19 A: NPC concerned over the silence of northern civil society

The northern civil society and intellectuals have not spoken about issues like the 19th Amendment and the possible threat to civil society space during the pre-election period and this may reflect a wariness about speaking publicly on politically controversial matters, Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council says.

Issuing a media statement, Perera, yesterday, said that civil society groups throughout the country have reported that there is more police surveillance and the fear of falling into trouble and being seen as anti-government may have restrained the participants at the civil society meeting in the north from expressing their true feelings.

“On the other hand, there is also the reality that existential issues of jobs, loans and incomes are of immediate concern especially in the context of the Covid-induced economic downturn. The short term concerns of people are invariably with economic issues,” he said.

Perera said that the civil society meetings in the north suggest that the northern people are not showing overt interest in political issues as they believe these are non-deliverable at the present time.

“While the issues in the TNA’s manifesto will remain perennial ones to the Tamil polity, the people are looking for political leaders who will deliver them the economic benefits in the same way as in the rest of the country. Instead of using its majority status in parliament and seeking to abolish the 13th Amendment and the provincial council system, and creating a crisis with the Tamil polity and India, the new government would do better to work through them to meet the material needs of the people,” he urged.