If you go to a referendum on a federal solution today it would get defeated, because the anti-federal view had been injected into the people so much. But from 1994 to 1999 the Sudu Nelum Vyaparaya went around the country promoting devolution of power while the government was waging a war.
By Kesara Abeywardena
UNP strongman S.B. Dissanayake is spearheading a new movement to promote federalism and devolution of power as a solution to the North-East problem. This new movement is named as the Eksath Janatha Viyaparaya or the United People’s Movement. Dissanayake says that the intention of their movement is to counter the militarist propaganda of the nationalist organisations and the JVP and the JHU while taking the message that devolution of power is the ultimate solution to the national problem in the country. He is also of the view that the majority in the SLFP and the People’s Alliance are for a united Sri Lanka and opt for a federal solution.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q. What is the objective of the new Eksath Janatha Viyaparaya (United People’s Movement) spearheaded by you?
A. This is aimed at promoting federalism and benefits of devolution of power, among the people of the country. Earlier during the People’s Alliance government there was a movement called Sudu Nelum Viyaparaya that was led by Mangala Samaraweera. If the people of this country became aware of devolution of power it was through this movement. Afterwards during our UNP government we went further in the peace process. We initiated discussions with the LTTE on extensive devolution of power. But that process got halted midway through after President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved parliament. Now everything has taken an about turn. Organisations like the JVP, JHU, the National Movement Against Terrorism are saying that the unitary nature of the state should not be changed. So what is happening in the country now is that an extremist, militant war mentality is being spread around coupled with intolerance. If you consider the extent these extremist views have gone into the minds of the people, even those who prefer genuine devolution of power are scared to even tell the word ‘federal’ in public. The UNP is scared to say it. Sections in the SLFP who are for genuine devolution, the LSSP, the Communist Party are scared to say it. The word federal had been shown as such a bad thing by these people so that most are scared to even utter the word. Our intention is to gather together political parties and organisations that are for a genuine power sharing and take this message among the people again.
Q. What are the organizations and political parties who are in this movement?
A. There are sections of the SLFP, the UNP, the SLMC, the TNA in this. We are trying to get the CWC and the Upcountry People’s Front also into it. We are also talking with the LSSP and the Communist party.
Q. What is the need for such a movement in the country?
A. During the time of Chandrika Kumaratunga the People’s Alliance was for genuine devolution of power. That’s how we were able to abandon a unitary state and adopt the stance for a united country. That view was completely overturned by Mahinda Rajapaksa. He got the strength to do that from the JVP and the JHU. But a large section in the SLFP and parties like the LSSP and the Communist party are for devolution of power. That is why such a report came out of the Experts panel of the All Party Representative Committee. What we are trying to do is get all these people together in one platform and take the message that the only answer to the problem in the country is a federal solution.
Q. While the country is in a different mood aren’t you trying to swim upstream?
A. I don’t think that nationalist movements have won in this country. There is no such huge nationalist wave in this country. It is not us but they who are trying to swim upstream. Chandrika Kumaratunga came to power in 1994 with 62.7 percent vote by saying openly that she will go for genuine devolution of power and address the grievances of the people in the North through a united Sri Lanka. Mahinda Rajapaksa got just 50 percent. Even within that the strength of those who were for a genuine devolution of power remained unchanged. The JVP and the JHU joined as just appendages. The SLFP is a party that has embraced devolution of power. When we brought a resolution before the SLFP for a united Sri Lanka, we approached Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike to get her opinion. She said that she would raise both her hands for it. Even at that time Mahinda Rajapaksa was of a different opinion. Therefore am positive that even today the SLFP at large does not hold the view of Mahinda Rajapaksa. The People’s Alliance is of totally different opinion to that of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Through the Eksath Janatha Viyaparaya we are trying to take that message to the people and tell them that the way to solve this problem is through a federal solution and even at the moment there is no unitary status in the Sri Lankan government after the enactment of the 13th amendment to the constitution.
Q. Why are you promoting federalism so much?
A. Unitary nature is not a developed form of governance. All countries have shed their unitary character when they have reached higher stages of development and when they have matured democratically. The unitary nature was brought upon this country by the British Empire. Before that during various periods in history there had been several kingdoms. Whenever you find a Buddhist artifact in the North to say there was a Sinhala settlement there is wrong. Because at one point in history, with the Asokan Empire spreading over India, the entire south India was Buddhist. There were Tamil Buddhists all over. Most of the people belonging to the Dravidian family were Buddhists. It was much later they became Hindus. Also, all of us in Sri Lanka are highly mixed. There are no pure racial lines among any of us.
Q. How is your movement going to go forward in the backdrop of the MoU signed between the two parties?
A. What we are asking is to fully implement the MoU. What we see now is that Mahinda Rajapaksa is doing only what he wants by taking cover of the MoU. Today businessmen are being abducted within the Colombo city. But the government has not taken action to arrest the situation. Is there a solution for this within the MoU. President Mahinda Rajapaksa only wants the war. He does not want to devolve power. He tells one thing to the Tamils and the international community and tells another to the JVP and the JHU.
Q. What kind of action do you plan in taking your message to the people?
A. We don’t have money like the Desha Hitaishi Vyaparaya, but we hope to hold seminars and rallies all over the country to educate the people.
Q. There is a big controversy over the all party conference reports with two committees submitting two different reports. What is your observation on it?
A. Who appointed the experts panel in the All Party Conference; it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Why did eleven out of the sixteen in the expert’s panel go on one way? That’s because it is the true representation of this government. The majority of this government is for devolution of power although they keep their mouth shut. That diversity in the All Party Conference expert’s panel is the true ratio of the government. The SLFP and the People’s Alliance are not in the stance taken by the President. The majority in that alliance are for a federal solution.
Q. Is the UNP going to back the Majority report or the Committee ‘A’ report?
A. As the UNP, it is not for us to back this or that report. What we are telling President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to present his proposals before the people and we will discuss it afterwards. Anyway, it is a good basis to begin talks. But first of all Mahinda Rajapaksa should tell that these are his proposals.
Q. Do you think if you go for a referendum on a federal solution at the moment, the people would accept it?
A. If you go to a referendum on a federal solution today it would get defeated, because the anti-federal view had been injected into the people so much. But from 1994 to 1999 the Sudu Nelum Vyaparaya went around the country promoting devolution of power while the government was waging a war. We went for nine elections at that time and talked about genuine power sharing, and we won all those elections. We must take this message back to the people and am sure that the people will accept it.
TN, 31.12.2006