05.11.2005
Comrade Tylvin Silva,
Secretary,
Jathika Vimukthi Peremuna.
My dear Tylvin,
I need not remind you of the cordial relationship I had with all the members of your group in Parliament. Even the rank and file of your party hold me at high esteem-not without a cause. This attitude of all of you towards me is obviously due to the trust you have in me and in my policies. I strongly believe in building a Sri Lankan Society based on Liberty Equality and fraternity. Every citizen of this country should feel that he or she is freely enjoying equal rights with the others and living with the fellow citizens like brothers. I am convinced that none of you or your supporters would like to dominate members of other ethnic groups. Neither you want to enjoy more rights than the other groups nor wish to sow seeds of discord among various communities. This is why I as a leader of a minority ethnic group look at you from a different perspective.
I am perhaps the only one Tamil leader who do not see you as a group spreading hatred among various ethnic groups. Your Party has a clean record of having not harmed a single Tamil or a Muslim. Not even a stone had been thrown on them. No inflammatory speeches had been made to promote dissension among various communities. Yet your party is branded as a communal party opposed to the other minority groups. The damage is done by some Tamil media directly or indirectly controlled by the L.T.T.E. They do not hesitate to condemn everyone apposed to the views held by the LTTE.
Most people do not know that I am a founder member of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) that was responsible for adopting a resolution at its convention in 1976 for the creation of a separate state for Tamils called “Eelam”. Soon after adopting that resolution our leader declared that “If a viable alternative is offered, the TULF if satisfied with it, will take it to the People for their approval”.
For the benefit of the younger generation and to refresh the memories of the older ones, I wish to state that the said resolution was adopted under compelling circumstances to show the Government that if a solution was not found, the only option Tamils had was to think of separation. The ethnic problem in Sri Lanka gained momentum with the passage of the Sinhala Only Act. The Banda-Chelva pact or five years later the Dudley-Chelva pact would have solved our problems, if not disrupted. The Government’s proposal of 1996 also met with the same fate. After fifty years of agitation we are back to square one. A country that should have been peace-full and a paradise on earth is in shambles and with no hopes of a bright future.
I do not want to blame one party or the other. We must leave it in the hands of the younger generation to find a solution. The present day youths are more educated and more enlightened. They do understand the high principles of Democracy. They know what discrimination means. They should feel for the pitiable condition in which displaced people are living in camps for over fifteen years. The Muslims sent out of the North are living in more than 125 refugee camps in the Puttalam and Anuradhapura districts. Tamils in the North and East living within LTTE held areas do not enjoy even their basic rights. The suffering of the displaced Sinhalese also is a factor that cannot be ignored.
The present day youths should take the responsibility on themselves and unite all forces to arrive at a consensus on the ethnic issue. The demand for Federalism as a solution to the ethnic problem is gaining ground day by day. For the first time in fifty years major political parties in Sri Lanka are putting forward Federalism, as an election pledge, to solve the ethnic problem. The UNP and the SLFP have already declared their stand. The Left Parties had always supported it. It appears that the JHU also is favouring an Indian pattern of devolution.
I understand that your party the Jathika Vimukthi Peremuna has declared that if the LTTE gives up its demand for separation they will also reconsider their earlier decision.
The Indian pattern of devaluation seems to be acceptable to all sections of the people of Sri Lanka. I earnestly plead with the JVP also to take an early decision on this matter without making a historic blunder. Every one wants a solution early and if a consensus is arrived at then after the Presidential election is over, the details of the solution can be worked out. The LTTE should now realize that separation is not possible and give up its demand for separation. Neither the International community nor India will approve separation. India’s disapproval will be mainly due to avoiding a similar demand within itself. I can assure with confidence that a federal solution will never lead to a division of the country. Instead it will keep the country united. The International Community has made it very clear that they would like a solution within a united country.
In conclusion I wish to point out that with your party also deciding to support the Indian pattern of devolution, this proposal will receive the support of a very large section of the people of Sri Lanka. If you fail to take a decision in favour of the proposal early it will be a great disappointment for many, with no hopes of a solution for many more years. Let the future generation not curse us for missing a golden opportunity that came on our way with large majority of the people of Sri Lanka agreeing for an amicable settlement of our problem. As for me, like many others, I am also getting disgusted with the manner in which various parties deal with this issue, which has brought ruin to the country and its people.
I trust your party will take a favourable decision before the election and make an announcement accordingly. I am available to you anytime if you want to discuss this matter with me
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely,
V.Anandasangaree,
President-T.U.L.F.
