M.H.M. ASHRAFF


A DYNAMIC PERSONALITY

M.H.M. ASHRAFF
. M.P., Leader, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress

Although I kne
w Comrade Padmanabha only for a brief time, he has left behind in my mind pleasant memories and deep rooted positive impressions. By all standards he was a gentleman par excellence. Within a militant out-fit lay his melting heart for human sufferings. The normal qualities of obstinacy, hardihood, intolerance etc. that are synonymous with an average militant were alien to him. Whilst fighting for the liberation of the oppressed Tamil community, he was revolting against those who were working towards the birth of the ugly tail chauvinism in order to suppress the defenceless Tamil speaking Muslims who lived in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. He not only believed in the equality between two individuals; but also in the collective political equality between the Tamil and the Muslim communities. He firmly believed in recognizing and respecting the distinct and separate political identity of the Muslims. He realized the need to workout an early solution to the ethnic question which would be acceptable to the Tamils and the Muslims. He was also conscious of the dangers of allowing the Sinhala chauvinists to take advantage of the difference between the Tamils and Muslims in their effort to deny to both these communities their reasonable share in the political affairs of Sri Lanka. His demise is a great loss to the suffering Muslim community. The respect that the Tamil community could pay to Comrade Padmanabha is to strive towards the realization of his ideals. On behalf of the Muslim community, I take this opportunity to salute his commitment and cause.