[Editors note: Mano Ganesan kindly accepted our invitation to respond to Kusal Perera’s article An open discourse with Mano Ganeshan on political honesty.]
This subject of Sarath Fonseka should not be considered as an isolated issue.
Sri Lanka is a sad Republic today as the main democratic opposition party/alliance is unable to find/propose a professional political candidate within from the opposition democratic establishment. It is shameful. But it is the naked truth. A candidate who is with all if not, sizable credentials such as being a member/leader of a major party, party cadre support, countrywide popular support, policy of accommodation towards Tamil speaking minorities, Â acceptance among the minorities, commitments to good governance and media freedom, clean record in view of corruption and human rights, brainy, brave, experience and necessarily a Sinhala Buddhist.
Let us start from me. I very confidently believe that I have THE eligibilities to perform as the president of this country. I can vouch I would be a better president than many who live with such presidential dreams. Â But alas, I am not a Sinhala Buddhist. There ends my dream.
I am not heading a standard NGO in practical sense. (Though a political party is also a NGO) I lead a functioning political party and all the associated organizations. Our party is not one of those major parties but it is also not a so called ‘three wheeler party’. Besides when I talk I not only talk on behalf of our party but also for the vast sections of the Tamil populace of this country. This ‘spokesperson of the Tamils’ tag did not drop from the sky yesterday with the Sarath Fonseka factor. We earned it by our hard, courageous and risky works. It is also due to our unbending stances.
Yes, Kusal is correct, I have a role in national movement for the protection of democracy, media freedom etc. We have performed in solidarity with almost all the national movements for media freedom, democracy, good governance etc. We have taken to roads on these issues than many of the so called ‘major party politicians’.
But we are mainly a party which represents the oppressed Tamil minorities. Not by label but by spirit. Therefore we have to maintain dialogues with all sources. We cannot be always be very ambitious and rigid. We will be wiped off if we refuse to answer all the calls we receive. We cannot be another LTTE. We value engagements. It is a process. It is the sign of a functioning party. There are some comrades who complain. But they are complaining on everything on earth. But for decades they failed to change even a single street let alone the country.
On the other hand, there are many number of Tamil political parties and many number of Tamil leaders who were ‘brave spokespersons of Tamils’ once upon a time. Today nobody is talking. There are no exchange of opinions. No debates at all. A deadly silence is maintained by all Tamil leaders. Total silence since Sarath Fonseka’s name was proposed initially until now that he is ‘considered’ as the common opposition candidate. But we spoke at the appropriate time and initiated a national dialogue in the media, street corners, households, offices, among the political parties etc. A national dialogue on ‘Sarath Fonseka and Tamil people’.
But (therefore) it seems that my ‘mistakes’ here are ‘talking and discussing’.
We have discussions with Sarath Fonseka. We have sent him a set of questions. We will await responses from Sarath Fonseka. We will then decide. Until then we will say that if his answers satisfy us we will decide positively. It is logical. Isn’t it? First let him answer. We are also discussing with the main opposition for alternative candidates. We are also discussing among the Tamil and Muslim parties. There are some efforts made from the government side too for some discussions with me.
It is very unfair to say that I ‘knew’ the answers of Sarath Fonseka even ‘before’ I sent him the questions. We have to go by the rules. This is what you call a dialogue. Kusal virtually demands that I should not even engage in a discussion with Sarath Fonseka. This is way he claims that Kusal and me and many of us ‘know’ the man Sarath Fonseka. Therefore don’t ask questions. That is what he means by saying that I ‘know’ the answers. This is his logic. Kusal fails to understand that there are millions of people in this country who consider Sarath Fonseka as the god sent hero. You cannot simply dismiss this worshippers as communalists. We have to engage with them because we are living with them by sharing the one same country.
Don’t ask questions or engage with him. This is Kusal’s position. Strangely Kusal has company. Please note that there are others too who find fault in me for putting questions to Sarath Fonseka. (plenty of web comments such as, How dare this Mano Ganesan? Â How can he question our Hero?). They are finding fault in me for different reasons.
I reject both positions.
We as a party, (in or out of alliance) would make the appropriate decision at the right time if the presidential elections are announced. We while maintaining our positions keep the options open. Tamils have four options today in respect of the presidential elections. The options are (a) UPFA candidate (b) Common or otherwise opposition candidate (c) A common Tamil candidate (d) Boycott.
We will cross the bridge when it comes. Until then we will engage and discuss.