By Colombo Telegraph –
“The TNA urged the need for urgent action to redress this situation. The discussions were free and frank, and the Prime Minister and the others reassured the TNA delegation that India was firmly committed to and would contribute its best efforts to ensure that the Tamil People in Sri Lanka secured a future marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect” says Tamil National Alliance.
Manmohan Singh
Issuing a press statement after visiting the meeting with Indian officials and politicians including Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the TNA says “The TNA however intimated its grave concerns over the lack of progress by the Sri Lankan Government in the effective implementation of the constructive recommendations of the LLRC and the lack of a genuine commitment on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka to the evolution of an acceptable political solution. The TNA also observed that without meaningful action with regard to the above issues, the Tamil People in Sri Lanka cannot secure a future marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect.”
We below reproduce the TNA statement in full;
A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentary delegation led by its leader R. Sampanthan and comprising, S Senathirajah, K Premachandran, A Adaikalanathan, A Vinayagamoorthi, Pon Selvarajah and M A Sumanthiran visited New Delhi on the invitation of the Ministry of External Affairs between the 10th and 13th of October 2012. During the visit the delegation met with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Minister for External Affairs Shri S M Krishna, the Leader of the Opposition Shrimati Sushma Swaraj, the National Security Advisor Shri Shiv Shanker Menon, the Secretary of External Affairs Shri Ranjan Mathai, the Joint Secretary Shri Shringla and other officials. The TNA delegation conveyed to the Prime Minister its sincere thanks on behlaf of the Tamil People in Sri Lanka for the substantial multi-faceted assistance being provided by the Government of India to enable the Tamil People to recommence life and rebuild their future. The TNA also thanked the Prime Minister for the consistent interaction by the Government of India with the President and the Government of Sri Lanka to bring about reconciliation between the Peoples in Sri Lanka through the effective implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission(LLRC) and the evolution of an acceptable political solution to the national issue.
The TNA however intimated its grave concerns over the lack of progress by the Sri Lankan Government in the effective implementation of the constructive recommendations of the LLRC and the lack of a genuine commitment on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka to the evolution of an acceptable political solution. The TNA also observed that without meaningful action with regard to the above issues, the Tamil People in Sri Lanka cannot secure a future marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect. The TNA urged the need for urgent action to redress this situation. The discussions were free and frank, and the Prime Minister and the others reassured the TNA delegation that India was firmly committed to and would contribute its best efforts to ensure that the Tamil People in Sri Lanka secured a future marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect.
Senguttuvan / October 13, 2012
Although it is claimed elsewhere the Indian PM and Govt have persuaded
the TNA to join the PSC, many of us believe the TNA should continue with its principled stand not to get entrapped into one more insincere effort of the perfidious Rajapakses in a further exercise in futility.
The TNA should continue to insist on President Rajapakse to show results and good intent in the process of discussions he initiated between the TNA and a delegation of senior Ministers to narrow the differences. It may be recalled President Rajapakse pulled the rug on these talks that were proceeding reasonably well – on false premises. It is also understood while the Govt has agreed for informal talks between a group of ex senior officials and diplomats from the Lankan side and a similar group from India to arrive at some common ground this itself has been torpedoed by Gothabaya Rajapakse warning the Lankan delegation to disregard all aspects of the 13th Amendment and not to allow any further devolution to the North/NEP. So when and where do the Tamils “recommence life and rebuild their future” The attitude of the Rajapakses is characterised by “lack of progress to the effective implementation of the (its own) LLRC” is universally known. So let us not blame the Govts of India, the USA, UK or the EU for their understanding of “lack of genuine commitment on the part of the GoSL” to secure a break-through and usher in the much hoped for peace-reconciliation. A New Delhi datelined report states “the Indian PM assures GoI will help Sri Lankan Tamils to lead a life of dignity and self-respect in a peaceful environment” This effectively means, in other words, despite the Rajapakses hoary claims Tamils in the country, in all 4 corners, lead a life of suspect dignity, self-respect” in an enviroment seriously lacking in the necessary “peaceful environment” – are all patently false and seething in deception.
