UNP - PA - JVP
The PA government is under pressure from the diplomatic corps in Sri Lanka to form a coalition government with the UNP. It is not only the western powers and India, who usually dabble with Sri Lankan politics, who apply pressure but it appears that even Japan, which takes a "neutral" stand when it comes to politics, is involved in the latest attempt by the diplomats to bring "stability" to the country. However, neither the UNP nor the PA seems to be serious with the discussions started recently at the BMICH to form a coalition or a so-called national government. The UNP thinks that the days of the government are numbered and there is nothing to gain from becoming a partner in a coalition government when it could form a government on its own after the next general elections. The PA MPs, except for a group of eight MPs that includes some influential ministers (at least they were influential until recently), are in genearal not in favour of a coalition with the UNP. Many of them would prefer a "probationary" government with the help of the JVP, whatever it means.
There are some people who believe that if the Sinhalas were not divided into two main political parties the Tamil racist problem could have been solved. However, it is to the advantage of the Sinhalas that there are two political parties. If the Sinhalas had one strong party which represents Sinhalathva, with genuine leaders following a nationalist ideology then Tamil racism could have been defeated a long time ago. Unfortunately while the UNP is not a nationalist party that represents Sinhalathva the PA, rather the SLFP, though the party of the Sinhalathva since 1955, has failed to evolve a nationalist ideology. They both follow non national ideologies and are being manipulated by the non national forces. In fact, in the case of the UNP it could be said that it is the party of the non national forces. If these two parties get together they would only obey their ideological masters and "solve" the Tamil racist problem not by defeating Tamil racism politically and militarily but by establishing a confederation, satisfying the Tamil racists. The western powers and India are interested in a coalition government of PA and the UNP simply for this reason. Once a confederation, or even a federal state with wide legislative powers for the "regional councils", is established, the western powers and India would have different views on the course of action that should be taken with respect to the unit in the northern and eastern provinces. While the western powers would like to have a East Timor type solution with a Tamil Christian separate state, India would naturally like to have a Hindu unit that comes within the perview of the Sri Lankan state. India would not tolerate a separate Tamil state, Hindu or Christian, as it would encourage the separatists in Tamil Nadu. However, for the time being the western powers and India do not have much differences and they know that to establish the "regional councils" the constitution has to be ammended or repealed and a new constitution substituted in its place. For this purpose a two third majority is needed, which could be achieved only through a coalition of the PA and the UNP. If the well meaning Mahasangha (of course, excluding the Palli Nikaya) and the patriotic Sinhalas believe that a coalition government of the PA and the UNP is good for the country, then they are sadly mistaken.
I have one question to be asked from all those local and foreign bodies that campaign for a political solution to the so-called ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. Why is that there is no "ethnic problem", at least of this magnitude in Malaysia. Malay is the official language in that country and Islam has been given its due place. They are proud of their "Bhoomi Puthra" concept, even though the Malays and Muslims do not constitute more than fifty percent of the population. There are Chinese, Tamil, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian populations living in that country though their cultures are not given the same status as the Malay Muslim culture. The Chinese as well as Tamil students are forced to study in Malay in secondary svhools and there are no Tamil or Chinese streams in the Universities. Mr. Dixit who goes round the world with his Tamil wife "exposing" the problems faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka is silent on the fate of the Tamils in Malaysia. To my knowledge so far he has not advised the Indian government to resort to parippu or dhal diplomacy with respect to Malaysia. Of course, before asking Malaysia to take certain steps to solve the "ethnic" problem, India has to give to the Indian Tamils some of the privileges enjoyed by Tamils in Sri Lanka, and the western powers have a long way to go in recognising the cultures of non Christians living in those countries. The west could begin by making at least Vesak a holiday in those countries in practice rather than in resolutions adopted in the united nations.
