rapa
11-21-2006, 07:24 PM
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Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President Veerasingham Anandasangaree was awarded the prestigious 2006 UNESCO - Madanjeet Singh prize for the promotion of Tolerance and Non - Violence on Thursday November 16th. The prize - giving ceremony in Paris was held as usual on Nov 16th the International day for tolerance observed annually.
Loyal TULF supporters, family members and well - wishers from different European countries and Canada were in France to be present at the function where the 73 year old veteran Tamil Politician was honoured. The award carries with it an honorarium of $ 100,000 US dollars
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura designated Anandasangaree as the laureate of the 2006 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence some months ago. The decision to award Anandasangaree the prize was made on the recommendation of an international jury.
The members of the jury were: Andrés Pastrana Arango, former President of Colombia; Bahia Hariri, President of the Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Lebanese Parliament; Inder Kumar Gujral, former Prime Minister of India; Sergei Markarov and Manu Dibango, both UNESCO Artists for Peace.
When the name of Anandasangaree was announced as the UNESCO - laureate designate the accompanying press release described the TULF president thus - ' An indefatigable advocate of democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, he has contributed to raising awareness of the Tamil cause in a spirit of dialogue, while seeking to promote non-violent solutions to Sri Lanka and opposing terrorism. '
The $100,000 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize was created in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Mahatma Gandhi, thanks to the generosity of the Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
Dedicated to advancing the spirit of tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communication, the Prize is awarded every two years to an individual or an institution for exceptional contributions in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence.
In 2004, the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence was awarded to the Bangladeshi writer and journalist Taslima Nasreen. Ms Nasreen has received public recognition for her writings against the oppression of women in some Asian countries.Facing death threats from Moslem fundamentalists, she continues fighting in exile for a new civil code, based on gender equality, and for secular education.
In 2002 the award went to Myanmayar (Burma) heroine Aung San Su Kyi who continues to fight an oppressive dictatorial regime through non - violent means. Su Kyi married to an Oxford don could have stayed on in Britain without any problem but chose to sacrifice home and family to return to her homeland and struggle for democracy. Despite her long years of house arrest and indefinite detention of her supporters Aung San Su Kyi and her movement for restoring democracy remain unbowed.
Sangaree as Anandasangaree is generally known in Sri Lanka is not an exile like Taslima or under house arrest like Aung San but certainly his life is under grave threat ever since he started defying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE). The LTTE media has constantly attacked and vilified him as a traitor to the Tamils. Yet the danger to his life may not come from the LTTE alone but also from Tamil outfits aligned to the state.
Most of his former parliamentary colleagues in the TULF have disowned him. Some of his close supporters like former Trincomalee Urban council chairman Suriyamoorthy have been killed and others like ex- Jaffna MMC Muhunthan have been fired at and wounded. Other loyalists have fled the Country in fear.Many TULF members maintain contacts with him clandestinely due to understandable survival instincts.Only some TULF branches abroad openly extend solid support to him.
In that sense Anandasangaree is a lonely man. This is not the loneliness of being at the top but the loneliness brought about by adhering to one`s principles and advocating unpopular causes. There are no mobs to cheer him or garland him.There are no peddlers of influence around him. There is always some Tamil media organ or website attacking him. Privately many will admit that the man is right and admire his courage but publicly they will remain silent at best and abusive at worst.
Those travelling along this straight but narrow path are almost always lonely.They only have the courage of their convictions and the understanding of a few to sustain them. This writer understands Sangaree`s situation well because he too has in his own way experienced it in the past and is experiencing it in the present and will experience it in the future too. In that respect we may be kindred souls. It is this sense of empathy which led me to support Sangaree through these columns at a time when he was fighting a lost battle against a LTTE instigated intra - party attempt to de- throne him.
At a time when the TULF was under grave threat from the LTTE it was Sangaree who rallied the party around and provided moral strength to withstand the pressure. He planted himself in Jaffna and spearheaded the Jaffna municipal poll campaign. It was this success which helped the TULF restore lost prestige and regain a firm footing in Jaffna politics again.
Then the LTTE killed two TULF mayor and a mayoral aspirant. Again it was Sangaree who held the party together and with the help of his erstwhile protegee Nadarajah Raviraj as acting mayor kept running the Jaffna municipality.If Raviraj had declined the mayoralty or been killed then Sangaree was prepared to become Jaffna mayor himself and defy LTTE diktat.
