Tamil poetry 'Towards the path of Peace' released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 November 2002, 23:12 GMT]
A collection of Tamil poems titled 'Towards the path of Peace' and composed by Poet Sigandithasan was released in Trincomalee Saturday evening. "No one can benefit by derailing the peace process now being taken forward," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing the event.

He was one of the special guests at the event held at Urban Council Hall.

Mr.Sampanthan released the book by handing over the first copy to the chief priest of the Trincomalee, Vilundy Kandasamy Temple Bramasiri Suranantheswarar Sarma.

Mr.Sampanthan further said, "the invaluable sacrifice by our people made the current peace efforts possible. Therefore we should be cautious and should not do anything that will harm the progress of the peace process."

TNA parliamentarian Sivasakthi Anandan (Vanni district) and K.Thurairetnasingham (national list) who participated as special guests also spoke.

"Tamils should be united at this juncture. We should not give room for any elements to divide us," Mr.Sampanthan said.

Majority of Sinhalese are against the renewal of war that has killed several thousand of their youths and have expressed their desire for a political settlement to the ethnic conflict through negotiations. Muslims are also for peaceful settlement, said Trincomalee parliamentarian Mr.Sampanthan.

He reminded the audience that when the Sinhalese in 1932 advocated dominion status for Sri Lanka, Tamils in Jaffna demanded full independence to the country. Jaffna Tamils even went to the extent of boycotting general elections to the state assembly under the Donoughmoore reforms when the Sinhalese in the south participated. But when the country gained independence in 1948, unfortunately the Sinhalese leaders started violating the rights of Tamils who fought for the full independence of the country.

"Since independence, tamils have suffered discrimination in use of their language, education and jobs, amounting to cultural genocide, by successive Sinhala dominated governments. With the armed struggle launched by the Liberation Tigers, the governments in power realized that Tamils couldn't be subjugated any more by military means. The present peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is the result of this realization," said Mr.Sampanthan.

TNA parliamentarian Sivasakthi Anandan (Vanni district) and K.Thurairetnasingham (national list) who participated as special guests also spoke.