groundviews » In defense of the JVP campaign to support Sarath Fonseka

In defense of the JVP campaign to support Sarath Fonseka

November 27, 2009 at 10:30 am · Categories: Colombo, Elections, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War | by Vasantha Raja

The ongoing “Rajapaksa-Fonseka battle” is a blessing in disguise for the Tamil-speaking people and the Sinhalese despite its immediate appearances; because the upcoming debates are bound to change the confused Sinhala consciousness on an unprecedented scale.

The JVP’s decision to back the General as a tactical move to get rid of the utterly corrupt Rajapaksa-regime is sensible indeed, to say the least. Fonseka is a political novice, therefore, he is malleable. He is thoroughly cornered by the reactionary establishment; and therefore, his pliability is increasing by the day. That’s a positive thing. The chances of him suddenly turning into a dictator after an electoral victory is very little indeed. If he does a social revolution will be on the cards; and it’ll be the duty of the JVP to lead the people towards real democracy & real “poverty eradication” along socialist principles.

Comrade Bahu’s decision to contest, I believe, is wrong. It will confuse the Tamils and mislead the Sri Lankan intelligentsia. And, this will only benefit the present regime to retain power. Instead, the Left should unite with the JVP to use this opportunity to educate all communities about democratic politics and socialist economics as the prelude to big changes later.

In this context, the unity established among all “Tamil-speaking people” (Tamils, Muslims & Plantation Workers) is also a positive development whatever the limitations and contradictions it has at present. [Tamil votes are going to be crucial to the outcome of the impending elections and all Tamil & Muslim parties should present common demands - a justifiable political solution before the candidates – a solution that can be easily understood by the man on the street.

It should, in my view, be essentially a Unitary Solution – a solution that is beneficial to all Tamil-speaking people living right across the island: There should be two Regional Assemblies – one for the Tamil-dominated region and one for the Sinhala-dominated region. A democratically-transformed Centre - equipped with the Highest-Level Institutions related to security and economic planning of the island as a whole – should be the centerpiece of the New Constitution. The regional Assemblies should be empowered to handle all lower-level institutions primarily related to regional cultural and economic development – in harmony with the central vision. [I see no reason why such a constitution cannot be designed for the benefit of all communities.]

However, I must add that the democratic transformation of Sri Lanka should be inseparably intertwined with an economic vision. The JVP and the SL Left should use the election campaign to expose the Rajapaksa-regime’s total submission to the imperialist economic project. Above all, the deepening gulf within the ruling class should be fully utilized to equip the masses with a democratic/socialist vision, while doing the most practical thing to get rid of the existing regime in the impending presidential election.

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Why should Tamil speaking communities give critical support to Sarath Fonseka? Authors note: This expands on a comment I left on Groundviews here, in response to my last article In defense of the JVP campaign to support Sarath Fonseka. Tamils must not play a sectarian role in the presidential election. That’ll be counterproductive. This is not the time for Tamils to do politics based on anger and... Vasantha Raja, November 30, 2009

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Just Someone said,

November 27, 2009 @ 11:51 am

As far as I can see, Sarath Fonseka’s candidature is a danger to Sri Lanka’s already fragile and fraying democracy. From news reports it appears as if Fonseka is motivated only by revenge and an ego of such proportions that it would put the himalayas to shame. Sri Lanka managed to avert a coup in 1962, but now a military man is trying to enter the pulpit by other means. I don’t have anything personal against Sarath Fonseka and I admire him for playing an important role in the LTTE’s defeat, but his behaviour so far has been rather appalling. If he contests and wins a presidential election, I have a sneaking suspicion that totalitarianism will submerge all of Sri Lanka in its darkness.