This writer was also witness to another incident in Toronto in 2000 which illustrated the man`s courage and dedication to the party. Sangaree was in Canada when elections to were announced in Sri Lanka. He was preparing to return and take charge of the election campaign. This was a time when the TNA had not been formed and the TULF faced danger from both the LTTE and EPDP. His daughter was pleading with him not to go back but stay on in Canada. Sangaree refused but kept on repeating 'Whatever the danger I must face it. If we dont contest that is the end of our party'.
Yet the very same TULF which owed its current existence to this man`s courage and dedication turned against him when the LTTE wanted him out. When Sangaree was fighting a lone battle against those who wanted him out at the behest of the LTTE there was no media support for him. Many newspapers now singing hosannahs to him for taking on the LTTE ignored this man then. I think they did not fully comprehend what was going on then
It was at this time that this column supported Sangaree and gave much publicity to his struggle within the party. This was not due to my personal relationship with him alone. In fact I had many, many close friends in the TULF with whom I became estranged because of my support to Sangaree. My stance was due to two reasons. One was that I felt he was right in standing up to the LTTE. The other was that I felt his colleagues had treated him shamefully and that as an underdog he had to be supported.
Sadly Sangaree`s problems with the LTTE began because he stood up for the party and discouraged the tigers from interfering too much in TULF matters. When Anton Balasingham made insulting remarks about the TULF it was Sangaree then in Canada who issued an effective rejoinder. The TULF rank and file was overjoyed by Sangaree`s defiance. The late Raviraj stated publicly at the TULF meeting that it was Sangaree who salvaged the self - respect of the party. This was the beginning of the dispute between the LTTE and Sangaree. Yet when the LTTE exerted pressure the TULF bigwigs shamelessly threw Sangaree to the wolves or in this case the tigers.
When Anandasangaree succeeded Murugesu Sivasithamparam as TULF president in June 2002 this writer wrote an article in 'The Sunday Leader' of June 30th 2002 under the heading 'Former Trotskyite now leads the TULF'. This was before Sangaree`s problems with the LTTE . The last paragraph in that article is reproduced here as it heralded subsequent course of events.
'Anandasangaree takes over the TULF reins at a critical phase in the island`s politics. His party itself has accepted the overall dominance of the LTTE. Given Sangaree`s fiery independent streak it is very likely that the TULF while backing the LTTE politically would also try and retain some functional autonomy. That however depends on the extent to which his party colleagues will co-operate with him. If such enlightened unity and support is not rendered the ex-Trotskyite may very well be presiding over the swan song of the TULF.'
This is exactly what happened. While being supportive of the LTTE politically Sangaree tried to adopt an independent stance with self - respect for the TULF. His colleagues instead of supporting him became acolytes of the LTTE and betrayed their leader. They tried to remove him from Presidential office and expel him from the party. The matter went before courts. The TULF is now deprived of its identity and symbol. Sangaree is now the last of the Independent TULF old guard and the party swan song is on.
If Sangaree`s valiant fight within the TULF was a courageous feat the man displayed a rare fighting ability after his defeat. Instead of slinking into political oblivion with tail tucked between hind legs or going out to pasture with his children in Britain, Canada or Denmark Anandasangaree chose to remain in Colombo and fight it out. Instead of keeping mum or adopting the path of least resistance Sangaree opted to take the bull by its horns or the tiger by its jaws.
Sangaree has always been a brave fighter. Contesting as a 26 year old man from Jaffna against UNP Colombo Mayor VA Sugathadasa in 1959; parachuting as an unknown outsider into the unknown Kilinochchi in 1960 as LSSP candidate. Going against his two Tamil Congress parliamentary colleagues and voting against the 1972 Constitution. Combatting the 'power' campaign of SLFP Tamil cabinet minister Chelliah Kumarasuriar in 1977. Engaging in bitter acrimony with fellow TULF members over his demand to carve out Kilinochchi as a separate district from that of Jaffna.Defying the LTTE during Jaffna municipal elections and its aftermath. Resisting his ouster from TULF boldly instead of caving in to tiger pressure etc are all indicators of Sangaree`s courage and determination.
