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.
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