TNA wants India to accept Eelam

Parliament was compelled to adjourn sessions after less than a hour of sittings yesterday (17) when Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians launched a protest campaign inside the well of the House against Monday’s Supreme Court decision to de-merge the northeast.There was pandemonium in parliament when a group of TNA legislators shouted themselves hoarse at the time of commencement of sessions lodging their strong protest against the court ruling to de-merge the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka after 18 years.The chaos that prevailed prevented the scheduled adjourned debate on the Banking Act to be taken up for discussion and had to be referred to a committee stage discussion as a debate became impossible.

When the House met at 9 30 am, the protesting MPs sat on the floor turning their backs to the Chair. Speaker W J M Lokubandara had to be hurriedly ushered in from the back entrance as the protestors prevented his entry. The TNA protesters included Gajen Ponnambalam, Padmini Sithamparanathan, S Kajendran, Nadarajah Raviraj,TELO Leader Selvam Adaikalanathan, Chandrakanth Chandranehru, TELO Muthalvar M K Shivajilingam and Thangeshwari Kathirgamar.The MPs shouted a series of slogans such as "don’t separate the northeast", "do not separate our homeland", " this decision paves the way to Tamil Eelam", down with the Supreme Court", " there will be our own Supreme Court under a Tamil Eelam", "India, accept Tamil Eelam", "India, intervene to settle Tamil grievances" and others.

The protestors also turned their fury towards a helpless Speaker and shouted, " down with the Speaker."Some of the TNA members also shouted slogans in Sinhala "Me adhikaranaya apata epa" (we do not want this judiciary).Amidst the commotion, members presented public petitions and oral questions were answered in haste with most of the answers being tabled by Chief Government Whip, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle due to the prevailing din.When the day’s business was taken up, Speaker Lokubandara solicited the support of the opposition to move the adjourned debate on the Banking (Amendment) Act, as a debate had become a sheer impossibility by then. With a view to postponing the same, the House suspended sittings for 10 minutes at 9.35 a.m to hold a party leaders’ meeting.

When the House resumed at 10.15 a.m, the Speaker announced that the debate had been postponed to a future date. Leader of the House, Nimal Siripala de Silva rushed through nine items contained in the Order Paper in record time.Those so passed included a supplementary estimate on defence amounting to Rs. 109 billion.Others passed were resolutions under the Customs Ordinance, orders and regulations under the Finance Act pertaining to tele drama, films and commercial levies, a notice and an order under the Excise Ordinance, two resolutions under the Appropriation Act and regulations under the Economic Service Charge Act.The government and the opposition reached an agreement to refer the important amendment to the Banking Act to the committee stage debate on a future date.However, the TNA protests had some conspicuous absentees including Group Leader, R Sampanthan, Mavai Senathirajah and M K Eelavendan. The House will meet today at 9 30 am.