Inspiration from across the oceans

CELEBRATION: When the LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhkaran delivered his annual speech at an undisclosed location in Wanni on his stance with regard to the North and East conflict on November 27, a grand celebration was taking place in Kathmandu, over the end of Maoist insurgency in Nepal which haunted the country for more than a decade.

The peace deal which was brought out in Nepal between Maoist rebels and the government was unique in many ways as it was very much a `self realisation' of and indigenous without the facilitation or the interferences of outside forces.

Even India and Norway extended their support in bringing an end to the Maoist crisis in Nepal.

However the integrity and the farsightedness of the Nepali leaders have paid at last in bringing an end to the conflict and making the Maoist insurgents to enter the political mainstream giving up their arms struggle.

Nepal is known as the land of Siva and the only Hindu Kingdom in the world. The country also consists of Lumbini,the birthplace of Lord Budha within its geographical borders.

So being an ardent devotee of God Siva of the Sivan temple in his hometown Valvettiturai in his younger days the LTTE leader Prabhakaran would have also studied the current developments in surrendering of arms by the Maoist rebels in Nepal with regard to peace building.

It was in 1987 that the LTTE rebels handed over their weapons in Palaly, Jaffna when India assisted in the peace efforts in Sri Lanka.

However the peace efforts made by India had been short-lived and the country had to pay a huge price with a loss of its young leader Rajiv Gandhi for its involvement in the Lankan conflict.

It's again after ten years that the Norwegian facilitation began with the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in 2001 giving some sort of hope in bringing an end to the Lankan conflict which has destroyed more than eighty thousand lives in the past two decades.

When LTTE leader Prabhakaran made his annual speech a day after his 51st birth day, President Mahinda Rajapaksa from India reiterated his commitments towards finding a political solution to the Lankan conflict.

It is important to recollect that at the early part of this year President Mahinda Rajapaksa in one of his press interviews mentioned that he was even prepared to have face to face talks with the LTTE leader to find a solution to the conflict.

However it was very unfortunate with the failure in two rounds of talks in Geneva this year the countrymen remain clueless as to what would be the future of the peace process.

So at this crucial stage the current peace deal in Nepal has given some guidelines towards resuming the peace efforts in Sri Lanka.

Though the crisis in Nepal was very much based on the social issues of that country, the Lankan issue remains a conflict between two ethnic groups which remained united when they were ruled by the British five decades ago.

It has been accepted that a solution to the Lankan crisis must be based on devolution of powers.

So while the Nepalis are on the upbeat of reaching a peace deal, another political development has also taken place in the French speaking state of Quebec in Canada with regard to maximum devolution of powers. Without damaging the unity of Canada the Canadian Parliament has recognized Quebecers as a nation within Canada.

A few weeks ago British Parliamentarian Paul Murphy who was a vital figure in the Northern Ireland peace process visited Colombo and gave some vital advice in building peace in Sri Lanka.

Stating that there are striking similarities between the Irish and the Lankan crisis Paul Murphy stated that a spirit of compromise must prevail in Lanka's negotiations.

He also added that there must also be a stable ceasefire and respect for diversity with the understanding of each other's viewpoints.

He reiterated that nothing was impossible if the will to succeed existed.

Therefore the change of mind of Maoist rebels in Nepal and the broader thinking of the Canadian Parliamentarians provide very valuable examples towards making fresh attempts in peace building in Sri Lanka instead of stepping into the new year with fresh build up of another arm race in the country.