'President Kumaratunga's leadership - an imperative of our times'

by Dr. T. C. Rajaratnam

We as a nation have had far too many tragedies. The 1983 race riots nurtured by the then regime and provoked by the terrorists created a bloody war. For eleven years thereafter no attempt was made to rebuild the nation that was torn apart by war. It was only in 1994 that the present President was elected as she and she alone endeavoured to commence the peace talks on a very serious note. Her attempts were attacked by vested interests for their own survival for reasons best known to them.

Our nation has been torn apart by the evils of terrorism and natural disaster.

Each time we as a nation suffered, the President too suffered as she too is human and humane and naturally it is difficult to feel like the most powerful person in the country at times like that. Because, there is no answer-there is no justification for the pain.

President Kumaratunga witnessed at a young age, the assassination of her father (then Prime Minister in office), the attempt to overthrow democracy, the martyrdom of her mother in the cause of truth, democracy and justice (the first lady Prime Minister of the world) the assassination of her spouse a political leader-Vijaya Kumaratunga - and the attempted assassination of herself in 1999 during the presidential election campaign wherein she lost the sight in one eye and assaults against the very foundations of a free society.

The President bears no grudge or prejudice. She has a deep sense of responsibility and she has since assuming office spent more time for the country and the nation than with her own family. What a sacrifice! What courage! The sense of commitment, determination and courage to bring about a lasting solution.

Freedom of choice alone does not guarantee justice. Equal rights are not defined only by political values. Social justice is a triad of freedom, an equation of liberty. Justice is political liberty. Justice is economic independence. Justice is social equality.

The people have confidence in President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, and she has to continue to lead the people for the survival and rebuilding of this nation.

Due to our internal conflicts which we could have long resolved, external forces with vested interests have all sought to intervene, some in the pretext of resolving the conflict but our experience has proved that the gap of resolution of conflict does not seem to be narrower now.

Those who finance terror, those who launder their money, those that cover their tracks are every bit as guilty as the fanatic who commits the final act. We look for diplomacy. But there is no diplomacy with some of those opposed to us. We do not consider them opponents but they oppose every conceivable move we make to develop the country. Sometimes, there is no compromise with such people, no meeting of minds-no point of understanding- so we would have a just choice-defeat it or be defeated by it.

We learnt that however much we strive for peace, we need a strong defence capability where a peaceful approach fails. Whatever the dangers of the action we take, the dangers of inaction are far greater.

Laws will have to be changed not to deny the basic liberties but to prevent their abuse and protect the most basic liberty of all; freedom from terror. The people are terrorized by certain vested interests in their vile pursuits for power committing crimes and targeting a reflex scenario as if the Government was responsible.

We must always be on guard for those who will exploit and manipulate religion for their own narrow political ends, who will distort the essence of pluralism and tolerance for their own extremist agendas.

People are being tainted by evil forces by the reckless media. It is a national catastrophe for the nation.

We must work as a community to ensure that everyone not just a privileged few get the collective ability to further the individual's interests. The governing idea of modern social democracy is a community founded on the principles of social justice.

That people should rise according to merit not birth; that the test of any decent society is not the contentment of the wealthy and strong, but the commitment to the poor and weak.

But values aren't enough. The mantle of leadership comes at a price; the courage to learn and change; to show how values that stand for all ages can be applied in a way relevant to each age.

We learnt that equality is about equal worth and not equal outcomes.

Today our society is shaped around mutual responsibility; a deal, an agreement between citizens not a one way gift, from the well off to the dependent.

The standard of living is higher. The expectations of the people are higher. This is a consumer age. People don't take what they are given. They demand more.

We are not alone in this. All around the world governments are struggling with the same problems.

The programme of reform is huge. We must have co-operation, determination and consensus.

We are a community of people, whose self interest and mutual interest at crucial points merge and that it is through a sense of justice that community is born and nurtured.

This is the moment to bring the faiths closer together in understanding of our common values and heritage - a source of unity and strength.

By the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more together than we can alone.

