Heroic soldiers will not be betrayed to appease the West - Udaya Gammanpila

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

Former Western Province Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Minor Irrigation Industries and Environment Udaya Gammanpila said Sri Lanka was bold to defy orders given by the West and defeat terrorism that plagued the country and this is the reason why Sri Lanka is going to be punished at the UNHRC sessions in March!

In an interview with the Sunday Observer Gammanpila did not mince his words when he said the West directed us to declare a ceasefire at the tail end of the war against terrorists. Having an alliance of 39 powerful countries, the USA failed to defeat the Taliban and terrorism in Iraq. The world would have scoffed at the USA because a tiny nation such as Sri Lanka defeated terrorism without much resources. That is why they forced us to declare a ceasefire. Since we defied them they are going to punish us.

Gammanpila said as a grateful Government we are not ready to betray our heroic soldiers just for the good office and friendship of Western nations. The UNP and the JVP may be willing to do so. Whatever the cost that we have to incur, we are committed to protect them. When many countries betray their allies and their own people to be in the good books of powerful Western nations, Sri Lanka is one of the few principled and bold nations in the world which had the courage to defeat the world's most powerful terrorist outfit and to defy the West. Sri Lanka is now a model for the rest of the third world countries to follow. This is the main reason why President Mahinda Rajapaksa received a rousing welcome worldwide for being the Leader who defeated terrorism by setting an example to the world.

Q: The JHU has always registered its protest against anti-national, anti-religious and anti-cultural elements. Could you explain the JHU's stand on such issues and instances where you have enlightened the country?

A: There was a myth that the LTTE cannot be defeated. We maintained that the LTTE could be defeated and that the unitary structure of the state should be safeguarded. In the latter part of the 1990s, the JHU was the solitary political party which stood for this ideology. Our campaign convinced other parties also to embrace the same stand. When the Mavilaru sluice gates were closed by the LTTE in 2006, our campaign gave strength to the Government to recommence the war against the LTTE. Proving our predictions, the Security Forces defeated the LTTE within a span of three years.

The anti-terrorist national plan published by the National Movement against Terrorism in 1990 predicted that if the Government implements their plan given the LTTE could not be eliminated in a time span of three years but it was proved otherwise and became a reality. When international forces attempted to interfere into our internal affairs and protect separatist elements, we have stood against them. We have unconditionally worked with other like-minded forces to defeat such elements.

The ultimate objective of the “mathata thitha” program is to eliminate drugs and intoxicants from our society. when anti-national and anti-social elements become active, we have always stood against them and protected this nation to ensure a better future for the next generation.

Q: Smuggling, drugs and ethanol, hoarding milk powder and reintroducing outdated food items to the market after changing expiry dates have posed a serious threat. What is the JHU's approach to these perils?

A:We were the first to highlight that milk powder contained DCD and launched a campaign to ban companies issuing contaminated milk powder to the market. We found that agrochemicals are the root cause for chronic kidney disease spreading in the North Central Province. We produced laboratory reports to confirm that agrochemicals contain arsenic and cyanide. But chemical experts rejected our reports saying these reports were from substandard laboratories. Earlier agrochemical companies spent millions of rupees to buy bureaucrats, academics and the media to protect their businesses. Finally the WHO published a report confirming our stand. As a result bureaucrats were forced to ban several agrochemicals in Sri Lanka. At present the Government is promoting organic farming due to our campaign. The import business is something which is essential to the country. We can't be a closed economy. We have to interact with the rest of the world. We should be alert to ensure that rubbish should not come into the country. In the recent past our officers were bold enough to arrest the culprits irrespective of their social and political status.

Q: The human rights record of countries which advocate democracy, transparency, accountability, peace, minority rights and periodical elections is reprehensible, to say the least. What right have these countries to dictate terms to Sri Lanka on such fundamentals?

A: The biggest human rights violators in the world are the USA and the EU. These are the very same countries which point fingers at us. If we take the USA and the second World War and dropping atomic bombs on Japan and bombing the city of

Dresden in Germany, that marked the commencement of the US war crimes. After Vietnam, Sudan and Grenada, the US recent war crimes is in Afghanistan and Iraq. 'Might is right' is the slogan in the international fora and not 'Right is might'. Because of this pathetic situation, the West can survive without consequences after committing any grave war crimes. Being a small country, we highlighted this.

They are going to punish us at the UNHRC sessions to be held in March. What was the crime committed by us? We only did one thing that we were bold enough to defy their orders. They directed us to declare a ceasefire at the tail end of the war against terrorists. The simple reason was that they didn’t want Sri Lanka to secure victory against the most powerful terrorist outfit in the world, the LTTE when the USA was at the receiving end of a war against the less powerful Taliban in Afghanistan. The world would have scoffed at the USA because a tiny nation such as Sri Lanka defeated terrorism without much resources. But having an alliance of 39 powerful countries, the USA failed to defeat the Taliban and terrorism in Iraq. That is why they forced us to declare a ceasefire.

Since we defied this, they are going to punish us. The Opposition claims that we are facing this resolution at the UNHRC because of our foreign policy. We can win the West easily. If we accept their notion that our soldiers committed war crimes and punish the Army, they will be happy and be our friends once again. Then there will be no problem. Are we ready to betray our heroic soldiers just for the good office and friendship of the Western nations? The UNP and the JVP may be willing to do so. But as a grateful Government, we are not ready to betray our war heroes at any time. Whatever the cost we have to pay, we are committed to protecting them. When many countries betray their allies to be in the good books of powerful Western nations, Sri Lanka is one of the few principled and bold nations which had the courage to defeat terrorism. Hence Sri Lanka is now becoming a model for the rest of the third world countries to follow. That is why President Mahinda Rajapaksa received a warm reception from countries worldwide .

