Uma Oya project will change people's lives in Moneragala - Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara

By Uditha Kumarasinghe

National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said during the last ten years, the Government had done lmuch more than what had been done in 25 years to develop roads and other infrastructure facilities in the Uva Province particularly in difficult villages and in hard terrain. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the Uma Oya project will change the lifestyles of the people in Moneragala by bringing water into their large tracts of lands so that they could cultivate during both seasons and double their earnings as they do now. The Uma Oya project is the dedication that we need to offer to our ancestors who paid with their lives for the freedom of this country.

The Minister said the TNA should have first discussed with the Government on what they want and propose and then also informed the Government that they wished to go to India to further discussions and ask the Government to send a representative to accompany them or to come separately and join in the discussions with India. So that tripartite relationship which began long ago could continue and could help solve the matter.

Q: The much-awaited Victim and Witness Protection Bill has been gazetted. How do you, both as politician and lawyer evaluate this piece of progressive legislation?

A: We have done a great service by introducing this legislation for victims and witnesses. As we all know normally witnesses don't come forward unless they are protected. That is how most of the cases fail and the accused go scot free. Now with this protection of witnesses, there will be security. Victims too lose interest in a case as the case continues to drag on.

If victims are given protection and support to continue with the case then they will pursue. Otherwise, they have no means to support themselves and to come on a regular basis to courts. These are important and commendable in the administration of justice.

Q: There is an argument that with this the Victim and Witness Protection Bill that there should be radical changes in the whole judicial structure. Your comments?

A: I think so. Even without this piece of legislation, we should have a plan to change the structure of the judiciary. Presently, the judicial system is outdated and we need a judiciary where the people could freely participate in the judicial process. We still have the old colonial structure. The judiciary must also be subjected to supervision. There are abuses committed by some judicial officers.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is insufficient, because it comprises the Chief Justice and two other Supreme Court judges who hardly have time to devote to the issues which are complaints of litigants or clients against judges.

Everything is handled by the Secretary and the staff there. Ultimately, the aggrieved parties often do not even get a reply from the JSC.

Q: The UNHRC sponsored investigation against Sri Lanka is proceeding. Considering the fate of countries against whom similar inquiries were conducted, how do you visualise its impact on Sri Lanka?

A: as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, it will have no direct influence, or repercussions. But indirectly the process itself will raise public opinion among sections of the international community against our interest and this will focus international attention.

Q: The old Left is vehement about abolishing the Executive Presidency when others argue that in decision making and contingencies the Executive Presidency could act decisively. What are your views?

A: The Left parties are committed to democracy. Democracy is not decision making. Democracy is consensus principally. Secondly, democracy is collective responsibility and administration of affairs of a country in the lLgislature as well as in the Executive.

This collectivism will be only reflected in a Constitution where there is no President who is above parliament.

Q: All political parties support parliamentary democracy. But the complaint is that there is no quorum when important issues are discussed in Parliament. How do you explain this situation?

A: I think you have an important point. The issues that are important are the ones which become controversial and which are submitted as Government business. The rest of the proceedings are connected with adjournment motions. The most important is question time. At this time, you will find a fuller Parliament.

But there should be more interest.To do that, these items which come up as the agenda in Parliament should firstly be referred to different committees responsible for those subjects.

I believe the level of consciousness of Parliament is also important. Members must feel that their contributions are worthwhile. Their contribution can add to the wealth of information or knowledge of the country. On the other hand, MPs should be freer than now.

They are either speakers on behalf of the Government and they don't want to be listeners except when controversial issues come up. What I mean by freer is in terms of this sharp division of the Government and the Opposition, then the subjects will be discussed more freely. To reach that point, we need a better tradition to be developed about issues where the Opposition and the Government should not have demarcating lines and be restrained but speak freely about what they feel instead of being supportive of the side they belong to.

Q: The UNP criticises the Government for getting foreign loans for development, ignoring that the World Bank, ADB and other lending agencies are there for that purpose. What is the actual position?

A: When the UNP says that the raising of foreign loans is objectionable, it is laughable. Because there is no other party than the UNP which indulged in raising loans from foreign sources from 1977 onwards.

There is nothing wrong in raising loans as long as they are transparent and there are no underhand deals. The third factor is that they can be repaid without stress on our budget.

