With the apparent successes of the military operations against the LTTE in the north, it is little wonder that many politicians want to portray themselves as strong supporters of the military effort and bask in the victories of the security forces.
This was obvious when the votes of the Ministry of Defence and the extension of the emergency was debated in Parliament last Thursday. Except for members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), all other parliamentarians from both sides of the House were falling over one another to heap praise on the armed forces, among them a one time leader of the LTTE-turned politician MP Vinayagamoorthy Muralithran alias Karuna.
Be they be members of the JVP or the National Freedom Front of Wimal Weerawansa , the JHU or SLFP, all were eager to take credit for being the ones who set the armed forces on the path of victory.
Surprisingly, the UNP, which to a large extent has been adopting a hands-off attitude until recently when it came to military efforts against the Tigers, had one of its members MP Lakshman Seneviratne coming out strongly in support of the military campaign. He urged the government not to opt for a ceasefire at this stage adding that the UNP could never forgive the LTTE for killing many of its leaders as well as many democratic Tamil leaders. He also urged the TNA MPs not to be a mouthpiece for separatists.
Whether MP Seneviratne was voicing a shift in UNP policy on supporting the on-going military offensive against the LTTE he did not say when prodded on to do so by some government members. But beginning last month, several UNP MPs have been voicing their support for ending terrorism militarily, while reiterating the need to find a political solution to the national issue. But not many have been as vocal as Mr. Seneviratne.
While there maybe a shift in the UNP’s line of thinking, TNA parliamentary group leader R.Sampanthan stuck to his oft repeated position that there was no military solution to the problem and that the war would be prolonged and indefinite.
While admitting that sometimes the violence of the LTTE was totally unacceptable, Mr.Sampanthan blamed the Sri Lankan State for pushing the LTTE towards taking up arms by ignoring the demands of the moderate Tamil political leaders to win the legitimate rights of their people. “There is a justifiable political context to the emergence of the LTTE, however unjustified some of their acts of violence may be,” he said.
Minister Douglas Devananda used the debate to scoff at the overtures made by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakraan to India in his annual “Heroes’ Day” speech recently. “He has killed an Indian leader and antagonized the Indian people and now is crying out to them as if seeking redemption. The whole world has turned its back on terrorism now,” he said.
Mr. Devananda’s views were supported by Mr. Muralitheran alias Karuna who said that many in the LTTE have realized the futility of using violence to achieve political objectives and praised the armed forces for their operations to liberate the people of the north from the clutches of the LTTE. “We hope the day is not far away when the people of the Wanni can breathe freely,” he said.
Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who has been one of the most vocal on the government side in his support towards the military offensive also ridiculed the LTTE leader. “The Tiger has now become a pussy cat. After living for 364 days of the year in a bunker like a “binkunda”, he comes out and cannot roar anymore but can only manage a whimper,” he said.
JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that his party has consistently taken up the position that terrorism can only be defeated militarily while some of those on the government side today accused them of being extremists. “Today they have become the champions of the military. The war has become the salvation of many orphaned politicians,” he charged.
While the JVP and its breakaway group the NFF both hold the same stance on the military efforts, the Weerawansa group members emphasized that while the fight against the LTTE continues, other issues confronting the country will have to take a back seat. “There are some people who bring up issues accusing the government of trying to devolve power under the 13th Amendment at this crucial juncture facing the country, but right now the focus must be on defeating the LTTE. Other issues can be dealt with later,” said NFA MP Achala Jagoda. It was an obvious reference to the JVP which has been accusing the government of covertly engaging in an exercise to devolve power under pressure from India.
Leader of the House Nimal Siripala De Silva who wound up the debate on behalf of the government accused those in the UNP who don’t speak out against the LTTE of being enemies of the people and accused the JVP of being India phobic. He also lambasted some sections of the media for acting against national interests.
As the Budget debate ends this week, the government is certainly on a steadier footing than it was last year. Given the dynamics in the Legislature today, it should comfortably win Monday’s final vote minus all the drama associated with last year’s Budget vote. |
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