Vasantha Raja said,

November 27, 2009 @ 1:58 pm

The chasm within Sri Lanka’s political establishment is far too significant to be reduced to the protagonists’ subjective intentions. The “personality conflicts” involved are merely the surface. We’re living in an epoch when social forces of historic proportions hijack seemingly isolated individual events, as Hegel would have said. Therefore, never limit the analysis to immediate causes of a phenomenon that is shaking the entire country.

daya dissanayake said,

November 27, 2009 @ 2:11 pm

Three questions to Sarath Fonseka

1. if the war is over, if you have defeated the LTTE, why do you need the same security you had when Prabhakaran was a threat?

2. When you threw your resignation at the president, did you not expect this situation and were you ready to accept it?

3. Where were you when Janaka Perera requested security?

Sam Thambipillai said,

November 27, 2009 @ 2:36 pm

Democracy in Sri Lanka(SL) is “nominal and majoritarian”. The elections in the past were never geared to address the major political problem of the legitimate rights, human rights and freedoms of the people of North East SL.

Though democratic elections are processes meant to present to the voters viable alternatives and pragmatic solutions, elections are abused to rouse up anti Tamilism, cheat the voters and grab their votes, with shameless greed for political power.

In this sense true democracy is non existent in SL. A type of Sinhala totalitarianism thrives well.

During the proposed presidential election, the candidates who believe in democracy, should make it crystal clear to the Sinhala populace that the people of Tamil Eelam(TE) cannot be contained with injustice, repression, Human Rights abuses and unpunished war crimes; and that they will soon break their barriers.

The time has come to express the truth that the people of TE have their land, their legitimate rights guranteed by the UN, their plan and a vision for their land and its people.

The vision of independence of TE and mutual peaceful co-existence should be truthfully addressed without bias or trickery.

The UN and the International Community(IC) must express clearly to the major political stakeholders, to practice democracy and pave the way for peace in the island.

It will be a shame on the UN and the IC to shout aloud of “New World Order” when they cannot create order in the island of SL and TE.

B.R. Fernando said,

November 27, 2009 @ 3:39 pm

Answers to Daya Dissanayke’s Questions

1. Don’t you understand that the threat level is elivated when he become candidate of presidential poll, now the threat is not only from remnants of LTTE but also Sri Lanka political opponents.

2. Surely he expected the situation but it is his right to fight for maximum protection and it is justified considering the fact that he was on the top of LTTE Target List.

3. Well he was in the military but a military man cannot take actions without the approval from government.

old Man said,

November 27, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

“Fonseka is a political novice, therefore, he is malleable. He is thoroughly cornered by the reactionary establishment; and therefore, his pliability is increasing by the day. That’s a positive thing. The chances of him suddenly turning into a dictator after an electoral victory is very little indeed.”

He agreed to a text of a resignation letter. Then went and changed very important sections, deleted others and inserted new ones.

Novice he may be, malleable, he is not.

He may be expected to rule the country with a fist of iron, in much the same way he ruled the army. I’ll leave it to you to decide what you would term such a regime.

xyz said,

November 27, 2009 @ 4:43 pm

No pint of expecting SF’s victory. ground reality is MR has already won!
but i like below words…..
The JVP and the SL Left should use the election campaign to expose the Rajapaksa-regime’s total submission to the imperialist economic project…….

if MR regime has any plan for a imperialist economic projects..let that to happen!!
fast economic growth is da best way to address grievances in north n east.

Batagama Godaya said,

November 27, 2009 @ 4:55 pm

Eventhough, the country is currupted at present, the issue is who created this ugly system. It is UNP. How does SF clean the country with same dirty people. SF wants only the revenge. If he has any concern about the country, he does not come to this position without knowing ABCD of politics. Some people do not understand this truth. If you all allow the country to fall to the hand of a person like SF, it will be the end of democracy. Now we can live in peace. Under a dictatorship, we can not speak like this.

