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| Sunday, 3 February 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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'May that peace dawn soon'
Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera
"Peace and tranquillity that all yearn for are, pre-conditions for both the spiritual and material progress of a nation. Therefore, a lasting peace has to be secured before the country gets further bogged down in the numerous miseries resulting from war. "Peace means the absence of all divisive forces of discrimination, destruction, suspicion, confrontation, conflict, disunity and so on. As the devastation caused by war is so extensive and the wounds are still festering, the path to peace would not only be difficult but, extremely slippery too. Yet, there is no other option but, to go on step by step with caution and patience. "What the majority wish for is not peace at any cost. Their
fervent wish is for peace that would in no way adversely affect the
territorial integrity of the country; for peace that would create an
environment that is conducive for all citizens to live as equals.
"May that peace dawn soon". Professor C. Suriyakumaran, former special professor for the United Nations Regional Division for Asia and Pacific and former visiting professor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
But, I believe that the various speeches and statements during the celebrations could become a call for future unity and participation by all, both in a National Celebration and in the celebrations of our rich diversities that make up our Peoples and Nation. "At that important level, this year's Independence Day observances may well be one more instrument in carrying us forward to a conclusion in the momentous peace process that has so far given rich promise. - P. Krishnasamy Javid Yusuf, Attorney-at-Law, former member of the Human Rights Commission, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, educationist and political analyst.
There is no doubt that everybody wants peace. But it is with regard to the process of achieving peace and the contents of the solution that there are differences of opinion. "The origins of the conflict are rooted in the feelings of injustice experienced by the Tamil people. In the process of addressing such concerns of the Tamil people, care should be taken not to cause injustice to the Sinhalese or the Muslims. In other words, the task of the peace makers is to strike the correct balance in ensuring that the root causes of the conflict are addressed to the satisfaction of all communities. For only then will all sections of the community will own the outcome of the peace process. This undoubtedly is a formidable task. But human ingenuity together with a sincere, honest and dedicated effort by the parties to the conflict can result in a solution that will meet the aspirations of all sections of our people. "While the final objective of the peace process is to put in place a legal and administrative structure that help to address in a just and fair manner, the root causes of the conflict, the people themselves have a big role to play in building and safeguarding inter-communal harmony in the country. While constitutional and other mechanism may help to ensure justice to all communities, it is only goodwill and trust between the people at grasroot level, the best safeguard for an enduring peace. The people must, therefore, resist and reject divisive tendencies that help cause a rift among the different communities. Communal slogans may provide a politician with easy ladders to political success but resulting in rift within communities. "It is no secret that despite the large reservoir of goodwill that still exists among the ordinary people of the different communities, but some have begun to drift apart in recent years due to actions of politicians who have sought to use communalism as a short-cut to political success. "The Sinhalese community had consistently rejected such political formation. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the minorities where communal political formations have had, albeit, limited success due to their harping on the feeling of insecurity that the minorities face. It is not without significance that the problems of the minorities have increased in direct proportion to the growth of opportunistic and communalistic minority political formations. Independence Day, is, therefore, an occasion for us to rededicate ourselves to the peace process by attempting to resolve our problems through the path of negotiations while at the same time taking steps to build trust between the people of the different communities. Mrs. Deloraine Brohier - President, Dutch Burgher Union
"Peace is not just when the guns go silent. It must begin in the hearts of everyone in this country, irrespective of race or religion. "When one talks about Peace and Harmony, one must consider what it really means to the people as a whole, how it touches their hearts, and affects each man, woman or child. "Peace is Harmony, Peace is Brotherhood. The seeds of Peace must be first sewn in the hearts of children during their early school going age. Children must be taught to respect each other irrespective of religion, caste or creed by their parents and teachers. I strongly feel that our education system is largely to be blamed for promoting ethnic differences in this country. This is because the whole of our education system has been compartmentalised and because of the absence of a link language like English, to serve as a common means of communication. "The secret of Peace is Tolerance. To achieve that goal it takes courage, character and determination. "When I went to school I never thought of my friends as Sinhala, Tamil, Burgher or Muslim. They were just "Friends" irrespective of their nationality. Today however students think differently. Many of them refer to their classmate as being "Sinhala", "Tamil", "Burgher", "Muslim" or else "Buddhist", "Christian", "Hindu" or "Islam". Then look at the nature of our schools and colleges. How many of the state schools are truly national in the sense that they are willing to open their doors to students of all religions and nationalities, breaking their stereotyped traditions? I am personally aware of such discriminations being made to bright students who were unable to get admission to some leading schools in Colombo simply because they belonged to the `wrong' nationality or religion, according to the schools' admission rules. "The solution then, as far as I see it, lies in reforming our Education system, and bringing back English to our schools so that it provides a common link language, knowledge and communication for English is a world language. I could suggest that it is mandatory as in some countries like Holland, that every child in this country learns all three of the main languages. "As a Burgher and a member of the minority community, I believe I speak for the rest of my community when I say that the absence of a common link language has been a serious disadvantage for me and the rest of my community when it comes to communicating with others who do not know English. "The ability to communicate and understand one another must, thus be the first step towards Peace. This can only happen if we revamp our education system and make the kind of changes I have mentioned. The key to peace is tolerance and an attitudinal change among society as a whole. It will take a lot of courage, character and determination at all levels of the people as well as strong leadership to achieve that goal. - by Carol Aloysius |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Tomorrow, Sri Lankans will commemorate the fifty fourth anniversary of
our day of freedom from colonial domination. In the light of the renewed
effort to resolve the ethnic conflict and bring about peace, the Sunday
Observer asked four eminent Sri Lankans for their views on the
significance of Independence Day. The imperative for peace, social
justice, cultural tolerance and a perseverance with the peace process have
been stressed by them.
"I am sure all will agree that we, as a nation, are far away from
the ideal position we should have reached since our independence 54 years
ago. If not for the destructive war, we could have certainly achieved this
goal.
"Between the trappings of Independence Day celebrations and the
goals and potential for giving shape and substance that may form a
precursor to future celebrations, frankly, I do not believe that the
message could be carried forward in the actual celebrations this time,
either in its form or geographic coverage, specially considering that your
question addresses potential celebrations in the North and East.
"Independence from colonial domination meant political freedom for
our country and our people. But political freedom will have a meaning only
if it is translated into economic freedom and social justice, for all our
people. The North-East conflict is the biggest challenge we are faced with
today and the peace process is designed to meet this challenge.
Independence Day celebrations, and other anniversaries and milestones
in our country are occasions which make us stop and reflect. Once, as a
people of this island in old Ceylon, we were one - all Ceylonese. What has
happened in the years between to divide us?
