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Wednesday, 11 July 2012

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A valuable opportunity to pick-up the pieces

We are having more evidence that the state is giving considerable thought to the all-important tasks of national integration and rejuvenation. Underscoring the state's commitment to reintegrating ex-LTTE cadres into mainstream life, Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was quoted telling Sri Lanka's overseas-based diplomats that these cadres would be considered for recruitment to man the new police stations which would be established in the North-East.

Besides, they would be absorbed into the Civil Security Force which is engaged in development projects right throughout the country. The former cadres would, thus, be afforded the opportunity of contributing towards the country's development process. In fact, if all goes well on these fronts, these former LTTErs would be an inseparable part of national life and give of their best for the common good. This is as it should be because these once misguided sections should not have reason to believe that they are aliens in this their country of birth.

Thus, these former combatants are being virtually 'recalled to life' and no one with humanistic inclinations would oppose this process. Inasmuch as the rebellious youth of Southern Sri Lanka were afforded the opportunity of picking up the pieces of their broken lives, putting them together and getting back to a normal existence, these youths of the North-East are being given the opportunity of reintegrating themselves into the larger society and of helping out in the great enterprise of national rejuvenation. This is something the well-meaning could be joyful over.

Moreover, a nagging need of the North-East populace is being met through this project of reintegration. The language barrier between law enforcers and the general citizenry of the North-East was a key factor in the alienation of the latter from the Lankan state, since the majority of law enforcers did not speak Tamil. There was a genuine inability on the part of the people to communicate their needs to the agencies of the state, such as the Police and the Security Forces, and this proved a prime factor in the eventual confrontation between those sections which took up arms against the state and the latter.

This major irregularity could be remedied to a degree by recruiting former LTTE cadres to the personnel who would be manning North-East police stations.

We know for a fact that this process of recruiting Tamil-speaking personnel to specially serve in the North-East has already begun, but it would amount to qualitatively upgrading this process by recruiting one-time LTTErs to the relevant sections of the police force. As mentioned, this measure would help in giving tremendous meaning to the lives of these persons and this is a prime requirement if they are not to feel disenchanted and alienated in post-conflict Sri Lanka. These efforts at normalizing Sri Lanka's lot should be highlighted to the world and it was in the fitness of things that our diplomats abroad were enlightened on them.

The LTTE rump and other critical sections should know about them in particular because it must be seen that the Lankan state is moving on steadily with the task of national rejuvenation. The grievances of our communities are being met to a degree and the world should be alerted to this reality.

However, much is remaining to be undertaken on the normalization front and we hope the state would remain doggedly committed to the task of establishing normalcy. For instance, the world should know for a fact that the practicable recommendations of the LLRC report are being speedily implemented. Lip-service to implementation just would not do.

All in all, the nation-building process must be pursued in dead earnest. The reintegration of former LTTE cadres is an important step in this effort but there should not be any doubts in any quarter that equity and peaceful coexistence among communities is high on the state's national agenda.

Play it right

If we look at the overall relationship - from a government to government perspective - we have dialogue and interaction, between the West and Sri Lanka. That is without compromising our stand,

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The Human Dimension

Why we need to raise sons who will not treat women as objects...

In a poem titled ‘Minnie’s Mother’s Red Dress’ penned by playwright Carol Lynn Pearson, a mother is telling her daughter not to become like her. She, Millie’s mother, existed only to give - of her time, energy and love to her husband and the children.

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Reconciliation and development in the East

The road and the bridges that provided a swift alternative route to Trincomalee from Kantale, passing through areas such as Mavil Aru and Muttur and Kinniya that had been places of great uncertainty so recently, was symptomatic of the successful impact of concerted efforts at economic development. Irrigation too had kept pace, and planning, so that harvests were plentiful, and marketing was not as problematic as in some areas in the North,

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