Q: The abolition of Year Five Scholarship Examination is no answer to the undue stress on students. What is the JHU's solution?

A: In the recent past, the JHU had a strong campaign in defence of the Year Five Scholarship Examination. Minister Champika Ranawaka and I are beneficiaries of this examination. My life has been revolutionised by two scholarships. Because of the Year Five Scholarship Examination, I was able to come to Colombo from a remote village.

After I became the island first at the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination, I went to Australia because of the scholarship awarded by the Australian Government.

These are two major achievements in my life which has helped to mould me as the person I am. As a grateful individual, I am duty bound to protect this golden bridge which links the village and the capital for clever students in the village to come to the city and become national figures.

This examination has been distorted during the past 20 years.

I have proposed four changes to the present examination so that it will be a lesser burden to the children. Firstly this examination should be changed from being a knowledge- based test to a true IQ test. Secondly, we propose to have questions based only on the Grade Five syllabus and restrict this to language and mathematics. The third suggestion is to hold two or three examinations instead of just one and take the average. If a student fails to get a good score in the first examination, then he can try to get better marks at the second or third examination and rectify his errors. Fourthly, since the children takes an enormous effort to pass this examination, there should be ample opportunities for them to go to a leading school once they pass the examination. If these four amendments are made, I am sure children will do the examination without it being a burden and losing their childhood. What we should do is not abolish it but to control competition and the burdening aspect as much as possible.

Q: Mangoes, apples, grapes and other varieties of fruit are contaminated and bad for consumption. Why can't the health authorities put an end to this peril and bring relief to producers as well as consumers?

A: As we know fruit and vegetable production is highly commercialised today. As a result, farmers use seven different chemicals in their agricultural pursuits. These chemicals have caused lot of health issues. When preservatives are added it increase shelf life of the commodity but reduces the lifetime of consumers. As long as we import these fruits, we have no control. Fruits will perish in a matter of two weeks unless some kind of a preservative is added.

At present the Government through the 'Divineguma' program at national level and the 'Haritha Gewathu' and ' Sande Sewana' at Western Provincial level has taken steps to promote home gardening. It would help to produce whatever fruits and vegetables they want in their home gardens. Because of advanced technology in agriculture, space and soil is not a barrier to start home gardening. President Mahinda Rajapaksa at every Budget has granted some financial allocation or concession to promote home gardening.

Whatever the profession we do, we are forced to be part time farmers as well. Otherwise whether we like it or not, we are eating poisonous food.

Q: What is the JHU's policy on the application of chemical fertiliser for agriculture and its repercussions on people's health?

A: As I explained, the JHU has been campaigning against agrochemicals over the past six years. It has had an impact as some agrochemicals are banned. The Government has taken a policy decision to subsidise organic farming and promote organic fertiliser in the country.

Q: It should be consensual and not confrontational politics the TNA should practise in the larger interest of harmony and peaceful co-existence. Could one observe such efforts in the TNA's politics?

A: Unfortunately, many political analysts and political parties fail to understand the ulterior motive of the TNA when they decided to run for the Northern Provincial Council Election. The TNA wants to establish a separate state. TNA is the political arm of the LTTE. During the terror of the LTTE, TNA leaders went to Kilinochchi and got instructions from Tamilselvan on politics. The stand taken in the world was that when they crushed the military arm of an organisation, they banned its political arm as well. That is why Hitler's Nazi Party is still banned in Germany. Similarly Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party is also banned in Iraq.

The Taliban is still a banned organisation in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, we didn't learn this international trend and historical lesson and allowed the TNA to survive despite the destruction of the LTTE.

If the TNA uses the powers vested with Provincial Councils in the 13th Amendment , they can easily establish a Police Post. I am sure they will never do that as long as the Central Government enjoys a two thirds majority in Parliament.

The Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran and TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran are constitutional experts. They know how the Constitution works. They know if they are abusing the powers vested in them, the Central Government will abolish such powers by using a two thirds majority in Parliament. Because of that they are silent at this moment and are cooperating with the centre.

Vigneswaran would wish the President on January 01.They know the good offices with the centre is crucial for their survival. But they will change their attitude towards the Centre when the Central Government loses its two thirds majority in Parliament.

After that they will exploit the powers and establish a Police post.We have to be careful about the TNA's behaviour. I am of the view that President Mahinda Rajapaksa should seek a mandate to repeal the dangerous provisions in the 13th Amendment at the next Presidential Election.

Q:In a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society such as Sri Lanka, would it not be more feasible to forge an egalitarian society than a “Dharma Rajjaya”?

A: If Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, then all other nations are also multi-religious and multi-ethnic nations.

Sri Lanka's unique relationship with Buddhism cannot be matched by any other nation in the world. But Sri Lanka has not been declared a Buddhist state. There are many countries where they have declared themselves as Islamic, Catholic or

Christian states. But Sri Lanka has not declared that its a Buddhist state. We have been practising Buddhism as the major religion for the past 2300 years.

There is no other nation in the world which has practised one religion as the majority's religion for such an unbroken period. I must clarify that the JHU proposed to set up a Dharma Rajjaya, not a Buddha Rajjaya. Dharma Rajjaya is more or less a righteous society. Whatever the religion you practise, if you are going to make this society fair, truthful and full of love then that is a Dharma Rajjaya.

You don't have to be a Buddhist to be a part of a Dharma Rajjaya. You should only be a good person to be a part of that. So that is a misconception that Dharma Rajjaya means the enforcement of Buddhism on this nation. Though we have all historical rights to do so, we have never tried to do that.