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| Sunday, 4 August 2002 |
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For a cross-party Muslim formation : The ethnic tangle and the dilemma for the Muslims by Dr. H.M. Mauroof, President, National Muslim Movement From recent times the ethnic problem in our country has added to it a new dimension. The ethnic imbroglio which was mainly a two community affair has now been transformed into a three-way tangle; it involves all three major communities, equally and intimately. Therefore, the success of a peace initiative has to depend on a satisfactory resolution of the problems and concerns, actual and perceived, of the three communities. The Sinhalese live concentrated in the seven Southern Provinces, the Sri Lankan Tamil community in the Northern Province, with the Tamil community of Indian origin living in heavy concentrations in the central regions. In contrast, the vast body of the Muslim community live scattered widely in the Southern Provinces and in the Northern Province. The Eastern Province is an exception; unlike in any other, the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims live there in almost equal proportions. Having come to power on a peace-platform for the first time in the country in 1994, President Chandrika Kumaratunga made genuine efforts towards a final settlement of the ethnic problem. It involved simultaneously reining in the war-mongering types in her Government of whom there were many, and powerful ones coupled with multi-faceted efforts to inveigle the recalcitrant LTTE into dialogue. Her chosen path involved, firstly, the setting up of a constitutional framework to offer the minority communities their rightful place. Such a solid background was to be followed by a call to the organised sectors of the three communities to attempt a consensual solution. The efforts in the end culminated in failure with the death blow having been dealt by the infamous burnings inside Parliament by the then Opposition. The present Government also came to power on a even stronger peace platform thereby reflecting unequivocally the continuing peace-thirst of the general public of all communities. The stand adopted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe since his election is one of total commitment to permanent ethnic peace; his chosen path has been to first establish a ceasefire to be followed by an interim arrangement with the LTTE in the North and the East, and then, and only then reach the stage of structural adjustments to the constitution. It is therefore evident that peace is the common platform on both the President and the Premier; the departure between the two is only in the methodology employed and the question of sequences. Their common objects and their commitment to peace are as solid as rock. Many observers are convinced that it is those who have encircled the two leaders who have so far successfully scuttled the emergence of a common stand by both. One has to recognise that the peace euphoria prevalent in the country at the beginning of the year is fast and surely diminishing, which is dangerous. However, the media chooses to push through their commentaries and propaganda the prevailing situation is that even those who were most optimistic at the beginning of the year are entertaining serious doubts about the coming of eventual peace. This is sad and unfortunate development. The main formations on behalf of the Sinhalese in the country are the SLFP, the UNP and also the JVP. For the Tamils, the LTTE and the Tamil political parties, for the Muslims, the UNP, the SLMC and SLFP. There is an urgent need at the moment for these formations to devise appropriate instruments relevant to the present tangle, get together for the limited purpose of achieving ethnic peace, de-party politicize the subject and save the country from falling further into the morass. In the above regard the Tamils are today in the forefront. The entirety of the Tamil polity in the North and East has come under the tutelage of the LTTE. This latter event must be seen in a positive light. They stand as a monolithic partner to talk peace and this is the second solid leg of the required tripod to represent the three communities. The need of the hour is for the Sinhalese and the Muslims to formulate themselves. It is only solid formations among each of the three communities that will ultimately help reach consensus in the country. As far as the Sinhalese community is concerned the core positions of the UNP and SLFP are not too far apart as to remain unbridgeable. Both parties remain wedded to the central position that devolution to the North and East are pre-requisites for the establishment of ethnic peace. What is therefore, the prime need of the hour is for Premier Ranil wickremesinghe to convince his colleagues to accept the reality that no one party, UNP or SLFP, can rightfully gain sole credit for the successful winning of ethnic peace to the exclusion of the other. President Kumaratunga has publicly extended her hand of co-operation, and, it would appear that premier Wieckremesinghe should grab it with both hands; then the hand of a statesman would have met that if a stateswoman. There is no need for the two parties to coalesce, compromise or even co-operate on their respective stands on economic, political, social or other issues. But on the question of solving the ethnic problem the two have to work out a common stand; left to the two leaders, with their experiences, backgrounds and depth, they will be quite capable of producing the magic. Muslims In the current evolution of circumstances it is the Muslims who are, so to say, finding themselves in a soup. The primary reason for their precarious position today is because of their dispersed distribution. The vast majority of Muslims live in the seven provinces among the Sinhalese. The relationship between these two communities, except for occasional hiccups in more recent times, has been excellent through the past centuries. Except for a few larger concentrations as in Akurana, Puttalam and Beruwela, Muslims live widely distributed among the Sinhalese. It is noteworthy that traditionally the relations between the two communities have been exceptionally good in spite of the fact that the two speak different languages. Observers attribute this happy situation to ancestry. Minimum yet genuine efforts could bring consensus in these. It is noteworthy that direct Muslim participation at the highest levels especially with the UNP, and also with the SLFP had been of a high degree in the past. The real problems for the Muslims, as events are unfolding today, are regarding their future in the Eastern Province and also in the Northern Province. It is in the East that Muslims live in large concentrations. |
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