sumane said,

November 27, 2009 @ 5:28 pm

what signifies Sarath Fonseka’s decision to contest the presidential election. there has been a process of militarization in Sri Lankan political landscape as a result armed conflict between the LTTE and the GoSL. of course this process was facilitated by many factors. during the period of war military was able to gain a relative independence from the political leadership. one of the charges made by sarath fonseka is that the government leadership, meaning rajapakse troika, suspected that he would attempt a military coup. whether it is true or not, such a suspicion is logical. when military elite became popular and achieve at least a semblance of independence, a military coup would become a quite possible scenario. can it be said that sarath fonseka is now going achieve what he failed to achieve through a military coup by contesting the election? militarized politics by other means!!
i could not understand why the parties ‘representing’ numerically small nations and ethnic groups and democratic forces support such an attempt when the requirement of the day is demilitarization. LTTE forces and supporters may want sarath fonseka as it would give more legitimacy to their course.
why do we think always in terms of existing structures? why dont we create a new space? why dont we try that?

Vasantha Raja said,

November 27, 2009 @ 5:28 pm

Remember, the entire SL polity – the state, the army, the electorate etc. – is split. Nobody can establish a military dictatorship without unleashing social chaos. In Sri Lanka, forces of Big Change are gathering momentum. So it is Fonseka who has to change; and no individual can control the people according to his/her whims and fantasies. The ‘Tiger-factor’ that kept the Sinhala majority blinkered for so long is no longer there. The blindfold is off. Also, remember, these positive political developments are happening at a time when the second episode of the economic tsunami is fast approaching global capitalism. Dubai’s impending default is just the tip of the iceberg…So it is high time you stop speculating what’s going to happen if the General wins.

daya dissanayake said,

November 27, 2009 @ 7:21 pm

unless B R Fernando is the official spokeperson for S.F. let him speak for himself, because i am sure someone will ask him these three questions in public.

Hermann said,

November 27, 2009 @ 8:42 pm

For LTTE sympathizers what is happening in Sri Lanka may be temporary relief to exibit their vengiance. The Zero General should have been removed from his post even earlier when he got injured on his own making. The Cook who gave information to the LTTE cadres were a hand picked man by SF, so he should take some reesponsibility.
All this relief of the LTTE sympathizers will be short lived. What we want is everybody to work together to develop Sri Lanka. Most of the people who criticize the government are on lookers, who do nothing towards alliviate the suffering of innocent people, but vultures who want to make a fast buck in the backs of poor people.

Vasantha Raja said,

November 28, 2009 @ 12:54 am

Without a democratic Constitution that transforms Sri Lanka’s state-structures and without a socialist transformation of the economy, there won’t be any development in Sri Lanka.

ashok said,

November 28, 2009 @ 1:16 am

Vasantha Raja is a well known LTTE supporter ( If he were the guy who ran the SLBC during Chandrika’s regime).So it is very clear that he likes a UNP victory even by using a devil. Ranil was between depp blue sea and the devil and he choose one of them.JVP is the same.How can JVP talk aboput democracy when they killed all whotalked against them in cold blooded manner? They were like LTTE in many ways.Destroyed public property,democracy, and saw the seeds of hatred and supported UNP to beat Sirima’s government and later the action boomranged and got killed by JR/ Premadasa govt. Usually many Tamils supported UNP even the SLFP made them rich by helping them stopping foreign anions,chillie and other products.And like JVP they got it from UNP in 1983( racial riots by UNP thugs) and the burning of the Jaffna library by UNP thugs.Even this time JVP will get it as well as Tamils will get another thug propelled riots.

Heshan said,

November 28, 2009 @ 5:58 am

The author seems to underestimate Fonseka’s ties to the Army. If Fonseka becomes President, such ties would only be strengthened, not loosened. The need of the hour is to get away from military rule. “Security” concerns still top the agenda of the Government. The larger share of these concerns are unfounded and only serve to delay badly needed economic and social restructuring. The only nation where I have seen a gun every time I step outside the door is Sri Lanka. Let us strive to build a society where guns and bombs are shunned in favor of the more mundane like self-empowerment through education. For that purpose, the former Defense Chief is not the right man.