What the Tamil people in the North and EP ask for are not a plethora of roads only (which naturally results in the accumulation of huge commissions to the various Mr/Mrs 10, 15 and 20%s) They demand the right to run their own affairs and future. They ask for sufficient resource allocations to create their own peace and development in an undivided island. They do not want a Sinhala ex-Army Governor who offers his undue consent involving their entire future.
These are some of the real challenges ahead of the otherwise clueless and vacuous Rajapakses who regularly assure themselves they have fooled the Tamils and the world. The reality is totally different.
Senguttuvan
/
gamini / October 13, 2012
Senguttuvan, what is evident from the recent happenings where the Indians tried to extract the 13th Amendment from MR claiming as promised after the war being advertised as over where the Indian Foreign Minister went public announcing so after meeting MR on a visit here, to be denied later by MR shows the inability of MR of delivering on the promise and the Indians accepting MR’s position and now looking for ways and means to circumvent the issue and the South Indian leadership also having been played out, are also trying to hide their culpability. Now all the Americans and the Indians are trying to adopt a different strategy to salvage whatever left and save the day for MR in getting the TNA to accept power sharing without the Official announcement of the 13th Amendment. Wait and see the present talks will be directed at dropping the 13th Amendment which the MR govt. will drum to the whole world to appease the MODA Patriot Sinhalese and get the TNA to agree with the understanding that they will be granted all what is stated under the 13th Amendment UNWRITTEN. This latest attempt of MR to solve the Tamil issues is best described by the Sunhala proverb, ‘Ugurata Horen Beheth Gilinawa’. Swollowing medicine via cheating the throat. The inability of MR to grant the 13th amendment is due to the fact, of being unable to get RW removed from the UNP. I believe the world body, that is the Americans and the Indians want RW to remain as well, because there appears other plans as alternate to MR when they want to implement, when the time comes.
/
Punchinilame / October 13, 2012
The TNA has to be in a hurry whilst the rouge regime has prolonged a
solution for over 3.5 yrs. and wishes to delay further for best of
reasons – as one will find in this Feature Article hereunder and forms the base of the hidden agenda? Dayan.J can counter this if he now wishes!
‘Sri Lanka model of COIN (COunterINsurgency) sets a dangerous precedent for humanity’ read here –
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=35651
/
Jegath / October 13, 2012
Eelam Tamils know what India is capable of and what Congress is capable of..
Congress is curse to Indians and Eelam Tamils, it allows ZTE a major China espionage company to operate in partner with Airtel, whereas USA and EU recently have banned these in their markets..Either Congress is plain ignorant and dumb on foreign affairs or works for China and its clan..
/
Native Vedda / October 14, 2012
Jegath
“Congress is curse to Indians and Eelam Tamils,”
So are the other Indian parties.
You say:
“it allows ZTE a major China espionage company to operate in partner with Airtel,”
It is Indian problem not yours.
You say:
“.Either Congress is plain ignorant and dumb on foreign affairs or works for China and its clan..”
So the congress works for two masters one in the west and one in the East. It is a brilliant balancing act despite their stupidity.
/
Jegath / October 13, 2012
Sinhala colonization is taking place at enormous pace,
Navatkuli Junction in Jaffna has been granted to Sinhalese,
so called “sinhalese learning centres” have mushroomed in Jaffna with the sponsor of SL Army,
Finally “Divigenuma Bill” has removed even the tiny power held by Provinces Administration….
And TNA believes Congress which is directly responsible for this sorry state of Tamils to save them….PARADOX…
/
Native Vedda / October 14, 2012
Jegath
“And TNA believes Congress which is directly responsible for this sorry state of Tamils to save them….PARADOX…”
It is not a PARADOX, sheer Tamil stupidity. Genetic marker M20 lives on.
/
Rama / October 14, 2012
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
Uthungan / October 14, 2012
The Indian PM as a good economist and honest administrator knows that when there is a combination of free market and democracy,countries could be modernized with proper planning to become viable components in the making of a better world.
