An epitaph for terror
Rajiva Wijesinha
When the news finally broke of the death of Prabhakaran, predictably
enough there was rejoicing in the country. In Colombo this took the form
of crowds bearing flags and processing through the streets.
Though there was some inconvenience to vehicles, as far as my own
experience went this was minimal and the crowd seemed reasonably
disciplined and even polite.
This was a far cry from the vulgar triumphalism one had feared and
which marks even simple sporting achievements, even in Sri Lanka and
certainly so in other lands where alcohol fuels happiness.
In our case, though there was inevitably happiness at the end of the
terror that had stalked us for so long, there was also sobriety, because
we had suffered for so long, and we know that the end of one problem can
often lead to another.
Happiness needs then to be dignified, accompanied by awareness of the
need to plan for the future. We have to remember that it was Tamils who
suffered more than other Sri Lankans at the hands of this false prophet.
Though many Sri Lankans of all backgrounds have died, and not least
members of the Forces, who sacrificed so much in the last few weeks, so
that civilians could be saved, we must remember that it was Tamil
children who were the most prominent victims of the terror, forced to
die as well as to inflict death.
We have to follow the example of a President who stood steadfast
against terror whilst never swerving from his goal of a political
solution to political problems.
We have to respect the Armed Forces who resisted provocation to the
end, and succeeded in rescuing a quarter of a million who had been taken
hostage while the rest of the world ignored this manoeuvre.
And we should salute too those Tamil politicians who resisted the
temptation to cross over to terrorism, frightened though they must have
been of the fate that befell so many of their number who dared to
resist. The end of the Tigers as we knew them is a triumph for the whole
nation, and we must work on behalf of the whole nation to ensure that
such terror never recurs.
(The wrriter is the Secretary General, Secretariat for Coordinating
the Peace Process)
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