Private media freedom is running amok. The news that 18 million people in this country including foreign correspondents who convey news overseas receive each night is determined by a handful of men responsible only to their corporate employers.

The people love the President. Her achievements are remarkable. She has been stoic in the face of adversity.She has earnestly endeavoured to unify the nation. She is totally committed to serve the people. It is genuine, unwavering and it is selfless.

Deference may be inherited, but affection is earned and the affection this country feels for her is real. We must not permit a contaminated moral environment.

Let us not negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

As a philosopher once remarked, "The water is clear pure and fresh-it is for all to drink. But some clever people began to bottle the water. Some in beautiful bottles. Some in ugly bottles - with no regard to the water but with great care to its shape."

We have a leader who has honestly, sincerely and truly endeavoured to create a peaceful environment, improved the country and the standard of living over a period of ten years. Naturally, when the standard of living is higher the cost is higher but some people are obstructing the progress for their vile pursuits-some in the name of religion, some in name of compassion but all these at the cost of the nation. It is time that affirmative action is taken so as not to eradicate the norms of democracy by not focussing on breach of privileges and progress goes on.

The nature and role of government should be affirmative. If one wants to maintain public response there must be an effort to change but not to eviscerate the government. A democracy requires a certain amount of common ground.

Resolution of conflict has its requirements. Parties to a dispute cannot threaten and violate the rights of innocent people or those who are performing their duties. If the conflict is between the organized form of government and a force not popular on the norms of legality, it is then the duty of the Head of State to take such measures to safeguard the nation by whatever means to protect the nation.

There are individuals and groups who may be critical of the President for political gain, but the President has always taken affirmative action within the norms required of the President. This may not be acceptable to those who are opposed to her.

No progress can be made unless a common ground is established. To endeavour to establish common ground certain specific responsibilities on the people and political leaders should be imposed. More of our people must set an example. People should be made conscious of their conduct.

We must learn to discuss matters with those who are different from us. Not just people who agree with us but with somebody who is different. We need more conversation and less combat. When we differ we ought to offer an alternative. We should say what we are for and just not what we are against. We ought to look relentlessly at the long term and remind the people that the problems we have developed over a long period of time.

Politicians must set an example to those amongst whom they work. After all, politics is a matter of serving the community which means that are morality in practice. We cannot restore peace unless we can find some way to bring the nation close together. There should be collective responsibility within groups or else the people will be confused.

We have to move beyond division and resentment to common ground. We have to go beyond cynicism to a sense of possibility. There should be only one race-the human race. All religions speak of compassion, love, forgiveness and good conscience.

Let us not segregate and commercialize religious values which are not to be labelled but borne in our soul and mind- but men have begun to confine their religious values to statues and fight to place them. If we have compassion, love and good conscience and behave well it is better than a million statues as those gods themselves will be pleased by our good conduct but not by placing their images on the streets.

A government that is smaller should live within its means and would do more with less. The mission of our Government is to give people an opportunity to build better lives. We have much to do as the people. The Government alone cannot do it. We as the people must co-operate and owe allegiance to the constitution and its President.

We have seen that deprivation and abject poverty accelerates conflict, how it creates recruits for terrorists and those who incite ethnic and religious hatred, how it fuels a violent rejection of the economic and social order on which our future depends.

No terrorist campaign , apart from a conventional military strategy has ever succeeded. The purpose of terrorism is to terrorise, to change your behaviour if you become the victim by making you afraid of today, afraid of tomorrow and afraid of eachother.

Therefore, by definition, a terror campaign cannot succeed unless we become its accomplices and out of fear give in. What makes this terror at the moment particularly frightening is the combination of universal vulnerability and powerful weapons and modes of destruction. Offensive action has prevailed since the origin of man. First the offence then the defence-that is why civilization has survived even in the modern age. It is important to close the gap between offensive action and the construction of effective defense.

Now is the time that the nation requires a leader to continue to lead. President Chandrika Kumaratunga should continue to lead and exercise her powers vested in her by the constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Only then, this nation will survive.

(The writer is the Co-Ordinating Secretary to the Chief Government Whip of Parliament and a Foreign Correspondent).