It is unfortunate that the present day Sinhalas have failed to produce a leader of the calibre of Mr. Mahathir Mohommad, not to mention Dutugemunus and Vijayabahus. India was able to get a way with its "parippu diplomacy" simply because our leaders are of the "illan parippu kana" variety. They requset whole heartedly a diet of parippu. None of the present day leaders have any understanding of the Tamil racist problem. They are happy with histories and political theories formulated in the west by the western academics and echoed by their "golayas" in Sri Lanka who occupy chairs in universities here and abroad and some others, all pretending to be intellectuals though they have not come up with a single new concept or a general theory in their lives. Would the leaders of the Sinhalas ever ask India or western powers why there is no "ethnic" problem in Malaysia. Would India ever think of "parippu diplomacy" with respect to Malaysia? The leaders of the Sinhalas should have asked the west and India to fly a kite and should have told them that we would solve our "ethnic problem" the way Malaysia has solved her "problem".
Fortunately there are certain things that the west does not understand and there is only a little chance that the talks between the PA and the UNP started under pressure from the western countries, would succeed. In fact the nationalist movement (Jathika Vyaparaya) should apply pressure on the members of the SLFP not to take part in talks between the UNP and the PA. If the UNP and the PA were to agree to form a coalition government then it should be only for the purpose of defeating the LTTE politically and militarily. As it is, it is very unlikely that they would form a coalition government for that purpose and any coaltion formed to solve the so-called ethnic problem is bound to go against the Sinhala people.
It is not towards the UNP that the PA should turn to under pressure from the west. Though some in the Jathika Vyaparaya, especialy those who have sympathies to the UNP and those manouvred by the UNP, may not think so, the PA for its survival has to turn towards the JVP. It is a hard decision for some members of the PA, but I am afraid, it is the only solution for the survival problem. I am not trying to say that the JVP has come of age (the title of a recent article was not mine) or it has changed its policies very much. It may not be the "revolutionary" party it used to be, but it has not deviated much from its Marxist policies. Though the leaders go to the Malwatte temple to worship the Mahanayake Thero, its members are still taught a materialistic philosophy that identifies Buddhism with idealism (vinnanavada). It has demanded that there should be no talks with the LTTE but has not gone beyond that to ask the government to defeat the LTTE militarily.
The position of the JVP towards what they call a probationary (pariwasa) government is not clear. Do they really want to establish a "probationary" government. If that is the case why are they putting forward impossible demands to the PA government? Though I would agree with the JVP that the present cabinet of some forty odd ministers has to be cut down and a cabinet of about twenty ministers should be formed it is unfare for the JVP to include that as a demand in support of a "probationary" government. It is not practicle for the president to cut down the size of the government and the JVP, if it is really interested in a "probationary" government should either drop or modify this demand. This is not the first time that the JVP has come out with unrealistic demands. In 1988 -89 period during the discussions to form a common alliance the JVP insisted on demands that in effect prevented the formation of such an alliance. The JVP while giving the impresion that they were for a democratic allliance put forward demands that the alliance could not implement. Incidently the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), which was an appendage of the JVP at those discussions was represented by the present member of parliament representing the Sihala Urumaya, and one Marasinghe, another JVP student in the IUSF. It is common knowledge that the JVP does not allow every Gamini, Champika and Rathana to represent the IUSF at such important talks.
The JVP cannot go on fooling the Sinhala people that they are for a so-called probationary government while demanding certain things that could not be implemented by the PA government. During 1988-89 there was talk of some understanding between the UNP and the JVP, especially the IUSF. Mr. Marasinghe who represented the IUSF at the discussions for a democratic alliance was taken into custody after he had come out of Mr. Rukman Senanayake's house. During that period either the JVP was being manipulated by the UNP or the JVP played into the hands of the UNP. The present JVP has a long way to go and they have to learn from their past mistakes. If they are interested in a "probationary" government and if they are not anti Sinhala like some Marxist parties then they should think of demands that could be implemented by the PA government. The demand that there should be no talks with the LTTE is very much appreciated and the Jathika Vyaparaya should give its fullest support to the "probationary" government to implement this as the government would be under immense pressure by the western powers to start negotiations with the LTTE. The JVP should think of more such demands and they could get the government to implent them, without becoming a partner of the PA government. What is needed at the hour is a patriotic policy that would help to defeat the LTTE militarily and Tamil racism politically, against the wish of the western powers as well as of India.
Professor Nalin de Silva
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