NPC CM declines participation in Colombo's unilateral task force for so-called Development

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 July 2018, 23:20 GMT]
“National Unity and Integration cannot be forged by foisting so-called development on the politically affected people of the North and East. The political settlement of the problem of the Tamil speaking people of the North and East should precede any such development processes,” said Chief Minister of Northern Province Justice C.V. Wigneswaran in a reply sent to SL President Maithiripala Siriena on Monday. He was declining to accept being nominated to the overwhelmingly Colombo-controlled 48-member SL Presidential Task Force to direct, coordinate and monitor ‘development activities’ in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Justice Wigneswaran was pointing out the missing parity of Eezham Tamils in the so-called task force.

He was also objecting to the deceptions that portray the successive SL regimes in Colombo as carrying out successful ‘development’ in the North and East.

“It is my view that all development activities in the North and East must be performed indigenously by the People/ People’s Representatives and Provincial Officers and the Central Government should provide the necessary wherewithal, guidance and advise where necessary. Devolution means that.”

“Otherwise development and devolution would become (as it already is) a mockery,” Wigneswaran said in his letter.



The “expectation that the development process (whatever that might mean) is essential to ensure National Unity and Integration and creation of a balanced socio-economic and income growth seems to be misplaced,” he said in the letter sent to SL President.

“Any attempt to inform the World Community whether in Geneva or elsewhere that so much of development activities have been undertaken by the South in the North and East would not erase the fact that successive Governments for the past 9 years and over have failed to solve the basic political problem which necessitated the war and political agitation on the part of the Tamil speaking people of the North and East,” he further observed.

“I am unable to accept that all these activities and the socalled development process would ensure National Unity and Integration and creation of a balanced socio-economic and income growth.

Justice Wigneswaran also noted that the official directive appointing him as part of the 48-member task force was received extremely belated, after twenty-one days.

Declining his participation, Justice Wigneswaran requested the SL President to send the NPC the reports of the unilaterally Colombo-constituted Task Force within a specified time so that his ministers and himself could “check on their veracity and adequacy”.

“Apart from me and our Chief Secretary none else represent the Northern Province. Of course, the Secretary is a Tamil but a Central Government Official,” he noted in the letter.

“I find it unnecessary for me to be admitted as an appendage to such an august assembly of Ministers and Secretaries, Governors and Military Officers,” he further stated.

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