The politics
of the bourgeoisie of underdeveloped countries in this monopoly
capitalist period reflect the primitive nature of the class itself; so
explained Trotsky of the role of the national bourgeoisie in his famous
thesis - the Permanent Revolution.
The things that take place here are good examples.
Venomous attack
Mahinda
started by launching a venomous attack on Tamil speaking people, both
Tamils and Muslims. Bombing civilians and disappearances were mixed
with the misery of the displaced people.
The Sinhala
youth was sacrificed for a bogus patriotic war. We were told that the
end of the Tamil uprising is close by.Then a few months back Mahinda
claimed that the East was clear, hence there could be a free election
for the province.
But what he
finally did was to crown Pillayan, the pro-government Tamil military
leader, as the Chief Minister of the province by a gigantic fraud.
While the
opposition leader, the ex-federalist and the man who shed crocodile
tears for Tamil rights under the pressure of Mano Ganesan and others,
was screaming and denouncing, Mahinda took steps to enrol the Pillayan
soldiers as some kind of police officers and further legitimised the
eastern Tamil regime.
It
automatically got police powers. With all that power, Pillayan has come
to Kandy to get the blessings from the venerable Maha Nayakas. Since
Buddha stood against the Aryan Brahmins for the human rights of
Dravidian Yaksayas nearly 3000 years ago, there is nothing unusual in
getting Buddhist blessings.
After all the
Tamil Nadu Dravidian movement inspired by Periyar is essentially a
Buddhist revival movement.
But the fact
is that the Pillayan regime is backed by Tamil military power and no
one is going to disarm him; if any attempt is made then he should
obviously fight back, tooth and nail.
All that is reality; but my question is why Mahinda, who could give
power to Pillayan, an armed Tamil leader, could not negotiate the same
with Prabha. Prabha offered to accept internal self determination. For
a Marxist it is a meaningless term. However, it was explained as an
offer to work within one country. There after he offered to work in an
interim regime appointed by the President, virtually with the same
powers as Pillayan but of course for the merged NE province.
Military power
Probably he
would have agreed to hold elections under his military power and in
fact the past parliamentary election was held for the North-East under
his military power.
When the
interim regime proposal was rejected, he offered to work in the tsunami
committee appointed by the President with much less power. That was
also rejected.
However, when
Pillayan is given powers while he is still a leader of a Tamil army,
not only Mahinda but the Hela Urumaya, Wimal and Dinesh all appear to
be happy.
So clearly
their opposition is not to a political power with Tamil military
backing, but to a certain socio-politics represented by Prabha. Yes,
there is a serious political difference between the two Tamil leaders.
While
Pillayan agrees with the agenda of Mahinda dictated by the Indian
leaders and the global capital, Prabha does not. Of course Prabha has
said that he will follow the open economy and many confused green card
holders support him, but he is not trusted by the Hanumans of Delhi or
the Yankees of Washington.
Merged or de
merged, power over the Tamil homeland will not be given to Prabha by
these world powers. In fact the proposed Northern Interim Council is to
be appointed as a challenge to Prabha. As it is he can only appeal to
the Dravidian masses and the Left movement the world over.
Will Mahinda
continue to back the authority of the Pillayan Tamil regime? There will
be Sinhala chauvinist campaigns against the Pillayan regime if not led
by Sinhala Urumaya then by the nephew of JR- Ranil.
Chelva was
let down by Banda, Thiru was let down by Dudley, Vartha was let down by
JR; will Pillayan be let down by Mahinda? Is Ranil planning to play the
traditional chauvinist role? Is the proposed JVP general strike going
to back Ranil?
If so Pillayan has only one thing to do. Join Prabha and fight irreconcilably for the separation of Tamil Eelam.