12.10.2008
By Shanika SRIYANANDA
shanika@sundayobserver.lk
The
time is not good for tigers. While the four-legged-Tigers
are on the brink of extinction, the two-legged Tigers
are being chased further into the jungles of Mullaithivu.
Going by the natural phenomenon, Sri Lanka’s first
ever political party, which has the word ‘Tiger’
and used a tiger as their party symbol - the Tamil Makkal
Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) is to get a fresh look soon.
The TMVP (Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers) will
rename their political party and drop the word ‘Tiger’.
The TMVP Leader Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, the new
MP, told the Sunday Observer that they have decided to
rename the TMVP mainly to get the help of the people of
the South.
“I
have discussed this matter with the Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and also with my friends in the South
and they all agree that we should drop the word ‘Tiger’
if the TMVP intends to expand our politics”, he
said.
The
TMVP Leader said that the proposal was mooted on the day
he formed the TMVP after he broke away from the LTTE.
But his brother Reggie, who was killed by the LTTE, wanted
to represent the ‘Tigers’ until the TMVP became
politically strong.
“I
think it is time to change the party name and we do not
want the people in the South to have suspicion about us
as we do not have any links with the LTTE now”,
the former LTTE military Commander Karuna Amman said.
Commending the assistance given to him by the people and
the politicians in the South, the new MP said that he
had followed the JVP, which took up arms, attacked the
military and later came into the democratic political
mainstream.
“People
in the south helped me to take to politics and even the
JVPers, though they criticised my appointment, are happy
that I am in Parliament”, he said.
Courtesy - Sunday
Observer