But he seems to have overlooked or forgotten the fact that when global markets open, ethnic conflicts could worsen in small countries like our island in the southern tip of his country which he is PM.
If he had addressed to what has happened in the case of Chinese in SE Asia,the Lebanese in West Africa or know that it is such dynamics which has produced maniacs like Milosovic,and the power leaders of the Hutus in Rwanda then he may correct his opinion.
The main reason for this, as far as our island goes, is the perception entertained and fostered over the years by the majority commnunity that the minorities should be prevented from having or enjoying a disproportinate wealth and influnce in the country.This is the what all this impasse is about.Ancient myths and past history is relied upon, re-invented,and regurgitated for this purpose and repeatedly propagandised.A subservient media is a great aid in the process and attempts are now being made to interfere in the judiciary with this end in view.This must end.
There is no way out of this unless there is a willingness to abandon and eliminate the visceral suspicion and hatered entertained by the politicians in the majority community.They must iniate a process to turn the clock around and accommodate and instil confidence in dealing with the minorities and to this end begin a dialogue to set a firm,fair constitutional foundation for renewal and future progress.
/
Senguttuvan / October 14, 2012
Gamini – As Shiv Shankar Menon in his last visit made it clear to all, including genuine and deceptive doubters, is that the 13th Amendment is a Sri Lankan product. JRJ signed it for GoSL and we cannot now go about saying force was used etc., now after the Indians saved the JRJ GoSL both from the LTTE in the North and the JVP in the South. The Rajapajkse gang know that and know there is no way out – so they go back to their stock-in-trade viz: cheating-side tracking. The Rajapakses fear is the 13th Amendment has now (like Federalism, Separatism, DC Councils, Unitary State, Tamil Diaspora delusional bogeys) entirely poisoned the Sinhala psyche it is dangerous go down this path. If you remember when Shekar Gupta of NDTV visited MR at
Temple Trees a few years ago MR grinningly agreed “that’s (13th) the path to go” Now he sings a different song as the Sinhala supremacists
together with the extremists in the army will oust him if he honours
the sovereign pledge. Rajapakses have no alternative but to procrastinate and time will cure their ill.
As to RW, he’s a blessing both to CBK and MR. India and the IC can manage without him. They know he is not wanted in most of the UNP as well and his trickery of getting himself entrenched for 6 years may have a price to be paid – in due course in a violence-prone and otherwise lawless land.
Senguttuvan
/
Native Vedda / October 14, 2012
Senguttuvan
As far as India is concerned Sri Lanka is a Sinhala state of India.
In the long run India does not need Indo Lanka pact or the 13th amendments to manage the island’s affairs.
LTTE’s Tamil Eelam project is already dead. Sinhala one nation project is doom to fail.
I recommend Tamils and Sinhalese study Hindi as it is increasingly becoming the business language of the region. Learning Hindi will give Tamils and Sinhalese equal head start.
Do you see the possibility of Hindi becoming another official language of Sri Lanka, in the near future?
/
Senguttuvan / October 14, 2012
Adding to Jegath’s comments, I fear denying Tamils valuable agricultural and grazing land in the Batticoloa District is causing
tremendous fear and concern to the people forcibly denied their ancient assets. There was a case of more than 15,000 acres in Koaralaipattu South DS Division where cattle grazing land has been forcibly given by the army to Sinhala colonists from the South -allowing only a harsher part of the land in the area of about 1,800 acress for grazing. The misappropriated land is said to have been prepared for paddy cultivation. Where did the large sum of money for this come from? When you bring in large numbers of Sinhalese to Tamil areas you create conditions for future communal disharmony is a point that is not missed by those engineering the move. More worrisome is in denying cattle grazing you deny hundreds of poor farmers their meagre living. It is reported the representations made by politicians of the area and the people are all deliberately ignored.
Clearly, every effort is made to convert the Eastern Province into a Sinhala majority area at the soonest opportunity where the once dominant Tamil population is now reduced to the 3rd.
