Sinhalese have this as their only country – Vigneswaran
Sinhalese people have this as their only country. They feel insecure that there might be some joining together of Tamil Nadu and north-eastern Sri Lanka. That insecurity, has sometimes resulted in anti-Tamil brutality but I aim to change minds on both sides, Newly sworn in Chief Minister for North CV Vigneswaran says.
Former Supreme Court judge CV Vigneswaran has been sworn in as the new chief minister for Sri Lanka’s north, after his Tamil National Alliance won a historic victory in elections last month.
The BBC’s Charles Haviland spoke to Justice Vigneswaran before the election to find out what coaxed him out of retirement and into politics.
Asked what keeps him looking young for his age, the 74-year-old Canagasabapathy Viswalingam Vigneswaran says: “The secret of youthfulness may be that I was not involved in politics so far.”
Now the former Supreme Court judge – who retired in 2004 – is heavily involved, but insists he was “pulled into politics” by his community rather than entering it.
We meet at a house set up for the party’s activities in Jaffna where young activists dart around with cups of tea, and various journalists wait to see him and his 79-year-old party leader in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R Sampanthan.
Born in Colombo and educated at its Royal College, Justice Vigneswaran trained partially in Britain and, once back in his native country, moved upwards through its courts system.
Working as a judicial officer, he “never thought in terms of being Tamil or Sinhala, Burgher, English – there was no difference”.
But he had to confront the ethnic issue in 1983 when he was a magistrate in Jaffna and conducted inquests into many Tamils killed in a national wave of anti-Tamil violence.
As a judge he presided in later cases involving suspected Tamil Tigers.
He sees the country’s ethnic problem in this way: “Unfortunately there’s a Sinhalese attitude to Tamils whichever government comes in.
“Sinhalese people have this as their only country. They feel insecure that there might be some joining together of Tamil Nadu [in India] and north-eastern Sri Lanka.”
That insecurity, he says, has sometimes resulted in anti-Tamil brutality but his aim is to change minds on both sides.
“Make Sinhalese leaders understand our predicament and make Tamils feel sympathy to northern feelings,” he says. “It might be possible to bring about peace in our country. I hope God will make it possible.”
‘A great hero’
Intense controversy was caused by his recent remarks in praise of the dead Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
During the election campaign in Prabhakaran’s home village, he called him “a great hero who fought for the freedom of the Tamil people”.
Justice Vigneswaran says he meant it.
“This is the perception with regard to Prabhakaran as far as the Tamil people here are concerned. He may have been brutal but so is the government, those who are now in for a war crime inquiry internationally.”
If the Sinhalese saw their war-time leaders as heroes, Tamils might conversely do the same.
Both sides had used questionable weapons and methods of assault, which might be revealed in future inquiries, Justice Vigneswaran says. Meanwhile, he himself favours non-violence, he adds.
The TNA’s plans for self-determination in the north do not amount to a separatist agenda, the former judge insists.
Instead, the party is trying to put pre-existing laws into effect.
“We do not hate anybody, we do not have problems with anyone, we are only asking for our rights to exist by ourselves [as Tamils] recognising our own individuality.”
A Colombo man who is now fully immersed in the concerns of the Tamils living in the north, C V Vigneswaran’s own life, like that of many Sri Lankans, does not fit into a neat ethnic box.
A widower, both his sons are married to Sinhalese – one to the daughter of a cabinet minister, Vasudeva Nanayakkara.
He has two grand-daughters. With Mr Nanayakkara, who is a political leftist, “we pull along very well, we’ve no difficulties. He’s a humanist, not a constricted human being.”
Since retirement his main pursuits have been in the sphere of religion, specifically Hinduism, he says.
“I’m not sure there will be much time for it now,” he adds with a grin.
(BBC)
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You are really a fool and uneducated person. You try to develop the North, not to create a conflict between government and Tamil community. Tamil Nadu is an external party. How it deals with Sri Lanka.
Your knowledge is definitely limited. Read about Noam Chomsky.
Learn game theory on how to develop trust and increase benefits ; the work of Thomas Schelling and Robert Aumann.
