|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Why another Party ?
Sihala Urumaya
The need for a third force in the Sri Lankan Political arena is a topic that has come up from time to time among the majority community, the Sinhala of Sri Lanka. They have been unanimous in recognising this need. They have also, as usual for them, have done nothing constructive about it up to a few months ago.
The Sinhala vote divided as it is between the two main political parties, is of no consequence to the Sinhala politician. He gets that vote anyway. S. W. R. D. Bandaranayaka, in 1956, purely for the sake of votes whipped up the National feeling of the less affluent Sinhala Buddhists and thus divided a Nation. As a result, after a General Election, there begins a tense twenty four hours, where the leading party does some brisk negotiations with the minority groups. This gives the minorities an advantage over the majority. The leader of a minority political group could and does hold the Governing party to ransom. The late Minister Saumyamurti Thondaman was the first to recognise this. His adroit manipulation of this situation made him the king of king makers.
Where does this leave the Sinhala of Sri Lanka? Alternately used and neglected as they have been, time and time again, by the very Politicians they have voted into power, they have been relegated to the status of a minority group without rights in this supposedly Democratic State. "minority complex of the majority Sinhalese" says former Indian Ambassador, Joithindra Nath Dixit on page 13, in his book ‘Assignment Colombo’.
Finally, a handful of concerned people got together at personal cost and against daunting odds to pull together the Sinhala people. Thus we see the birth of SIHALA URUMAYA. The avowed and clearly defined objectives are to safeguard and uphold the interest of the Sinhala people.
What makes this group different from any other group that comes together on ethnic or religious grounds? The answer is very simple. Whilst the objectives remain clearly defined, from the outset, this group is canvassing for equal rights for all citizens of Sri Lanka. No divisions on grounds of religion or of ethnicity.