Will President Rajapaksa expand horizons for the Tamil people?

Neville Jayaweera-November 2, 2013, by Neville Jayaweera Expanding Horizons Prime Minister S.W.R. .!andaranai"e #SWR $ expanded t%e %orizons o& t%e Sin%ala people in '()* b+t sim+ltaneo+sly drew in t%e %orizons o& t%e ,amils and diminis%ed t%em as a people. -or nearly *. years t%erea&ter/ amidst bloods%ed and tears/ Sri 0an"a %as been trying to restore t%e balan1e b+t %as not got it rig%t yet. 2part &rom t%e tentative attempts o& SWR #!3 Pa1t o& '()4$ o& +dley Senanaya"e # 3 2greement o& '(*)$ JR5s 211ord wit% 6ndia #'7t% 2mendment '(48$ and 3!95s valiant e&&orts in '(()/ '((8 and :.../ t%e &irst e&&e1tive initiative at restoring t%e balan1e %as been President Ra;apa"sa5s de1ision to 1all &or ele1tions +nder t%e '7t% 2mendment o& '(48 and set +p t%e Nort%ern Provin1ial 3o+n1il #NP3$. 2lmost ). years ago to t%e day/ w%en 6 was <overnment 2gent o& Ja&&na #'(*7-'(**$ at a person to person interview 6 %ad wit% t%e Prime Minister Mrs Sirima !andaranai"e at ,emple ,rees #b+t attended by %er &ormidable Perm. Se1. Mr. N.=. ias$ 6 as"ed %er/ >Madame/ don5t yo+ t%in" t%at we s%o+ld start %ealing t%e wo+nds in&li1ted on t%e ,amil people>. 6 was meeting %er to sort o+t one o& many 1rises t%at "ept 1on&ronting me &rom t%e time 6 too" over as <2 in 2+g+st '(*7. ,%e ens+ing dis1+ssion is &+lly reprod+1ed in my memoirs/ 1+lled &rom t%e diaries 6 was maintaining t%ro+g%o+t my ten+re as <2 o& several distri1ts/ and it s%o+ld appear in t%e boo" stores early next year. 3ontrary to my expe1tations/ Mrs !andaranai"e not only responded &+lly to my pleas &or ;+sti1e &or t%e ,amil people/ b+t a&ter an %o+r long dis1+ssion/ to Mr N.=. ias5s absol+te dismay/ agreed to my s+spending t%e implementation o& t%e Sin%ala ?nly poli1y t%ro+g%o+t t%e Ja&&na distri1t/ provided 6 did not ma"e a &an&are abo+t it/ and provided 6 did not as" &or any 1on&irmation in writing. #Mrs ! o& t%e '(*.s was a very di&&erent lady &rom t%e Mrs ! o& t%e '(8.s$ 2s re@+ested by t%e PM/ wit%o+t ma"ing any p+bli1 anno+n1ement/ 6 simply let t%e ?&&i1ial

0ang+age 21t lapse t%ro+g%o+t t%e Ja&&na distri1t. 6n t%e event/ not a single birt% 1erti&i1ate/ nor a deat% 1erti&i1ate/ nor a marriage 1erti&i1ate/ nor an invoi1e or re1eipt/ nor any letter/ was iss+ed to anyone in t%e Ja&&na distri1t &rom any government o&&i1e in t%e distri1t/ ex1ept in t%e lang+age o& t%e s+b;e1t5s 1%oi1e. Event+ally/ my +nilateral initiative to la+n1% a t%ree-lang+age poli1y &or t%e administration o& t%e Ja&&na distri1t was &ollowed meti1+lo+sly by all t%e <25s w%o s+11eeded me +ntil it passed into law &or t%e w%ole 1o+ntry in '(48 t%ro+g% t%e '7t% 2mendment. Now in my 4At% year/ 6 am as"ing President Ma%inda Ra;apa"sa t%e same @+estion t%at 6 p+t to Mrs !andaranai"e ). years ago >Ex1ellen1yB on5t yo+ t%in" t%at yo+ s%o+ld &inally %eal t%e wo+nds in&li1ted on t%e ,amil people and e&&e1t a total re1on1iliationC Even seven years into yo+r administration/ yo+r s+pport amongst t%e Sin%ala people seems inta1t and no ot%er %ead o& government is ever li"ely in t%e &oreseeable &+t+re to %ave t%e same s+pport among t%e