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P-Toms and aftermath

IN spite of threats, the President boldly signed the P-Toms. Consequently she ran into a minority government that appears to run with the backing of the executive power of the President. Several forces both in Parliament and outside are against any power devolution to North-East.

The pattern has been the same for decades past and had been the cause for all abrogations of peace pacts. Their fear seems to be that appeasing minorities will jeopardize the sovereignty and integrity of Sri Lanka.

Especially against the LTTE is the fear that they only have a warfare mechanism and not a welfare mechanism.

So - it is, with all terrorists until they win their demands. But yet again the opponents for power devolution say that the LTTE is only a civil disturbance that should be crushed like the earlier civil commotions.

That the LTTE is not just a civil commotion within is evident from the happenings from across our shores and also by the admission they have a warfare mechanism as opposed to mere 'gal-kattas'!

However, the major opposition party has stated that they will support the President in P-Toms if it is in accordance with the Tokyo/Oslo agreements and that it will not sever the country's sovereignty.

This would show that the two main parties are willing to work together and see eye to eye in politics, leave alone on the economic front. The Tamil parties both backing and against the LTTE too are giving support to P-Toms.

Now there is a court ruling accepting it subject to certain amendments-implying the legitimacy of the agreement made by our government with this internationally recognised terrorist organisation and this also puts paid to the argument that the CFA too is illegal.

It would appear that with this decision court has echoed the sentiments of most countries that although LTTE is considered terrorists in their countries, yet they consider it prudent for us to negotiate with LTTE to solve our internal problem.

Curiously enough until the signing of P-Toms there was no indication of those countries that had banned the LTTE, not giving support to this agreement, but of a sudden we see such a volte-face.

This sure leaves much to be desired for Sri Lanka's future in that it implies that the donor agencies will find it difficult to distribute aid badly needed by suffering tsunami victims. This is a matter that has to be clarified.

Proclamations and fanfares in signing controversial documents alone will not redress grievances of the masses and especially tsunami sufferers. Such goodwill must be seen to be effective.

People are also guessing as to why a community as important as the Muslims are dismayed with P-Toms, especially as they were the most affected.

This is a matter that needs clear clarification to avoid attracting further terrorist groups spreading their influence. Muslim sentiments that if they are marginalized from P-Toms their position in a revamped peace process too is in jeopardy can be considered reasonable.

We are hair splitting about which government allowed LTTE to do the most damage. Some go to the extent to say that during the CFA several shiploads of weapons brought in by the LTTE were detected and conclude that these came in because of CFA, whereas the several shiploads that come into our shores to keep a regular army at bay and to bomb several places including the Central Bank and other religious places for decades before that, are ignored.

These hairsplitting debates pale into insignificance when we see stirring beginning with Trincomalee soon spreading into other areas very soon if things slide down the way it does.

Do we want to face that mortal fear of bombs again? Then, let us learn to live and let live. Let us learn that we cannot afford to live with disgruntled communities, be it Tamil, Muslim or any other in this globalised era, unless all decide to perish together.

It would take both major parties to solve this problem as by now the Sri Lankan populace is markedly divided into two camps that can never retract.

It is left to the sensible elements of both these parties to get together, even if not all parties at a time like this when we are certainly sitting on a volcano.

If insensitive attitudes to minority concerns prevail, and are further propagated, a major-minority combine in the offing-may not be discounted!

Let there be further bold and selfless decisions taken in Parliament at this hour of need.

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