No room to divide Motherland
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s address to the
Nation on the Victory Day celebrations at Galle Face, Colombo yesterday
As I hoist the national flag today, I recall the cry of victory
raised by the entire nation waving the national flag throughout the
country one year ago. For the first time in the history of our nation
the proud roar of being brought under a single national banner was taken
to the entire world by our people. Our national flag fluttered on that
occasion in the last breath of those heroes who sacrificed their lives
for the freedom of the land. Each day, as the sun rises I remember these
heroes of war who laid down their lives for the country.
We must also remember that Presidents, Presidential candidates,
Ministers, Parliament Members and political leaders and intellectuals
such as Duraiappah, Amirthalingam, Lakshman Kadirgamar and Neelan
Thiruchelvam who faced death at the hands of terrorists are interred in
our soil. We also must remember that large numbers of people, including
thousands of little children, who were killed by terrorist attacks on
villages, streets and highways, also lie buried amongst us. Our land
today does not comprise only rock, sand and gravel but the flesh and
blood of our ancestors, too.
As long as we remember that those who sacrificed their lives now rest
in the soil of our land, I declare with pride that our people shall not
leave room for anyone to divide our Motherland.
Not limited to battlefield
The strategies to divide our motherland were not limited to the
battlefield. This had entered not only our Parliament but also
factories, schools and even our homes. For 30-long years our people
faced this threat in the midst of many obstacles. On some occasions our
people even had to face international sanctions.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the nation.
Commanders of the Tri Forces and IGP are standing behind the
president. Picture by Sudath Silva |
Our people have faced the worst tragedies in the history of the
world. Even at a time when the Sri Maha Bodhi, the Sacred Tooth Relic
and Bhikkhus were being assassinated, the community of Bhikkhus living
in distant villages did not abandon their sacred responsibility of being
the guardians of the nation. They gave guidance and strength to people,
who clutching their children had to hide in the forest at night,
returned to work their fields at day and protected the villages that
would have been the borders of our land. Both in the North and East
children who were returning from school were forcibly taken by the
terrorists for the war. The mothers in the North and East suffered this
loss.
In spite of the bombs being exploded in trains and buses, and air
raids, not a single person abandoned their places of work. Terrorists
who snatched away the lives and property of our people could not deprive
them of determination.
The effort of the terrorists to change our hearts through the pursuit
of terror for 30 years did not meet with success. Our children were
deprived of their right to learn the history of our nation. The name of
King Dutugemunu was demeaned even worse than during the reign of King
Elara. Many were the efforts made to make us forget that we are a people
who in the past had defeated the most powerful invaders.
Terrorists decapitated the villagers in the North and East. Others
who earned dividends from separatists struck at the minds of the people.
The determination of Sri Lanka’s heroic youth was blunted by those who
spread the belief that going to war against terrorism was a dangerous
and unwise task. Films were screened all over the world seeking to
humiliate heroes who were disabled in the war. As much as our language,
our intellectuals too, were totally ignored. Sons of Sri Lanka were been
made to be temporary lodgers in their homeland.
We must be proud that our people did not allow the nation to be
divided despite all these challenges that lasted 30 years. The mere
recruitment of youth in large numbers to the Armed Forces and
strengthening the Forces with more arms was not sufficient. It was
necessary to consider this land as part of ourselves. It was necessary
to instill the confidence that the nation belongs to the people
themselves.
Heroism cannot be imported
We inscribed in the Mahinda Chintana the path of bringing back to the
nation what was forcibly taken away from us and our nation.
A government that sells the national assets of the country to foreign
racketeers, that degrades our national history, that pays no heed or
respect to our national language, traditions and values, is not capable
of winning such a struggle. Heroism cannot be imported from abroad- it
lives in our history and tradition.
In a struggle to liberate one’s country, knowing the enemies’ terrain
alone is not important. It is necessary to understand the heartbeats of
the people, their views and aspirations and respect them, too.
The people should have complete faith and confidence that the land
that was liberated from terrorism through great sacrifice of life will
not be handed over to the forces of separatism again.
One cannot succeed in liberating the Motherland by keeping your son
at home and getting another’s son to fight. When we came forward to
liberate the motherland, it was not done thinking that the leader, the
people and the country were separate from each other, but was a single
entity.
