"Muslim leaders..."

-Hameed M. Azeem-

In this historically important constitution making process, its the duty of Muslim leaders to come out with their set of proposals to be tabled in the constitutional assembly.

The Muslim populace of this country having a history dated back to 8th century is being the main stakeholders of Eastern province. But it is very sad to note here that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) the political party fighting for the right of Tamils, the first minority of this country, does not show its much interest or being very much reluctant in giving the due shares to Muslims, who are the second minorities. The rationality behind this move is highly suspicious.

The unilateral announcement of TNA leadership on merger of Both Northern and Eastern province without a proper consultation with Muslims shows nothing other than its big brotherly mentality which its very inception ringed the alarm among the Muslim intelligentsia...

But one fact want to be noted here  is that the merger of North east or any solution pertaining to the eastern province can not be achieved at any cost without the consent of Muslims comprising 37% of total Eastern province's 1.6 million population. Muslims being one of the majority communities of Eastern province will never support any arrangement which will shrink their strength to a very weaker position of 17% in the merged north- Eastern province. Above all  they are very much sceptical of this move as it will deny their identity in the national politics.

Because the arrangements of provincial councils apart from being a method of power devolution playing a pivotal role in symbolizing the existing ethnicities of this nation. In the event where seven out of nine provincial councils are represented by sinhale chief ministers and remaining two after merged one pas north-east is represented by a Tamil chief minister, then the srilankan Muslims comprising 10% of country's total population amounting  to 2.2 million will be left with no one to represent.

It will really be a pathetic situation of Muslim politics and it will be left without any shares in the provincial mechanism. That's why the late funder leader of SLMC M.H.M. Ashroff insisted the arrangement of a provincial council by which they can represent themselves in the event of a provincial chief ministers meeting.

And also what is to be noted here with every responsibility is that although leader Ashroff didn't voice against the merger of northern and eastern provinces he was very much skeptical of that move. Although he didn't ask for the de-merger, he repeatedly said that he took this stance only for not to contradict with the interest of Tamils.

That's why he put forwarded some alternative solutions for Muslims without contradicting the interest of Tamils as non-contiguous provincial councils within north-eastern province and later to a south eastern province.

So what we are to note here is that basically Muslims  are not for the merger of provinces. ( not only Muslims even the Sinhalese of Eastern province will never raise their hands for their political fate) They are fairly safe to be under this Eastern provincial council in which they have comparatively biggest role to play than others.

So every effort of merging northern and eastern provinces without consulting the Muslim populace of Eastern province will be futile and if any move pertaining to the political solution for north east problem wants to bear fruit, they, the muslims of Eastern province have to be consulted and with their consent only any solution can be reached.

The suitable solution for Muslims problems will be discussed at the next article.