Tamil people have rejected separatism- Wigneswaran

Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, in his inaugural address today said the Tamil people had rejected separatism and violence in any form and this should be clearly understood by people in the South.

The Northern Provincial Council had its inaugural session in a building at Kaithady in Jaffna after a grand ceremony conducted in accordance with Hindu cultural rituals.

Soon after the unanimous election of the Chairman and the Vice Chairman, Mr. Wigneswaran, a former Supreme Court Judge, said that internal self-determination was possible within a united Sri Lanka. He said his administration would extend a hand of friendship to the Central Government with the expectation of its reciprocal commitment.

Mr. Wigneswaran called for the replacement of the present northern governor with a civil official who understands the needs and aspirations of the Tamil people.  Asserting that Muslims who were evicted from the North would be rehabilitated as a foremost task under his administration, he said people who were never residents of the North should not be resettled in the province under state-sponsored colonization schemes.

Mr. Wigneswaran recalled the assurances given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 26, 2009 to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon that there would be a power devolution arrangement building upon the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Referring to his remarks during the election campaign that slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was a liberation fighter, he said some people had been outraged by his remarks whereas some others had commended it. 

Mr. Wigneswaran said it was because of people viewing situations from different perspectives.  He recalled how Weera Keppetipola who rebelled against the colonial rule was dubbed as a traitor by the white rulers whereas Weera Kepptipola was a national hero for the Sinhala people.

 “In war and competition, it happens.  It can be alleviated by fostering understanding and love between the two communities,” Mr. Wigneswaran said and added that his administration was prepared to build bridges between the North and the South.

He said in the pursuit of a political solution as a long term target priority would be given to the rehabilitation of the war-affected areas, addressing land issues of people and matters relating to law and order.

Mr. Wigneswaran said the dearth of Tamil-speaking police officers was a matter of concern and attention would be paid to address it. He said police officers would be trained with regard to the powers available with the provincial council under the 13th Amendment. (Kelum Bandara)