18 December 2012, 6:41 pm
Struggle
of JVP was an insurgency that did not demand the division of the country but
the struggle of LTTE wanted division of country. President wanted DPF leader
Mano Ganesan to explain this fact to the Jaffna University students who had
alleged to have commemorated the later.
President
Mahinda Rajapaksa made the above view responding to Ganesan’s appeal to the
President to directly intervene in the matter of the Jaffna University students
and prevent the country from slipping back into the old abyss of disunity.
The
conversation occurred yesterday when President Rajapaksa telephoned to wish DPF
leader Ganesan on his birthday which fell on Monday 17th.
Ganesan
said that the President admitted that he has not been fully briefed about the
Jaffna university issue since that minister of higher education S. B.
Dissanayake is not in the country at the moment. President has assured Ganesan
that he would direct minister Dissanayake to intervene in the Jaffna university
students row once he returns home shortly.
Ganesan
said that both JVP and LTTE took up arms against the state of Sri Lanka. JVP
did not demand separation but wanted whole of Sri Lanka through armed struggle
in 1971 and 1989. It amounts to separation or even more.
During
the rebellion JVP cadres formed their own administration in certain pockets in
the southern parts of the country in 1989. They even conducted kangaroo court
proceedings during their days. Can JVP cadre turned minister Vimal Weerawansa
deny this?
We
are a democratic party. Taking up arms against the elected state and the people
is not acceptable to us. Separation is not acceptable to us. But we respect the
rights of the people to commemorate the dead of both south and north.
Therefore
the known difference to us is that JVP fighters were not Tamils and LTTE cadres
are Tamils.
Today
the Jaffna university student issue is no longer an issue of the higher
education ministry. It has taken different turns after the arrests of the
students. Thus, it has effectively become a matter that should be handled by
the President as the defense minister.
But
however, Ganesan said that, President responded him by saying that the issue
has been inflated by political elements and therefore he will still direct the
higher education minister to handle it.
President
has also said during the telephone conversation that he looks forward to solve
the national question during the period of TNA leader Sampanthan.