His finest hours however have come during his twilight years as a septugenarian. Sangaree has been struggling to keep the party alive amidst great adversity. He sold his jeep and some other personal assets to keep the party afloat. Some loyal TULF members, supporters and personal admirers have been chipping in to provide additional finances. He also fights many legal battles relating to politics.
What has been remarkable about the man is his dogged determination to articulate his viewpoint and advocate a negotiated settlement to the ethnic crisis on federal lines. He speaks out against the war and wants the problem to be resolved peacefully.Sangaree admires the Indian model and wants Sri Lanka to follow that example. He wants ethnic amity and harmony based on justice and equality.
Anandasangaree is a man with a mission. He has two goals. One is to ensure that Sri Lankans in general and Tamils in particular live in peace, equality and amity. For this he sees a federal set up on the Indian model as the solution. Secondly he wants the Tamil people to be truly free. For this he wants the iron grip of the LTTE to be relaxed. He wants the LTTE to reform or face consequences.
While there are many voices within the Tamil nationalist spectrum and among the human rights community to condemn the state and its minions there are comparatively few voices amidst Tamils who criticise the LTTE. The tiger is a holy cow for most Tamils and few Tamils dare to differ let alone criticise it. It has become in the words of famed Tamil poet Subramania Bharathy the ' Pesaap Porul' or unspeakable theme.
But not for Sangaree. He has been wading into these dangerous waters without hesitation. He has been branded traitor and a knave and as a man who has sold out and as one who has sold his soul etc. Yet he firmly stands his ground continuing to do what he thinks is right. By doing so he has touched on many issues that are 'untouchable' among Tamil political and media circles. Sangaree has also succeeded in giving voice to the unexpressed sentiments of the silenced Tamil majority . He is often the voice of the voiceless Tamils.
Sangaree like the mythical Sisyphus keeps trying to roll the boulder upwards not only with Tamil hardliners but also with Sinhala hawks. He has engaged in discussions with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya. He has met with UNP and SLFP leaders. He has interacted with Indian, Norwegian, Canadian and officials of other Countries. His passion is for a federal solution where all communities could co-exist peacefully.
He has given innumerable media interviews. Most of them are about the need for a federal solution and the necessity to ensure human rights, democracy and plurality among Tamils. Sangaree also writes letters emphasising these points to a number of people. His one to one letters to 'Thamby' Prabakaran the LTTE leader are notable epistles.
Sangaree is now 73. He told me recently that he has now written 71 letters. There is little doubt that he would score a century in letter writing soon. His followers are planning to publish them in a book. It would I am sure provide a penetrative insight into the politics of our times.
I have not agreed with some of the views he has expressed. There are some with which I concur but fault the man for the manner in which he has said it and the wrong sense of political timing. We have had heated discussions at times but Sangaree sticks to his guns. His final point is something with which the argument ends ' Jeya I am now in my seventies. I cant change now. You have to adjust'.
One thing he makes clear is that he seeks no political office. 'If it was an MP seat that I wanted I could have simply held 'pandam' like my other friends and been MP' he says. 'What I want is for my people to be truly free and enjoy equal rights. They must also have human rights and democracy' Sangaree says. Anandasangaree knows that the LTTE will not allow him to become an elected MP. At the same time he does not want to be align with the ruling party and obtain office.
I have been uncomfortable about his seeming reluctance to criticise the Government and armed forces while rushing hastily at times to condemn the LTTE. His criticism of Sinhala hardliners too has been mild. Whenever I ask him to comment from a Tamil perspective as he is TULF president Sangaree counters it by saying that in his view the LTTE is the greater danger to the Tamils and the least criticised by Tamils. He therefore takes the tigers on because the greater necessity from his perspective is for healthy criticism of the tigers to be articulated by Tamils. Also he says he is trying to build bridges and therefore needs to go slow in taking them on for the moment.
I do not know whether Sangaree is right in this or not. Only time can tell. Posterity may uphold his view or reject it. Earlier when he was optimistic about converting the JVP and JHU to federalism I was pessimistic. Nowadays Sangaree too has lost much of the initial enthusiasm. One does not know whether Velupillai Pirapakarans unshakeable conviction that the 'Sinhala' state will never be just by the Tamils and that a separate Country through armed struggle will be proved right in the long run. But people like Anandasangaree are entitled to their dreams and work politically to make them come true. Neither the LTTE nor the EPDP can snuff out someone`s life for holding or supporting different viewpoints.
