A huge blow to Tigers

The killing of the LTTE's military intelligence head Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Charles in an ambush by the Security Forces is yet another body blow to the terrorist outfit which is now feeling the heat of Government military operations in all its intensity.

The fact that the Forces have made inroads into enemy territory and are giving the Tigers a dose of their own medicine is also testimony to the rapid disintegration of the outfit.

After Thamilselvan, Charles is the second most prominent leader in the Tiger hierarchy to be eliminated by the Security Forces in the current military thrust.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has vowed to go after the Tiger leaders and this apparently is a strategy to weaken the chain of command that would invariably sow confusion in the Tiger rank and file.

According to reports LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is fast running out of options and is said to be frequently shifting his hideouts to escape the bunker busting bombardments. He must certainly be ruing the day he cut off water to the farmers of Mavilaru, which led to a spate of humanitarian missions by the Security Forces. These culminated in the total liberation of the East last year.

The shift of the strategy to target civilians is a sure indication that the end is nigh for this most barbaric terrorist organisation which massacred pregnant mothers and sleeping infants during its bloody past.

By his recent attacks in the City the LTTE leader has also sent out a clear message that he does not want peace. The Government therefore has no option but to deal with the outfit in the only language it understands.

This it has set out to do in earnest unlike in the past when there were interludes in battle which enabled the enemy to regroup and strike back with force. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had repeatedly said the doors were open for negotiations.

That the LTTE leader had not responded is a sure indication that he only relies on the war option. Hence it is time for the international community to take note of the current state of play.

It has either to persuade the LTTE of the futility of war option or desist from placing road blocks on the Government's military thrust which is only aimed at liberating the Tamils from the grip of a fascist dictator and empowering them via a political solution.

The Forces are now poised to enter the Tiger strongholds in the Wanni and a decisive phase of the battle could unfold at any moment. It is therefore the duty of all to support with the fighting Forces so that they would be inspired to carry out this final task of vanquishing terrorism from Lankan soil, knowing that the whole nation is with them in their noble mission.

Reel life success

A Sri Lankan film has won yet another international award. Salinda Perera's Dheewari (Fisherman's Daughter) collected the most votes from viewers attending the Dubai International Film Festival. What is unique in this instance is that the Lankan film was the only non-Arab film to win this award in a competition usually open only to Arab film makers.

That a Sri Lankan film has once again earned recognition on the international scene is not a feat to be belittled, especially at a time the local cinema is virtually in the doldrums. It speaks for the efforts and enterprise shown by our film makers even amidst adversity.

It is no doubt a testament to the fund of creative talent in our midst that could match any in the world in the cinematic field.

This is all the more reason for measures to resurrect our ailing cinema which was once the mainstay of the country's entertainment scene. Today producers fear to invest in films fearing losses while cinema halls are being closed down at a rapid pace and converted into commercial establishments.

The demand for advanced technology in present day film making too has prevented would be producers from venturing into the field. Hence the need for intervention by the State in providing assistance for the flowering of budding talent in our midst.

The accent should laid on classic cinema that would win us international acclaim while popular cinema that entertains should also be promoted in the same vein. Sadly the appeal generated by the local cinema in the past is no longer there today as more and more people keep distancing themselves from the cinema.

Immediate measures are therefore needed to arrest the slide. A blueprint should be drawn up to study all aspects affecting the local cinema and remedial measures introduced if we are to salvage this premier medium of entertainment that held sway in the past.

We can boast of a unique pool of young creative talent to match any in the past. What they need is assistance to give rein to these talents and earn plaudits for the country in the international arena. How many Lesters or Wasantha Obeysekeras could be languishing in the wilderness without the necessary wherewithal to bring to play their talents ?

This is why the authorities should view this matter with all due attention and work out a scheme to unearth such talent and provide all assistance for the realisation of their potential.