President Decide: 13th amendment doesn’t serve the interest of the Masses or the Minorities – Only India’s and West’s stooges

– by Shenali D Waduge –

Is there any need to go through the rigmarole of entertaining Indian envoys when Sri Lanka’s President has already sent his envoy to appraise India of the country’s decision on the 13^th amendment? For what purpose do we need to be begging to India to understand why the nation is now demanding the President take immediate action on an antiquated illegal legislature which has done and does not serve the masses or the minorities that it originally claimed to solve? Has India no patriots in public office to not realize that 13^th amendment is more of a threat to India in the current political chessboard?

So far as Sri Lanka is concerned India is a nation that cannot take an independent decision without thinking they are displeasing the West. The example of India’s reaction to American snooping on India reveals the servility of India and completely nullifies India’s leadership ability on an international stage. Therefore a nation aspiring to be a super power bowing down to Western dictates is a nation Sri Lanka does not need to be taking orders from or going and reporting our affairs to either. This ugly practice must stop. Therefore, Menon’s message carries little bearing for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and this is something Sri Lanka’s President and policy makers are well advised to take note of.

Once again we wish to highlight that the people who supported the LTTE throughout its reign and right through the war are today ganging up on a common platform to save the 13^th amendment. These are the people who were suffering from the “unwinnable war” syndrome and people who wanted to give everything LTTE demanded on a golden platter with not a care for the thousands of civilians LTTE killed or the armed forces who were losing life and limb to save the country. Are we to listen to these lot of unpatriotic and self-centered politicians?

Again we need to remind ourselves of who these “unwinnable war” promoters were for they are a danger to the entire nation and to society at large. A big name on that list now planted in the Opposition is one who totally destroyed the war victory by pinning the former army commander against the President by pitting him to run as President to create chaos and dilute Sri Lanka’s victory. Joining that list are the relics of Chandrika towing federalist line and now making no bones about why 13^th amendment should stay – these lot include Dylan, Rajitha, Reginold most of whom are now planted in the Rajapakse Government. The old lefties recently celebrating 70 years in Sri Lanka are really no use to the masses or even the minorities and are simply surviving on the generosity of the President and enjoying the perks at the cost of the tax payer – so much so for their brand of socialism! Joining the bandwagon also is Hakeem the very person who beamed towards the cameras after shaking hands and enjoying dinner with terrorist Prabakaran up in the Wanni – will the Muslim community be willing to listen to his pleadings on why 13a should stay. Finally and not least we have the mouthpiece of the LTTE, the TNA representing LTTE and the Tamil Diaspora running here there and everywhere pulling out every argument they can think of as to why 13^th amendment should stay. There are a handful of others too still in Government who not only pull the federalist line but are doing more damage than the President is aware. These were all promoters of the LTTE and now shamelessly they come forward to promote another disaster. Most of these are also recipients of foreign funds that have even launched foundations in their name and these powerful western NGOs have a knack of making politicians talk and now we see them in action.

Take a good look at the list of all those calling for the 13^th amendment – these together with one of the biggest pushers for the 13^th amendment is the very person who held a cabinet portfolio in the only merged Northern provincial council elected in 1988 which had to be annulled by President Premadasa because within 2 years it declared a unilateral declaration of independence. So his allegiance to the Indian 13^th amendment is nothing to be really surprised over.

The Government needs to wisely assess the list of those presently lobbying for the continuance of the 13^th amendment and the PC system. As far as the masses can see in 25 years it has not served the masses or the minorities except to unleash a wave of unsavory politicians unsuited to lead with criminal tendencies creating havoc and scaring the people of these provinces. The people no longer want to be victims of these provincial councilors and political parties are obviously incapable of selecting suitable candidates to serve the provinces.

We are at a critical juncture. The Government has a very easy decision to make. Does it listen to the list of “unwinnable war” propagandists promoting LTTE throughout who now promote the 13^th amendment or the masses who backed the Government alongside the nationalist forces? How difficult a decision can this be?

The Government cannot betray the masses or the nationalist forces – Egypt’s Morsi has found the hard way what happens and these are good lessons for all politicians who delay decisions just to please servile nations who never had the interest of Sri Lanka and least of all its President.

Sri Lanka’s politicians need to realize that there are no better friends than the people of one’s own country and it will ONLY be the nationalists who would come to the defense of the President while all others currently propagating 13^th amendment will probably desert the President and flee the country as well. Any politician with the integrity to jump from one camp to another for whatever reasons is capable of doing anything – deserting the masses, the minorities and even to ridicule and humiliate one’s own land of birth requires no special effort from them.

Survival of any government must not ignore these dynamics.