TNA, LTTE AND JAFFNA CIVIL SOCIETY CENTRE.
INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE
Arun Siddharthan (AS) is always at the centre of controversy although he advocates non-violence to achieve the objectives for marginalized people in Jaffna peninsula. Hailing from a family of toddy tappers considered to be a low caste in Tamil feudal system, he was robust in his assumptions and critical of the Jaffna elite for step-motherly treatment meted out to them in the society. Today, he is the convener of Jaffna Civil Society and manages its office on the ground floor of his apartment at Chunnakam. He radiates youth and vigour in his character and is extremely friendly too. He is the representative of neo young generation in Jaffna after the war. He talks about life in Jaffna after 30-year war from his own perception. The following are the excerpts from the exclusive interview he had given to the Namomagazine (NM) in Jaffna.
NM- It has been more than 12 years since the war or ethnic conflict ended. How do feel about the life of people in Jaffna in the aftermath? What changes of life have you witnessed in them?
AS- First of all, I want to mention that there was no ethnic conflict as such. Ethnic conflict denotes a different meaning. It is a problem within different ethnicities but such issue never prevailed here. I believe that this problem was created by outside forces like India to achieve their petty political agendas. As you know, Sri Lanka is situated at a strategic point on the maritime route and therefore, many countries were eyeing Sri Lanka to wrest control of. The war was orchestrated by those interested countries. They wanted to control us and interfere in our affairs. They not only supported LTTE but other armed groups too. There was no ethnic issue in Sri Lanka. But, these countries not only funded extremist elements but trained, armed and equipped them. Thank God. It was over now. In terms of development, nothing tangible happened so far. Nothing improved. Nothing addressed. There are much more to be done for this region, even at grass root level. In fact, Jaffna based politicians have failed in this. They are not genuinely interested in taking the development to the next level.
NM- So, in terms of infrastructure development, are you satisfied about the development initiatives? Can you elaborate on this aspect?
AS- As far as infrastructure development is concerned, it is under the scope of Central Government. They did well. I have travelled much in south even to rural villages so I have come across some broken roads in that region. But here, all the roads have been carpeted and well maintained. I think that Central Government did their part well. Even the restoration of railway line was a commendable act. The Central Government has built up many facilities and amenities.
NM- Going back to the original subject of war, you would have been a youngster when the war ended in 2009. If you happen to revisit your memories, can you explain the last phase of war and your perception about LTTE?
AS- From the very beginning, we were not with LTTE. We were not convinced about their ideology either. We never thought that a separate country could be created in a small country like this. It was a figment of an unrealistic imagination. War was a business for those who had migrated to other countries. They needed the war to achieve their sinister motives. Yes, we had some issues like administrative and language problems but a separate country was not the answer. It was a dirty game of politics and of those politicians whose sustainability depends on it. Personally, we had bad and unforgettable experiences with the war. Our family lost all maternal uncles. We lost 16 of our family members due to the war. My father in law was abducted by LTTE when my wife was just 5 years old. He never returned home and is presumed dead today. Even today if you see around in our household, you see only females. It is just like Russia after WW II. The same fate befell us during the time of war. We lost so many things in life. There is no fair war in the world.
NM-Do you think that LTTE ideology still remains in the underlying of Jaffna society?
AS- No. I don’t think. Irrespective of any ideology, war is a need only for those who benefit out of it. Here, it is the same case. Some people made good money out of war. Since I closely work with a cross section of people in Jaffna, I know for sure that they don’t want another war or conflict. They just want to lead a peaceful life. People know that a separate land is not a solution. I know some elements are trying to create troubles here especially the Tamil diaspora. They are doing this from their comfort zones. Diaspora still tries to promote LTTE ideology to gain petty advantages because their survival depends on it only. I have always been outspoken against Tamil diaspora. Most of the days in the wee hours, I was woken up by outrageous calls received from overseas. I know that diaspora is gunning for me.
NM- You have formed an organization called ‘Jaffna Civil Society. What are your objectives in forming such an organization? What is your target group in this organization?
AS- The objective behind forming this organization is a straight forward one. During the war and after the war, we being marginalized people of the society never had a proper communication channel to voice our grievances. I felt that the high class elite society continued to suppress us even after the war. And we were denied of the right to speak. We needed an organization to raise our voice too. Here, there is another facet that should be disclosed. Now for example, there is an organization to safeguard the interests of those who had gone missing. But, you need to bear in mind that LTTE and other armed groups abducted our own people. These incidents have been submerged now. Our organization aims to be outspoken on these issues. So, Jaffna Civil Society stands against social injustices.
NM- Is your organization a political party or aligned to any political party or backed by any political movement for that matter? Can you elaborate on your current membership too?
AS- Clearly, we are not a political party but we have a political stand. We need help from central government to achieve our set objectives for the people of Jaffna. So, it can be any government and that is immaterial to us. We are prepared to work with anybody and any political party. We have never received any funds from the central government or any other organization but we were assisted in solving administrative issues in the peninsula. At the moment, we have about 3000 youth members in our organization. We have a women’s front as well which is headed by my wife. Altogether, we have a total membership of 6000.
NM- So, your organization is committed to promoting peace and harmony? How do you plan to do it?
AS- We always stand for a united Sri Lanka. True, I speak Tamil but we are Sri Lankans after all. My personal view is that we received free education and free health in this country. We also love our country. Tamils should also love this country. This is our country too. We should not be influenced by extremist elements which maintain a stance that this country does not belong to us. Even during LTTE rule, I openly criticized LTTE and decried caste system. I was a journalist working for a national newspaper. I used my capacity to raise voice against social injustices. But, some elements in Jaffna society felt threatened by my actions. They felt that I was harming their political base. In actually speaking, people in north and east know the negative side of LTTE and their wrong doings. Prabhakaran was wrong. He didn’t have a political education. Do you think that India will ever allow another Tamil nation to be created alongside of Tamil Nadu which has a population of 800 million whereas we have only 2,000000 – 3,000000 Tamils in Sri Lanka. I have read a great deal about world revolutions such as Cuban and French revolutions and revolutionary leaders like Che Guvera. So, I have a fair understanding about the subject. Prabhakaran misconstrued the concept of Ealam due to lack of political education.
NM- Our last question is why is your organization called ‘Ava’ Group’? If so, what is your mission connected with it?
AS- There is no such organization by that name. You know we grew up in a violent society. Even killing was encouraged and justified. Our society had been traumatized and war syndrome persisted or remained in the Jaffna society. In the aftermath of the war, the parents used to come to us for solutions in the event of acts of misbehaviour by their children. In such cases, we responded quickly. In one such occasion, we called over at a police station to resolve an issue. Somebody in the police quipped ‘Ava…ava meaning they have come in Sinhala. One Tamil journalist who was present at the police picked up this word and branded us as Ava Group. We are not for violence by any means. We stand for non-violence.
