Mahinda sticks to the Tiger he can handle

Mahinda sticks to the Tiger he can handle

Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne

25 May 2008

The politics of the bourgeoisie of underdeveloped countries in this monopoly capitalist period reflect the primitive nature of the class itself; so explained Trotsky of the role of the national bourgeoisie in his famous thesis - the Permanent Revolution. The things that take place here are good examples.

Venomous attack

Mahinda started by launching a venomous attack on Tamil speaking people, both Tamils and Muslims. Bombing civilians and disappearances were mixed with the misery of the displaced people. The Sinhala youth was sacrificed for a bogus patriotic war. We were told that the end of the Tamil uprising is close by. Then a few months back Mahinda claimed that the East was clear, hence there could be a free election for the province.

But what he finally did was to crown Pillayan, the pro-government Tamil military leader, as the Chief Minister of the province by a gigantic fraud. While the opposition leader, the ex-federalist and the man who shed crocodile tears for Tamil rights under the pressure of Mano Ganesan and others, was screaming and denouncing, Mahinda took steps to enrol the Pillayan soldiers as some kind of police officers and further legitimised the eastern Tamil regime.

It automatically got police powers. With all that power, Pillayan has come to Kandy to get the blessings from the venerable Maha Nayakas. Since Buddha stood against the Aryan Brahmins for the human rights of Dravidian Yaksayas nearly 3000 years ago, there is nothing unusual in getting Buddhist blessings. After all the Tamil Nadu Dravidian movement inspired by Periyar is essentially a Buddhist revival movement. But the fact is that the Pillayan regime is backed by Tamil military power and no one is going to disarm him; if any attempt is made then he should obviously fight back, tooth and nail

All that is reality; but my question is why Mahinda, who could give power to Pillayan, an armed Tamil leader, could not negotiate the same with Prabha. Prabha offered to accept internal self determination. For a Marxist it is a meaningless term. However, it was explained as an offer to work within one country. There after he offered to work in an interim regime appointed by the President, virtually with the same powers as Pillayan but of course for the merged NE province.

Military power

Probably he would have agreed to hold elections under his military power and in fact the past parliamentary election was held for the North-East under his military power. When the interim regime proposal was rejected, he offered to work in the tsunami committee appointed by the President with much less power. That was also rejected.

However, when Pillayan is given powers while he is still a leader of a Tamil army, not only Mahinda but the Hela Urumaya, Wimal and Dinesh all appear to be happy.

So clearly their opposition is not to a political power with Tamil military backing, but to a certain socio-politics represented by Prabha. Yes, there is a serious political difference between the two Tamil leaders. While Pillayan agrees with the agenda of Mahinda dictated by the Indian leaders and the global capital, Prabha does not. Of course Prabha has said that he will follow the open economy and many confused green card holders support him, but he is not trusted by the Hanumans of Delhi or the Yankees of Washington. Merged or de merged, power over the Tamil homeland will not be given to Prabha by these world powers.

In fact the proposed Northern Interim Council is to be appointed as a challenge to Prabha. As it is he can only appeal to the Dravidian masses and the Left movement the world over.

Will Mahinda continue to back the authority of the Pillayan Tamil regime? There will be Sinhala chauvinist campaigns against the Pillayan regime if not led by Sinhala Urumaya then by the nephew of JR- Ranil. Chelva was let down by Banda, Thiru was let down by Dudley, Vartha was let down by JR; will Pillayan be let down by Mahinda? Is Ranil planning to play the traditional chauvinist role? Is the proposed JVP general strike going to back Ranil? If so Pillayan has only one thing to do. Join Prabha and fight irreconcilably for the separation of Tamil Eelam.