Sin%ala people as yo+ still %ave. W%y don5t yo+ 1onvert t%at s+pport base into a springboard &or p+tting t%ro+g% pain&+l b+t long overd+e meas+res and &inally raise a new nationC DDEo+r de1ision to %old an ele1tion to t%e Nort%ern Provin1e is %eroi1 and pat%-brea"ing/ b+t yo+ %ave yet &ar to go. DDJ+st as m+1% as people are in awe o& yo+r military vi1tory over separatism and o& yo+r many grandiose p+bli1 wor"s in 1on1rete and asp%alt/ yo+ m+st also be aware t%at t%ere are many 1%arges against yo+r regime. Elevating 1orr+ption to t%e level o& an ind+stry/ &ostering t%e 1+lt+re o& imp+nity/ t%e %orrendo+s mis+se o& o&&i1ial &a1ilities and privileges/ %+man rig%ts violations and t%e perse1+tion o& ;o+rnalists are ;+st a &ew o& t%ose 1%arges. 6 am not in a position eit%er to 1on&irm or re&+te t%ese 1%arges/ b+t 6 am as aware as yo+ are/ t%at t%ey are being made widely/ and in1reasingly lo+dly/ bot% at %ome and abroad. DD2ll t%at t%at notwit%standing/ i& yo+ will do w%atever it ta"es/ even invo"ing 2rti1le 4* o& t%e 3onstit+tion/ &inally to %eal t%e wo+nds in&li1ted on t%e ,amil people and integrate t%em &+lly into t%e nation/ yo+r pla1e in %istory will %ave been se1+red>. Now/ let +s see to w%at extent President Ra;apa"sa5s %eroi1 initiative to set +p t%e NP3 %as expanded %orizons &or t%e ,amil people and restored t%e balan1e/ and w%at yet needs to be done. oes t%e '7t% 2mendment expand %orizons &or t%e ,amil peopleC ,o expand %orizons &or t%e ,amil people m+st mean/ at t%e least/ delegating to t%em t%ro+g% a 1onstit+tional devi1e/ power to order t%eir own a&&airs/ 1onsistent wit% t%e +ltimate sovereignty o& t%e nation.

3learly/ t%e '7t% 2mendment does not do t%at/ be1a+se t%at was not its p+rpose and it was not driven by an ideologi1al 1ommitment to s%aring power. Rat%er/ it was dra&ted primarily as a me1%anism to "eep t%e ,amils in line and to t%at end it rein&or1es 1ontrol rat%er t%an s%are power. ,%e &ragmenting o& t%e s+b;e1ts into t%ree lists F t%e Provin1ial 3o+n1il 0ist #P30$/ t%e 3on1+rrent 0ist #30$ and t%e Reserved 0ist #R0$ ma"es 1o%erent poli1y ma"ing and 1o%esive administration a nig%tmare. 6n any 1on&li1t between t%e 3entre and t%e P3 1on1erning t%e s1ope o& any s+b;e1t wit%in t%e t%ree 0ists/ t%e 1entre will always %ave its way by simply going to Parliament and getting it to de1lare >National Poli1y> in respe1t o& t%e s+b;e1t in disp+te. ,%ere&ore/ +nder t%e 1la+ses o& t%e 2mendment it will be possible &or a strong 1entral b+rea+1ra1y in 3olombo 1ontin+o+sly to &r+strate a P3 and red+1e it to a zombie. 6& t%e abs+rdity o& t%is me1%anism %as not been s%own +p %it%erto/ it is only be1a+se over t%e past :) years t%e ot%er seven Provin1es %ave been merely gravy trains/ 1ontent to &ollow in t%e wa"e o& t%e r+ling government. W%en one loo"s at t%e ba1"gro+nd to t%e '7t% 2mendment/ t%e s+bter&+ge is entirely +nderstandable. ,%e driving p+rpose was to pers+ade t%e ,amil militants to 1all o&& t%eir armed rebellion rat%er t%an to provide spa1e &or s%aring power. 