Sri Lanka among the world’s best in human rights - Vasudeva Nanayakkara

By Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Vasudeva Nanayakkara, the firebrand of Sri Lankan left politics, is a national leader who felt the heartbeat of the downtrodden. Vasu started his political career in the 1950s as an active member of the Samasamaja Youth Movement and soon became its leader.

In 1970 he entered Parliament for the first time representing Kiriella. Since then, he represented the Ratnapura district in Parliament on many occasions. He has been beaten, jailed and forced underground due to his political activism which has won him the hearts of the working class and the minority communities.

As the National Languages and Social Integration Minister, his ultimate goal is to unite Sri Lanka by winning the hearts and minds of diverse people who on the basis of equality struggling for democracy and social justice have been the essence of Vasu’s political life and many are the sacrifices he made to build a just society.

The Minister told the Sunday Observer that Sri Lanka is one of the best countries in human rights practices. We have a functioning democracy over the last so many decades since we became an independent sovereign country while in South Asia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal had been going through dictatorships of kings and military leaders on various occasions in contrast to our country. However, we should take a serious note of any allegations made bonafide-not malafide.

The Minister said there are certain countries and international organisations which are trying to spite us by raising various issues which we should reject. We must see whether there is anything that we should do towards bringing about standard for human rights to be observed, human rights respect and human rights conditions to reasonable levels of practice as being done in other countries.

Minister Nanayakkara said that a full-fledged Provincial Council for the North would be the foundation stone for peace and reconciliation. The actual operative democracy will come to life only with the PC elections being held. In addition, if Provincial Councils are vested with more powers, they would feel that the power-sharing is well practised to help reach reconciliation and resolve problems faced by them in the North and the East.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Some of the Provincial Councils are beset with internal rivalries among its members, waste of public funds and the image-building exercises as we are witnessing today. How could its functions be regulated to make them more progressive bodies?

A: Even If the disputes are on the same side, the writ of the party must prevail. If it is a political issue of a serious nature, the discipline alone will not suffice.

Then you have to discuss the matter in depth on the political line and reasoning and try to resolve it - the political disputes.

On the other hand the rivalries among the individuals of the same side are not anything new. It has been there all the time under all circumstances. We have to live with it.

That is personal ambition and conflict of personalities and a number of things contribute to it, but no ideological depth. Therefore, there is nothing to worry.

Q: The Government’s investment on infrastructure in the North is unprecedented. Do you have your own priorities to add to this to promote national harmony?

A: Yes. Principally the livelihood means, the people who were resettled after terrorism in their own villages and the neighbourhood should be provided the necessary facilities to the maximum possible extent and it should only be an exception that they are relocated in different places. An environment and atmosphere conducive to them to live with confidence and feel at home as in normal times is also very important.

Q: Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has demanded a salary increase of Rs.10,000 for Government and private sector workers to cushion the impact of sky-rocketing costs of living. As a sympathiser with the working class, how do you look at this demand?

A: They need an increment to their basic salary, not an additional allowance as such that had been given previously. I propose that all allowances so far given be added to the basic salary so as to give them the advantage of their pension being enhanced and their overtime, travelling and other perks too enhanced. In addition, their frozen cost of living allowance, has to be paid.

Q: The education authorities have pointed out that overall funding for education is quite adequate. If so, is the university dons’ demand for six percent not reasonable or ill-advised?

A: I think the amount allocated for education is grossly insufficient. We are a country which has free education from primary to university level. Therefore, we are not comparable to any other country which has to spend six percent where no free education is available.

However, the present amount allocated for education is insufficient. To my knowledge, the necessary capital expenditure for Sabaragamuwa Province for 2012 was Rs.1200 million.

This could only help get the essential repairs done and the essential equipment provided to the large number of schools under the Provincial Council. When the Provincial Council needs Rs.1,200 million, the Central Government has provided only Rs.387 million.

This shows the inadequacy of the allocation at the Central Government level. This is only one example. When you work out the provision for the whole island, I think six percent is a just and fair allocation. But we can’t proceed with it.

We have to gradually develop into it while mobilising funds for Government revenue.

That doesn’t fall from the sky. So we have to tap the Stock Exchange at least 15 percent from the capital gains and charge the due levies to the Government fully like the plantation companies which pay a minimum of about Rs.13,000 million per year as the rent doesn’t yield more than Rs.487 million. If you collect these dues which are the entitlement of the Government revenue, we could find the money.

Q: What is the impact of the FUTA action on education and the university system? What can the authorities do to address this situation?

A: It is unfortunate that the FUTA had to resort to strike action. It should have been settled short of strike action. The strike action has resulted in the closure of universities for three months which has hit the student community, economy and our entire social fabric. Therefore, the Government should have taken steps to prevent it from ending up in a strike. Both parties should have been wiser.

