Tamil parties need new political approach

By VEERAGATHY THANABALASINGHAM

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who visited Sri Lanka last week, met TNA leader R Sampanthan, at the India House for about half an hour prior to returning to New Delhi.

It is learned that they talked about the future of the Provincial Councils, which would give some devolution to the Tamils and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which led to it, and agreed to keep what they discussed in secrecy owing to the sensitivity of the issue.

During the meeting with Sampanthan, Doval expressed interest in the economic development of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, and advised Sampanthan that the TNA should focus more on economic development.

The fact is, in the current context, India does not want or is unable to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government as regards domestic political issues, such as the constitution and devolution. Though Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his official meetings with the Rajapaksa brothers, made it a point to insist that Sri Lankan Tamils’ aspirations must be addressed through the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, but to no avail. They (Rajapaksa brothers) always maintained a studied silence in front of PM Modi, and later gave lengthy interviews to prominent Indian English newspapers in Delhi itself, proclaiming they were unable to grant anything against the will of the Sinhala majority. That was their response to Modi’s request regarding the Tamil problem. But, no doubt, India would certainly continue to raise the issue.

But the fact is, in the current context, India doesn’t want to put pressure on the Sri Lankan government regarding the domestic political issues. India is not prepared to alienate or contradict Colombo, at a time when India is engaged in strategic moves with the United States to curb China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region. Therefore, India does not wish to alienate or get into conflict with the government, and India will not take any action that could embarrass the Rajapaksa government. That is the Geo political reality today.

Therefore, it is more prudent for India to be concerned with economic development than to be at odds with the government over the political issues of the Tamils in the North and East. If the TNA is willing to cooperate with the government in this regard, India is ready to provide assistance for development projects in the Tamil areas. This is India’s current approach to the Tamil issue. If the TNA does not co-operate, it cannot expect anything else from India.

The need, therefore, is for the leaders of the TNA to change their political strategies and action in line with this approach, which India considers convenient at present. Another important question is how they are going to fulfil it.

As far as the TNA is concerned, it cannot be said that they are not at all focused on the economic development of their areas. The MPs of the TNA implement economic projects with the funds allocated to them annually. But aside from the fact that the funds are not adequate, their main focus continues to be a political solution to the ethnic problem. Most of the MPs in TNA speak emotionally and live in the past. In the changed geo-political arena, they are unable to devise new approaches to guide the Tamil people in the post-war period.

Tamils are not accustomed to a political culture that collaborates with the Government in Colombo. As all governments in power since independence have discriminated against Tamils, Tamil political parties have always engaged in oppositional politics. Therefore, it has become customary for Tamils to call politicians who work with the government ‘traitors’. Although it is difficult for Tamils and their political representatives to change from such a political culture, the situation has changed since the end of the war and therefore, it requires a change in their political culture.

When the Maithri-Ranil led government embarked on the process of drafting a new constitution, the TNA collaborated with the government in an attempt to find a political solution to the ethnic problem through that process. Although TNA did not join the government, it fully supported it. As the new constitution drafting process failed, the TNA’s influence among Tamils began to wane. Even co-operating with Colombo was to no avail.

In such a scenario, it is an embarrassment to TNA when India asks it to cooperate with the current Rajapaksa government in economic development activities. This government is pursuing development projects in the north and east without consulting the Tamil MPs in those areas. TNA and other Tamil parties believe that the government should consult with them prior to undertaking any development activities in the Tamil regions. If the government proceeds to adopt a strategy that includes Tamil MPs in its development activities in the North and East, it will be easier for them to co-operate in economic development activities as per India’s insistence. India should use its goodwill to persuade the Rajapaksa government in this matter.

Meanwhile, Tamil parties must not give up the basic aspirations and ideology of the Tamis’ struggle for their legitimate rights; but at the same time they must prepare themselves to adopt a short-term pragmatic political approach or strategies to address the post-war economic and humanitarian needs of the Tamil people, especially given the current context.

The necessity to give up the traditional confrontational politics to facilitate to a new approach in the interests of their people, doesn’t have to necessarily mean surrendering to Colombo dispensation,

The writer is a senior journalist