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| Sunday, 31 March 2002 |
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That
amphibian landing
by FACTOTUM Despite receding water levels in the rain fed tanks in heavy rainfall areas there has apparently been sufficient water in the Iranamadu tank in the arid zone to let the amphibian to splash down and disgorge its much awaited human cargo that took an unusual route from Male to meet up with the bigwigs in the Vanni. Whatever the harsh conditions, we are sure the idealogue is happy to be on home ground away from the chilling conditions in his adopted country. And he is here on big business. At long last it has dawned on all and sundry that whatever military gains one might notch up they can be superfluous in the wake of the lack of basic amenities for the people to enjoy the real plums of victory. The powwows that are on the cards are sure to focus on the huge job of rebuilding all that has been destroyed in the name of warding off insensitive structures that were looked upon as alien by those people on whose behalf a massive show of arms was demonstrated. Pledges of aid are pouring in and it is upto the would-be beneficiaries to work out a practical framework that would set the new structures in place to specially recover from the devastation that has engulfed those areas that came under attack from both sides. The divisions that the trauma brought about have now to be bridged in distant Thailand in the East with a go-between from Scandinavia in the West. All this brings to the fore the folly of the divisive policies that took hold in the country. The Indian intervention, however, well intentioned it might have been, ended in a fiasco due to changing compulsions at that time and the urge of the assertion of authority in different quarters. If the heat of the presence of the neighbour was too much for the comfort of the warring factions this time round the coolness of distant Norway should help to ease the situation around inland waters, poised as we are for a settlement that the people are craving for. A taste of what is in store for us is already looming large in the form of enhanced rates for those necessities that we have taken for granted in this part of the country. Electricity already in short supply is to cost us more. To add to that we will have to pay more for all the talking that we would do on the Telecom phones. If the peace process founders even the existing infrastructure services will not be within the reach of many. So, the amphibian landing portends the opening of the gates to a better living. But the gates of heaven and hell are not too far apart. A missed step can land us in the crossfire of booming guns and in raging fires. Let us not look back from the welcome landing in the Iranamadu waters. |
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