While being critical of the LTTE it must be noted that Sangaree remains independent. He has not aligned with the Government or any Sinhala party. He also tries to keep a political distance between himself and Tamil parties working as paramilitaries. Sangaree also declined the offer of a national list MP nomination made by the JHU. Many Southern politicians and journals are appreciative of him because of his stance vis a vis the LTTE. But they are lukewarm when he advocates federalism. Sangaree knows the reality and continues to promote his political mission. He is given state protection because he is sorely in need of it. Otherwise he would have been exterminated long ago. This situation may compromise his independence to some extent but does the man have any choice'
His abhorrence of war and espousal of non - violence stems very much from very personal loss, suffering and pain. Sangaree has lost many relatives to political violence and terror. His elder brother Rajasangaree was the chairman of Chavakachcheri Citizens committee during the Indian Army period. Rajasangaree spoke out against Indian army atrocities and was killed by the EPRLF on Oct 26th 1987.
Anandasangaree`s younger brother Gnanasangaree was killed in Kilinochchi by the LTTE for criticing the tigers publicly. This happened on Feb 10th 1988. Two of Gnanasangaree`s sons spoke out publicly against their father`s killing. They were taken away by the tigers for questioning. They never returned.
Another brother Ganeshasangaree`s son was Yogasangaree. This nephew of Anandasangaree was elected as an EPRLF member of Parliament for Jaffna district in 1989. On June 19th 1990 Yogasangaree was in Madras for an EPRLF meeting at Kodambakkam with Secretary - General Padmanabha. LTTE assassins suddenly entered and sprayed the hall with machine gun fire. Fourteen including Padmanabha and Yogasangaree died.
In the final analysis the award is also an implicit recognition of the justice of the Tamil cause and Anandasangaree`s espousal of it. Sangaree was honoured not only because of his advocacy of an alternative point of view to that of the LTTE. It is also an endorsement of his efforts to convince the majority community of the need for a federal solution. Let us hope then that becoming a UNESCO laureate would strengthen Anandasangaree to continue with his worthwhile mission.
Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President Veerasingham Anandasangaree was awarded the prestigious 2006 UNESCO - Madanjeet Singh prize for the promotion of Tolerance and Non - Violence on Thursday November 16th. The prize - giving ceremony in Paris was held as usual on Nov 16th the International day for tolerance observed annually.
Loyal TULF supporters, family members and well - wishers from different European countries and Canada were in France to be present at the function where the 73 year old veteran Tamil Politician was honoured. The award carries with it an honorarium of $ 100,000 US dollars
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura designated Anandasangaree as the laureate of the 2006 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence some months ago. The decision to award Anandasangaree the prize was made on the recommendation of an international jury.
The members of the jury were: Andrés Pastrana Arango, former President of Colombia; Bahia Hariri, President of the Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Lebanese Parliament; Inder Kumar Gujral, former Prime Minister of India; Sergei Markarov and Manu Dibango, both UNESCO Artists for Peace.
When the name of Anandasangaree was announced as the UNESCO - laureate designate the accompanying press release described the TULF president thus - ' An indefatigable advocate of democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, he has contributed to raising awareness of the Tamil cause in a spirit of dialogue, while seeking to promote non-violent solutions to Sri Lanka and opposing terrorism. '
The $100,000 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize was created in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Mahatma Gandhi, thanks to the generosity of the Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
Dedicated to advancing the spirit of tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communication, the Prize is awarded every two years to an individual or an institution for exceptional contributions in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence.
In 2004, the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence was awarded to the Bangladeshi writer and journalist Taslima Nasreen. Ms Nasreen has received public recognition for her writings against the oppression of women in some Asian countries.Facing death threats from Moslem fundamentalists, she continues fighting in exile for a new civil code, based on gender equality, and for secular education.
In 2002 the award went to Myanmayar (Burma) heroine Aung San Su Kyi who continues to fight an oppressive dictatorial regime through non - violent means. Su Kyi married to an Oxford don could have stayed on in Britain without any problem but chose to sacrifice home and family to return to her homeland and struggle for democracy. Despite her long years of house arrest and indefinite detention of her supporters Aung San Su Kyi and her movement for restoring democracy remain unbowed.
