India Wants 13A and Beyond – Senathirajah

8/11/2019 India Wants 13A and Beyond – Senathirajah

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/india-wants-13a-and-beyond-senathirajah 1/6

India wants 13A and beyond –Senathirajah

August

31, 2014

By Ananth Palakidnar

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian and senior Tamil politician Mavai

Somasundaram Senathirajah, who is expected to succeed R. Sampanthan, as the

lan!ai Tamil Arasu "atchchi (TA") leader, at the Part#$s annual %eneral meetin% this

wee! in &avuni#a, spea!s to 'e#lon Toda# on the TNA$s recent tal!s with the ndian

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New elhi. Senathirajah also expressed thereadiness o the Tamil National Alliance to hold direct tal!s with the %overnment as ar

as the chauvinist orces do not mess around in indin% a dura*le solution.

+xcerpts o the interview

-

ow do #ou see the Tamil National Alliance$s recent meetin% with ndian Prime

Minister Narendra Modi/

A The meetin% was encoura%in%. t has %iven us hope and enthusiasm towardssettlin% our political pro*lems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ver# s#mpathetic in

re%ard to the humanitarian issues which remain unsettled in the North and +ast. The

ndian Prime Minister, who is ver# much concerned a*out our pro*lems, had

emphasi0ed that the North and +ast issue in the island must *e settled in a manner

where Tamils could live in peace with di%nit#. ndia$s role in settlin% our issues remains

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/31-71812-news-detail-india-wants-13a-and-beyond-senathirajah.html


http://www.ceylontoday.lk/thumb/news-images/400/71812_feef1dd.jpg





inevita*le. +arlier, the 'on%ress 1overnment didn$t %ive much emphasis to dealin%

with our pro*lems. owever, durin% our meetin% with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

we reali0ed that he would ta!e meanin%ul steps on his part in dealin% with our

pro*lems.

-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cate%oricall# said his 1overnment would ocus on

the implementation o the 23th Amendment. ow do #ou see his stance with re%ard to

the Amendment/

A 4ell, Premier Modi is ver# irm on the implementation o the 23th Amendment. e

has also reali0ed the importance o %oin% *e#ond the 23th Amendment. +ven the

previous 'on%ress 1overnment which was instrumental in *rin%in% out the 23th

Amendment to the 'onstitution was ver# particular that throu%h the implementation o

the Amendment onl# could a dura*le solution to the 5an!an North and +ast crisis *e

ound. 4e had told the ndian Prime Minister that the TNA, which represents the

people in the North and +ast, *elieves that a solution or the Tamil pro*lem in the

sland is possi*le *# %oin% *e#ond the 23th Amendment. +ven the present Rajapa!sa

1overnment had told the ndians that it would even %o *e#ond the 23th Amendment to

ind a political solution to the Tamil crisis. So the ndian leadership expects the 5an!an

1overnment to stand *# the pled%es it made with re%ard to the implementation o the

23th Amendment. 6rom the response o Prime Minister Narendra Modi, durin% our

tal!s with him, we reali0ed that he would ma!e %enuine eorts in dealin% with the

issue.

-

4hoever comes to power in ndia emphasi0es on the implementation o the 23th

Amendment. owever, do #ou thin! that the ndian leaders do not %et into action and

the# onl# !eep on mentionin% a*out the Amendment/

A 7es, o course the ndians have *een emphasi0in% on implementin% the 23th

Amendment. 8ut we eel the# should ensure that the 5an!an 1overnment is doin%

ever#thin% to implement the Amendment and enhance it urther. 4e !now o the eorts

put in *# the ndian 1overnment in the past to see the success o the 23th



Amendment. owever, the chan%es in the political situations in *oth countries didn$t

create the ri%ht atmosphere to ulil the political aspirations o the people in the North

and +ast. owever, now we see a sta*le 1overnment in ndia, under the leadership o

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thereore, the ndian 1overnment is now in a *etter

position to ensure the devolution o powers to the North and +ast *# discussin% with

the 5an!an leadership.

