|
|
 |
  |
| Sunday, 11 July 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
UPF grows in strength - P. Chandrasekeran
Question: You are one of the youthful leaders of the up-country after late S. Thondaman. How did you enter politics? Answer: I always thought that something must be done for my people, the plantation community and I formed the Up-Country Peoples Front. In fact it was an original political party as all other parties rose from trade unions. Q: Do you have a trade union? A: Of course. But we first formed the political party and later the trade union. Q: Why did you form the trade union? A: Plantation politics is rather different from others. Plantation workers are the most organised working class in the country. They are members of more than a dozen trade unions big and small that exist in the upcountry. Therefore no political party can exist without trade unions. Q: Although the UPF is a small party it came to the limelight during the nineties. What was the reason? A: I entered politics with the objective of emancipating the plantation community. My rivals thought to suppress our movement. My colleagues and I had to languish in Bogambara prison for about four years. However, their dream never become a reality. I won a seat at the Central Provincial Council while I was in jail. The UPF contested in 1994 parliamentary elections and with its one seat it was the deciding factor in forming the Peoples Alliance government. Q: Why do you shun national political parties? A: There are Muslim leaders in the United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party and other political parties. In spite of all these late Mr. M.H.M. Ashraff formed the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to address the issues of his community. The UPF also was formed with the same objective. Q: There are so many divisions among Tamil parties and they contest in parliamentary, provincial and local government elections. What do you think about this? A: Division is a tradition among Tamil parties. Everyone speaks of unity but they never come forward to unite. Q: You contested under the UNP banner along with Arumugan Thondaman and was a member of the Cabinet of the UNF government. But, during the April elections you went solo. why? A: At that election I received more than one hundred and twenty thousand votes. They said I was able to win such a massive mandate because I contested on the UNP ticket and along with the Ceylon Workers Congress. I wanted to prove that I would be able to win even if I go solo. And I proved it by winning about fifty thousand votes at the April polls. I firmly believe in our policies and our people have accepted them. That is why they have elected us even as our Front went solo. Our party is growing with its own strength. Q: It is said you have a strong link with politicians in the North and often visit Kilinochchi? A: It is to foster unity among Tamil people, whether they live in North, East or in the up-country and other areas in South. It is very essential. My party has only two members in parliament. It is simply impossible to win any demand with such slim representation. The Tamil National Alliance has two dozen members. They have promised us they would support us in our demands. Up-country Tamils cannot arm themselves. Therefore, our unarmed struggle for our rights will be carried forward democratically with the support of north east parties. Q: Now there is a proposal for Interim Self-Governing Authority. President Kumaratunga has said she is prepared to continue talks on the basis of that proposal. What is your view on this score? A: The armed struggle began for Tamil Eelam. Later terms such as federalism and self determination came to the fore. Now the LTTE has put forward the proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority. It is the duty of the government to grant it. If this is not given no one can prevent the emergence of Tamil Eelam. Q: Could you comment on the peace process... A: Government should not consider the period of negotiations as a delaying process. If there was no peace, all the people would have to shoulder the consequences. While Norwegians facilitate the talks India too must make its contributions constructively. Q: You have said that up-country leaders did nothing for their community during the last 25 years. A: Upcountry leadership did not act with political vision. Now a common approach is needed. Political leaders of the up-country should unite under a common programme of action. Otherwise there would be no future for the plantation community. Q: You say that your aim is to work for the betterment of your community. If you are in government it would be easier for you to fulfil some of the aspirations of your community? A: If I join the government I would get a ministerial portfolio. Will the people get their rights through that post? What have we achieved being ministers in the cabinets for the past twenty five years? Therefore, joining the government is not important. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
In an interview with Reporter
P. Muthiah, Up-country People's Front (UPF)
leader and parliamentarian P. Chandrasekeran traces the history of his
movement and explains how it is growing in strength drawing upon its own
resources.
