A
"Salam" and "Vanakkam" Alliance: Mission Impossible or
Pragmatic Politics in Sri Lanka?
In a
political move that has been described as both historic and improbable, six
major political parties representing Sri Lanka’s Tamil and Muslim communities
have announced the formation of a common platform. The coalition, which brings
together erstwhile rivals, aims to present a united front on critical issues
affecting minority communities . However, for many Muslim voters, this new
alliance is haunted by the ghosts of the past, raising the question: is this a
genuine step towards reconciliation, or just a marriage of political
convenience?
The Unlikely Coalition Takes
Shape
The announcement came on July 13, 2026, following what was described as a "secret" meeting in Colombo the day before [citation:0]. The six parties include the
All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC – Rishad Bathiudeen faction),
Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC – Jeevan Thondaman faction),
Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA),
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK – Sivagnanam Shritharan faction),
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC – Rauff Hakeem faction)
and the Tamil
Progressive Alliance (TPA – Mano Ganesan faction)
At a
joint media briefing, the leaders, including Rauff Hakeem, Mano
Ganesan, Rishad Bathiudeen, and M.A. Sumanthiran,
emphasized that this is not a communal-minded political alliance but an effort
to find solutions to common issues faced by the Tamil-speaking
communities . Their primary goals include pushing for a new Constitution
with maximum devolution of powers, holding long-delayed Provincial Council
elections, and resolving longstanding land issues .
The Elephant in the Room: Past
Wounds
The coalition's formation is a remarkable turnaround, given the recent
history of acrimony. Key leaders now standing side-by-side have previously
exchanged sharp criticism.
·
Mano Ganesan, the TPA
leader, has a history of criticising Muslim politicians.
·
M.A. Sumanthiran, a prominent ITAK leader, was a vocal member of the Parliamentary
Select Committee on Muslim extremism formed after the 2019 Easter Sunday
bombings . He was also reported to have linked the failure to address
minority grievances to the attacks, a view that was publicly rejected by the
Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith .
·
Now, the
same Sumanthiran and Ganesan are publicly
praising Rauff Hakeem and Rishad Bathiudeen for
joining forces, a move that many Muslim voters see as politically
opportunistic .
Muslim Voters Question Sincerity
The speed of this political reconciliation has not been matched by a
healing of wounds on the ground. Muslim voters are increasingly vocal in their
skepticism, raising two core demands that they feel are being ignored:
1. An Official Apology: Many Muslims are
questioning when the Tamil politicians, who previously voiced anti-Muslim
sentiments, will offer a formal apology to the community for their past
rhetoric.
2. Resettlement in Jaffna: The issue of resettlement
for the nearly 75,000 Muslims who were forcibly expelled from
the Northern Province by the LTTE in October 1990 remains a
deeply painful and unresolved issue . For over 25 years, these displaced
families, mostly living in dire conditions in the Puttalam district, have been
waiting for a guarantee of safety and livelihood to return to their homes in
Jaffna .
For many
in the Muslim community, until these two conditions are met—a genuine apology
and a clear path to resettlement—the new "Salam and Vanakkam"
alliance will ring hollow. As one community leader noted, the government’s
failure to address the grievances of the Northern Muslims is a "key
post-conflict challenge" with a significant impact on reconciliation
prospects .
A Political Marriage on Shaky
Ground?
The new
common platform is a significant development in Sri Lanka’s political
landscape. For the first time in a long while, the country's minority parties
are attempting to speak with a single, powerful voice on issues of
constitutional reform and land rights .
However,
the coalition is built on fragile foundations. While the leaders may have set
aside their differences for political gain, the scars of the past run deep
within their communities. For the "Mission Impossible" to become a
lasting success, it will require more than just political posturing. It will
demand tangible acts of reconciliation that address the core grievances of the
Muslim community, starting with an apology and the right of return to their
ancestral homes in the North.