-

4hat is the impression ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on the 5an!an

1overnment$s Parliamentar# Select 'ommittee (PS')/

A 9ur leader R. Sampanthan explained the TNA$s stance with re%ard to the PS'. The

TNA participated in the tal!s with the %overnment in :anuar# ;<22. 5ater in ;<2; the

%overnment withdrew rom the tal!s with the TNA. 4e had su*mitted our proposals

with re%ard to the Parliamentar# Select 'ommittee. 8ut the %overnment is not

prepared to ma!e a %enuine eort to resume the tal!s. 4e have told Narendra Modi

as lon% as the extremists$ elements in the rulin% =P6A ta!e the upper hand,

meanin%ul eorts could not *e ta!en in dealin% with our political issues. There are

several hardcore political parties in the PS'. The# will deinitel# lex their muscles to

cripple whatever the attempt made to solve the pro*lems. +ven in the past the#

prevented the eorts ta!en to reach amica*le solutions. Thereore, we are not

prepared to sit and tal! with the parties with extremist views. 4e told Narendra Modi

that we are prepared to hold direct tal!s with the %overnment. 8ut not in the presence

o those who spoil the eorts. The ndian leader understood clearl# the stance ta!en

*# the TNA with re%ard to the PS'.

-

The TNA dele%ation had even pointed out the alle%ed land ac>uisition carried out in

the North and +ast. 4hat was the response rom the ndian Prime Minister/

A The ndian Prime Minister is o the view that the land powers should *e devolved to

the Provincial administrations. Several thousand civilians had *een displaced ollowin%

the intensit# o the civil war in the North and +ast. Around two hundred thousand

5an!an Tamil reu%ees are still livin% in 22? reu%ee camps in South ndia. The 5an!an



reu%ees in South ndia and the nternall# isplaced civilians rom the North and +ast

are still stru%%lin% to %et *ac! to their ori%inal places.

The 5an!an 1overnment, with the help o the Securit# 6orces, is %ra**in% the lands to

put up new militar# installations and stren%thenin% the presence o the armed orces in

the North and +ast urther. The ndian 1overnment expects the sae return o the

5an!an Tamil reu%ees in South ndia to their ori%inal places. Thereore, to pave wa#

or their return to the island and or them to *e%in their new lie in a secure

atmosphere, the ndian Prime Minister a%reed with us on puttin% a halt to the land

ac>uisition and reducin% the militar# presence in the North and +ast.

-

4hat is the ndian Prime Minister$s view on devolvin% police powers/

A The 23th Amendment paves the wa# or devolvin% police powers to the Provinces.

The ndian Prime Minister stated that the police powers should *e devolved to the

provinces li!e in the ndian States to maintain law and order at re%ional level. 4ithout

the police powers it will *e diicult or the Provincial administration to deal directl# with

an# adverse situation in the re%ion. At present in the North, despite the overwhelmin%

victor#, the TNA led Provincial 'ouncil administration is still not in a position to execute

its powers in a meanin%ul wa#. The important powers have *een vested in the

1overnor.

nstead o allowin% the Provincial 'ouncil to unction independentl#, the 'entral

1overnment is runnin% a parallel administration throu%h the 1overnor. The

democraticall# elected 'hie Minister '.&. 4i%neswaran, with his vast experience in

the constitutional aairs, as well as in handlin% the law and order situation, remains a

powerless i%ure in %overnin% the Northern Province. 4hen we inormed the ndian

Prime Minister a*out the diiculties aced *# the Northern 'hie Minister in

administerin% the province, he expressed his willin%ness to have direct tal!s with 'hie

Minister 4i%neswaran.

-

Minister Pro. Tissa &itharana, commentin% on the TNA$s visit to New elhi, stated that

the TNA need not to %o to ndia see!in% a political solution, *ut should tal! directl# with



the %overnment. ow do #ou see/

A 4ell, am surprised to hear that comment rom Pro. &itharana. 4e all ver# well

!now that Minister &itharana$s eorts, throu%h All Part# Representative 'ommittee

(APR'), to explore the wa#s and means to ind a political solution or the ethnic issue

have *een a ailure. The indin%s and the resolutions o the APR' have *een shelved.

