The Need for a Right-Wing in Eelam
Ruben Nagesparan Chandrakumar, BS
Due to myriad factors, Eelam has been historically and currently dominated by left-wing economic thought since its independence from Britain. During the Cold War, the influence of anti-colonial and workers’ movements permeated the psyche of Eelam and Sri Lanka. This, in addition to the regional influence of India, played key roles in the influence of socialist and Keynesian economics; three of the Founding Fathers of India—Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and B.R. Ambedkar—were all socialist in their orientation. In part, the rationale behind the anti-capitalist sentiment was due to the economic exploitation that occurred in many colonies. The work of Franz Fanon, a Marxist who sought to fight colonial power with violence, was just as potent as Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence in much of the world. While Ceylon gained independence without a violent revolution and overthrow, the weight of the global movements—within countries such as Vietnam—still influenced the economic and social thinking of Eelam and Sri Lanka. This, in conjunction with the influence of the rule of the British Labour Party as Ceylon was moving toward independence, led to a confluence of left-wing thought.
Virtually all of the militant groups that fought for an independent Eelam, and the current political parties within Eelam, have aligned with the left-wing. The major militant groups—including LTTE, EROS, EPRLF, TELO, PLOTE—were all avowed Marxist organizations, believing in the overthrow of the ruling class and the dream of revolutionary socialism. While the political parties have often been more tempered and less radical in their approach, most have still remained crucially oriented toward either Keynesian or socialist principles, or both. The Tamil National Alliance, the largest political alliance representing Eelam Tamils—comprised of ITAK, TELO, EPRLF, PLOTE—has members of both the center-left and left wing. Keynesian economics—deriving from the theories of British economist John Maynard Keynes, which emphasize economic equality, state intervention, the redistribution of wealth, and social welfare—have had significant influence within Eelam and Sri Lanka alike, although it might not be nominally known. Similarly, socialism, democratic socialism, and Marxist ideologies have also had disproportionate effects on Eelam—emphasizing a distrust of capitalism, class struggle, communal and public ownership, and economic planning. The focus on collective rights, dating as far back as communal representation in the 1830s within Ceylon, has had a lasting impact to the present day.
The emergence of a right-wing should be embraced and can represent the cultural conservatism of the ancient Tamil culture, along with a promotion of free-market economics, property rights, individualism, and limited government—as articulated within the schools of thought of classical liberalism, neoliberalism, and the Austrian school. Two major factors are likely to play into this emergence: the success of the diaspora within capitalist societies and the rise of capitalism within India. The development of free-market economics and property rights within Eelam will allow for the voluntary exchange of goods and services to thrive—forcing employers to provide better quality experiences for consumers and employees alike. Thus, the drive of competition within the free market—dependent on low regulations—will incentivize innovation, product variety, and entrepreneurship. The promotion of individualism and limited government will protect the rights of the greatest minority—the individual—and minimize the chances of cronyism, corruption, and wasteful behavior. If Eelam wishes to maximize the talents and potential of its citizenry, it must develop a right-wing. However, the proclamation that the right-wing is always correct is erroneous; the circumstances of the nation will dictate whether the left-wing or right-wing should remain more dominant. An example of this is the correlation between inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, and crime; if the measure of inequality is too significant, crime skyrockets—explaining one clear need for the Left’s position that inequality does not run rampant. Through the formation of a more balanced political landscape in a shift to the right, Eelam can become a prosperous country and have the resources it needs—generated through the free market—to curb poverty and other social ills that afflict the lower classes.