posted February 24, 2002 08:03 AM            
The waning popularity of "Mannennei" Maheswaran
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Thiyagarajah Maheswaran , minister of Hindu affairs , is a colourful personality in the extended United National Front (UNF) government of Ranil Wickremesinghe. A businessman by profession, Maheswaran has many achievements to his credit.
The rising star of the United National Party (UNP) in Jaffna is very much in the news today in connection with the rising cost of living in Jaffna district. Regarded as a valuable asset for the UNP among Tamils at one time, Maheswaran is fast becoming a liability for the party as details of his controversial past and present are becoming public knowledge.

Maheswaran in his mid-thirties is a native of Karainagar, an offshore island in the north. Originally known as Karaitheevu, the island became known as Karainagar after the Ponnaalai bridge linked it to the Jaffna peninsula mainland. When electorates were re-demarcated, Karainagar became part of the Vaddukkoddai constituency, instead of Kayts consisting of all other islands. Karainagar people like those of other islands were highly entrepreneurial and engaged in commerce and trade.  
Unorthodox practices
A crucial difference however, was that while those from islands like Pungudutheevu, Suruvil, Velanai and Nainatheevu etc., did business in Sinhala majority areas, the bulk of Karainagar traders based themselves in Tamil majority areas, particularly in the Jaffna peninsula.
Maheswaran, after schooling at St. John's College did his 'apprenticeship' at Pushpa Traders instead of the family's own Mahalakshmi stores in Jaffna town. This was a peculiar practice of Karainagar traders who preferred their offspring learning the ropes at another institution instead of their own.
Maheswaran however had a flair for unorthodox commercial practices. He believed in the credo 'Who dares sells,' the title of that best seller book on sales written by a Sri Lankan. The deteriorating security situation and various restrictions in force as a result provided Maheswaran with many opportunities.
Maheswaran is referred to by political opponents as 'Yoobee' Maheswaran and 'Manennei' Maheswaran. While the latter prefix means kerosene in Tamil, the former is derived from the initials of a former Sinhala district minister for Jaffna. Ukku Banda Wijekoon of Dambadeniya was formerly a district minister for Jaffna under J.R. Jayewardene. He was generally known in Jaffna by his initials 'UB.'
In the late eighties, Maheswaran transported into Jaffna a sizeable quantity of urea, a fertiliser necessary for agricultural purposes. Urea could also be used for explosives, and therefore, its use in Jaffna was severely restricted. Apparently, Maheswaran got down the urea on a special permit signed by the district minister himself. It later transpired that the signature was forged. Maheswaran was detained and interrogated by the law enforcement authorities. The details of his release are not clear, but Maheswaran soon became known as 'Yoobee' on account of Wijekoon's initials.
Maheswaran was neither a manufacturer or retailer. He was primarily a middleman moving goods wholesale and making a profit or a lucrative commission. The escalation of the conflict and restrictions placed on transport of fuel into Tamil areas provided another avenue.
Maheswaran began transporting fuel and other restricted items from the south to the north. How Maheswaran managed to do this is unknown specifically. It is generally known that several others did so by bribing the security personnel. The end result was that Maheswaran made quite a lot of cash by providing kerosene to retailers in Jaffna. This led to his name being associated with kerosene in alliterative style as 'Manennei' Maheswaran.
Daring escapades
Another of Maheswaran's daring escapades was the transport of engine or machine oil as Coca Cola to Jaffna. When fuel embargoes were imposed, enterprising Tamils began using vegetable oil as a substitute. This however required an infusion of minimal engine oil too for practical effect. Maheswaran saw a need and like a good businessman resorted to the Coca Cola stratagem to hoodwink those manning check posts. Engine oil was sold at 1, 200 rupees per bottle then. The bottling of oil into Coca Cola bottles was done at a house in Wattala. The racket was busted and the Wattala house occupant arrested, but Maheswaran himself evaded capture.
The capture of the Jaffna peninsula in 1995-96 saw the LTTE control of the northern province being fractured. Security forces took over the peninsula while the Tigers reinforced themselves in the Wanni. The A-9 highway or Jaffna-Kandy road was closed. Transport of people and goods to Jaffna from the south was possible only by sea and air.
