SLMC General Secretary M.T. Hasen Ali:

Call for task force to resolve EP lands issue

By P. Krishnaswamy

State Minister of Health, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and veteran parliamentarian M.T. Hasen Ali explained to the Sunday Observer in an interview the measures being initiated under the 100 day program of the Government to sort out many of the long unresolved problems of the Muslim community , including their major land problems in the Eastern province, the re-operation of the Oluvil Port in Ampara as an economic hub of the local communities, payment of compensation or other suitable relief to the families who lost their homes, properties and business in Slave Island ,Colombo under land acquirement by the previous government and other important issues and important current political issues.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: What are your plans under the 100-day program of the government to improve the health sector, especially in the Northern and Eastern provinces?

A: I am visiting all hospitals in the North and East in the coming three weeks, together with high officials of my ministry. During the visit an assessment on the shortcomings and immediate requirements of the hospitals will be made so as to provide relief or redress as early as possible under the 100 day program.

Q: Has your party been able to settle the protests of other political parties in relation to the controversy over the appointment of an SLMC Chief Minister (CM) to the Eastern Provincial Council (PC)?

A: Yes, we have already settled these issues amicably to the contentment of all political parties. I would like to say that there has been no controversy as such over the appointment of the CM, despite the claims of some parties to that effect. Very clear rules, regulations and constitutional provisions are in existence on all matters governing the Provincial Councils (PCs), including the appointment of the CM. If a political party can establish that it has the support of the largest number of members, it can form the administration of the council. It is not the question of certain members of certain political parties having polled the highest number of votes, or the comparatively higher number of votes that a political party has polled or anything of that kind. Only the number of members counts. The party that gets the support of the maximum number of members can form the administration of the council and it is under that criterion that we formed the council administration. Therefore, there has been no controversy as such over the appointment of the CM.

Q: The UNP has stated that the SLMC joined the presidential polls campaign only at the very last moment whereas they and the TNA were there from the beginning and, therefore, it is unfair to give them the opportunity to form the administration?

A: The argument that those who supported the common candidate from the beginning should be given special preference in forming the council administration does not hold water. The number of votes that a political party gets from each party supporter among the electors, irrespective of whether the party joined the campaign early or late, does not vary. So that argument is not valid. But I would say that much of the credit for the victory of the common candidate should go to those who joined at the last moment for obvious reasons.

Q: Will the SLMC contest the next parliamentary polls separately on its party symbol or in alliance with the UNP?

A: We are holding detailed discussions on the matter but we have not arrived at a final decision until now.

Q: What steps do you think should be taken to further improve mutual understanding and amity among the different communities in the Eastern province?

A: We have now formed a national government in the Eastern province and this should very much contribute to creating an atmosphere conducive to further strengthening communal amity and mutual understanding. This would be a launching pad for creating such a pleasant atmosphere where all communities live in harmony. Over the years the SLMC encountered criticism of the worst order, most unjustifiably and without any valid reason. But we decided to remain silent and unresponsive, because our aim was to form a national government and we have now achieved it.

Q: The Oluvil Port in Ampara district was opened in September 2013 but now remains in a neglected and dilapidated state. Will the re-operation of the Port also come under the 100 day program of the government?

A: The Minister in-charge of Ports recently visited the Oluvil port and the people of the area met him and expressed their grievances. The Minister, in turn, has promised that all their grievances will be sorted out and the full operation of the port will be resumed. This matter does not come under our purview of the Ministry portfolios held by the SLMC. However, it is our economic hub and we will insist the government on the resumption of its operations for the benefit of the local communities.

Q: Does the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the constitution and devolution of more powers to the Northern and Eastern PCs also come under the 100 day program of the government?

A: Yes, it comes under the 100 day program but not only the Northern and Eastern PCs but all PCs throughout the country. We do not look at it on as linguistic or communal-based power devolution but on a regional basis encompassing the entire population of the country. All provinces where the PCs are functional should be considered for power devolution and they should have more powers and that is our stand.

Q: The SLMC has been generally of the stand that it has been in agreement with the TNA over the re-unification of the Northern and Eastern PCs as one single unit of power devolution. Have you changed from that stand?

A: The support that we expressed to the merger of the Northern and Eastern PCs is conditional and it concerns the welfare of the Muslim community. Our precondition is that under such a merger, the Muslim community should have its non-contiguous South-Eastern province. Unless this condition is agreed to we will not support the merger and the merger will not be possible.

Q: Under the urban development program of the previous government, a large number of families were displaced from many parts of Colombo, mostly from Slave Island. A large majority of them are Muslims. Will the SLMC take up with the government the question of adequate compensation to them for their loss of houses, properties and businesses?

A: Our party leader is now the Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage. He, with his team, is now in the process of making an assessment on the losses incurred under the land acquisition and the details of the families involved. Consequently, relief and remedy , of some kind, will be provided to the families after holding consultations with the families.

Q: What is the stand of the SLMC with regard to the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution?

A: Of course, we will support it whole-heartedly and more so to make amends for supporting the 18th Amendment.

We did not want to support the 18th Amendment and we had protests from within the party. But we were under tremendous pressure and we had to support it. To make amends for that we are getting a very good opportunity now and we will definitely support the 19th Amendment.

Q: There have been problems with regards to lands of the Muslims of the Eastern province. Are you initiating any measures under the 100 day program to sort out the land problem?

A: Those files heaped up on my tables are on these land problems. I am now working on submitting a detailed report to the Prime Minister during the course of this week. After submitting the report, I will hold follow-up talks because we want this to be included in the 100- day program of the government. In fact, we want to request the government to set up a special task force with high officials to go into this matter in an effort to give immediate relief to the families affected. These relate to about 50,000 acres of paddy lands, several tracks of wide expanse of paddy lands, each with an individual name, which is traditionally called as 'kandam' in Tamil. These belong to the Muslim community.

Q: What is the stand of the SLMC on the purported 'genocide' claim of the CM of the Northern PC?

A: The UNHRC has now agreed to defer the presentation of the report on Sri Lanka's purported HR violations by six months. While some sections of the TNA have protested against it, some other sections have welcomed it saying it will bring better outcomes in favour of the Tamils after six months.

They are not only divided on the matter but also are not very clear. When you say 'genocide' it may apply not only to the Tamil community but to the Muslim community and the Sinhalese community as well. Civilians and non-combatants of all three communities have been massacred deliberately and that should amount to genocide. It occurred over the period the three decades of conflict. Muslims in prayer inside their mosques and innocent Muslim peasants of selected villages were killed in that manner.

So I am of the view that there should be impartial approach to the question of genocide and inquiries should be conducted on a wider aspect covering all communities that suffered genocide.

Q: Some 226 incidents of harassments, humiliations and attacks on the Muslim community during the rule of the previous government are reported to have been recorded. Will the SLMC initiate suitable steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future?

A: Yes, we would insist on suitable steps. We cannot forget or ignore such incidents merely because we were constituents of the previous government. That is also one of our anticipations from the present government.