‘UNP, JVP and TNA have no alternative proposals’:

Opposition to PSC deliberations, a setback

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that the obstinate refusal of the TNA, UNP and the JVP to participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) deliberations is a major setback.

In a scenario where the UNP, JVP and TNA should have a more positive attitude towards the PSC, they are subverting and undermining it, the Minister told the Sunday Observer.

He said that the UNP, JVP and the TNA say that they have no confidence in the PSC. They have no alternative proposals. They merely propose a dialogue between the Government and the TNA but this alone would not suffice, he said.

Minister Nanayakkara said all parties aligned to the UPFA and all other Opposition parties in Parliament should be present when it is a national issue, especially where a formula has to be worked out on a consensual basis.

When asked as to how his Ministry evaluates its national languages and social integration programs in the context of national reconciliation, the Minister said that his Ministry is doing well and has taken a leap forward in teaching Sinhala and Tamil to everybody, especially public officials to bring about harmonious relations among different ethnic groups in a cordial atmosphere.

“In addition, we wish to bring the marginalised people back into the mainstream society. The Ministry has engaged in a series of activities in the fields of language, social integration and ethnic affairs relations which would produce good results”.

“We believe we could reach our goals within the next two or three years to bring about bilingual literacy to the whole nation”, the Minister said.