P. Chandrasekaran

CHENNAI: The 17-year-old Up Country People's and Workers' Front, a breakaway group of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), is willing to work together with the parent body to ``counter attempts to weaken'' political bodies working for people of Indian origin.

In an interview to The Hindu here on Tuesday, P. Chandrasekaran, president of the Front, who is the Minister of Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication in Sri Lanka, says discussions in this regard have been held with the Indo-Ceylon Community Council, an organisation comprising members of the business community. The Council conveyed to him that CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman, also a Minister in the Sri Lankan Government, was receptive to the idea.

Asked whether he would meet Mr. Thondaman, Mr. Chandrasekaran replied that he planned to do so after his return to the island-nation.

Explaining the background for his initiative, he said that though the Sinhalese political class did not overtly express its intentions, it did not favour a situation where political organisations representing people of Indian origin were strong.

As to how the two organisations would work together, Mr. Chandrasekaran said that initially the two could form a common platform. If needed, at a later date, there could be a merger.

The existing boundaries of constituencies of parliament and provincial councils were drawn up during the British era and they remained unchanged. There should be constituencies where people of Indian origin were in the majority.

Given their population, the people of Indian origin could have 16 representatives in Parliament. But, because of divisions, there were not even four or five parliamentarians. There should be at least one provincial council under the control of the people of Indian origin. Besides, economic-development of the people would be another area of common interest.

When the issue of redrawing of boundaries was taken up with the Central Government, there was no opposition to the idea per se, but the powers-that-be did not want to pursue it as they knew that the political bodies for the people were not united.

Mr. Chandrasekaran appealed to India to give ``friendly advice'' to Sri Lankan to act on the demands of the people of Indian origin.

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