People No Longer Want a Separate State – Varatharaja Perumal

(By Anuradha K. Herath)

During an “exploratory mission” in the Jaffna Peninsula, controversial Tamil politician and the first chief minister of the north-eastern provincial council Varatharaja Perumal said there is no longer a need for a separate state because that is no longer what the people want. Being careful not to use the word “eelam,” Perumal said, “Among the Jaffna population, I think people are not asking for it. People are asking for a political solution.”

He made these comments in an exclusive telephone interview with Sri Lanka News Network. Perumal, who was a lecturer at the University of Jaffna prior to entering politics, was appointed chief minister in 1988 of the newly established provincial council, following the implementation of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord to merge the northern and eastern provinces “to form one administrative unit.”

But the merger as an attempt in devolution of power proved unsuccessful as Tamil political parties―including the separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in particular―and Sinhala nationalist forces failed to accept the new system as a viable option. The signing of the Accord and the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka increased tensions. Many felt India was having too much power over Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs.

What catapulted Perumal into controversy was a statement he made as chief minister. Many reports still refer to that statement as a “unilateral declaration of independence.” Historical records, including one by the UNHCR, quotes Perumal as having said, “The government of Sri Lanka will have to recognize the Democratic Republic of Eelam as a separate state.”

When asked about his controversial statement, Perumal said it was more hype than fact, and that there are two sides to every story.“In my declaration, there were two aspects,” Perumal said. “Only one side was propagated and used to create a malicious campaign to create a bad image about me.” The other aspect to which Perumal alludes is a 19-point list of demands he presented to the government. The statement about eelam, he insists, was made only as an “emphasizing point” to pressure the government to accept the list of demands. “Both (President Ranasinghe) Premadasa and (LTTE leader Velupillai) Prabhakaran cleverly campaigned against me,” Perumal said.

Perumal believes his original 19-point list of demands (with a few exceptions) is “still relevant” for a political solution. And despite the problematic Sri Lanka-India relations of the past, Perumal said the people of Jaffna now expect India’s assistance in finding a political solution to the ethnic conflict.

“That expectation is here,” he said. “Wherever I go, people ask ‘can you ask the Indian government to help us.’”

“The Pre-90s mood cannot be repeated,” Perumal continued. “We have to think in a new method. Sri Lankan and Indian governments are on good terms. We should not (return) to a conflict relationship between Sri Lanka and India.”

While acknowledging that an effective political solution will take time, Perumal pointed out two aspects that need immediate attention: resettlement of internally displaced persons and the army presence in Jaffna.

“Still the army presence is everywhere, and there is army interference in the northeast,” Perumal said. “Nobody [in Jaffna] believes that there can be another armed struggle. If that belief prevails among the public, and there is no violence then the presence of the army is not needed. It has to be transformed toward a complete civil administration. It may not be immediately possible. Step by step, it has to be accelerated.”

Perumal will go back to his home in India shortly after the general election but hopes to return to Sri Lanka in June. He has requested for a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa but has not received an appointment yet. He said the main purpose of this visit was to meet directly with the people.