Comrade Tylvin Silva,
Secretary,
Jathika Vimukthi Peremuna.
My dear Tylvin,
I need not remind you of the cordial relationship I had with all the members of your group in Parliament. Even the rank and file of your party hold me at high esteem-not without a cause. This attitude of all of you towards me is obviously due to the trust you have in me and in my policies. I strongly believe in building a Sri Lankan Society based on Liberty Equality and fraternity. Every citizen of this country should feel that he or she is freely enjoying equal rights with the others and living with the fellow citizens like brothers. I am convinced that none of you or your supporters would like to dominate members of other ethnic groups. Neither you want to enjoy more rights than the other groups nor wish to sow seeds of discord among various communities. This is why I as a leader of a minority ethnic group look at you from a different perspective.
I am perhaps the only one Tamil leader who do not see you as a group spreading hatred among various ethnic groups. Your Party has a clean record of having not harmed a single Tamil or a Muslim. Not even a stone had been thrown on them. No inflammatory speeches had been made to promote dissension among various communities. Yet your party is branded as a communal party opposed to the other minority groups. The damage is done by some Tamil media directly or indirectly controlled by the L.T.T.E. They do not hesitate to condemn everyone apposed to the views held by the LTTE.
Most people do not know that I am a founder member of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) that was responsible for adopting a resolution at its convention in 1976 for the creation of a separate state for Tamils called “Eelam”. Soon after adopting that resolution our leader declared that “If a viable alternative is offered, the TULF if satisfied with it, will take it to the People for their approval”.
For the benefit of the younger generation and to refresh the memories of the older ones, I wish to state that the said resolution was adopted under compelling circumstances to show the Government that if a solution was not found, the only option Tamils had was to think of separation. The ethnic problem in Sri Lanka gained momentum with the passage of the Sinhala Only Act. The Banda-Chelva pact or five years later the Dudley-Chelva pact would have solved our problems, if not disrupted. The Government’s proposal of 1996 also met with the same fate. After fifty years of agitation we are back to square one. A country that should have been peace-full and a paradise on earth is in shambles and with no hopes of a bright future.
I do not want to blame one party or the other. We must leave it in the hands of the younger generation to find a solution. The present day youths are more educated and more enlightened. They do understand the high principles of Democracy. They know what discrimination means. They should feel for the pitiable condition in which displaced people are living in camps for over fifteen years. The Muslims sent out of the North are living in more than 125 refugee camps in the Puttalam and Anuradhapura districts. Tamils in the North and East living within LTTE held areas do not enjoy even their basic rights. The suffering of the displaced Sinhalese also is a factor that cannot be ignored.
The present day youths should take the responsibility on themselves and unite all forces to arrive at a consensus on the ethnic issue. The demand for Federalism as a solution to the ethnic problem is gaining ground day by day. For the first time in fifty years major political parties in Sri Lanka are putting forward Federalism, as an election pledge, to solve the ethnic problem. The UNP and the SLFP have already declared their stand. The Left Parties had always supported it. It appears that the JHU also is favouring an Indian pattern of devolution.
I understand that your party the Jathika Vimukthi Peremuna has declared that if the LTTE gives up its demand for separation they will also reconsider their earlier decision.
The Indian pattern of devaluation seems to be acceptable to all sections of the people of Sri Lanka. I earnestly plead with the JVP also to take an early decision on this matter without making a historic blunder. Every one wants a solution early and if a consensus is arrived at then after the Presidential election is over, the details of the solution can be worked out. The LTTE should now realize that separation is not possible and give up its demand for separation. Neither the International community nor India will approve separation. India’s disapproval will be mainly due to avoiding a similar demand within itself. I can assure with confidence that a federal solution will never lead to a division of the country. Instead it will keep the country united. The International Community has made it very clear that they would like a solution within a united country.
In conclusion I wish to point out that with your party also deciding to support the Indian pattern of devolution, this proposal will receive the support of a very large section of the people of Sri Lanka. If you fail to take a decision in favour of the proposal early it will be a great disappointment for many, with no hopes of a solution for many more years. Let the future generation not curse us for missing a golden opportunity that came on our way with large majority of the people of Sri Lanka agreeing for an amicable settlement of our problem. As for me, like many others, I am also getting disgusted with the manner in which various parties deal with this issue, which has brought ruin to the country and its people.
I trust your party will take a favourable decision before the election and make an announcement accordingly. I am available to you anytime if you want to discuss this matter with me
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely,
V.Anandasangaree,
President-T.U.L.F.
