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| Saturday, 14 February 2004 |
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Needed: new peace push by Miran Perera President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge in her message in connection with the second World Hindu Conference stated that Hinduism is also a part of our great cultural heritage as much as Buddhism. Hinduism and Buddhism along with Islam constituted the three main religions bequeathed to the entire mankind of Asia. During the course of her long history one could see how Sri Lanka was inspired by the main religions to become a truly multi-cultural society. Buddhism and Hinduism have coexisted throughout the past millennia. Over a period of time our people had learnt to maintain the core values unique to each religion while following shared values common to both religions. With Catholics unlike what her excellency did say the term 'Our Father' tells us all we need to know about God, about ourselves and about our neighbour, in fact about the universal family. With God as our Father the Sinhalese be he/she Buddhist, Buddhist turned to Hindu deity, Buddhist turned to Sai Baba or the so-called minority Christians (Sinhalese) together with the Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and all other peoples born and bred here are brothers and sisters. Nay, the whole world becomes our brotherhood and sisterhood. Do all of us in Sri Lanka think like that and why not? In one sweeping blow Jesus cuts off any spurious notion of superiority of any one nation race, class, colour, or caste over another. Since the Muslims are an unique ethnic group with a high degree of patriotism, the LTTE might have perceived that their presence in the North and East may turn out to be an impediment in maintaining their jealously guarded tactics. Hence it is widely believed that they may have designedly engineered massacres through which the Muslims will be forced to vacate their ancestral homeland in the North East. There is historical proof that the Muslims have throughout been sincere and loyal to other communities with whom they have lived harmoniously. It is also a well-known fact that no Muslim has ever engineered any riots against either the Sinhalese or the Tamils. When Catholics say 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us' it means the trespass intruding on our rights. Christ said we must forgive those who have wronged us. Forgiveness and forgetting may not be concomitant. For instance the Catholics have been admonished that God is the very source of power and absolute power at that and that no human being on earth can arrogate such power to himself or herself. We pity those who think they could perpetuate short-term power and should only hold on trust for the source of all power. 'This too shall pass' should be uppermost in our minds. Is this not a sounding bell for all our political leaders in Sri Lanka be they in the Government or opposition so that without any selfishness or anticipation of world renown, both sides could cast themselves into one mould to solve this ethnic crisis. Would not the names of the two leaders both born to affluence, power, wealth, and good breeding pass on to immortality and their names written in bold letters of gold by the future Sri Lankans. The Hindu religion is like a huge Banyan tree with its numerous branches representing various schools of religious thought. The tree itself is rooted in the rich soil of the Vedas and the Upanisads. The Vedas represent the religious traditions while the Upanishads represent the Philosophy upon which the tradition is based. The Vedas constitute the oldest and the most important scriptures. They contain and impart the strict spiritual practice and moral discipline, preservation and propagation of Dharma. Vedas represent the divine truth as perceived through the elevated consciousness of great seers. The formidable nature of the riots that took place in Tamil areas against the Muslims bears evidence of a hidden scheme to evict the Muslims from the soil which were also the traditional homeland of the Muslims. This tantamounts not only to the denial of the birthrights of the Muslims but also contributes to the violation of human rights embodied in the UN charter and the constitution of Sri Lanka. The Muslims are not prepared any more to be subjected to the vicious circle of frequent communal attacks and turned into refugees seeking relief. The armed groups have destroyed the economy and the economic resources of the North East Muslims. The intention was to establish the theory that the North East belongs to the Tamils only by ridding it of the Muslim population. Despite the numerous impediments and hardships imposed by the LTTE the Muslims were politicised and were able to withstand the harassments. Tamils and Muslims of the North East reiterate that these areas are their traditional homeland. Whenever we think of the North East Tamil-Muslim problems, we must have a flexible approach with a liberal mind and a comprehensive knowledge of the inter-communal conflict. What is basically needed here is the sincerity and wider understanding and commitment to the cause of achieving durable peace in the North-East. For Sri Lanka's peace process to move forward the negotiation initiative has to enter into a qualitatively new phase. The primary responsibility in that direction lies with the government and the international community that backs the peace bid. The LTTE's boycott is a telling reminder to the government as well as its international friends that Phase I of negotiation process has effectively ended and phase II is struggling to emerge. The transition from phase I to phase II requires bold fresh creative and dramatic political initiatives that can accomplish two immediate goals - redefining the trust between the UNF government and the LTTE in stronger terms and re-designing the negotiation process in a sustainable manner. Let us hope that the present administration possesses necessary will and the resources to further pursue that transition. Like the majority Buddhists in this country, the Hindus, Muslims and the Catholics too are committed towards peace. What they need is a fresh momentum to arrive at a final solution for the ethnic problem which should be acceptable and fair to all. Religious believers of every denomination in this country undoubtedly will seek divine inspiration for our leaders in solving the ethnic issue. It is well suited to recall one of the world's greatest poets William Wordsworth who wrote about peace. He says: God for his service need not any proud work of human skills; They please him best who labour most in peace to do his will. |
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