A federal arrangement that recognises Tamils as a distinct nation would solve the ethnic problem in a united Sri Lanka, said the leader of the Tamil National People’s Front leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam.
Highlighting successive attempts by the Sri Lankan state to dismantle the Tamil nation, the TNPF leader added,
“There has been a systematic effort on the part of consecutive regimes to dismantle the existence of Tamils as a nation.”
Questioning allegations that he was a political extremist, Mr Ponnambalam, in an interview with Ceylon Today, said,
“Why is it extremism to say that Sri Lanka is not a Sinhala-Buddhist country, it is not only the Sinhalese but the Tamils, Muslims and the Up country Tamils. Why is insisting that Sri Lanka belongs to its entire people considered extremism? We are not asking for a separate state, we are asking Sri Lanka to recognise its entire people and particularly the Tamils for the identity as a distinct nationality in a distinct nation.”
“We will continue to agitate until this country turns into multi-national. That Is not extremism in our views, and if we are branded as extremists for such views, we are quite happy to accept the label,” he added.
Commenting on the 13th Amendment, Mr Ponnambalam said,“After 30 years of war and all the massacres that have taken place, to expect Tamils to accept the 13th Amendment as solution simply because India wanted the Indo-Lanka accord valid is unacceptable.”
Speaking on the need for an international inquiry, Mr Ponnambalam, added, said,
“Even the UNP says that the military must be protected. The military commander who fought the war on behalf of the previous Government is holding a very responsible position in the present Government. In such a situation how can it be neutral?”