The enterprising Maheswaran seized the opportunity and soon became the sales agent in Jaffna for Monara airlines that competed with Lionair airlines. A 'funny' feature of Monara airlines was that tickets were generally 'sold out' in Jaffna at the ticketing office but readily available at a higher price on the black market. It is not difficult to identify the cause for this.
Maheswaran also had a bonanza when the Lionair airlines flight was shot down over Iranaitheevu in Mannar. All northern flights were cancelled and soon the airlines themselves went out of business. Monara airlines had sold hundreds of tickets in advance. It is alleged that only a few tickets were refunded by the Jaffna sales agent. Sales proceeds and other revenues were also not dispatched to the head office in Colombo. Ultimately initial deposits paid by Maheswaran were appropriated by the head office in what was essentially a bad bargain.
Maheswaran also began transporting goods from Colombo by ship to Jaffna. Soon he set his sights on buying his own ship and multiplying his profits. He bought an old vessel costing seven million rupees and tried to set up business. But the two shipping lines transporting goods to Jaffna are owned by Sinhalese with top level political connections. When a Tamil man known as 'Rajan' tried to start his own shipping line vested interests saw to it that he was arrested as a suspected Tiger and his venture stifled in a controversial episode. Maheswaran found the vessel he had bought condemned as not being seaworthy. This was a big blow. Whatever the real reason for this characterisation, Maheswaran saw it as political. According to one of his friends this was the turning point that led to Maheswaran embracing politics. Apparently, he had vowed that he would acquire the political clout necessary to carry on his businesses successfully.
With the People's Alliance being in power and other Tamil parties enjoying close relationships with the government, Maheswaran decided to join the UNP. According to UNP sources, Maheswaran cultivated a number of party sources initially. He got quite close to Dr. Jayalath Jayewardene who himself was engaged in several humanitarian gestures concerning Tamil problems. Jayewardene introduced Maheswaran to Ranil Wickremesinghe who was impressed by his courage in embracing UNP politics in Jaffna. The UNP after 17 years of rule under Presidents J.R. Jayewardene, Premadasa and D.B. Wijetunga had become a dirty word in Jaffna. Moreover, it was now in the opposition. There were a number of Tamil parties active in Jaffna. Also, the LTTE's hostility to those supporting Sinhala dominated parties was well known. So, a Tamil coming forward to revive UNP fortunes in Jaffna was highly welcome.
Maheswaran became a UNP organizer and started work in Jaffna. With his business and Karainagar connections Maheswaran became quite active politically. Several traders resenting the rise of traders supporting Douglas Devananda of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party started cultivating Maheswaran. Moreover Tamil businessmen wanted political support at the government level. It was expected that the UNP would soon replace the PA and throwing in their lot with Maheswaran was seen as a sound investment.
With this financial backing Maheswaran acquired muscle-power necessary for politics. His lucky break however was when the LTTE decided not to oppose him because the Tigers regarded the Douglas Devananda phenomenon as the greater danger. Apparently, Maheswaran was a vital tool to counter the EPDP. So Maheswaran was not obstructed in any way.
Thus, the October 2000 elections saw the UNP winning a parliamentary seat in Jaffna after 48 years. In 1952, Suppiapillai Natesan had defeated Federal Party founder, Leader S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, in Kankesanthurai. Natesan, head of Parameshwara College, was the son-in-law of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan. A leading educationist, Natesan served as minister in the UNP cabinets from 1952 to 1956. Now Maheswaran had created history.
Supportive factors
An important factor in Maheswaran's victory was the Karainagar component. Voters from Jaffna have tended to vote on parochial lines in the absence of a Tamil nationalist wave. In 1970 Karainagar voters supported A. Thiyagarajah of the Tamil Congress over the FP's Amirthalingam, solely because the former was a Karainagar native. Amirthalingam lost. Karainagar voters dispersed all over the peninsula voted for Maheswaran on those lines. Another supportive factor was the backing from the business class. There was also the intensive campaigning style of Maheswaran who lacked neither money nor muscle-power necessary for electioneering.
