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| Sunday, 28 March 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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'SLMC has betrayed NE Muslims'
He hails from Akkaraipattu (in Digamadulla electoral district) and is contesting Digamadulla on UPFA ticket. He was opposition leader of the Northeastern PC established under the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of July '87. He was interviewed by P. Krishnaswamy: Q: Your party is contesting the April 2 polls as a constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). Do you have a separate political agenda for your people? A: We do not feel that we need a separate political agenda. The UPFA manifesto incorporates most of our demands and political aspirations. We are confident that through a mass political revolution of the UPFA in the forthcoming parliamentary polls, the political aspirations of all minority communities, including the Muslim community of the North and East, can be obtained through negotiations involving all political parties concerned. We think the Tamils' homeland concept has to be viewed in a broader perspective. We are optimistic that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who has never been a communalist will fulfill the Tamils' demand for power-sharing and limited autonomy, while also considering a similar power-sharing arrangement for the Muslims. Q: Will your party insist on a separate unit of devolution for the Muslims of the North and East? Will you insist on the participation of an independent Muslim delegation in future peace talks with the LTTE? A: We have been demanding regional autonomy for the Muslims of the North and East based on their non-contiguous geographical areas. It has to be on par with whatever unit of devolution given to the Tamils. The participation of an independent Muslim delegation in future peace talks has been agreed to by the JVP and the UPFA jointly. We have insisted that not only the representatives of the North-East Muslims but representatives of all major political parties should find a place in the government delegation. The Tamil community which has placed an ISGA proposal for a unified Northeastern province has so far not clearly explained how best they could accommodate the Muslims' political aspirations. Q: In what respects do you disagree with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) on participation of Muslims' representatives in the peace talks and matters affecting the North-East Muslims? A: Our party led by Ms Ferial Ashraff was very much disappointed over the manner in which the SLMC handled the Muslim question. The SLMC's unconditional support to the Ceasefire Agreement and its stance on the North-East Tamil problem did not reflect the true sentiments of the Muslim community but only the views of a small group. The SLMC has betrayed the North-East Muslims by adopting the position that the Muslim community had nothing in common with the struggle of the Tamils and had nothing to do with the ethnic crisis. Instead of leading an independent Muslim delegation at the several rounds of peace talks held in Bangkok and Tokyo, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem got himself accommodated in the government delegation, thus denying and depriving the community of its separate identity. He failed to have elections held to the local government authorities in the pre-dominant Muslim areas of the Eastern province. Although he announced that the SLMC had finalised an interim administrative structure proposal for the North-East Muslims in January 2004, he did not make it public. The SLMC has also failed to identify the non-contiguous geographical areas which form the unit of devolution for the Muslim community. All these and some other connected matters have compelled us to work aganst the SLMC in spite of the fact that it was also a political party formed by our late leader Mr. M.H.M. Ashraff to safeguard the interests of the Muslims. Q: Late leader Mr. M.H.M. Ashraff founded the SLMC with the prime objective of uniting the Muslim community under one umbrella. Under the present situation where the SLMC remains divided as many political parties, has the NUA leadership any programme or desire to unite them again? A: Under the democratic political set up as prevailing in Sri Lanka, it is neither necessary nor desirable to unify different political parties belonging to a certain community. The question as to why the Muslims are not united is being asked very often. Nobody is asking why the Sinhalse or the Tamils are not united! Muslims or the other communities can make a common approach with regard to proposals or matters affecting their community as a whole. 'What is possible for an armed struggle is not possible in a democratic political struggle'. Q: The NUA of which you are general secretary was founded by your late leader Mr. Ashraff as a national political party to encompass the other national communities as well. How far have you been successful in treading the path as a national party? A: I was not a member of the NUA when it was founded. I am not fully aware of the vision of our late leader in forming the party. His untimely death paralysed the activities of the party and even the SLMC was dismantled. After Ms Ferial Ashraff took over the leadership, there are more Sinhalese who are going to vote for us this time and she is very much acceptable to the Sinhalese community. If there is going to be peace the NUA will certainly widen its prospects as a national party. Q: Both the leader of your party Ferial Ashraff and leader of the SLMC Rauff Hakeem who are contesting elections in Digamadulla district do not hail from Eastern province. Can you tell us as to how leaders of the Eastern Muslims react to it? A: As for me I am proud to have these two leaders contesting in Digamadulla district though they do not belong to the district. What I would like to see in them is not their qualifications and capabilities but whether they are genuine and sincere to the cause of the Muslims. I find Ferial Ashraff a better choice for the present. Q: Is there truth in reports that your party had differences of views with the Muslim National Front led by U.L.M. Athaullah that is also contesting elections on UPFA ticket ? A: We have had differences of which many have been sorted out and we have decided to work together. They were sheer differences of views and not contradictions. We are campaigining jointly under the leadership of Ferial Ashraff for more seats in the Digamadulla district. We are certain of getting four seats but have to fight hard for the fifth seat. Q: Do you think the current split in the LTTE will affect the outcome of the forthcoming elections in the Eastern province? A: We do not want any split in the LTTE because such splits are going to create more problems towards realising the political aspirations of both the Tamils and the Muslims. The present split will not affect Muslim politics either in the North or the East. It might help to strengthen the UPFA in forming the government and expediting the peace process. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Segu Issadeen is Secretary General of the National Unity Alliance (NUA)
led by Ms. Ferial Ashraff, MP in the last Parliament, founder of Sri Lanka
Muslim Congress (SLMC) together with late leader M. H. M. Ashraff,
Attorney-at-law.
