Wiggie forms own Committee to study national question

The newly formed Tamil People’s Council (TPC) led by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran during a meeting in Jaffna yesterday decided to appoint its own committee to formulate a viable political solution to the national question.

The TPC which has made headway in a short span much to the chagrin of some TNA leaders held a meeting widely attended by political party representatives, academics and civil society organisation members, our correspondent in Jaffna said.

In an ensuing media briefing, Wigneswaran had announced the TPC’s decision to appoint a 15 member committee to study the national question and prepare a report.

Wigneswaran commenting on the initiative had said that the report should be a highly scientific one with all aspects of the issue and the reasons which led to the conflict being looked into.

Wigneswaran had said that the report will also include a set of recommendations and proposals which will be presented to all stakeholders.

He had said that the help of foreign experts and Diaspora groups too would be enlisted when formulating proposals.

The TPC had also discussed the proposed electoral reforms and several other issues related to Tamils in the North.While identifying the TPC as a People’s Council, Wigneswaran had said that the aim was to bring all Tamil political groups and civil society organisations under one roof to ensure Tamil people’s well being and protect their rights.

Meanwhile, Wigneswaran during the interaction with the media also took a dig at some comments made by MP M.A.Sumanthanthiram claiming that the TPC members had entered politics not through the “back door” as claimed by the TNA parliamentarian, but through the “front door”, our correspondents noted.

Wigneswaran had said that the TPC’s aim was not to oppose any political party but to ensure the well-being of the Tamil people.

“Anyone from the TNA or any other political party could join the TPC. Even Douglas Devananda and Ananda Sangaree could join,” Wigneswaran had said.

However, Wigneswaran during the media briefing had refrained from making any comments on talks with Sampanthan on Friday, widely speculated as one-on-one to iron out differences.

Meanwhile, Sumanthiram at a public forum on Saturday said the politicians rejected by the people have formed a Tamil political alliance and it was treading an undemocratic path which could jeopardise the Tamil people’s political aspirations.

He had said that this group was trying to promote policies rejected by the Tamil people while adding that their efforts should be’nipped in the bud’.

It was widely speculated in the Tamil media that Sumanthiram was referring to the TPC.

Sumanthiram had said that the TNA was pursuing a viable solution to overcome the woes of the Tamil people and had added that the newly formed group should not be allowed scuttle such efforts.

Meanwhile, there were conflicting reports about the out come of the meeting between Wigneswaran and TNA and Opposition leader R.Sampanthan on Christmas day.

Sampanthan had told the media that during discussions the two leaders were able to resolve the issues arisen between the two sides. However certain other media quoting sources from Wigneswaran’s side had said that the talks had failed to break the deadlock.

It has been widely speculated that the formation of the new organisation by the Chief Minister would split the TNA led by Sampanthan.

There have been concerns among members of the TNA that the TPC is looking at being an alternative Tamil political party.

Wigneswaran was recently appointed as the leader of the new organisation comprising Tamil politicians and civil society members. The main committee in the TPC includes frontline TNA members Dharmalingham Sidharthan and Suresh Premachandran and Tamil National People’s Front leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. (Daily News)