6t was nat+ral t%ere&ore t%at &or t%e past :* years all ,amil gro+ps %ave remained pessimisti1 abo+t t%e ade@+a1y o& t%e 2mendment and t%ey %ave all been vo1i&ero+s t%at t%e 2mendment does not meet t%eir aspirations. ,%ere&ore 6 t%in" t%at t%ere is an +rgent need to ret%in" t%e s1ope o& t%e 2mendment. However/ as an interim meas+re t%e President 1an at least abolis% t%e 3on1+rrent 0ist o& t%e NP3 and trans&er all o& t%e s+b;e1ts in it to t%e 3o+n1il. S+1% an initiative will give t%e NP3 a greater sense o& involvement in government and 1a+se t%e 1+rrent dis1ontent to s+bside. oes '7t% 2mendment provide an opport+nity &or developmentC However/ loo"ing at t%e iss+e &rom anot%er perspe1tive/ in tr+t%/ t%e '7t% 2mendment does # repeat does $ provide 1onsiderable spa1e &or t%e NP3 to bring a range o& bene&its to its people and t%e ,N2 s%o+ld loo" on t%e 1+rrently ele1ted 3o+n1il/ %owever restri1ted in power/ as an important &irst step in an in1remental pro1ess. ,%e ,N2 m+st be realisti1. Emerging &rom a ba1"gro+nd o& 7. years o& attempted separatism/ t%e Sin%ala people are still deeply s+spi1io+s and are not li"ely to a1@+ies1e in a &+ll blown a+tonomy &or t%e ,amil people even wit%in a sovereign Sri 0an"a. ,%ere&ore agitation will only &+rt%er aggravate t%at s+spi1ion. Rat%er/ 6 t%in" t%at t%e ,N2 s%o+ld &irst get on wit% setting +p a viable Provin1ial 3o+n1il and s%ow1ase it as a model o& e&&i1ien1y and development &or t%e w%ole o& Sri 0an"a/ and 6 am s+re t%e 3%ie& Minister Wigneswaran 1an do

t%at. ,%e NP3 %as two enormo+s reso+r1es. -irstly/ its peopleB ,%e ,amils o& Sri 0an"a 1an mat1% any 1omm+nity anyw%ere in t%e world &or intelligen1e/ ind+stry and resilien1e. #6 spea" wit% 1onsiderable %ands-on experien1e a1ross t%e world$ Se1ondly/ it %as in t%e ,amil diaspora an +ntapped reso+r1e o& enormo+s magnit+de. ,%e diaspora %as not only vast reserves o& disposable 1apital b+t also %as %ig%ly trained te1%nology s"ills among its members. W%at 3%ie& Minster Wigneswaran 1an do is to sip%on t%is 1apital and s"ills into t%e Nort%ern Provin1e and wit%in a de1ade or so t%e NP3 tail will be wagging t%e S0 body. 6t %appened in S1otland a&ter t%e S1ots %ad been +tterly van@+is%ed by t%e Englis% at 3+lloden in '8A). ,%e S1ots did not retreat into t%e %ills and s+l" b+t simply rolled +p t%eir sleeves and got down to wor"/ and wit%in ). years %ad ta"en over t%e 1ommanding %eig%ts o& t%e !ritis% e1onomy. ,%e ,amils w%o s%are many traits wit% t%e S1ots 1an do li"ewise in Sri 0an"aB Promises given by President Ra;apa"sa W%en one loo"s at t%e promises President Ma%inda Ra;apa"sa #MR$ %as given to t%e ,amil people/ to 6ndia/ to t%e 6nternational 3omm+nity #63$/ again and again/ t%at s%ort o& ;eopardising t%e 1o+ntry5s sovereignty %e will go all t%e way to devolve power/ one &eels optimisti1 t%at at last we may be on t%e t%res%old o& expanding t%e %orizons o& t%e ,amil people. ,%e &a1t t%at %e %as been t%e &irst among t%e Sri 0an"an Heads o& <overnment to 1all &or ele1tions to t%e NP3 is itsel& reason to s+rmise t%at %is 1ommitment to devol+tion is sin1ere. Having appointed two 1ommittees/ t%e 2ll Party Representatives 3ommittee #2PR3$ and an Experts 3ommittee/ spe1i&i1ally 1%arged wit% s+bmitting plans &or solving t%e National =+estion/ President Ra;apa"sa +n&olded %is vision to t%em in t%e &ollowing terms. He ass+red t%em t%at %e will explore all attempts to solve t%e National =+estion and said t%at rat%er t%an imposing a sol+tion %imsel&/ wo+ld as" t%e two 1ommittees to 1ome +p wit% a sol+tion. He said t%at %e was o& t%e view t%at people in t%eir own lo1alities m+st ta"e 1%arge o& t%eir destiny and 1ontrol t%eir politi1o-e1onomi1 environment. 