TNA leader goes berserk

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the former Tiger proxy party which had been remote-controlled by LTTE terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, is finding it increasingly difficult to retain its popularity in the North since people in the province have realised that there is barely any difference between the Tigers and the TNA.

The TNA perhaps was under an illusion that it could easily succeed the LTTE after the world's most ruthless terrorist outfit was crushed militarily in May, 2009. TNA leader R. Sampanthan reckoned that he could emulate Prabhakaran's hold.

Fortunately, people in the North are far more intelligent than Sampanthan takes them to be and have now clearly understood who their real saviours are. Tamils in the North have by no means forgotten how Sampanthan and his Tiger puppets in the TNA had turned a blind eye when people in the North were forcibly held as a human shield by the LTTE.

While disregarding the sufferings of the people in the North when LTTE terror was at its peak, Sampanthan and cohorts have now emerged from nowhere to shed crocodile tears over Tamils. In the event Sampanthan and his TNA parliamentarians had an iota of concern for their own community, they should have protested against the LTTE's terror acts against people in the North.

Rather than protecting Tamils in the North, the TNA has now gone before them to grab power in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC). Sampanthan is going hammer and tongs to capture power in the NPC at any cost as the TNA is only interested in giving a democratic facelift for the LTTE ideology.

The TNA's goals and objectives are akin to those of the LTTE. However, the only notable difference is the strategy employed to achieve those goals - the democratic path sans the LTTE's armed struggle. In other words, the TNA wants to democratically achieve the goals which the LTTE had failed through the bullet. The repercussions would be no different, thereby threatening the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Sampanthan and his gang have now realised that the people in the North are wiser than what the TNA takes them to be. The TNA is finding it extremely difficult to convince moderate and right-thinking Tamils in the North. Hence, Sampanthan has now resorted to the LTTE's intimidatory tactics to win the NPC elections.

Sampanthan has threatened Tamils in the North to refrain from voting for the governing UPFA, if they wish to live in that area. Addressing a TNA political rally for the NPC elections, Sampanthan has cautioned Tamils in the North that they should not support the Government if they have any intention of living within the provincial territory.

The TNA leader's warning is of a serious nature and should not be dubbed as another statement by a TNA politician. This clearly shows Sampanthan's dictatorial attitude. If the TNA leader could make such a veiled threat to the Tamils in the North, one could well imagine the plight of those in the North in the event the TNA captures power in the NPC.

It is evident that even Prabhakaran had not descended to such low level in making such open threats despite killing thousands of Tamil civilians. If Sampanthan makes such threats in broad daylight, one could well assume that he could be even worse than Prabhakaran, if the TNA is elected to power.

On the other hand, the circumstances which led Sampanthan to go berserk and make such irresponsible statements too are understandable. His dream of emulating Prabhakaran after the LTTE leader's death and gain control like the Tigers has now been shattered. He could no longer bear to see the TNA losing control and the people of the North drifting away from the party.

Sampanthan took the people in the North for suckers and played the racist card as and when the occasion demanded. There was a time when the TNA won public sympathy in the North and misled the Tamils by putting the blame on the Government. The TNA at one time, projected the Sinhalese as an arch enemy who was all out to destroy the Tamils in the North.

But the time has come where the TNA could no longer win the hearts of the people in the North who are by far more intelligent now. The Tamils in the North have now realised who their real enemy is in a disguised mask. The TNA could no longer hold the Tamils in the North in the separate state fantasy created by Prabhakaran.

Even the ex-LTTE cadres have commended the Government's contribution to restore peace and develop the area. Scores of former LTTE leaders, along with a large number of rehabilitated members of the now defunct terrorist organisation, got on to the stage during a United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) election rally in Mannar last week, to show their appreciation and support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government for their efforts to rebuild the North.

The former LTTE political head for the Mannar district, Eranbamoorthi Sivanendraraja alias Robert and former Mannar district military leader Prabha Nandan, along with several other former LTTE leaders and members from the area joined the UPFA leaders at the rally at the Mannar public grounds, under the patronage of President Rajapaksa. Prabha Nandan, in his address to the gathering, denounced the LTTE's atrocities in the North and described in graphic detail the unprecedented destruction of both lives and property in the North.

He said the LTTE had kept the people under an iron fist unleashing mortal fear as a means to control them. He outlined how people now live in unity sans fear after terrorism was defeated. He said that some Tamil politicians who did precious little for people in the North are now campaigning and making near impossible promises. He called upon the people to vote in favour of the UPFA to continue the current development without being misled by false promises.

Religious leaders have also raised their voice against the TNA's vicious efforts to realise the goals of the failed LTTE terrorists through its election manifesto which they claim would 'lead to a revival of separatism and ethnic disharmony.' The leaders representing various religious denominations said that the TNA has released a manifesto that was in conformity with the LTTE's separatist agenda. They exhorted the Tamils not to fall prey to the TNA's subtle manoeuvres to disrupt the peaceful environment now prevailing in the province.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Tamils in the North, who had faced untold hardships due to the LTTE's three decades terror, would repudiate the separatist ideology in the TNA's election manifesto. The Tamils must be ever vigilant against the TNA's wily attempt to sow the seeds of separatism and communalism in the country to achieve their petty political gains.

It is as clear as daylight that the TNA, in a desperate attempt to win the election, is fanning the flames of separatism and communalism in the country. Many religious leaders have condemned the TNA manifesto in no uncertain terms as it would promote division on the lines of ethnicity and religion rather than cementing ties between those of different religions and ethnic groups.

At a time when an election manifesto should help promote peace, harmony and coexistence among one and all in a multi-ethnic country, the TNA election manifesto would only create further divisions among communities. The TNA is now dancing to the tune of the LTTE rump, ignoring the true aspirations of the Tamils in the North. People in the Northern Province should take serious note of this impending threat.

More importantly, people in the North are not willing to return to that dark era again where they spent many sleepless nights in the jungles due to LTTE terror. Prabhakaran and his barbaric terrorists showed no mercy whatsoever even to their own community. The Tamils in the North have certainly not forgotten the untold sufferings they underwent while the TNA kept mum against LTTE's ruthless acts.

Hence, it is a do or die battle for Sampanthan and his TNA cohorts who are going all out to resurrect its moribund image. People in the North are deeply cognizant of the fact that the TNA could do little or nothing for their well-being and continue the Government's massive development work in the North.

This has obviously prompted the TNA leader to press the panic button and make sweeping statements and even go to the extent of threatening Tamils in the North. People in the North would no doubt teach an unforgettable lesson to the TNA and other opportunist politicians who play the racist card in their lust for power.