Senguttuvan
/
Leon / October 14, 2012
There is no doubt the Indians (Malayalee mafia) is playing a double game. It is unfortunate that these talks took place just before the UPR in Geneva.The timing was perfect and the “masters of prevarication” (Keenan)
have done it again. Dont forget that India is one of the troika together with Benin and Spain.Now GOSL can go before the HR in Geneva supported by India and say that we have agreed for talks with the TNA and not take any action for another during which time most of the North and the East would have been colonised with Singalese.. It is very unfortunate that the TNA went to India at a very crucial time and fallen into a trap. They should have “prevaricated” until the UP Review is over.
/
Leon / October 14, 2012
my previous comment should be “another year”
/
Senguttuvan / October 14, 2012
If we had an education system lead by men with brains, education and conviction, dear Native Veddah, proficiency in Hindi, Mandarin and English will bring us much benefit. Add to that Arabic as well. It is possible some of the major International Schools may cotton up to the idea although their focus is naturally the English Language.
Senguttuvan
/
Native Vedda / October 14, 2012
Senguttuvan
“Native Veddah, proficiency in Hindi, Mandarin and English will bring us much benefit”
I agree with you however given the Hindian’s past history, Delhi Sultanate would be tempted to impose Hindi as the only official language in Sri Lanka.
Sinhala only official language policiy created the Tigers. Hindi only language policy could create Tiger/Lion cross breed and may end up in Kalyani (Kalaniya)river.
/
gamini / October 15, 2012
Senguttuvan, Our Leaders in the past were foolish hence they scrapped English. I believe English should have been retained and in addition Japanese, Arabic, German and French should have been taught for those interested. See now the stampede to sit the Korean exams?
/
Native Vedda / October 15, 2012
gamini
I have no problem with a country as whole striving to achieve proviciency in languages. This will open up several opportunities.
As we have seen in India and Sri lanka the imposition of Hindi and Sinhala languages brought untold misery to many people.
Hindians are part of South Asia where the leaders want to learn everything the hard ways. The Mandarins have been and are zeolus in the implementation of official policies both in India and Sri Lanka.
That is where problem arises. Indian Mandarins would be happy to work hard implementing Hindi as the official language in Sri Lanka, come what may.
I have no problem with South Asians.
However, beware of Corporate India. You will have no recourse to justice.
/
Senguttuvan / October 16, 2012
We played politics with language and now, the English language where we maintained high standard to the admiration of the whole world, is gone to the dogs. India, whose proficiency in English on the average was, arguably, below ours then is dominating the language in the world scene. They knew the right balance due to their regional languages and the link language. And so Singapore. Our mistake, in passionately trying to place Sinhala on a higher pedestal we ignored English – and now we are going to the Indians to save us. What irony? The well developed and mature ancient Sinhala and Tamil were doing well in the mid-1950s but then our super patriots stepped in and de-throned English for popular votes. In 30 years these heroes destroyed the gains of 150 years. The same pseudo-patriots have ruined our national harmony and once cordial relations with neighbours.
Senguttuvan
/
Senguttuvan / October 17, 2012
Further to the comments of some of the more serious bloggers here on my own, I notice from the Island of today (Oct 18) datelined New Delhi, the TNA speaking to the media at the respected Jawaharlal University say the very same thing viz:- 1. The PSC is a futile trick by the President to further procratinate 2. The Rajapakses have no intention to allow even minimum concessions to Tamils – something which Gotabaya has insisted on several occasions recently in his crude and uncultured style/language 3. Both the Sinhalese and Tamils will have to carry the heavy burden for some years more – while the Rajapakses engage in their charade of high rhetoric and no performance.
Senguttuvan
/
shankar / October 20, 2012
TNA seems to be very happy that India has stated they will do their best for the Tamils.What if their best is not good enough.Old fool Sampanthan has been taken for a ride by the crafty Mahinda for 3 years now and wants to complete the 5 year ride with him.
/