CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Development Not Racism: Voters made it Loud and Clear

Dilrook Kannangara

The sadistic alliance of UNP-LTTE-Hackhim failed again. It was characterized by ultra racist elements including the SLMC leader, LTTE supporters, TNA and a few hard-line Sinhala extremists. The victory, although shadowed by some violence as it is the usual case in Sri Lankan elections, symbolizes a victory for community build-up, development and rejection of racism. A democratic politico-military group achieved what Parabakaran and his band of terrorists failed to achieve for 36 years. This hints at the successful model that should be put in place for the whole of North-East immediately after liberation. A political only force cannot achieve anything significant in a post-liberation setting as it was evident in Jaffna. A number of Jaffna mayors were brutally killed by the LTTE as they were only civilian politicians without a military of their own. They also failed to carry out development work. It took a long time to establish law and order in Jaffna after liberating it. Finally the able support of another politico-military group spearheaded its development.

Losers have no moral right to harp on violence and aggression unleashed by a few pro-government elements as these losers were backed by the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world. People of the North-East were starved of development by racist political parties that always won in these areas. They were more concerned with carving out a racial homeland than development. Further, they knew lack of development would bring about sadistic feelings in the people much to their advantage. This trend has been shattered now. It is upto the new Chief Minister and the government that backs him to take peace dividends to the people of the East.

The Eastern province has enormous economic potential untapped for decades. It also has unsettled land disputes running for over twenty years. Now it is time to look at these afresh, without race-coloured glasses to find lasting amicable solutions. However, the beaten racists are not going to just wither away into defeat. They are resolved to bring back chaos and misery as that is their only path to power. The joker who told the renowned defence journalist Paul Harris that he would build a Formula One track in Trincomalee had another humiliating defeat. May be his short memory has failed him because he is crying about election irregularities now. It was none other than this joker who personally supervised the torture and killing of hundreds of Opposition activists immediately after the 1989 General Election.

The government must encompass SLMC members in the Eastern Provincial Council for a complete solution to Easterners’ problems. Most of them have been misled by their extremely power hungry leader. Also the Chief Minister post must be shared by a Tamil and a Muslim for different periods of time. Further isolation of communities must be stopped using whatever means necessary. Those who sow racism and separatism must be handled according to available laws and new tougher laws should be enacted.

Terror attacks in Trincomalee and Ampara failed to terrorize voters into submission. However pro-LTTE elements struggling to reenter the East must be destroyed.

TMVP’s success will trigger more groups to abandon the LTTE and enter the democratic process. TMVP’s journey to political victory is a big tick of approval of the government strategy regarding the politico-military outfit. It sets the tone globally on how terrorist groups should be democratized. It will also prompt the international community to demand answers from the LTTE why it cannot enter mainstream democracy as a politico-military force without fully laying down arms.

Hopefully Pillayan will live up to his name by bring in much longed prosperity to the East. That will ensure his party’s survival as there is no other way.

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