February 22, 2010: Two versions
What happened in Sri Lanka eight years ago, do you remember, ladies
and gentlemen? Do you remember the colour of the sky that morning? Do
you remember how that day was heralded as the launching of peace and
prosperity for all time and a day or two more to boot? Do you remember
when there were white doves set free, trees planted to mark the historic
moment? Do you know that on that occasion, a Prime Minister called all
editors of newspapers and nicely told them not to criticize the
Government or that process towards peace he had launched?
Yes, yes, the same man who now talks about media freedom, democracy,
good governance etc., openly and without shame signed a pact with a thug
unlike any this country has known in the past one hundred years, giving
that butcher legitimacy and virtually legitimating a monumental
land-theft second only to that orchestrated by the Waste Lands
Ordinance, did you know?
Where were you on February 22, 2002, do you remember? It is an
important date in our history. As important as June 29, 1987, when the
Indo-Lanka Accord was thrust down our throats by Rajiv Gandhi, a man who
responded to the then UNP Government’s abject servility to Uncle Sam by
nurturing Tamil discontent into a kind of terrorism that he himself lost
control over eventually.
After signing the CFA, civilians moving to North passing
LTTE barriers. File photo |
[That pernicious piece of legislation, presented to Parliament by
Ranil Wickremesinghe in the most unethical manner, leaving out certain
key paragraphs, has produced wastage and corruption, has served to turn
myth into fact (regarding the notion of exclusive traditional homeland
of Tamils) and been the biggest (emotional) obstacle to the deployment
of rationality in resolving legitimate minority grievances.]
February 22, 2002 was not like June 29, 1987, though, for two
reasons. First it was not stuffed down our throats. We gladly stuffed it
down our throats. Well, not the date, but what it signified. ‘We’ refers
to the Government of the day, which, like all governments, represented
those who voted for it and those who voted against it. Secondly, whereas
the Indo-Lanka Accord continues to stymie us, the agreement signed on
February 22, 2002 was voted out and politicked-out by the people.
Today, eight years later, I want to paint a picture. It is a
‘what-if’ picture, the painting of a scenario where things played out
differently. I want to paint this for a simple reason; to give myself
some perspective and a sense of proportion because while there are a
thousand and one reasons to criticize in the present regime there are
things I should be grateful about too. Bear with me awhile; let me start
painting now.
February 22, 2010. What a day! It is not three years since the ‘peace
process’ brought us ‘peace’. Velupillai Prabhakaran, flanked by S P
Thamilselvan and Nadesan, is holding a media conference in a
hamlet-turned-town called Manirasakulam, in a sprawling communications
complex that houses a television and radio station as well as a
newspaper outfit replete with a state-of-the-art printing press all
built with handsome grants secured for the LTTE by Eric Solheim, Vidar
Helgessen et al. He has declared that the ‘Tamil Nationalist Struggle’
will now launch its next phase, that of ‘reclaiming’ for the Tamil
peoples their ‘birthright’, political, military and cultural control
over the entire island.
To this end, he states, he has just declared, ‘the North and East of
the island previously known as Sri Lanka, is now a separate and
independent state called Eelam, with its own system of governance, own
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and civil administration, own currency and
own foreign policy’.
He adds:
‘We consider the entire island to be the traditional homeland of
Tamil people but in the interest of peace and minimizing of sufferance
to ordinary people of all ethnic groups, have chosen to open the door to
a peaceful resolution and as such call upon the usurpers of our
birthright, represented by Ranil Wickremesinghe, to peacefully concede
control of the rest of the island within a period of one year.
We reserve the right to defend these, our temporary borders, fiercely
and without compromise and to this end we will not rule out attacks on
key facilities in Colombo and other places as deemed appropriate in
terms of the aspirations of our people.’ Turn the camera to Colombo
where Ranil Wickremesinghe is holding a media conference.
‘Mr. Prabhakaran has a short while ago declared that the North and
East of the country as a separate and independent state called Eelam. I
believe this is an unnecessary and hasty move on his part but call upon
our people to exercise utmost restraint and recognize the fact that the
Tamil people do have a legitimate claim to these areas. Moreover, I
cannot over-emphasize that what we require now more than anything else
is political stability.
We cannot afford to execute a war with the LTTE. We have to rebuild
our economy. While we are concerned about Mr. Prabhakaran’s intentions
about annexing the entire island, we will not let our emotions get the
better of us; we believe he is just being rhetorical. Thank you. I will
not take questions at this point.;
That’s the North and East of February 22, 2010 that my imagination
and extrapolations from different outcomes at the 2004 General and 2005
Presidential Elections conjure up. Maybe I’ve used harsh colours. May be
I should dilute. Let me try.
February 22, 2010. The North and East. No presence whatsoever of the
Sri Lankan Security Forces. The Trincomalee Harbour is under LTTE
control. A rudimentary ‘visa’ system has been set up for those from
other parts of the country to visit the North and East. The residents of
the North and East no longer have ID cards issued by the Department of
Registration of Persons in Colombo. They have instead, IDs issued by the
‘Persons Registration Department, North-East Government’.
February 22, 2010. Norway has entered into an agreement with the
‘North-East Government’ (legitimately, let me add, in terms of
conflict-resolution agreements signed since February 22, 2002) to engage
in oil exploration off the coastal areas.
February 22, 2010. The US Navy engages in joint naval exercises off
Trincomalee with the LTTE’s Sea Tiger Force. Meanwhile, a special team
of officers and trainers of the US Air Force has arrived in Iranamadu to
train a set of pilots in operating the newly acquired fleet of fighter
and civilian aircraft courtesy a special grant from that country.
Colombo. Same day. Upon the recommendations of the IMF, Ranil
Wickremesinghe’s Cabinet decides to sell the People’s Bank and the Bank
of Ceylon.
The camera moves to a house in Colombo 3. There’s a big party going
on. The air is perfumed. There’s music. Dancing. Laughter. Conversation.
All in English. A strange wind blows through the handsomely decorated
room, gathers conversation strand essence, rolls it all up and out it
comes thus: ‘It is as though the British never left, how lovely!’
The time is now 8.43 pm. News Flash: a group of unidentified gunmen
numbering close to a 1,000 have stormed into Medawachchiya, burnt all
shops, taken over the town and ordered all Sinhalese people to move out
within 24 hours.
The time is now 9.57 pm. Flash: Ranil Wickremesinghe appeals for
calm.
This is the year 2010. February. The twenty second day. Real lie,
real time, real space. I am thrilled to be living in this Sri Lanka. How
about you, ladies and gentlemen?
[email protected]
|