TNA dissidents optimistic:

N-E Tamils can be salvaged under President’s leadership

by P. KRISHNASWAMY

The three TNA dissidents who submitted nominations on the UPFA ticket to contest the April 8 General Election told the Sunday Observer that their decision was prompted by their belief in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s genuine concern for the welfare of the Tamils of the North and the East.

They believed that the Tamils who were reduced to a state of destitution having lost their dear ones, properties and all means of livelihood in the three-decade-long war can only be salvaged under the leadership of President Rajapaksa, who has received the country’s mandate for a second term of seven years and has drawn up plans for the resettlement, rehabilitation and economic welfare of the people in the North and the East.

The three former Parliamentarians, Sivanathan Kishore and Sathasivam Kanagaratnam who represented the Wanni district and Thangeswari Kathirgamar who represented the Batticaloa district in the last Parliament, said that their support base in their constituencies was intact and they decided to ally with the UPFA instead of contesting independently or in an alliance with other political parties because they believed that the right framework for peace, democracy, communal amity and development in the war-torn regions has been clearly set out in the Mahinda Chintana.

They received the overwhelming mandate of their people at the last general election and they stood by them through thick and thin unlike other TNA politicians who spent much of their time in foreign countries with their kith and kin.

Their decision was supported by everyone and they are certain of victory at the general election.

All Tamil parties and political groups have splintered due to the rigid attitude of the TNA, they said.

They believed that confrontational and divisive political ideologies and the rhetoric of their TNA colleagues and their pro-LTTE parliamentary line would only add fuel to fire with regard to the decades-long sufferings of their people.

“We realise that these leaders misled and alienated the Tamils from the national mainstream by been vociferous on Tamil nationalism and rousing communal sentiments instead of focusing on the socio-economic uplift of the Tamils and the need for national unity.

Over thirty precious years in the life of the Tamils have been wasted in this kind of politics and it is now time to re-assess and re-think in terms of the long term welfare of the people.

In fact we feel that we should have taken this national political line much earlier in the best interests of our people”, they said.