Census with good conscience
The registration of Tamil
civilians who had taken up residence in the Western Province
during the past five years went off smoothly on Sunday. A
majority of these civilians were those who had fled the fighting
in the North and sought safety in the city.
Newspaper captions and TV showed people gathered at Police
stations, schools, temples etc. to register themselves as
requested by the authorities.
According to reports there had been over 90 per cent of
response to the call for registration. According to a survey
some 10,800 families had arrived in the Western Province from
the North over the past five years.
By all accounts all courtesies and assistance had been
extended to those who came for registration and the atmosphere
was friendly and cordial.
There was even a ‘welcome’ sign displayed in one such centre
which no doubt would have allayed any suspicion or misgivings in
the minds of the Tamil civilians.
It is hoped that this would signal the beginning of a close
bond between the law enforcement and the Tamil residents which
had been strained somewhat during the recent past over various
allegations.
There were of course many critics who were opposed to this
census claiming such a move amounted to discrimination on
communal lines. These sections claim that this was no worse than
last year’s relocation of lodgers in Colombo.
But this as well as the current exercise were done with the
purest of motives namely to ensure the city was free of terror
attacks.
The Government cannot afford to take chances with the lives
of the people at stake. It has to cover all loopholes. Similarly
Sunday’s census was a harmless piece of routine.
The Police should be commended for going out of its way to
put these people at ease and give the lie to all the unfounded
criticisms. There were no complaints of harassment or the
civilians being subject to any ordeal.
This was corroborated even by the General Secretary of the
All Ceylon Hindu Congress who said the census had been free of
harassment.
The Government of course is justified in conducting such an
exercise in the larger interests of public security.
Extraordinary situations demands extraordinary measures as the
popular saying goes. And what we are confronted with today is an
extraordinary situation.
With the Military juggernaut moving inexorably towards the
final kill the terrorists are bound to take desperate measures
to shift the balance in the current offensive. It is no secret
that the terrorists would make use of any loophole to gain an
advantage.
Part of the LTTE strategy will be to get its members
infiltrate the South in the guise of civilians as we have seen
in the past. The LTTE even did not let pass the visit of Pope
John Paul 11 to the country in January 1995 when the Government
allowed pilgrims from the North to travel to the South.
It was later revealed that some Tiger operatives had mingled
with the pilgrims who arrived for the Pope’s final mass at the
Galle Face Green. Such an eventuality always exists and it is
the duty of a responsible Government to learn from the past.
The Government has to look into all available avenues to plug
in the security loopholes. It has to look into all possible
means to narrow down the odds on a possible terrorist attack in
the city. The current census is one way this could be
accomplished.
The security of the public at large is the predominant
factor. This necessarily has to eclipse all other
considerations. It was only last week that a catastrophe of a
huge magnitude was averted when a bomb planted in a passenger
bus was detected in the nick of time.
It is no secret that there are LTTE sleeper cells in the city
and the Security Forces have already flushed out several such
safe houses. Last year they detected a Claymore factory in
Mattakkuliya slap in the middle of a dwelling populated by
Tamils.
Had this detection escaped the Security Forces a mind
boggling calamity would have ensued. It is also no secret that
Tamil civilians are cowed into submission by LTTE operatives to
do their bidding on pain of dire consequences. There are also
others who work hand in glove with the terrorists for pecuniary
gain.
There are also terror suspects who are engaged in spying on
the movements of VIPs and the information passed on to Tiger
hitmen.
The security establishment has to contend with all these
factors to ensure public security is not compromised. It is an
unenviable task given the odds involved. On the one hand it has
to take the flak from so called human rights groups. On the
other it is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring public
safety.
No doubt the overriding factor is public safety and all
measures taken by the Government are with this aim in mind.
For their part the public too should lend its support and
cooperation in this exercise and bear with certain
inconveniences and hardships to fulfil this need. It is but a
small price to pay for one’s own safety and the protection of
life and limb. |