By Ananth Palakidnar

Ilalankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi leader (ITAK) S.Sritharan’s recent comment has indicated clearly that the unity and integrity among the Tamil political parties still remain a distance dream.

Sritharan has also pointed out that without proper coordination and unity Tamil parties will not be able to fulfill the political aspirations of the people in the North and East.

The ITAK leader’s first comment to be made in the New Year remains thought provoking and has also outlined that how the disunity among the Tamil political parties has shattered all possibilities of reaching a durable solution to the Tamil question from the time the country gained independence.

The Tamil moderates always remained loggerheads right from the formation of the Tamil parties in the country. However it is pity to note even the armed militants from the time armed struggle commenced following the Black July communal riots in July 1983 remained as arch rivals to each other making even the existence of Tamils in the country miserable.

The attempts made to find political solutions through Banda-Chelva pact and Dudley – Chelva pact had failed badly due to the protests emerged against the pacts in the fifties and later in the early sixties.

However following the escalation of Tamil militancy India stepped into settle the Tamil issue by signing the Indo- Lanka Accord between the two countries.

It was the Indo-Lanka Accord had led to the formation of the Provincial Council system in the country. Whereas the North and East Provincial Council which was formed soon after the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution had short lived and now the Provincial Council system largely remains a `white elephant’ with the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) vehemently opposing the system right from beginning.

National People’s Power led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake the party which is the political wing of the once armed militant outfit Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in the South had even campaigned extensively against the Provincial Council system during the Presidential and the Parliamentary election periods last year.

Therefore it is clear that in the backdrop of NPP Government flexing its muscles to abolish the present Constitution, the 13^th Amendment along with the  Provincial Council system will be even got rid of paving for a new political culture in the country.

It is in this backdrop ITAK leader S. Sritharan has emphasised the need of Tamil political parties coming together in finding a political solution to the Tamil question.

However it remains a pertinent question on how far the ITAK leader’s the genuine desire will become a reality in finding a permanent solution to the ethnic crisis in the country.

The present NPP Government led by President Anura kumara Dissanayake has its own agenda towards handling the ethnic issue. The NPP Government’s strategy is likely to come out in the new Constitution. 

Therefore the ITAK leader S. Sritharan’s comment on the unity and integrity of the Tamil political parties sounds as alerting the Tamil parties as well as issuing a timely warning with regard to the NPP Government’s intentions over the North and East issue.

In the meantime Tamil Nadu wing of the Indian Marxist Communist party has called upon the Lankan Government to expedite the process to hold the North and East Provincial Council elections and stabilise the political climate to find a durable solution to the ethnic question.

During the recent visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India the meetings between the Indian leaders and President Dissanayake were very formal and the two sides were more particular about the regional security in the South Asian region.

Indian Foreign Minister S.Jeyshankar was a senior diplomat at the Indian High Commission in Colombo when the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed. So at present he is the only Indian stalwart to be familiar with the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 and the 13^th Amendment to the Lankan Constitution.

Since the 13^th Amendment remains as part of the Indo-Lanka Accord, India is likely to intervene diplomatically over 13^th Amendment when the new Lankan Constitution is drafted.

Tamil political parties are also likely to seek the Indian intervention over the 13^th Amendment and the future of the North and East issue.

Therefore unlike the previous Governments, the NPP Government is expected to be faced with a diplomatic tussle with regard to the 13^th Amendment.

Since the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution stands for a viable solution to the ethnic conflict in the Island, the International Community which had engaged itself extensively when Norway embarked on the facilitation process to find a political solution to the ethnic question will also pay its attention towards finding a durable solution to the ethnic crisis.

Therefore as it was mentioned by ITAK leader S.Sritharan Tamil political parties must engage themselves shedding all differences in Tamil political forum to find a durable solution to the Tamil crisis.