Get-together as one

Don't allow a small group to tarnish Lanka's image:

I recently visited the United Kingdom on an invitation by the Sri Lankan community living there to join them at the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations. I made that opportunity to visit several Viharayas in UK and also meet Sri Lankans living in various cities.

Most Sri Lankans I met had been living there for over 30 years. Though they are British citizens and their standard of living is comparable to any Britisher, their lifestyle and mentality still reflect the typical Sri Lankan culture.

They have been living in harmony with other foreigners in UK and are now totally integrated into British living-style with their children marrying Britishers and foreigners of other origins of different religions, etc. They are mostly professionals and like any average Sri Lankan they have given top priority to educate their children and grandchildren and instill rich values in them. They visit churches, temples, kovils, mosques and live peacefully.

They are proud of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who according to them, has given all patriotic Sri Lankans their national pride and put a smile on their faces.

They believe that the President has already mapped out the post-conflict scenario and priorities for action.

Among other things, they feel, such a plan should include restoration of dignity of Vanni people, their rehabilitation, provision of essential services such as housing, water and sanitation, schools, health and medical facilities, roads, and also putting them back to work.

This will help Sri Lanka in repairing the image of the country tarnished by the black propaganda of the LTTE and its sympathizers including various domestic and foreign organisations.

One ceremony that was scheduled to be held in an auditorium of a British College in Croyden was badly affected due to LTTE sympathizers in that area.

They got hold of parents of students in the school and pressurized the school management not to provide the school auditorium for Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations.

The organisers were compelled to shift it to another venue at the last moment reducing drastically the number of participants.

While I was there, 11 British MPs representing Labour and Liberal parties spoke against the Sri Lankan Government in their Parliament on April 29. There had been less than 25 MPs present when they spoke. Simultaneously there was a protest outside the Parliament organised by LTTE sympathizers.

Most participants according to my friends were political asylum seekers.

I was also told that people can get their voices transmitted through the British Parliament by sponsoring MPs for an agreed fee. Even the majority of British people are against such moves. The Speaker of the House of Representatives announced that Police should take appropriate action against the protestors.

There had been several other similar incidents reported.

Sri Lankans living in UK are prepared to give a helping hand to the Government to counter such discriminative acts of LTTE sympathizers. In those countries, they say, there are highly accomplished individuals, both experienced professionals as well as young people, who would gladly volunteer to do various tasks at short notice. It is also very important to use moderate Tamils in the provision of information through the print and electronic media. Everywhere I went, whether it was in London, Kingsbury, East London, Surrey, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Yorkshire, Leeds, Edinburgh or Glasgow in Scotland, I heard the same story.

In some places I heard of incidents of harassment of individuals too.

I strongly feel Sri Lankans should get-together, leaving political differences, if there are any, apart in countering organised moves by a very small group of Sri Lankans in tarnishing the image of this multi-ethnic, multi-religious minute population of the world who have been living in harmony for centuries. Vernun S. Samarakoon