Sangaree as Anandasangaree is generally known in Sri Lanka is not an exile like Taslima or under house arrest like Aung San but certainly his life is under grave threat ever since he started defying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE). The LTTE media has constantly attacked and vilified him as a traitor to the Tamils. Yet the danger to his life may not come from the LTTE alone but also from Tamil outfits aligned to the state.
Most of his former parliamentary colleagues in the TULF have disowned him. Some of his close supporters like former Trincomalee Urban council chairman Suriyamoorthy have been killed and others like ex- Jaffna MMC Muhunthan have been fired at and wounded. Other loyalists have fled the Country in fear.Many TULF members maintain contacts with him clandestinely due to understandable survival instincts.Only some TULF branches abroad openly extend solid support to him.
In that sense Anandasangaree is a lonely man. This is not the loneliness of being at the top but the loneliness brought about by adhering to one`s principles and advocating unpopular causes. There are no mobs to cheer him or garland him.There are no peddlers of influence around him. There is always some Tamil media organ or website attacking him. Privately many will admit that the man is right and admire his courage but publicly they will remain silent at best and abusive at worst.
Those travelling along this straight but narrow path are almost always lonely.They only have the courage of their convictions and the understanding of a few to sustain them. This writer understands Sangaree`s situation well because he too has in his own way experienced it in the past and is experiencing it in the present and will experience it in the future too. In that respect we may be kindred souls. It is this sense of empathy which led me to support Sangaree through these columns at a time when he was fighting a lost battle against a LTTE instigated intra - party attempt to de- throne him.
At a time when the TULF was under grave threat from the LTTE it was Sangaree who rallied the party around and provided moral strength to withstand the pressure. He planted himself in Jaffna and spearheaded the Jaffna municipal poll campaign. It was this success which helped the TULF restore lost prestige and regain a firm footing in Jaffna politics again.
Then the LTTE killed two TULF mayor and a mayoral aspirant. Again it was Sangaree who held the party together and with the help of his erstwhile protegee Nadarajah Raviraj as acting mayor kept running the Jaffna municipality.If Raviraj had declined the mayoralty or been killed then Sangaree was prepared to become Jaffna mayor himself and defy LTTE diktat.
This writer was also witness to another incident in Toronto in 2000 which illustrated the man`s courage and dedication to the party. Sangaree was in Canada when elections to were announced in Sri Lanka. He was preparing to return and take charge of the election campaign. This was a time when the TNA had not been formed and the TULF faced danger from both the LTTE and EPDP. His daughter was pleading with him not to go back but stay on in Canada. Sangaree refused but kept on repeating 'Whatever the danger I must face it. If we dont contest that is the end of our party'.
Yet the very same TULF which owed its current existence to this man`s courage and dedication turned against him when the LTTE wanted him out. When Sangaree was fighting a lone battle against those who wanted him out at the behest of the LTTE there was no media support for him. Many newspapers now singing hosannahs to him for taking on the LTTE ignored this man then. I think they did not fully comprehend what was going on then
It was at this time that this column supported Sangaree and gave much publicity to his struggle within the party. This was not due to my personal relationship with him alone. In fact I had many, many close friends in the TULF with whom I became estranged because of my support to Sangaree. My stance was due to two reasons. One was that I felt he was right in standing up to the LTTE. The other was that I felt his colleagues had treated him shamefully and that as an underdog he had to be supported.
Sadly Sangaree`s problems with the LTTE began because he stood up for the party and discouraged the tigers from interfering too much in TULF matters. When Anton Balasingham made insulting remarks about the TULF it was Sangaree then in Canada who issued an effective rejoinder. The TULF rank and file was overjoyed by Sangaree`s defiance. The late Raviraj stated publicly at the TULF meeting that it was Sangaree who salvaged the self - respect of the party. This was the beginning of the dispute between the LTTE and Sangaree. Yet when the LTTE exerted pressure the TULF bigwigs shamelessly threw Sangaree to the wolves or in this case the tigers.
When Anandasangaree succeeded Murugesu Sivasithamparam as TULF president in June 2002 this writer wrote an article in 'The Sunday Leader' of June 30th 2002 under the heading 'Former Trotskyite now leads the TULF'. This was before Sangaree`s problems with the LTTE . The last paragraph in that article is reproduced here as it heralded subsequent course of events.
