    -have the families of the political killings/victims been consulted?? we are not just talking about politicians who were killed but civil servants/police officers/average citizens who branded as traitors being taken out and killed by a bunch of children trained in foreign countries.
    -what each and every elected said about the murders/did they attend the funerals??? we know who attended some these folks funerals??
    -what is their part in silencing the democratic rights of the voters in the North and East through their indirect support to thuggery??
    -have they told the world the exact camp sides in India where our children were trained to kill??
    -who trained them?? and has India explained itself to the Sri Lankan/World/UN about these sites?
    -Have we asked the TN government to compensate Sri Lanka for such actions??
    -All the books on Tamil Leaders the article above mention could possibly rewrite our history is a hallucination? this is an attempt to normalise the unthinkable after all the carnage created by this folly.
    -they should explain to Sinhalese people/Muslim people/Low caste Tamils (in fact should address to most of the Tamils)/Indian Tamils who are now Sri Lankan’s their proposed solution for their problems since Independence??

  • 0
    1

    -They should explain who given them the right to use word Tamil for all they do because they speak Tamil Language make them the custodians of a language/culture/heritage that belongs to all of us in a democracy?/
    -This is why we can allow this folly to continue to exercise their rights inna democracy having a registered party in the name of Tamil attached???
    – The Maldives coup attempt in 1988 by the TN trained group PLOTE been explained to the World?? now this is a TNA component party ?
    -They should publish a list of all the folks who were killed in Jaffna that this party in its new format of TNA approved and carried out?? and stand trial for crime against humanity in Jaffna and Hague. How convenient is forgone to think ITAK now can carry the Tamil flag free of all the crimes that they saw the seeds……I am from Vaddukottai and I know the qualification/crime records of the respective ‘Tamil’ leaders too well.
    – They can join any governments/other SL parties because they are facilitating devolution and separatism for ‘Tamils’????? is what the voters are told in the respective constituent even now??

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.