President seeking help from pro-LTTE groups

Fund collection and maintenance by the expatriate pro-LTTE Tamil groups ARE essentially to promote propaganda to undermine Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Hardly any funds from this source were spent on developing or repairing the damages caused to the houses or the infrastructure by the war initiated by the LTTE. On the other hand, the Sri Lankan governments spent millions of funds to resettle the people and initiated many development schemes in the war damaged areas.

We now hear that some expatriate Tamil groups have indicated willingness to channel funds to Sri Lanka, as revealed at a meeting the President had with the Tamil political leaders. However, the details of proposed funding and the conditions, if any, have not been made available. But, according to some sources, such funding will go to a North-East development fund,

The North-East model is based on the mythical homeland concept. This concept has been analysed by many reputed scholars and found historically, archeologically or demographically the North–East is not a Tamil area and the two provinces are not homogenous. Further, attempts at the formation of a Tamil Eelam in the two provinces were decisively defeated at Nandikadal in 2009 with the sacrifices made by thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers and the civilians .

Therefore, a gift horse – the funding by the Tamil expatiate groups –– needs to be looked in the mouth before agreeing to any conditions underlying this offer.

If the plan of the expatriate groups is to re-invent the Eelam model by offering assistance to the government to overcome immediate foreign exchange crisis, one should examine the exorbitant price tag of proposal and take precautions.

Let us seek rational solutions to the dollar issue working with international organisations and the world community. Let us not invite trouble.

RANJITH SOYSA