3entral de1ision-ma"ing t%at allo1ates disproportionate reso+r1es %as been an iss+e &or a 1onsiderable time/ %e said. 6n general terms/ %e emp%asised as a matter o& +rgen1y t%e need to devolve power to t%e regions and to enable people to ta"e 1%arge o& t%eir own destiny. He said %e was willing to stret1% to t%e very limit any sol+tion proposed by t%e two 1ommittees/ wit%o+t sa1ri&i1ing t%e sovereignty o& t%e 1o+ntry. !rave and most %eart warming wordsB ,%e %orns o& President Ra;apa"sa5s

dilemma Now %owever/ Ra;apa"sa is 1a+g%t on t%e %orns o& t%e same 1lassi1 dilemma on w%i1% SWR in '()4/ +dley in '(*8/ JR in '(48/ and 3!9 in :.../ were impaled. 6ndivid+ally t%ey were all liberal minded/ &orward loo"ing leaders/ and %ad t%ey not been stymied by t%e Sin%ala s+prema1ist So+t%ern 1ons1io+sness wo+ld %ave solved t%e National =+estion wit% ;+sti1e towards all. Ra;apa"sa5s 1ase is even more di&&i1+lt. No ot%er leader o& Sri 0an"a %ad %is roots so deeply embedded in t%e %eroi1 R+%+na narrative as %e/ and it is t%ere&ore nat+ral t%at %e &eels t%at %e %as to "eep tryst wit% t%at tradition. ?n t%e ot%er %and/ %e m+st also see t%at %e is no longer a lo1al 1%ie&tain b+t t%e leader o& a nation 1omprised o& di&&erent ra1es/ di&&erent religions and di&&erent 1+lt+res and %is paramo+nt responsibility m+st be towards t%e nation t%an to t%e lo1al tradition. How 1an Ra;apa"sa ma"e t%e transition &rom being a great lo1al 1%ie&tain to being a great national leader and statesmanC ?bvio+sly t%e transition m+st &irst be made in %is own 1ons1io+sness be&ore it 1an mani&est t%ro+g% 1onstit+tional str+1t+res. 6 %ave never "nown President Ra;apa"sa personally/ b+t over t%e years 6 %ave seen %im trying to ma"e t%at transition in 1ons1io+sness/ and one 1an say t%at seven years into %is term as t%e President %e may now be poised to be a statesman rat%er t%an 1ontin+e as a petty lo1al 1%ie&tain. 3an Ra;apa"sa trans&orm t%e 1ons1io+sness o& %is peopleC ?ne is tempted to say t%at eit%er anot%er 3onstit+ent 2ssembly or invo"ing 2rti1le 4* mig%t be t%e way o+t o& t%e impasse/ b+t w%at g+arantees will t%e ,amils %ave t%at anot%er 3onstit+ent 2ssembly will not do to t%em exa1tly w%at Mrs. !andaranai"e5s 3onstit+ent 2ssembly did to t%em in '(8: or t%at a verdi1t +nder 2rti1le 4* will go in t%eir &avo+rC 2&ter all/ every 3onstit+ent 2ssembly will %ave a Sin%ala ma;ority and will merely &ollow t%e 1onto+rs o& t%e Parliament. 