A father's sense of duty

In a gesture which is most welcome, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is literally going the extra mile to ensure the well being and happiness of the conflict-affected of this country.

He is now in the process of visiting some of those families of the South who have lost their soldier-sons and other loved ones in the recent operations undertaken by the Security Forces in the North-East and we are certain that this gesture by the country's Head of State and Government would be considered exemplary by the majority of citizens.

Certainly, it would bring great relief to persons such as Sumathipala Abeysiriwardena who lost two sons who served in the Army, in the recent military operations in the North-East. Here is proof that the Head of State cares deeply for those who pay the supreme sacrifice while upholding Sri Lanka's territorial integrity and united character.

What should also touch the hearts of millions is Abeysiriwardena's willingness to send more of his sons to the North-East, in defence of the country's territorial integrity. We need to face the fact that not many parents among us will be willing to go to these lengths to serve Sri Lanka.

We need to see this as a supreme example of duty-consciousness. Hopefully, Abeysiriwardena's commitment to his values would enthuse others into carrying out their public duties selflessly. Not many would subscribe to the principle that public duty comes before self. Even if verbal endorsement is made of this principle, very few are those who would practise it.

Not everyone may feel the need to encourage his children to take to a life of active combat, but they need to enthuse their offspring to discharge their duties selflessly, whatever the public positions they hold. To begin with, these elders must themselves be inspiring examples of duty-consciousness to their children and loves ones.

However, there is no denying that everyone needs to be prepared to serve a worthy public cause selflessly. This is not realised by all sections of our polity. It is very plain to see that it is mostly the poor who are losing their lives in the cause of an undivided and united Sri Lanka.

Most of the homes visited by the President are those of the poor. It is important to remember it is the poor who help in making life comfortable for the better off, who would be horrified at the idea of encouraging their children to enlist in the Army.

The least that the better off and placed could do is be thankful to these nameless sons and daughters of the poor who help selflessly in keeping the brutish Tigers confined to a few wilds in the Wanni. They spill their blood so that the better off could flourish and live complacently.

Besides being thankful to these anonymous saviours of the country, those living in the safe confines of cities need to take stock of the relentlessly mounting human costs of the conflict. Abeysiriwardena may be just one among a nameless number who suffer in silence over the loss of sons and daughters.

It follows from this premise that the whole of Sri Lanka needs to support the State's efforts to work out a political solution to the conflict even while taking on the Tigers.

Lastly, the suffering of the berieved among us should enthuse the rest of the polity to continuously succour and sustain our Armed Forces and Police.

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