Chennai: Reeling under a severe economic crisis, Sri Lanka is in turmoil as protests have become the order of the day with the opposition demanding that the government in Colombo step down. “The catastrophe was waiting to happen as it is deeply intertwined with the non-resolution of the ethnic problem. Power-sharing in a federal arrangement, recognizing the legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil minority, is the way forward,” says veteran Sri Lankan parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a Q&A session.
Q: Hailed as the 'wonder of Aisa', Sri Lanka has fallen into an economic abyss never known before in its history. What are the causes for this present situation and how people are coping with this?
A: The root cause of the problem is the failure to accommodate the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil minority so that there could be inclusive growth of all sections. Sri Lanka could not become a Singapore or a Japan. The island nation is now reaping the result of its past action in Mullivaikaal (where civilians were bombed at the close of the war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam- LTTE). Fanning Sinhala-Buddhist and the political leadership riding on it has brought the country to this level. People were fed on chauvinism. But, now there is a realization among the Sinhalese and many are starting to acknowledge slain LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran as a genuine leader.
We are really concerned about the plight of the Sinhala brethren. There are long queues at petrol pumps and people have died in clashes. They are experiencing what we have undergone earlier. The economic path pursued by the post-war political leadership has ruined Sri Lanka. Extravagant vanity projects like the Hambantota port which had gone to the Chinese as well as International Airport, Cricket Stadium, and the Lotus Tower, which are lying idle and have not produced any employment, were built to perpetuate the legacy of the Rajapaksas.
Q: How do you see the present situation and the economic blockade that the Tamils in the North-East had experienced during the three-decade-long civil war?
A: For nearly 24 years, the Tamils suffered under an economic blockade. Even for Rs 3000 per litre, fuel was not available, we could not even build houses due to a lack of steel and cement. We listened to radio news with a bicycle dynamo. We had no soap either to wash clothes or to take baths. When kerosene was Rs 7 per litre in the south, we paid Rs 300 then. But, there were no starvation deaths unlike what we witness now among the Sinhalese. To recover from this crisis, the Sinhalese should be ready to accommodate the legitimate grievances of the Tamils and opt for a federal setup. Such a political trajectory alone will help the country to rise again.
Q: Is the situation conducive for such a change of heart among the political leadership in Colombo? Or will the government try to escape shifting the blame on Covid?
A: A change of heart and understanding of the ethnic issue is the prerequisite for Sri Lanka to come out of the economic downfall. At present, the foreign exchange reserve is in a precarious condition with mounting debts posing a serious challenge. Redemption from this also needs a change of economic policy and developmental priorities and de-militarisation.
Q: You appear to subscribe to Prabakarana's remark made in his last Hero's Day address in which the LTTE supremo had said that ignoring the rights of the Tamils will not ensure liberty and prosperity for the Sinhalese as well. What's your response?
A: Absolutely. In many of his interviews and interactions, Prabhakaran had made it clear that he was not against the Sinhalese and that he was only opposed to the political and military leadership that imposes war.
Today, there is a 10-hour-long power cut across the country. Fuel is scarce and prices of essentials have skyrocketed. Our Tamil brethren in the hill country earn a meager Rs 600 as daily wages and they could not meet the everyday expenses. For petrol a litre is Rs 305, rice Rs 240 per kg, a dhal is Rs 320 and sugar is Rs 220. They could not even afford bread.
We request Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to save from starvation the Tamils in the hill country (tea estates) as well as those in the North-East. Send food supplies through shipment.
Q: There is an apprehension of a repeat of the refugee influx like in 1983. Do you share this opinion?
A: Such a scenario might not be discounted if the situation worsens.
Q: Was Covid the reason for the economic downturn or it was there but erupted now?
A: Covid was a global phenomenon. But, the vanity projects which are lying idle have ruined the country's economy. An off-sea port is in the hands of China. Revenue is going elsewhere. We do not see a democratic alternative. Even the principal opposition, the United National Party (UNP) does not offer any hope. Among the Sinhalese, we do not see any leader with an alternative vision who could challenge the Rajapaksa clique.
Q: What is the role of the Left parties?
A: Vasudev Nanayakkara, who was a leftist, has turned into an unabashed apologist of capitalism and is with Rajapaksa. So are Vimal Veeravansa and Udaya Gammanpila who have turned racist.
Q: Palaly airport remains unused... Why?
A: Palaly provides air connectivity to Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, and Coimbatore. Similarly, shipping between Thoothukudi and Kankesanthurai and Mandapam-Talaimannar. If all of these are operational, it would enhance people-to-people contact and help tourism and trade to flourish. Due to its inferiority complex, Colombo continues to stall them.
Q: Is China the villain of the current situation plaguing Sri Lanka? Is it a media perception or a shared view among the public?
A: China setting foot in Sri Lanka poses a threat to India and the US. Colombo was asked by European countries to desist from getting entangled in China. But, these concerns were ignored. As far as Eelam Tamils are concerned, we are always pro-India.
