Long awaited somersault of Ceylon Workers Congress and the Upcountry Tamil Front have taken place in the political arena of Colombo. Arumugam Thondaman, the Leader of CWC, has followed the footsteps of his grand father whose slogan had been “always on the government side”.

It is a great achievement for Arumugam Thondaman to have crossed over to the government side holding hands with Chandrasekaran, the leader of the Upcountry Tamil Front, who had been shouting loud during peace times that the upcountry youths were prepared to rally behind Prabaharan, the LTTE leader.

These two leaders have fallen a prey to the menial democracy and politics of the South to offer the bonus of a portfolio for every somersault. As the number of somersault swell, the President is in a dilemma to find adequate number of Ministries to turncoats.

Arumugan-Chandrasekaran Alliance has crossed over with 9 members and got two ministries and two deputy ministries from the President. One does not know what Sellasami, Puthirasigamy and Jegatheswaran, who did not get any posts, would do.

Arumugam- Chandrasekaran alliance has taken this decision at a crucial period in Sri Lankan politics. It was not long ago that CWC MP Vadivel Suresh joined the government and became a minister. It was at a time when there was no confrontation by the government with the Tamils. At that time the CWC leader condemned it very strongly.

Arumugan and Chandrasekaran have strengthened the hands of the government at a time when an undeclared war is unleashed in the North-East.

This implies that the CWC and UPF will also have to share collective responsibility hereafter for the acts of violence against the Tamils in the North-East by the Sri Lankan government.

These two parties will give excuses for their new grouping with the government. They may say they joined the government to save it falling into the hands of Sinhala chauvinism. They may say they joined the government to serve their people and to ensure the security of the upcountry Tamils in the event of a full scale war. They may even say the North-East Tamils boycotted Presidential polls without any concern for the Upcountry Tamils. Time alone can say whether such reasons hold good.

On hindsight one is tempted to question the motive behind their earlier outburst for a wider Tamil Nationalism expressing solidarity with the LTTE, at a time when the government was reluctant to offer any ministries to them and was perusing the files containing allegations and corruption against them.

If the slogan was a calculated move for brokering Cabinet ranks ultimately, then it is unpardonable. It means they made use of Tamil liberation struggle for their narrow parochial politics.

If so, Arumugan and chandrasekaran need to be asked: “What has happened to your call for a wider Tamil National Alliance? Have you abdicated it for the carrots of portfolios?”

An English translation of the Editorial in Udhayan, a Tamil daily, based in Jaffna

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