Ethnic based enclaves not acceptable - Prof. Warnapala

by P.Krishnaswamy

[email protected]

Ethnic based enclaves which the minority political parties have sought as units of devolution were not acceptable to the SLFP as a matter of principle, said Prof.Wiswa Warnapala, party stalwart and Minister of Higher Education, commenting on proposals submitted to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) by the Upcountry People’s Front (UPF), Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

As party representative to the APRC, he will raise this matter with the party leadership and the central committee, he told the Sunday Observer.

At the last APRC meeting he objected to proposals on such communal-based councils because it will cause communal disharmony and pose a threat to national integrity, he said.

Councils annexing the non-contiguous geographical areas of the respective minority people’s concentration, as units of devolution proposed by the minority political parties were not acceptable to the SLFP in the interests of national unity and ethnic harmony, he said.

The hill country minority political parties have asked for special enclaves encompassing Kotmale, Maskeliya and Nuwara Eliya and also sub-councils for other areas of domicile of their people while the SLMC has asked for a Muslim Council for Sammanthurai, Pottuvil and the Kalmunai areas in the east, annexing all non-contiguous geographical areas of their concentration, he said.

When contacted by the Sunday Observer, UPF Deputy President A. Lawrence said that in their proposal to the APRC, on behalf of the upcountry Tamil people, they have sought a power-sharing unit after delimiting borders of the areas of their concentration in the central hill country.

They have proposed that in case delimiting is found to be a difficult process, a non-contiguous power-sharing unit, following the example of the Puducherry model in South India should be considered, he said.

In respect of the people of Indian origin living in Deniyaya, Matara and Galle areas they have proposed a Development Council, resembling the Community Council system in Belgium, he said, adding that they have only reiterated their previous proposals in this regard.

CWC spokesman and Vice President R.Yogarajan said that they have tabled a proposal before the APRC seeking a council for the people of Indian origin with all powers enjoyed by Provincial Councils.

The council will be of a non-territorial nature so that its jurisdiction can cross borders and reach their people in the central hill country, with a base in Nuwara Eliya, he said. -

SLMC Secretary General Hasan Ali MP said that they have submitted a proposal to the APRC seeking a power-sharing unit for the Muslim minorities.