Q: The Eastern Provincial Council is already functioning and elections are due for the Northern PC. What is the importance of having a full-fledged PC for the North in terms of peace and reconciliation?

A: Democracy. It is the foundation stone for peace and reconciliation. The actual operative democracy will come to life only with the PC elections being held. In addition,

Provincial Councils are being given more powers so that they would feel that the power-sharing will help in a very big way to reach reconciliation and resolve the national question.

Q: What is the importance of all parties coming together for the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC)? Should the UNP, JVP and TNA have a more positive attitude towards this process?

A: They are actually subverting and undermining the process. The JVP, UNP and TNA say that they have no confidence in it. Then what do they propose? They have no alternative proposals.

They propose a dialogue between the Government and the TNA. That would not surprise. All parties that have formed the UPFA and all other parties in the Parliament should be present when it is a national issue where a formula has to be worked out on a consensual basis.

Therefore, the obstinate refusal of the TNA, JVP and the UNP to participate in this select committee causes greater harm to the ethnic relations which could have been settled earlier.

Q: There seems to be another push by certain countries to probe human rights issues in Sri Lanka. What kind of impact can this have on our reconciliation process?

A: No problem. We should have discussions on human rights. We should review our own human rights records. We should take seriously any bonafide allegations. There are certain countries and international organisations which are out to spite us by raising various issues. We should reject them outright. But we should see whether there is anything that we could do towards bringing about any standard for human rights to be observed, or human rights conditions to reasonable levels of practice as is being done in other countries. I think we are one of the best countries in the human rights practice, because we had a functioning democracy over the past so may decades since we became an independent and sovereign country.

Even in south Asia-Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal had been going through dictatorships of kings and military leaders at various instances very much in contrast to our country. Therefore, human rights practice is a normal thing except during disturbing times or insurgencies.

Then of course, the whole thing becomes upset by the conditions that require the restoration of peace and cessation of violence which will have excesses. Undoubtedly in such situations we must address the excesses and try to remedy them.

Q: How do you evaluate your national languages and social integration programs or projects in the context of national reconciliation?

A: I think we are doing very well and we are taking a leap forward in teaching Sinhala and Tamil in the entire country, to public officials in particular and eventually foster relations between different ethnic communities in a cordial atmosphere.

In addition, we want to bring back the marginalized people into the main stream of society. So we are conducting a series of activities on the language, social integration and ethnic relations which would produce very good results in time to come. We believe we should be able to reach our goals within the next two to three years.

That is to bring about bilingual literacy to the whole country and possibly trilingual literacy with the support and guidance of the Presidential Task Force in charge of trilingual project.

Q: What is the success of the trilingual program for MPs (Tamil classes for Sinhala MPs) and why is trilingualism essential for Sri Lanka?

A: It’s continuing. They have finished the course and they want to continue further. So we will continue the Tamil classes if they want them anymore and conduct discussions in spoken Tamil to the Sinhala MPs. If there are Tamil MPs who are in need, we would do the same. Now English is being provided for the MPs who want English literacy.

Q: Will not the current worldwide technological revolution render communism, socialism or other political theories obsolete and ensure better living standards for the people?

A: No. Technology does not change the society on class divisions. Technology changes only the productivity. Productivity being increased does not erase the class lines of the society and the social fragmentations.

Therefore, this ‘trickle-down’ theory has not worked so far and the technology is not going to do better. Socialism will be the one solution even for the future of the entire humanity, since the present neoliberal economy has proved to have failed and today we are witnessing it. From 1970s we see a downward trend in the economic output, under-capacity economies running into crisis, unemployment rising, growth rates falling and debt crisis resulting in the bankruptcy of states.

So all these are a part of the neoliberal economy and the high technology has not been able to resolve this crisis.

High technology on the contrary has bred more corruption and more deceit which has reflected in the debt crisis and the crash of the banks in America.

Q: As a leftist politician what is your contribution to promote the lot of the working class and uphold their dignity?

A: I have been in the trade union movement. As a chairperson of one of the trade unions, we try to achieve a better living standard for workers through the parity of wages to the cost-of-living, - the actual expenditure worked out on the basis of inflation to keep the cost-of-living and wages parallel. On the other hand, the real income of the workers is being kept at the level of real expenditure. Then we should be able to at least maintain their living standards. If it is not improved, we will have to ensure a higher income for workers than the real expenditure.

Q: Politician “Vasu” is looked upon as one who does not indulge in politicking or compromising his principles. Are you satisfied with your political odyssey or still persist in your political aims?

A: I am satisfied as far as my conscience and my convictions are concerned.

But it is left to others to judge me and I will always examine their judgement with all seriousness.