'Anandasangaree takes over the TULF reins at a critical phase in the island`s politics. His party itself has accepted the overall dominance of the LTTE. Given Sangaree`s fiery independent streak it is very likely that the TULF while backing the LTTE politically would also try and retain some functional autonomy. That however depends on the extent to which his party colleagues will co-operate with him. If such enlightened unity and support is not rendered the ex-Trotskyite may very well be presiding over the swan song of the TULF.'
This is exactly what happened. While being supportive of the LTTE politically Sangaree tried to adopt an independent stance with self - respect for the TULF. His colleagues instead of supporting him became acolytes of the LTTE and betrayed their leader. They tried to remove him from Presidential office and expel him from the party. The matter went before courts. The TULF is now deprived of its identity and symbol. Sangaree is now the last of the Independent TULF old guard and the party swan song is on.
If Sangaree`s valiant fight within the TULF was a courageous feat the man displayed a rare fighting ability after his defeat. Instead of slinking into political oblivion with tail tucked between hind legs or going out to pasture with his children in Britain, Canada or Denmark Anandasangaree chose to remain in Colombo and fight it out. Instead of keeping mum or adopting the path of least resistance Sangaree opted to take the bull by its horns or the tiger by its jaws.
Sangaree has always been a brave fighter. Contesting as a 26 year old man from Jaffna against UNP Colombo Mayor VA Sugathadasa in 1959; parachuting as an unknown outsider into the unknown Kilinochchi in 1960 as LSSP candidate. Going against his two Tamil Congress parliamentary colleagues and voting against the 1972 Constitution. Combatting the 'power' campaign of SLFP Tamil cabinet minister Chelliah Kumarasuriar in 1977. Engaging in bitter acrimony with fellow TULF members over his demand to carve out Kilinochchi as a separate district from that of Jaffna.Defying the LTTE during Jaffna municipal elections and its aftermath. Resisting his ouster from TULF boldly instead of caving in to tiger pressure etc are all indicators of Sangaree`s courage and determination.
His finest hours however have come during his twilight years as a septugenarian. Sangaree has been struggling to keep the party alive amidst great adversity. He sold his jeep and some other personal assets to keep the party afloat. Some loyal TULF members, supporters and personal admirers have been chipping in to provide additional finances. He also fights many legal battles relating to politics.
What has been remarkable about the man is his dogged determination to articulate his viewpoint and advocate a negotiated settlement to the ethnic crisis on federal lines. He speaks out against the war and wants the problem to be resolved peacefully.Sangaree admires the Indian model and wants Sri Lanka to follow that example. He wants ethnic amity and harmony based on justice and equality.
Anandasangaree is a man with a mission. He has two goals. One is to ensure that Sri Lankans in general and Tamils in particular live in peace, equality and amity. For this he sees a federal set up on the Indian model as the solution. Secondly he wants the Tamil people to be truly free. For this he wants the iron grip of the LTTE to be relaxed. He wants the LTTE to reform or face consequences.
While there are many voices within the Tamil nationalist spectrum and among the human rights community to condemn the state and its minions there are comparatively few voices amidst Tamils who criticise the LTTE. The tiger is a holy cow for most Tamils and few Tamils dare to differ let alone criticise it. It has become in the words of famed Tamil poet Subramania Bharathy the ' Pesaap Porul' or unspeakable theme.
But not for Sangaree. He has been wading into these dangerous waters without hesitation. He has been branded traitor and a knave and as a man who has sold out and as one who has sold his soul etc. Yet he firmly stands his ground continuing to do what he thinks is right. By doing so he has touched on many issues that are 'untouchable' among Tamil political and media circles. Sangaree has also succeeded in giving voice to the unexpressed sentiments of the silenced Tamil majority . He is often the voice of the voiceless Tamils.
Sangaree like the mythical Sisyphus keeps trying to roll the boulder upwards not only with Tamil hardliners but also with Sinhala hawks. He has engaged in discussions with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya. He has met with UNP and SLFP leaders. He has interacted with Indian, Norwegian, Canadian and officials of other Countries. His passion is for a federal solution where all communities could co-exist peacefully.
