JAFFNA: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who addressed his first public meeting in Jaffna since coming to office in September, on Sunday took a firm stance against Indian fishermen “illegally” fishing in Sri Lankan waters. He also assured Tamils that their land occupied by the Sri Lankan government would be returned to them.
Dissanayake was in the city a day before the campaign for the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections, scheduled for Thursday, comes to an end to canvas votes for his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance.
In a well-attended meeting, he said Indian fishermen were destroying the marine resources that belong to the Tamil-populated northern region of Sri Lanka. Stating that his government will ensure that such exploitation of marine resources does not happen and will protect the rights of Sri Lankan fishermen, he asked, “Should we not?”
To which the crowd responded with a resounding yes.
His speech comes in the backdrop of the arrest of 23 fishermen from Rameswaram and the detention of three Indian trawlers by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday for illegally fishing in Lankan waters.
This is the latest in a series of arrests. In a letter to the Union government on October 23, urging its intervention in the release of the fishermen, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had pointed out that 128 fishermen and 199 boats were in Sri Lankan custody.
While expectations were high on what the new president would promise to Tamils in the north and east, who face several problems even 15 years after the end of the civil war, Dissanayake made significant assurances—for the first time—on two important issues vis-à-vis land and political prisoners.
He said steps would be taken to gradually return land still occupied by the Lankan government, especially the military, to the rightful owners.
He also said political prisoners still lodged in prisons will be released.
The two announcements drew the loudest cheers from the mostly Tamil crowd during the rally. However, the president did not speak about enforced disappearances, for which thousands of people are seeking justice in a democratic manner.
Although many Tamil parties have asked the NPP to clearly spell out its stance on a political solution for Tamils in terms of devolution of more powers, Dissanayake refrained from the topic. Instead, he said his alliance will ensure “full freedom” of Tamils.
Highlighting the opening of a new road that had been under military control since the war, the Sri Lankan President said such measures will be done continuously through talks with the defence department to ensure the freedom of Tamils. Elections for the provincial councils will also be conducted soon, he said.
Acknowledging the concerns Tamil people have about his alliance, he said they will be cleared through the positive measures his government will implement gradually.
Dissanayake's speech stressed on his alliance’s broader theme of “nation building” without creating divisions between the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, as well as economic development and tackling corruption. He also said his government will focus on building the rural economy and tourism in the north.
Stating that drug abuse had increased in northern Sri Lanka, Dissanayake blamed politicians for the prevalence and said he would control it.
Highlighting the economic challenges the island nation is facing, he said his government will explore the possibility of converting the loan granted by the Indian government to develop the Kankesanthurai port into to aid. Pointing out the measures his government is planning to improve education, he noted that the Chinese government has agreed to provide uniforms to Sri Lankan school students as a grant.
He said "certain" Tamil political party leaders, who had not joined the NPP, had approached him to express their eagerness in joining the government after the presidential elections but quipped that they had “missed the bus.”
With the Tamil National Alliance breaking up, the Tamil regions of Sri Lanka are witnessing a multi-cornered contest that is likely to split their votes and affect the collective bargaining power of the Tamils in the Parliament.
Dr S Arivalzahan from the University of Jaffna, who attended Dissanayake's rally, said this was the biggest political rally he had seen in Jaffna since the war ended in 2009.
For the first time since Sri Lanka’s independence, Dissanayake seems to be emerging as a leader who could appeal not only to the people of the south, but also to those in the north and east, he observed.
Ganesamurthi Tamilselvi, who had travelled by bus from Valvettithurai, the birthplace of late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, with many other NPP supporters, said she was impressed by the anti-corruption measures taken by Dissanayake.
When asked about charges of Tamil parties that the NPP will not be any different when it comes to the Tamils' issues, she said that since nothing has happened by voting for other parties in the past, why not vote for a new leader?
However, another person who attended the rally, requesting anonymity, said he came only to see the new president.
“I know what the JVP has done in the past. They did not raise their voice when our people were killed. They were the reason for the north and east getting divided. How can I trust them?” he asked.
