exclusive interview with chief minister c.v. wigneswaran

8/13/2019 Exclusive Interview With Chief Minister C.v. Wigneswaran

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Exclusive Interview with Chief Minister C.V.

Wigneswaran

Please do not pre-judge and criticise ! strategies and level unjust allegations"

Exclusive Interview with Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran

Exclusive Interview #! $ha#u %anagasa#ai &'ttorne! at (aw)* a resident of $oronto*

+ntario with ,orthern Provincial Council Chief Minister ustice C.V. Wigneswaran

$he interview was conducted at the Chief Ministers residence in affna on +ct /0th* 10/2

in $ail and translations of the excerpts fro it are as follows3

43

$,' under the leadership of 5apanthan along with !our participation has recorded an

overwheling

Victor! in the ,orthern Province. $his victor! is descri#ed as a rejection of the 5ri

(an6an 7ovt8s policies and the incidents of the past. 9nder these circustances and

viewing the past #itter experiences* do !ou #elieve that !our goodwill approach will

provide good results:

The Govt believed that the construction of roads and some selected development schemeswould bring support from the people. But the people devoted their attention on the steps taken

by the Govt to alleviate their sufferings. People felt that the Govt failed to eradicate their

poverty and uplift the living conditions by employing skilled personnel. These misdeeds led the

people to express their disappointments and feelings by voting against the Govt. The Govt

servants also expressed their resentment through their postal voting.

Govt has realised that the Tamil people cannot be bought over for concessions. At the same

time, world has also realised this truth. e should take steps for the world to realise that the

Tamils are not only a proud and brave race, but also matured and intelligent. e want to travel

in a path where our concentration will be not to lose our future goals without thinking of thepast events. A change of heart by the Govt may heal the untreated wounds to some extent. But

we will not alter or neglect our aims.

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$ail political leaders of the past conducted tal6s in good faith and reconciliation with

the past 5ri (an6an 7ovts. ;owever the! were cheated in the end. When viewing these

past #itter experiences and particularl! the present 7ovt8s hard-line approach and their
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current agenda in action.


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signature. ! cannot avoid him because of his misdeeds. /erely by obtaining this certificate, hiscase by the ministry would never be mitigated or softened.

)econdly why are our brothers and sisters living abroad feeling uneasy and apprehensive$ !t

may be your fear that ! will forget our goals and ob"ectives and ruin the future of Tamils due to

my flirting smiles with the President.

/y dear Tamil people0 !f ! fail in my ob"ectives, please criticise me with your comments. 1ou

can even burn my effigies. 1ou can demand my resignation from the office. But, please do not

pre2"udge and criticise my strategies and level un"ust allegations. o not lose confidence.

)tratagem and strategies differ from person to person. Please do not come to the wrong opinion

of a person as being weak in pursuing his goals on the above basis. #ur people are emotional

and emotions sometimes overwhelm our wisdom. e have to approach our issues with due

wisdom and proper diligence. e should not forget the fact that relying on one approach and

re"ecting the other will only bring disastrous conse3uences.

Thirdly, the above comments are made by our brothers who are exerting efforts and spendingmoney to put the criminals in the dock. -ven ! would have thought the same thing !f ! were in

their place. owever, we should understand the realities. hile you are engaged in seeking

"ustice for the past wrongs, ! am engaged in ac3uiring powers for future goals. !f ! were to

adopt your feelings and mindfulness, ! am afraid that our people will be left with no solutions

at any time and by that time ethnic cleansing would have been also completed successfully.

Therefore, my dear Tamil people, please let me be aware of your doubts. !f ! commit blunders

in pursuit of my goals and policies, please observe carefully and point out those mistakes. But,

please do not misunderstand my strategies. o not mis"udge and brand me as 4traitor4 merely

because ! shake hands, smile or take oaths.

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President >ajapa6sa in his interview with Indian ?oreign Minister 5ulaian %urshid has

firl! said that an! solution to the ethnic pro#le has to #e through the parliaentar!

select coittee. $he said select coittee is nothing #ut a tie wasting procedure while

an! decisions of the coittee will #e those sponsored #! the ajorit! 5inhalese

e#ers. $,' has alread! rejected this proposal. What is !our opinion regarding this

atter:

The answer is there already in your 3uestion. The T%A has already re"ected this proposal and !

have also mentioned the same in my several interviews. !f we take the many issues which

remain unsolved despite several rounds of talks, there is no doubt5 we being the minority in the

parliament, our proposals will be totally re"ected by the ma"ority members. Then we will be left

with no solutions. e could participate in the select committee placing certain agreed solutionsto certain issues and opting to select one solution.

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Will !our pressure #e on India who guaranteed and undertoo6 to ipleent the /2th


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aendent proposals and provisions or on 5ri (an6 who proised to ipleent those

provisions:

o not mention the word that 4pressure4 is being exerted on our actions. As far as ! am

concerned, ! feel it is appropriate to initiate all steps after ascertaining the truth, the motive and

after consultations with all concerned parties. e should examine the reasons why )ri *anka

broke its promises. The resultant conse3uences and the realities have to be explained to enableme to proceed without any slipping. !t is my responsibility to explain the urgency of this matter.

!n the same manner, it is my duty to explain to !ndia the importance of their undertaking. !

believe a better mutual understanding will yield good results.

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Eela $ails living outside 5ri (an6a expect un!ielding decisions and deocratic

agitations fro $,' with !our support. We wish that !ou will underta6e the struggle

without falling into an! wil! traps of 5ri (an6an 7ovt.

This is not even a matter to be 3uestioned. That is your expectation and ours also. ! wish to tell

one thing. ! have come past the wealth, position, power and various luxuries of life. ! am an oldman aged 67. ! have nothing to gain from politics except the long hearts of my people. /y aim

is to serve them with prayers within my capabilities and without any partiality. Believe in god.

Pray for him. e will bestow all and everything.

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$hiruvalluvar in $hiru66ural sa!s @?or a person to succeed in a war* it is essential for

hi to assess his own strength* his friend8s strength and his ene!8s strength.@ $his

axi applies even to an! struggle or agitation violent or non-violent. Presentl!* $ail

people are in a wea6 position after the war defeat. In this position* is it not iportant to

o#tain the support of $ail ,adu people as friends including its political leaders despite

other political otivations to strengthen our struggle which also will result in addedpressure on 5ri (an6a:

There is no difference of opinion on the above matter. There is no doubt we need the support of

diaspora as well as our Tamil %adu brothers. e are surrounded and living among one hundred

thousand strong military personnel. !n this situation, it is very important that our people are not

harmed in any way. !t is also essential our goals and policies are not obstructed or affected. e

are not against the Tamil %adu political leaders. e need help from our friends to forward our

struggle. e will continue to welcome support from all 3uarters until we obtain a "ust and

dignified solution. ! also believe it is important that our path and aims are not hindered in any

form or manner.

(This article is exclusively written for The Monsoon Journal and will appear in the

December 2013 print edition!


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exclusive interview with chief minister c.v. wigneswaran

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