He has given innumerable media interviews. Most of them are about the need for a federal solution and the necessity to ensure human rights, democracy and plurality among Tamils. Sangaree also writes letters emphasising these points to a number of people. His one to one letters to 'Thamby' Prabakaran the LTTE leader are notable epistles.
Sangaree is now 73. He told me recently that he has now written 71 letters. There is little doubt that he would score a century in letter writing soon. His followers are planning to publish them in a book. It would I am sure provide a penetrative insight into the politics of our times.
I have not agreed with some of the views he has expressed. There are some with which I concur but fault the man for the manner in which he has said it and the wrong sense of political timing. We have had heated discussions at times but Sangaree sticks to his guns. His final point is something with which the argument ends ' Jeya I am now in my seventies. I cant change now. You have to adjust'.
One thing he makes clear is that he seeks no political office. 'If it was an MP seat that I wanted I could have simply held 'pandam' like my other friends and been MP' he says. 'What I want is for my people to be truly free and enjoy equal rights. They must also have human rights and democracy' Sangaree says. Anandasangaree knows that the LTTE will not allow him to become an elected MP. At the same time he does not want to be align with the ruling party and obtain office.
I have been uncomfortable about his seeming reluctance to criticise the Government and armed forces while rushing hastily at times to condemn the LTTE. His criticism of Sinhala hardliners too has been mild. Whenever I ask him to comment from a Tamil perspective as he is TULF president Sangaree counters it by saying that in his view the LTTE is the greater danger to the Tamils and the least criticised by Tamils. He therefore takes the tigers on because the greater necessity from his perspective is for healthy criticism of the tigers to be articulated by Tamils. Also he says he is trying to build bridges and therefore needs to go slow in taking them on for the moment.
I do not know whether Sangaree is right in this or not. Only time can tell. Posterity may uphold his view or reject it. Earlier when he was optimistic about converting the JVP and JHU to federalism I was pessimistic. Nowadays Sangaree too has lost much of the initial enthusiasm. One does not know whether Velupillai Pirapakarans unshakeable conviction that the 'Sinhala' state will never be just by the Tamils and that a separate Country through armed struggle will be proved right in the long run. But people like Anandasangaree are entitled to their dreams and work politically to make them come true. Neither the LTTE nor the EPDP can snuff out someone`s life for holding or supporting different viewpoints.
While being critical of the LTTE it must be noted that Sangaree remains independent. He has not aligned with the Government or any Sinhala party. He also tries to keep a political distance between himself and Tamil parties working as paramilitaries. Sangaree also declined the offer of a national list MP nomination made by the JHU. Many Southern politicians and journals are appreciative of him because of his stance vis a vis the LTTE. But they are lukewarm when he advocates federalism. Sangaree knows the reality and continues to promote his political mission. He is given state protection because he is sorely in need of it. Otherwise he would have been exterminated long ago. This situation may compromise his independence to some extent but does the man have any choice'
His abhorrence of war and espousal of non - violence stems very much from very personal loss, suffering and pain. Sangaree has lost many relatives to political violence and terror. His elder brother Rajasangaree was the chairman of Chavakachcheri Citizens committee during the Indian Army period. Rajasangaree spoke out against Indian army atrocities and was killed by the EPRLF on Oct 26th 1987.
Anandasangaree`s younger brother Gnanasangaree was killed in Kilinochchi by the LTTE for criticing the tigers publicly. This happened on Feb 10th 1988. Two of Gnanasangaree`s sons spoke out publicly against their father`s killing. They were taken away by the tigers for questioning. They never returned.
Another brother Ganeshasangaree`s son was Yogasangaree. This nephew of Anandasangaree was elected as an EPRLF member of Parliament for Jaffna district in 1989. On June 19th 1990 Yogasangaree was in Madras for an EPRLF meeting at Kodambakkam with Secretary - General Padmanabha. LTTE assassins suddenly entered and sprayed the hall with machine gun fire. Fourteen including Padmanabha and Yogasangaree died.
In the final analysis the award is also an implicit recognition of the justice of the Tamil cause and Anandasangaree`s espousal of it. Sangaree was honoured not only because of his advocacy of an alternative point of view to that of the LTTE. It is also an endorsement of his efforts to convince the majority community of the need for a federal solution. Let us hope then that becoming a UNESCO laureate would strengthen Anandasangaree to continue with his worthwhile mission.