When we're transiting through Colombo on 17 Sep, there was graffiti all over the city along with flex boards proclaiming elections on the following Sunday in three of the provinces viz. North Western Province, Central Province and the Tamil-dominated North Province.
While the United People's Freedom Alliance romped home in the North Western and the Central provinces securing about 60% of the votes, it was the Tamil National Alliance that won overwhelmingly in the Northern Province with about 78% of the votes! CV Wigneswaran is the chief minister designate of the Northern Province who's topped the preference votes with a tally of 1,80,000 votes!!
Sadly, the results show a growing ethnic polarisation. Rajapaksa and his government must recognise the ground realities and initiate steps to bring about ethnic reconciliation by addressing the genuine fears and grievances of the Tamil minority. Their hopes and aspirations cannot afford to be overlooked. From the slew of policy decisions taken over the last couple of years since the obliteration of Prabhakaran and his outfit, the thinking seems to be that rapid economic development would enable the government to win over the Tamils to their side without giving in to their demands.
The results at the polls show that the thinking could be skewed and to quote an expert on the subject, "Reconciliation can take place not by economic development alone but by respecting diversity and pluralism".
The Tamil National Alliance can deliver the goods and keep the more fiery Tamils at bay, only if Colombo brings about an attitudinal change in the Sinhalese majority and considers all the sections of its population as equal partners towards nation building. To amplify this aspect just consider what the TNA is up against:-
(a) The last few years have witnessed the whittling down of the provisions of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
and the 13th amendment.
(b) The merger of the north and the east has been undone by a judicial pronouncement.
(c) The President and the Defence Secretary have made it clear that police powers will be with the
federal government.
(d) The Supreme Court has come out with a recent judgement that the rights over land will be exercised
by the federal government.
So, how can the Tamil National Alliance deliver with no control over land and police and to make matters worse, at also having to work with limited financial resources? And not to forget, the army is omnipresent and for the Tamils to conduct anything from a sports meet to other cultural activities, its clearance is mandatory!
Tailpiece.
History being ignored? Feel uneasy deep within. Sincerely hope that I'm unnecessarily being hyper! Hope they get it right at least this time!!
While the United People's Freedom Alliance romped home in the North Western and the Central provinces securing about 60% of the votes, it was the Tamil National Alliance that won overwhelmingly in the Northern Province with about 78% of the votes! CV Wigneswaran is the chief minister designate of the Northern Province who's topped the preference votes with a tally of 1,80,000 votes!!
Sadly, the results show a growing ethnic polarisation. Rajapaksa and his government must recognise the ground realities and initiate steps to bring about ethnic reconciliation by addressing the genuine fears and grievances of the Tamil minority. Their hopes and aspirations cannot afford to be overlooked. From the slew of policy decisions taken over the last couple of years since the obliteration of Prabhakaran and his outfit, the thinking seems to be that rapid economic development would enable the government to win over the Tamils to their side without giving in to their demands.
The results at the polls show that the thinking could be skewed and to quote an expert on the subject, "Reconciliation can take place not by economic development alone but by respecting diversity and pluralism".
The Tamil National Alliance can deliver the goods and keep the more fiery Tamils at bay, only if Colombo brings about an attitudinal change in the Sinhalese majority and considers all the sections of its population as equal partners towards nation building. To amplify this aspect just consider what the TNA is up against:-
(a) The last few years have witnessed the whittling down of the provisions of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
and the 13th amendment.
(b) The merger of the north and the east has been undone by a judicial pronouncement.
(c) The President and the Defence Secretary have made it clear that police powers will be with the
federal government.
(d) The Supreme Court has come out with a recent judgement that the rights over land will be exercised
by the federal government.
So, how can the Tamil National Alliance deliver with no control over land and police and to make matters worse, at also having to work with limited financial resources? And not to forget, the army is omnipresent and for the Tamils to conduct anything from a sports meet to other cultural activities, its clearance is mandatory!
Tailpiece.
History being ignored? Feel uneasy deep within. Sincerely hope that I'm unnecessarily being hyper! Hope they get it right at least this time!!
No comments:
Post a Comment