Although victorious, Maheswaran was in the opposition along with the UNP. The Jaffna parliamentarian began capturing the hearts and minds of the Jaffna voter through his flamboyant ebullience. He spoke stridently for Tamil rights in a manner seldom seen before in Tamil MP's elected from Sinhala parties. He identified with the 'Pongu Thamil' upsurge demonstration and won the admiration of the undergraduate community. He also captured national attention by driving a bullock cart with finesse to parliament to protest rising fuel prices in Jaffna. His bete noir in parliament was Thavarajah of the EPDP, who needled Maheswaran about his past with comments like 'Yoobee' and 'Manennei.' A plus point in his favour was the unstinted backing of the Tamil media particularly the Uthayan published in Jaffna.
When parliament was dissolved and fresh elections announced Maheswaran began campaigning as before. An interesting feature of his campaign was the 40 point manifesto that promised all things to all people. He also indulged in theatricals by taking coffins to the EPDP controlled Delft island.
With support from different segments of Jaffna society, Maheswaran managed to win again despite the Tamil nationalist wave supporting the four party alliance. The considerable money and muscle-power at Maheswaran's disposal helped him greatly. The UNP campaign in Jaffna was quite elaborate and matched the EPDP campaign. One aspect that helped Maheswaran greatly was the Uthayan report that Wickremesinghe would appoint Maheswaran the minister of northern rehabilitation just as Douglas Devananda was in the PA regime. It is still unknown whether Wickremesinghe really did promise that. Another negative aspect is the allegation by the University Teachers for Human Rights, that significant vote rigging had taken place on behalf of Maheswaran.
Despite the victory, Maheswaran was disappointed when he was not made rehabilitation minister. A report in the Uthayan alleged that the Tamil National Alliance had intervened and urged Wickremesinghe to appoint Jayalath Jayewardene instead. The TNA denied it. A big fuss was also made in the Tamil media about the only elected Sri Lankan Tamil from the UNP being deprived of a cabinet portfolio. Maheswaran became Hindu Affairs minister without cabinet rank.
A decline in popularity
Recent developments however are contributing rapidly to a decline in his popularity. His election campaign was full of rhetoric with a number of promises and threats. He also promised quick implementation when elected. The harsh reality is that nothing has been done.
His 40 point manifesto remains a paper document still. After elections Maheswaran indulged in a number of outlandish statements to the media about what he was going to accomplish in a number of days. Nothing has materialised. Maheswaran's projection to the Tamil media that he was closely associated with the prime minister who consulted him before taking a decision on Tamil affairs has also been exposed as empty boasts. Political stunts like negotiating fishing rights for fishermen have also backfired.
What is most detrimental to Maheswaran's image however is the growing public awareness of his commercial interests. It is becoming public knowledge that Maheswaran is both the kingpin and lynchpin of the trading cartel that is manipulating shortages and price increases in Jaffna. The epithet 'Manennei' or kerosene Maheswaran has returned with a bang to public usage as kerosene prices rise in Jaffna. Another name 'potato' Maheswaran is also in vogue. The contradiction of a people's representative exploiting the people he claims to represent is not something that will go down with the Tamil people.
Furthermore, Maheswaran is also using his political clout for a number of things including attempts to arrest People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) leaders for organizing demonstrations in Jaffna against cost of living increases.
What should be of particular concern to 'Mr. Clean' Ranil Wickreme- singhe is the phenomenon of rising prices in Jaffna after the UNP's rising star in Jaffna, Maheswaran, was re-elected and became a minister to boot. It is well known that strong segments of the business community in Jaffna supported Maheswaran's candidature and that he is beholden more to them than the common people.
Almost every item brought from Colombo has had massive price increases. A beleaguered Jaffna that looked to a new government for relief is faced with rocketing prices and shortages taking the cost of living to astronomical heights. The only government minister from Jaffna is perceived as part of this problem and not the solution.
Ranil Wickremesinghe must act fast and remedy the situation notwithstanding the fact that Maheswaran is the UNP man in Jaffna. The premier can be assured that only Maheswaran's kept press will complain. The vast majority of suffering Jaffna Tamils will only support him if the shortages are eased and prices lowered.