The delegation of Tamil National Alliance which called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday is not a representative body of the ethnic community in Sri lanka, according to social activists and political leaders from the island nation.
“The delegation consists of politicians selectively chosen from the northern and eastern provinces. They have not included anyone from other provinces of Sri lanka, especially the southern region which has seven per cent of the Tamil population,” V Thevaraj, editor, Veerakesari, a leading Tamil daily in the island nation, told The Pioneer.
He said the TNA has certain political motives which are beyond what is promised by the 13th Amendment of the Constitution for which they are pressurising the feferal Government at Colombo. “Without the inclusion of people from southern provinces, how can this delegation be claimed as a representative bodyIJ” he asked.
A leading Tamil businessman in Colombo said the Indian Government should identify the fact that the TNA delegation represents the aims and objectives of Tamils on Jaffna and Eastern province.
“They always look down on Tamils who were brought to India by the British people for employing as workers in plantations. We are all described as Tamils of Indian origin. The Tamils of Sri lanka consider them as a superior race,” said the businessman who did not want his name to be quoted for fear of repercussion from some of the militants in the TNA.
Ramiah Yogarajan, a Tamil member of the Sri lankan Parliament representing the Opposition United National Party led by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, said instead of fighting for Eelam or separation from the island nation, what the TNA should do is to demand from the Government the right to live as Sri lankans in the country. “There is widespread discrimination against the entire Tamil community about which the TNA is silent. let them take up that issues before crying for more autonomy and freedom,” said Yogarajan.