Tamils have no freedom in the island: Justice Wigneswaran

NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, in his capacity as the co-chairman of Tamil Peoples’ Council, on Saturday explained in a moderately worded statement why Tamils are boycotting or abstaining from the so-called ‘Independence’ Day celebrations while genocidal Sri Lanka is marking 70 years since February 04, 1948 on Sunday. Justice Wigneswaran was still harping on the outdated paradigm of ‘devolution of power under a Federal constitution’ and was failing point out that the root cause to the conflict was the British-introduced constitutional discourse in the island, which was neglecting the parity of status to Eezham Tamils as a nation. However, he was bold enough to issue a statement noting “celebration of Independence from the Britishers has lost its significance due to our coming under the domination and hegemony of the Sinhalese,” while being the chief minister of the NPC. 

“Still the Armed Forces are occupying the North and East as if we are under siege. The Centre controls all activities political, social and economic in the North and East. It is patent that the State is interested in decreasing the number of Tamils in the North and East and increasing the presence of the majority Community there.”

“Hence we feel the celebration of Independence from the Britishers has lost its significance due to our coming under the domination and hegemony of the Sinhalese. Until we obtain real devolution of power under a Federal Constitution we cannot retrieve our lost rights in full. Hence how could you expect us as Tamils to celebrate the Fourth of February?”, he asked. 

• Full text of Justice Wigneswaran's statement on abstaining from February 04 celebrations

Justice C.V. Wigneswaran has issued the carefully worded statement as the Co-Chairman of the TPC – not in his capacity as the Chief Minister – to avoid any legal wrangle under the clauses of the 6th Amendment to the SL unitary Constitution. 

The restrictions faced by NPC Chief Minister only underlines the significance why the nation of Eezham Tamils needs a leadership that is capable of waging an international struggle against the core injustice of imperialisms looking at the island as ‘Sri Lanka’ beyond the parameters of the unitary constitution that violates Tamils rights to self-determination, commented Tamil activists in Jaffna.