Vasantha Raja said,

November 28, 2009 @ 2:07 pm

Ignore the panicking government-supporters whistling in the dark. The truth is: Right now a Shakespearean political drama is unfolding in Sri Lanka. Study it closely without pre-conceived ideas. Watch carefully how the conditions for Sri Lanka’s Big Change are going to emerge in the coming period. Don’t get baffled by surface appearances. Always penetrate the surface to see the historical forces at work.

nandasena said,

November 28, 2009 @ 7:02 pm

Ever since independence Sri lanka has been run by “A government by the thugs, for the thugs” Unless you clean up all the thugs who were involved with the previous governments, we cannot expect anything better happening in Sri Lanka.
The same politicians are “recycled”, so you cannot expect any change for the better even if there is a change in the government. Unless all the draconian rules are abolished, and all citizens are treated equal you cannot expect miracles to happen in Sri Lanka.

Jackson Sinnathamby said,

November 28, 2009 @ 9:42 pm

Both sides to this contest have no right to expect support from the Tamils. The JVP is in the forefront of raising fundamental questions regarding corruption and human and democratic rights but has fallen short of conceding to the Tamils anysemblance of devolution. Neither the UNP nor the JVP have internal democracy. Ranil should have gone long ago.

Hence the choice before the Tamil people is a Hobson’s choice. Let the contradictions among the Sinhalese people and their leaders work out. The Tamil parties should officially keep out of any commitments to either candidate in this election. The tamils must exercise a free vote. There should be no boycott or a Tamil candidate. Ideally they should vote for the only credible third candidate who has announced his candidature- Wickramabahu Karunaratne and cast their second preferential vote to one of the other candidates of their choice.

What the country needs is not Mahinda Rajapakse or General Fonseka. We need a Southern consensus on justice to the Tamils.

sumane said,

November 29, 2009 @ 4:30 am

well said, Jackson. thanks.

Vasantha Raja said,

November 30, 2009 @ 1:33 pm

Tamils must not play a sectarian role in the presidential election. That’ll be counterproductive. This is not the time for Tamils to do politics based on anger and hatred. Tamils, I think, should realize democratic transformation of the Centre is crucial for them. Secondly, Tamil-speaking people – including plantation-workers & Muslims and Colombo Tamils- live all over Sri Lanka. Therefore, it’s important to make all calculations in general terms, not in sectarian terms. All parties of the Tamil-speaking people should maintain a solid united front in presenting their demands. They should present them to the General in no uncertain terms.

I have published an expanded version of my argument in Why should Tamil speaking communities give critical support to Sarath Fonseka?

Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan said,

November 30, 2009 @ 11:46 pm

The writer makes little effort in concealing his JVP inclinations. He is unlikely to have many buyers if he is to believe the path to political and economic salvation lies within that extreme domain. But he does offer options that have been tried out in our plural culture – although his comrades have little apetite for pluralism is something they have established over and over again – violently causing mayhem, death and destruction. The General’s foray into the Presidential election is more a blessing in disguise to the JVP who were facing rapid liquidation.

They now get an extension which the General got the “sack” by his own team – that may bring memories back to the writer who held State position in 1994. That the JVP support base was eroding was plain to see in the past few elections where they ventured to go alone. Their pin-up Weerawansa is now in the capitalist mould – in dress, luxury travel and life-style; spouse and all. A frontliner JVP firebrand of the 1971 vintage came to be identified with the lucrative fishing industry and enriched himself by the billions – while the State entities under him were losing to the extent he was gaining.

