Running after foreign countries won’t help TNA - D.E.W. Gunasekara

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Senior Minister for Human Resources D.E.W. Gunasekara said whenever an issue crops up, his brotherly advice to the TNA is not to run after foreign countries for help - India, US, UK or meet their Heads of States.

It is time that the TNA takes into account the 30-year war against terrorism and the people’s sufferings. Whenever an issue crops up, the TNA prefers to meet foreign leaders without meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne. There is a limit to which even what the Indian Government can do, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

The TNA is sadly mistaken if it thinks that India could solve the Tamil people’s problems in Sri Lanka.

India with its vast political, economic and social problems also face immense challenges. China has emerged as the second biggest economic power.

All Asian countries have accelerated development. India being the biggest country in the region should meet these challenges. They have enough problems to be addressed, the Minister said.

“We should settle our internal problems through discussions. If the TNA is sincere on national integration it should talk to the Sinhalese and Muslims without discussing with the political leaders of other countries.

They should identify the peoples genuine grievances and this is the line of approach that they should take.”

The TNA going after the Tamil diaspora, India or USA will not work. In today’s globalised world, each country has its own problems and some countries are trying to use the TNA to achieve their own global and geopolitical objectives. My advice to the TNA is to work with other political parties and carry out a campaign among the Sinhala and other communities and stress the need for national unity.

If we can bring about a consensus, we can solve most of our problems, the Minister said.