Pro. &itharana and his letist collea%ues are ver# much aware o the attitude o the

chauvinist elements in 5an!an politics. 9n and o the# had even spo!en in avour o

ulillin% the political aspirations o Tamils. The# !now ver# well the eorts ta!en *#

ndia to solve our pro*lem. So we approached ndia when we ailed to continue with

our eorts in indin% a political solution. 4hen Pro. &itharana is not in a position to

push his APR' proposals *ein% a senior minister in the %overnment to ind a solution,

how come he comments on the eorts ta!en *# the TNA, such as see!in% ndian

assistance to solve our pro*lems/

-

The 8arathi#a :anatha Part# stalwart r. Su*ramaniam Swam# oten ma!es his

comments on the 5an!an Tamil crisis, whenever he visits 'olom*o. So, r. Swam#

*ein% a !e# mem*er in the 8:P@led 1overnment did #ou *rin% to the notice o Prime

Minister Modi his comments on the Tamil issue/

A 4ell, we didn$t want to waste our time *# tal!in% a*out a person who the TNA

considers an a*solute clown in ndian politics. Su*ramaniam Swam# is clin%in% on to

the Modi and Rajapa!sa 1overnment or his personal survival. is comments do not

relect the stance o the ndian leaders who are %enuinel# concerned a*out the 5an!an

Tamil issue. So !nowin% ver# well the capacit# o r. Su*ramaniam Swam#, we didn$t

*other to tal! an#thin% a*out him.

-

The =P6A 1eneral Secretar# and Minister Susil Premaja#antha had, at a press

*riein% in 'olom*o a ew da#s a%o, indicated the %overnment$s willin%ness to hold

direct tal!s with the TNA. A couple o wee!s a%o +conomic evelopment Minister 8asil

Rajapa!sa also said that i the TNA was not willin% to attend the PS', the %overnment

should %o or an alternative arran%ement to approach the TNA. ow do #ou see those



comments/

A 6irst o all, would li!e to sa# that the TNA is or a dura*le and a constructive

political solution to the Tamil crisis. 4e have *een supportive o whatever %enuine

attempt has *een made towards settlin% our issues. 4e are even orever read# to

have tal!s with the %overnment. 8ut we don$t want to *e ta!en or a ride. the

%overnment ma!es an# %enuine attempt to have direct tal!s without allowin% the

chauvinist orces to ta!e the upper hand in dealin% with our issues, we would deinitel#

come orward or tal!s. The %overnment cannot dictate terms to us on where to %o and

what not to tal!. 4e want peace with justice and di%nit# or our people. So we are

prepared or an# %enuine attempt to ind a political solution or our people.

-

The TA" will hold its Annual 1eneral meetin% in &avuni#a this wee!. 7ou are most

li!el# to succeed R. Sampanthan as the new leader o the TA". 4hat have #ou %ot to

sa# on #our new role/

A The TA" is the la% ship o the Tamil National Alliance. t was ounded *# late S.:.&.

'helvana#a%am B #ears a%o in 2C?<. Several icons such as 4anniasin%ham, +.M.&.

Na%anathan, Rajavaroth#am, Rasamanic!!am, A. Amirthalin%am and "athiravetpillai

had stren%thened the part# as a ormida*le orce towards winnin% the political ri%hts o

the Tamils. The present leader R. Sampanthan has done a remar!a*le service as the

leader o the TA" in the recent past.

Thereore, will also ollow the ootsteps o m# predecessors and continue to

stren%then the part# while remainin% irm to win the political ri%hts o our people.

Posted by Thavam

http://www.blogger.com/profile/01338571660162781025

http://www.blogger.com/profile/01338571660162781025

Documents

India Wants 13A and Beyond – Senathirajah