Attempts of betrayal
A year has passed since that glorious victory. But there were
attempts to tarnish that victory in the recent past. You are aware of
the attempts at the biggest betrayal of bringing the Armed Forces to
disrepute took place. It is an insult to the heroic troops who shed
their blood and gave their lives for the country in this great
humanitarian operation to say that they shot at terrorist leaders who
came carrying white flags. Our Armed Forces comprise those who went to
battle carrying a gun in one hand, the Declaration of Human Rights the
other, as well as taking food for the liberated people of the North and
full of human kindness in their hearts.
It is only those who have hatred towards the country and nation can
betray such heroes. The beneficiaries of such a great betrayal will only
be the separatists.
But, it is with the same satisfaction that I felt when we won the
humanitarian operation that I am pleased to say today that the people of
this country have accepted the great challenge of protecting this
glorious victory.
I believe the people will stand firm as a solid fortification around
the Government and the Security Forces who won the country for them.
Terrorism, threat to all
We are aware that some countries being battered by terrorism have
taken strength and courage from these victories won by Sri Lanka. It is
time for the countries facing the terrorist attacks to look back and see
where they have gone wrong.
It is a grave error of judgment to think that while being opposed to
terrorism targeting you, to believe that terrorism that is no threat to
you is good.
The world has so far trod on this wrong path. Terrorism remains
unvanquished because of this incorrect thinking. I must state that the
countries that show sympathy towards terrorism and separatism will be
the victims of terrorism. This is the lesson of the history.
What those from abroad who seek to strengthen separatism are really
doing is, to once again corral the people of the North into camps.
The world should look into what happened to all the aid that was
given as relief for the Tamil people of the North. For thirty long years
they did not see the development of roads, electricity and schools. It
is now seen how all those funds went for the luxury, pleasure and
overindulgence of separatists and for them to deprive the people of the
North of their freedom.
Holding to ransom
The problems of the Tamil people, Muslims and all others who are born
and live in this country cannot be a burden to those outside. It is our
own responsibility to solve the problems of our people. It did not take
us long to restore normality to the East that was affected by terrorism.
We shall next resolve the problems faced from terrorism by the people in
the North, by this year end.
Many who went to the North are satisfied with the work done by the
Government towards the displaced people’s welfare. We have already
appointed an Independent Commission to inquire into the causes that led
to terrorism, the lessons we can learn from this, and reconciliation. It
is our intent to make the people in the North be the most pleased by
this victory over terrorism. It is understood by all that we carried out
this great humanitarian operation only to eliminate terrorism. We left
no room for even one bullet to be fired against ordinary citizens.
Therefore, we consider day as one which unites all our people.
The conditions laid before us holding this country to ransom with the
threat of terrorism are not valid anymore. There is a government and
people today ready to make any sacrifice to safeguard the country’s
freedom.
We are not ready to accept aid under conditions that will betray the
freedom of our land and people. We must be ready to end the era of
dependence on aid.
Commitment
It is not to idly waste our time that we liberated this land. It was
not to hand over the country to thieves, crooks, the corrupt and those
of the underworld and also not to waste our time in lethargy.
More than 200,000 in our Armed Forces have given Sri Lanka a victory
through their commitment through day and night in good weather and bad.
These heroes are our children born in our villages.
Our public service has six times the manpower of the Armed Forces.
They are also our own children born in our own villages. If our public
servants make a commitment for four years similar to that by our Heroic
Forces we will be able make this country the Wonder of Asia.
Challenges
You should be well aware of the challenges that lie ahead. We went to
battle under the slogan, ‘Api Wenuwen Api’. Similarly, in building the
nation and country we must line up under the slogan, ‘We for the
Country’. Many countries in the world have developed through the
extra-ordinary endeavours of their people. We, who have astonished the
world through success in our humanitarian operation, must do so in
development, too. We must surprise the world through the unthinkable.
It is only those of us who are born in this country that have the
will to build this country.
People of our country have the strength and courage to build this
country. What is only needed is the will.
Yes! What is most needed to prevent the shedding of blood and tears
for the country is to restore the hearts shattered by violence and ease
such pain. I am confident that the Sri Lankan nation has the will to
achieve this.
We had a past full of valour, heroism and courage. But we have such
qualities in which we can take pride, today. In the future when there is
a need for the Sri Lankan nation to launch an incomparable battle to
protect this land, they will recall with pride and take courage from the
heroism displayed by you today. Even if you die you will not lie in a
grave but in our hearts that love our land.
We shall pay our heroic troops the tribute of our nation for every
drop of blood they have shed to free our land by uniting all our
peoples, ensuring that terrorism does not raise its head again, and
building this nation to its true greatness. |