0i"ewise 2rti1le 4* 1an only reprod+1e t%e ma;oritarian 1ons1io+sness. ,%ere&ore/ w%at is needed is not more 1onstit+tional devi1es b+t a 1omplete t+rnaro+nd o& t%e s+prema1ist Sin%ala 1ons1io+sness w%i1% alas/ s%ort o& t%e Se1ond 3oming/ 1an never %appen t%ro+g% t%e %istori1al pro1ess. However/ a 1%arismati1 leader gi&ted wit% a %ig%er vision 1an leap &rog t%e 1ons1io+sness o& a w%ole nation more e&&e1tively t%an a long drawn %istori1al pro1ess. Ma%atma <and%i did it in 6ndia/ Martin 0+t%er 9ing in 2meri1a and Mandela in So+t% 2&ri1a. 3an Ma%inda Ra;apa"sa step +p to &ill t%e role o& 1atalyst and 1%ange agent in Sri 0an"aC Rat%er t%an merely arti1+late t%e 1ons1io+sness t%at gave rise to %im/ w%i1% any t%ird rate politi1ian 1an do/ 1an President Ra;apa"sa rise above %is 1onditioning and drawing &rom a %ig%er set o& val+es/ trans&orm t%e 1ons1io+sness o& %is peopleC

?nly President Ra;apa"sa %imsel& personally 1an &ind a way o+t o& t%is impasse/ b+t %e %as to lay %old o& t%at %ig%er vision and +nder 2rti1le 4* lead a 1ampaign &or a radi1al 1%ange in t%e 1ons1io+sness o& %is people. Re1ent ele1tions #:.'7$ %ave s%own t%at/ even a&ter being in power &or over seven years/ Ra;apa"sa 1an still 1ommand more t%an )4G s+pport in t%e 1o+ntry/ o+tside t%e NP3. 6n all my 4A years 6 %ave yet to see a politi1al leader eit%er in Sri 0an"a or abroad w%o %as mastered t%e s"ills o& managing individ+als as well as t%e politi1al lands1ape/ as brilliantly as Ra;apa"sa %as. 0i"e t%e Pied Piper o& Hamelin/ %e %as drawn +nto %imsel& leading members &rom t%e ?pposition/ pl+s an assortment o& intelle1t+als/ a1ademi1s/ pro&essionals/ b+siness magnates/ ;o+rnalists and even religio+s dignitaries and got t%em to ;+mp t%ro+g% %oops at %is be%est. S%o+ld %e ever be in ris" o& losing %is :H7rd ma;ority in Parliament %e 1an give port&olios to all t%e remaining MPs o& %is government and t%at will ta"e 1are o& t%atB <iven s+1% extraordinary s"ills at politi1al manip+lation 6 &eel t%at given t%e will and a %ig%er vision/ %e 1an navigate %is way to a sol+tion to t%e National =+estion/ +sing 2rti1le 4* as t%e ve%i1le. ,%e long term bene&its o& JRJ5s Ma%aveli iversion Pro;e1t probably ex1eed t%ose o& Ma%inda Ra;apa"sa5s roads and ports b+t not all o& %is prede1essors5 a1%ievements/ and not even %is own 1ontrib+tions towards in&ra str+1t+re growt%/ will mat1% t%e bene&its %e 1an bestow on t%e 1o+ntry i& %e 1an &inally solve t%e National =+estion. ?nly t%en will President Ma%inda Ra;apa"sa win &or %imsel& t%e &inal a11olade - a pla1e in t%e Ma%avamsa5s pant%eon as >Ma%inda Ra;apa"sa t%e <reat>BB 6 li"e to 1lose t%is arti1le by @+oting &rom 1%apter nine o& my own memoirs/ written in :..4/ six mont%s be&ore t%e 1ollapse o& t%e 0,,E. >More t%an t%e power it derives &rom an overw%elming s+periority in n+mbers/ w%at exalts any ma;ority 1omm+nity/ and endows it wit% a tr+e greatness and moral a+t%ority/ is its willingness to g+arantee to all t%ose ot%er 1omm+nities w%o la1" t%e advantage o& n+mbers/ a stat+s and dignity e@+al to its own/ and never to let t%em &eel marginalised or disadvantaged be1a+se t%ey are &ewer in n+mber/ or be1a+se t%ey are di&&erent in ra1e/ 1olo+r or belie&s. DDInless and +ntil Sri 0an"a 1an prod+1e leaders w%o 1an realise t%at tr+t%/ and are strong eno+g% to translate t%eir +nderstanding into poli1ies/ it will 1ontin+e to be dismembered by 1on&li1t/ long a&ter t%e 0,,E and Prab%a"aran %ave passed into %istory>.