He remains, arguably, the most influential capitalist in the fishing industry owning dozens of modern boats, craft and all. Yet another who came pleading the cause of the exploited paddy farmer –together with his siblings – now is the biggest and richest rice merchant and paddy mill owner in the country with luxury hotels and all in the bag. Exploiting the farmer appears to be his name of the game. He is now an aspirant to the No.2 job in the land. Nandana Vindana came through the JVP road and is now in the Capitalist Highway breaking pledge after pledge. Not bad for those who came in Bata slippers and broken bicycles to politics – one might say.

Mr Rajah enters the domain of comedy when he wants us to believe “the JVP will lead the people towards real democracy” They had their chance with several powerful Cabinet positions and proved their management skill is rhetorical only. Many women offer payers daily at home their children in the universities should be protected from killers within them and wives of husbands in the CEB, CPC, the Port and elsewhere plead with their favourite deities to save the country and their dear ones pray for protection from the clutches of these
“saviours”.

Two Regional Councils as panacea – is worth a try. But will the dominant Sinhalese accept that? They have refused power-sharing so far. Yes! Tamils appear to be closing their ranks – but not sufficiently. The Tamil future lies in Tamil hands and will depend on Tamil lands – that is the reality. The Fonsekas and the Rajapapaksas can fight and quarrel for the Sinhala destiny. Tamils have endured so much suffering under both – and others – they are in the process of carving out theirs. They may go with those reliable who will offer them enforceable and transparent just terms.

We are with Mr Rajah both political and economic development must go hand in hand – something which the Tamil polity has concluded long ago, I don’t believe the TNA will make itself available for sale. They seem to be just about the only honest principled grouping in the country. The Tamil nation is far too wiser – though poorer in body and spirit – courtesy the 2 modern Thusta kaimunus. But their hopes and their resolve is stronger than ever before. The days when justice to Tamils was denied under militaristic heel and political perfidy is on the way out.

ISS

Dexter said,

December 5, 2009 @ 6:19 am

“Comrade Bahu’s decision to contest, I believe, is wrong.” – How one’s decision to contest in an election in a democracy is “wrong”

Chanee said,

December 13, 2009 @ 6:18 pm

MR did a great to the nation. He was the captain to the entire programme of defeating terrorism. Because of SF’s cleverness MR selected him as the General for the Army. He held the real captaincy for Army. Accordingly both could fulfill their duties. So both are good captains. Now MR has to face the other war to bring the country up in economy. But the way he handles the Parliament and the ministers show the difficulty to be strict for better administration. He could be easily act with president’s powers for another 2 years without dissolving the parliament and show his great administration qualities to bring the country up towards a path without corruptions and allegations. But it seems it’s very hard for him to act against the ministers because they only kept him in powers. This is the bad situation in Sri Lanka’s Politics. Eventhough we had our gratitude to this great president MR, now the chance has arisen for us to change this bad political situation in Sri Lanka. B ecause the other great captain steered the Army Force towards the Victory of terrorism has come out with a collection of big strength against that great Captain, MR’s Government’s bad sectors, it will be a good chance to make him victorious and let him to fulfil that part with his tremendous administration qualities. Later we will have a good chance to show our gratitude to the great man, MR. This will be a long term adjustment to our Motherland.

Heshan said,

December 14, 2009 @ 2:45 am

Very interesting comments made by SB Dissanayake during an interview with the “Nation.”

Q: Some of the statements already made by Sarath Fonseka, like he is willing to go beyond the 13th Amendment and that he would adopt UNP economics, are anathema to the JVP. It was the JVP that literally set the country on fire, over the Indo-Lanka Accord and the 13th Amendment. So how will they explain their stand now to the country?

A: Fonseka has given an interview to the Lanka (JVP affiliated) newspaper this coming Sunday. There he explains that what he meant by beyond 13th Amendment is that the Amendment is now too old and we should go for a new one, not necessarily more than, but may be less than the existing one. That is the idea he is now trying to put across. In actual fact, he will not even give the 13th Amendment. He stands where the JVP is. He is not a person who is willing to distribute powers.

http://www.nation.lk/2009/12/13/inter.htm

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