Sampanthan: Second Class Or Superclass Citizen?

By Veluppillai Thangavelu –JANUARY 8, 2020

Veluppillai Thangavelu

 Jayaweera is a Sinhalese-Buddhist supremacist who contributes regularly to The Island newspaper spewing communal venom against the minorities. His latest outburst is against R. Sampanthan, MP over his occupation of the house allocated to him when he was the Leader of the Opposition. Prior to that, he lived in a one-room flat allocated to MPs.

In fact, in accordance with tradition, Sampanthan should have been allowed to continue as Leader of the Opposition because the TNA was the second-largest party in parliament. The appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa was illegal because he has resigned from SLFP/UPFA and joined the SLPP. As proof, he proudly flaunted his SLPP membership card to the media. What was the reaction of Jayaweera for jettisoning parliamentary traditions by the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa? Don’t he know that SLPP as a party has not contested parliamentary elections so far? To borrow the words of Jayaweera “who conspired and “cooked up” up to install Mahinda Rajapaksa as Leader of Opposition?”

Jayaweera is piggy about the renovation of the house allocated to R.Sampanthan at a cost of Rs.35 million. In the first place, Sampanthan did not ask for the renovation. And the renovation cost is capital expenditure which has increased the value of the house. Jayaweera’s argument Sampanthan has acknowledged LTTE terrorist leader as the sole representative is puerile. Not only Sampanthan but every government that came to power in Sri Lanka recognized Prabhakaran as the sole and authentic leader of the Tamils. It is on this premise that Ranasinghe Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa held peace talks with Prabhakaran not once but many times. Not only the Sri Lankan government even the international community, especially the co-chairs, acknowledged Prabhakaran as the sole representative of the Tamils.

Prabhakaran is a terrorist for Sinhala – Buddhist supremacists like Jayaweera, but he is a freedom fighter for the beleaguered Tamils. He should pause to think about how terrorism sprouted in Sri Lanka, a Buddhist? It was the enactment of the 1972 Republican Constitution by the Sinhalese leadership that inspired the Tamil regional majority to officially demand a separate Tamil state (Tamil Eelam) in 1977. This was further influenced by their denial of equal rights (It robbed the minorities of even the scanty safeguards against discrimination) under the law to the minorities, evidenced by their deliberate exclusion of the provisions of Section 29 of the Soulbury Constitution (introduced at independence in 1948).

The likes of Jayaweera must answer the question why the Tamils have voted consistently, courageously, convincingly and overwhelmingly rejected the Rajapaksas at the parliamentary and presidential elections held in the Northeast since 2009? Rajapaksa repeatedly claims he liberated the Tamils who were under the clutch of the terrorist LTTE, but if this is true where are the garlands for the liberators? In the just-concluded presidential elections, Gotabaya Rajapaksa just managed to poll only a paltry 23,261 (6.24%) of the total votes polled in the Jaffna electoral district.

Granted the LTTE is a terrorist organization why did Ranasinghe Premadasa as President gave arms and ammunition to the same LTTE to fight the IPKF? Why did Mahinda Rajapaksa give Rs.500 million to the same terrorist organization to boycott the 2005 presidential election in the Northeast? It is alleged the cheque for Rs.500 million was handed over to Emil Kanthan, a proxy for LTTE, supposedly to construct houses by the TRO for the displaced in Vavuniya. It was later found the company name and address were bogus! What is your answer Jayaweera? I am sure you cannot plead ignorance because this to this day it remains an open secret!

Jayaweera asks rhetorically asks “How in heaven’s name did he contribute to national reconciliation?”. Jayaweera knows the answer but he pretends he does not. R. Sampanthan at a rally in Jaffna along with Ranil Wickremesinghe held the Lion flag to demonstrate his willingness to cooperate with the majority community. In other words, he believed in reconciliation and living in peace with the majority community. He attended the 2016 independence celebration in Colombo along with M.A. Sumanthiran again to demonstrate his commitment to national reconciliation. The counterparts of Jayaweera among the Tamils lost no time to carry out a well-orchestrated campaign to tarnish Sampanthan as a traitor to the Tamil cause. He was accused of selling the Tamils to the majority Sinhalese.

Jayaweera is lying when he accuses Sampanthan of accepting handouts? What handouts? Other than this blessed house what else did he accept for himself exclusively? It was Sampanthan who speaking in parliament challenged the government/opposition members whether he has robbed the government even a rupee? Jayaweera must be ashamed to level such unfounded and carte Blanche accusations without an iota of truth? As the leader of the Opposition, Sampanthan was frugal in the number of staff, vehicles and other perks he was legitimately entitled to. In this respect, he stands apart and tall compared to many Sinhalese Ministers who squandered public funds in millions.

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