Recently we saw that the government has made the burial of Muslim bodies a big issue. What do you think about this situation?
There was no need to make this a Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim issue. This has been scientifically proven and has been accepted by the World Health Organization. Many have used this for political gain. They create problems, they bring different agendas, this is a big joke. These things would not have happened if the opinion of the World Health Organization had been accepted.
What is your opinion about not singing the national anthem in Tamil?
When there is an ethnic issue in our country, Sinhala newspapers create one world and Tamil newspapers create one world. It is not good to go to this country. There should be ethnic unity. A diverse society needs to be established. Everyone should understand the meaning of the national anthem when it is sung. It was translated into Tamil at the same time as the national anthem was composed. Now the generation is very different, they use all three languages Sinhala, Tamil and English. But most people in the North and East understand only Tamil, then they can make a sense of the country if the national anthem is sung in Tamil.
The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which is a threat to the minorities, will be passed by the votes of the Muslim people’s representatives.
I do not see any issue as racial. We have seen a lot of such acts. Seventeen people went to the other side once and there was no Sinhala-Muslim issue. They are all Sinhalese. There was only one Muslim. They say this is for the sake of the country, but all this is to achieve their personal goals. And to assert their power. So people should be careful about this.
What is the attitude of the Muslim community towards the conduct of the present government?
There is no need to classify Muslims as Sinhalese when talking about this, this is a problem that is felt all over the country today. 99 countries in the world have allowed burials of both types. By not doing so, Sri Lanka is putting a lot of pressure on other nations. Accordingly, the course of action taken by the government is correct. The other parties should support this without looking at it from a racial point of view.
What do you think of the current path of the UNP as a former leader of the UNP? Now Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed Ruwan Wijewardene as his successor.
I have a connection not with the people of the UNP, but with political policy. I have a connection with the United National Party’s five principles of democracy. The United National Party is a party that worked for social justice and social unity. But today they have been defeated in this manner by deviating from the policy. We worked hard for about a decade and a half to bring the party to the right policy. Finally, they all came together and formed a new political party and made Sajith Premadasa its leader.