Total rejection of SL Constitution should be the demand - Sachithananthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 December 2009, 01:22 GMT]
Mere removal of Sixth Amendment as an election agenda of any Tamil candidate will not do justice to the Tamil cause. It will be tacitly approving the rest of the Constitution. Therefore, a total rejection of the Constitution should be the demand, writes academic and former UN consultant Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan, responding to a TamilNet feature appeared on 28 November 2009.

Full text of the comments on 'Locking Tamil nationalism through presidential candidature,' by Mr. Sachithananthan, an Eezham Tamil now living in Chennai, follows:

The 6th Amendment enacted in 1983 that prevents expressions on secession has disenfranchised the Eezham Tamils from democratically telling what they want.

Therefore any Tamil political party that contests the elections to register Tamil rights or opinion has to first fight for the removal of this Amendment.

However, by seeking the removal of one section of the constitution you tactically approve the principle behind the other sections.

It is like Tamil MPs voting against expenditure bill for the military.

The mere participation in voting itself tactically approves the need for a military to subjugate Tamils

Copy of the 1972 constitution was burnt symbolising total rejection.

The 1975 mandate and the 1977 mandate by the Eezham Tamil electorate are clear expressions of this rejection.

The 1979 constitution and its amendments are for governance of the Sinhalese homeland.

Territorial integrity of the Sinhalese homeland is a matter for the Sinhalese to decide.

Tamil sovereignty remains to be exercised. It is no more with the Sinhalese.

The presidential election in Sri Lanka will not in anyway change the attitude of the mind set of the Sinhalese towards the Tamils.

The chauvinistic attitude of the Sinhalese will harden further as a consequence of this election as has been in the past.

Sinhalese chauvinism is a poisonous snake. Tamils are being asked to nurture this snake. It is like adding fuel to fire.

Do you want the Tamils to be part of this? Do you want history to record Tamil acquiescence?

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