Now both government and NPC should corporate and develop the country.
Vigneswaqran, you have to learn a lot still.
Mr:Basanayaka comments with i agree completly.This tamil peoples always want to make problem never wants peacefull lifes in Sri lanka.
We have sometimes problem with sinhala brothers but after few moments we are again machan machan but this tamils are not that way speacilly northern tamils.
This interview by CVV to BBC shows clearly his anti-Sinhalese bias, which is prevalent mostly among the high-class Tamils, who are clamouring for separatism/independence.
He denies separatism/independence as the agenda and aim of TNA. We are not that thick to accept this re-assurance. He claims TNA wants only self-determination. This is nothing but another term for independence. Limited devolution has been granted to the North with the election of its PC. What more does TNA want, save independence, in one form or another?
He claims Sinhalese South will “feel insecure” once “self-determination” is granted by aligning with Tamil Nadu. If Independence is granted TNA will definitely align with TN to form a larger Tamil Nadu who will then grab the rest of SL for TN, militarily. That is the hidden agenda of the TNA. That is what we will prevent.
Hence the need to scrap the PC system altogether for the whole country. PC system was forced on SL by Rajiv Gandhi during the weak JR UNP govt. JR was a traitor. However, Premadasa also failed to scrap the evil PC system. It is now incumbent on the heroic MR govt to scrap the PC system once the CHOGM meeting is over.
Let MR govt take effective measures to abolish:
1. The 13th amendment forced on SL by India under military threat.
2. The PC system.
This can be done through the Supreme Court order first followed by a national referendum. The Parliament can then ratify it.
Let us go back to existing forms of Local Govt which are more effective and cost effective for the country. We can then spend more on essential infra-structure building and fast-track development of the whole country and not just the North as is being done currently.
CVV calls Velupillai P a “great hero”. This shows his mind-set, a supporter of separatism. CVV plans to carry on VP’s fight politically with the support of India and the West and perhaps with that of his bro-in-law, Vasudev, inside the govt.
VP was an evil terrorist who committed terrible atrocities and war crimes galore. How can this retired judge turn a blind eye to this? Isn’t he therefore biased. He claimed he was a magistrate in Jaffna. I wonder how many LTTE cadres, arrested and brought before him had been let-off by him as not guilty.
CVV repeats the false propaganda/disinformation of the TNA and diaspora Tamils that the heroic SL army in its final confrontation with the beseeched LTTE committed war crimes. What blatant lies! For 30 long years VP and his LTTE carried out brutal terrorist atrocities in SL to wrest from SL by force Tamil separatism, with the help of our enemy India. How dare CVV equate such terrorism and war crimes of the LTTE with the final military assault of the SL defence Forces? Nearly 300,000 Tamil hostages were liberated by the SL Defence Forces. That is not a terrorist act or a war crime. Holding their own Tamil civilians as hostages by the LTTE is a war crime. To kill them as they fled to the side of their rescuers, the SL Army, is a war crime. However, the TNA and its supporters are glossing over this and saying it was the SL army that killed about 30,000 civilians as they fled to the army side. Why should the rescuers kill those who are fleeing the LTTE to the army side? It is illogical. The fact is about 50,000 hard-core LTTE cadres and VP were killed by the valiant SL army. The TNA is trying to cover this up by saying it was Tamil civilians who had been killed.
CVV will use his position and status as an retired judge to influence the West to gain independence for the North. This should never be allowed.
This idiot Columbo Tamil is simply stupid. He has no idea of what the tamils or sinhalese need. He is living in a World of his own and he is the most divisive leader we have had next to the late Sun God.
I listened to all speeches and talks of Mr.Vigneswaran. Unfortunately his tone is always anti-Sinhala and it smells separation as a new country. Cat is jumping out from the sack in his every single speech.
PPl please we can live in united sri Lanka as human race, as bothers and sisters..!! @ Azeez please dont be racist……!!
To>>Shaen
I never mentioned anywhere about racist,we know what brotherhood.Specially northern tamils are not coperates anythings with goverments their always goal eelam….eelam.