Q: The Uva region was the most exploited area by the British colonialists. What projects have been launched to improve the lot of the masses?

A: Uva was the most devastated and destructed area of Sri Lanka during the time of the colonial powers.

When they burnt villages, they broke anicuts and bunds.

They set fire to vegetation and animal life. People were killed in tens of thousands including men, women and children. Such was the horror of the British repression of the 1818 uprising for freedom.

The country has not paid the debt towards those heroes and the heroic people in sufficient quantum all these years. I think during the last ten years, the Government has done more than what had been done in the 25 years when you look into development such as roads and other infrastructure facilities in Uva particularly in the most difficult villages and terrain.

The Uma Oya Project will change the lives of the people in Moneragala by bringing water into their large tracts of lands so that they could cultivate during both seasons and double their earnings as they are doing now. I think the Uma Oya Project is the dedication that we need to offer to our ancestors who paid with their lives for the freedom of this country.

Q: The TNA made the mistake of invoking Indian intervention without first discussing their problems with the Government. Do you agree?

A: I think so. I said first that they should have come and met the Government and told the Government what they want and what they propose and then also informed the Government that they wish to go to India for further discussions and ask the Government to send a representative to accompany them or to come separately and join in the discussions with India.

So that tripartite relationship which began long ago could continue and could help solve the matter.

Q: It was reported that the Government would seek Supreme Court interpretation on the 18th Amendment due to the present controversy over the President's term of office. Would you like to explain this?

A: There is no controversy as far as I am concerned.

The point raised by former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva's is merely argumentative and polemic. It has no substance in law.

Q: How far has your Ministry succeeded in national integration? Could you explain the programs launched and its success?

A: We have not proceeded far. We are yet at the foot of the mountain. We have to do a lot by implementing the Language Policy principally and then create trust with each other and respect their views. This is a long process.

Q: Leaders of many Communist or Socialist countries ended up as prisoners of their own ideologies , having failed to deliver the goods to the people. Was it the fault of such leaders or their ideologies?

A: That is due to their bookish understanding of Socialism and their failure to apply the theories of Socialism to practical circumstances. They ultimately failed in their efforts.

My analysis is that there are class forces in a society. These class forces are not necessarily at conflict.

The class forces will naturally interact with one another. The final result of the distribution of resources will be the result of the ongoing engagement of these class forces with one another.

We also must remember what the Government represents and which class forces are more represented by the Government. That goes as a bearing on the ultimate result. When the workers struggle and go into strike action, they are engaging the Government or the employer.

They are seeking to retrieve some of their surplus labour which has been appropriated by the employer as profits. Similarly when they are going to strike and want their salaries to be in commensurate with the cost of living, that again is a moment when such engagement occurs.

So the class forces on the one hand engage in attempting to have fruits of their labour to be more reasonably distributed between the employer and themselves or between the Government and themselves. The Government is able to intervene fittingly in these conflicts and competitions.

The workers who are the weaker lot in the society will find advantage in it. If this process is ultimately married to democracy, even if the workers come to power , nothing goes wrong.

Then things get to work like in Venezuela, Brazil or left-leaning countries of Latin America.

Marxist and Communist parties are strong and they are powerful in these countries. They are working out the democratic processes.

As long as the democratic procedure is adhered to and respected the socialist theories will never become a problem to progress. We will gradually progress on a social democratic basis.

At this stage, we have to progress considering the balance of forces in the world against imperialist principles and promote social democracy and try and have the best of social benefits, social welfare and services which are rendered free like health and education and give greater allocation of resources.

On the other hand, to engage in increasing the salaries of government and the private employees to commensurate incremental benefits on par with the cost of living and we can proceed on this basis. The UNP's philosophy is that there is no intervention from the Government to alleviate the lot of the poor.

You have to settle with all among yourselves according to your respective strength. Our Opposition is weak and the poor needs the support of the Government for their advantage as opposed to the upper and rich classes, whether it is intervening in the market and distribution of items of food which are going up in prices or purchasing items like onions and potatoes at a floor price and giving a justifiable floor price.

Similarly the allocation of resources need to be increased in favour of the poorer people and weaker sections of society for which we need lot of money.

This should be extracted from the rich and from companies.

Presently they pay next to nothing compared to what they have been paying earlier. Government intervention is paramount and for the allocation of resources.