INTERVIEWS

"As long as I am alive, Pirapaharan
knows I will obstruct his way"

EPDP Leader Douglas Devanada who was the target of last week's failed suicide attack said that he continues have links with renegade Tiger commander Karuna and that Karuna has kept in touch with him even after the assassination attempt. Devanada said that he was advising Karuna to form a new political party.  By Jamila Najmuddin    Q: What are your views on the ISGA proposals? A: When the UPFA government came into power, the President agreed to continue the peace talks with the LTTE. The LTTE later demanded that the talks should continue only on the ISGA proposals, demanding that the government accept the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamils. When we asked for an ISGA in the early '90s, the LTTE said that the EPDP were traitors and R. Sambanthan said in parliament that if an interim administration was given, it would derail the entire process.

Devananda - "I am in touch with Karuna"

Today he himself is demanding an interim administration. Now our view is that the interim administration should be based on the final solution. Without the final solution, they cannot have the interim administration. The outcome of the ISGA would only be strengthening the LTTE for self rule.

Q: Do you support and encourage Karuna to enter politics?

A: I only support Karuna in a democratic process and definitely support and encourage him to enter politics. However, I do not support all his other activities. The same way that we entered politics and formed a party of our own, I am willing to help Karuna form his own party. Today, even if Pirapaharan is willing to form a party and enter Sri Lankan politics, I am willing to support him because I strongly feel that it is only through a democratic process that this entire problem could be solved. I also encourage Karuna to enter politics in the national interest.

Q: Do you and the government share the same views about the LTTE?

A: Though some of my views on the ISGA and the LTTE may defer from the government, I support each move made by the President and will continue supporting her till a permanent solution is reached to this ethnic issue. The government and I have different views on the LTTE.

Q: How do these views differ?

A: First of all, I will not accept the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamils. They conduct their activities in an undemocratic manner. Today, everyone knows that at the April general elections, polling in Jaffna was not free and fair because of the LTTE rigging the polling booths.

Q: What part does India play in the peace discussions?

A: Without India we cannot solve this ethnic issue. Without India's support or without India's participation we cannot proceed with discussions. India should take part in every nook and corner of the process. Since India has been involved in this problem since the very beginning, they can handle this problem and play and important role in the peace process.

India should also play a much higher role than any other country.

Q: What could you say about Wednesday's bomb blast in which you were supposed to be the target?

A: This is not the first time that the LTTE has tried to kill me and this was definitely not an unexpected incident. Even after the ceasefire agreement was signed, the LTTE continued with its killings. If the LTTE wanted they could have shot me but they could not do this. They have tried several times to kill me and since they thought that they got a chance once again they tried to kill me through explosives.

Q: The LTTE suicide bomber was accompanied by another woman who is currently in police custody? Who is she, and what past contacts did she have with the EPDP?

A: Her name is Sathya Leela and she was like a double agent having contacts with the LTTE and the EPDP both. She played a double role and she was involved with the EPDP for about three to four months. Just before the elections, she was involved as a party helper helping in the EPDP election campaigning. However I knew her before the elections as she was a pre-school teacher.

Q: What exactly happened on Wednesday?

A: Since Wednesday is a public day, a lot of people visit me to help solve their problems. Sathya Leela came to my house to meet me with the suicide bomber. Since she is a mother of two, she was allowed inside the house. After some time, my security personnel told me that there was another woman with Sathya Leela who was not willing to go through the routine checking. It immediately clicked to me that this woman was there to kill me, but whether it was a bomb or pistol, I did not know. If it was a pistol we could have tackled her easily. I did not tell anyone and I informed the security personnel to inform Sathya Leela and the suicide bomber to leave as I was feeling unwell. As soon as the suicide bomber was outside the house, I told my men to follow her and immediately informed the Colpetty police. However, I could not tell the exact details to the Colpetty OIC whether the woman might be carrying explosives, as I was surrounded by people at the Ministry. If I did have a chance, I would have told the OIC to take this woman to an open area and check her so that even if she exploded herself no one would be hurt.

When the suicide bomber was inside my house, she came into the room next to the one I was seated in. If she had known that I was in the other room, she would have exploded herself and I would be dead.

Q: How did you feel after you knew that you were the target of the bomb?

A: I am very used to this, as this is not the first time that the LTTE has tried to kill me. All what Pirpaharan wants today is a separate state. Till Douglas Devananda is alive he knows that I will always obstruct his way.

I have always asked the President to provide me with a bigger house as the house which I currently live in is quite small and the President had agreed as well. But since Minister Anura Bandaranaike's secretary objected to this idea, I was never given a bigger property.

Q: Do you still continue to have contacts with Karuna and has he contacted you after the explosion on Wednesday ?

A: I have continued to have telephone conversations with Karuna.

Q: Where is Karuna right now?

A: He is in Sri Lanka and in Batticaloa.

Q:  If talks were to fail and war was to erupt in the near future, how safe is Colombo and what is the LTTE most likely to target?

A: I am confident that war is not going to erupt in the future, so the question of where or who the LTTE is going to attack first does not arise at all. LTTE may carry out many political assassinations but they are in no position to start war once again. To start the war would be like the entire sky collapsing and I am confident that this can be handled without going back to war.

Q: Rumours have begun to spread that you planned this entire attack in order to sling mud at the LTTE and the UNF?

A: I have not heard of any such nonsense and since you are the person who has heard this rumour then it must be The Sunday Leader that has started such a rumour. That is all nonsense. This is a planned accusation by your newspaper.

Q: At a time when the government is distancing itself from the Karuna faction, you continue to have contacts with Karuna. The TNA is accusing you of having double standards.

A: There is no party called the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). In my view they are called the Tiger Nominated Agents. I have the right to encourage any one to enter politics and being a member of the cabinet of a government where a number of political parties are involved , we are entitled to our own views and actions. We are an independent political Tamil party. The President has never said that this action or this attitude of ours is wrong and all she has told me is that I should be careful, not of Karuna, but because I am the main target of the LTTE.

I feel that Karuna should enter mainstream politics in order for the betterment of the country's economy. As for the LTTE, Pirapaharan should be spoken to only in a language he can understand. This is either by arms or discussions.