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| Sunday, 26 December 2004 |
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Editorial |  |
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Editor, Sunday Observer. E-mail: [email protected] Snail mail : Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Telephone : 94 11 2429239 / 2331181 Fax : 94 11 2429230 Misguided patriotism There has been no dearth of patriotism in our country. Throughout history our people have struggled for the preservation of their country, customs and culture from foreign invasions and invasive alien practices. But they did it without branding themselves as patriots or without a "patriotic label" attached. However, modern practice is different. There are several self-styled patriotic movements. They label themselves patriotic, perhaps fearing others would recognise their patriotism or would understand it otherwise. We still remember the "patriots" of deshapremis who sowed death and destruction on those who did not spouse their philosophy and even banned carrying of coffins of dead persons on shoulders. Well that was during the reign of terror when the state as well as militants were engaged in deadly combat. Now we have a second edition of the same, of course with different dramatis personae. We refer to the Deshapremi Jatika Vyaparaya or the Patriotic National Movement (PNM). This movement is now campaigning on three demands, namely abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement, termination of Norway's role as facilitator in the peace process and opposition to resuming the peace talks based on the ISGA proposals. It is difficult to see how these demands could be termed patriotic when the result of their fulfillment would mean resumption of the fratricidal war, the alienation of the international community and isolation of Sri Lanka from the donors and international community at large. We have witnessed the ravages of war. It has caused tremendous losses in both human and physical capital. Development has become stalled. Countless were the opportunities lost. The resumption of the war is too horrendous a prospect even to imagine. It is not the wish of the people. In such a context, how could such proposals be considered patriotic? Listening to the rhetoric at these "patriotic" platforms one wonders whether they are not beating war drums and instilling fear in the minds of the people of an imminent war. We would like to ask: "Whose agenda are they working? Who will benefit from their actions?" Certainly not the mass of our people, whether they live in the north, the south, the east or the west. Vested interests are trying to achieve their ulterior motives capitalising on the patriotic feelings of the masses. As Samuel Johnson said patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Patriotism means serving the people and allegiance to the people. It is not allegiance to the crown or to the party in power or to the Opposition. The need of the hour is not to place obstacles in the path of the peace process but to find ways and means of bridging the gap between the two combatant parties - the Government and the LTTE. As we have always stressed intransigence and guarding one's prestige is not the way to move forward. The government has shown some flexibility and it is up to the LTTE to reciprocate with similar flexibility. The task of those forces in the south that support the government is to create an atmosphere that cannot be used by the LTTE as an excuse to shy away from talks. It is unfortunate that actions of the PNM and the patronage given to it by sections within the government are nullifying all the good work done by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga towards an early resumption of peace talks. State of world's children In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by nations of the world. Now 15 years later let us review the state of the world's children today. According to the UNICEF 640 million children are without adequate shelter, 400 million children are without access to safe water, 270 million children are without access to basic health services. AIDS has orphaned 15 million children and war has forced 20 million children to flee their homes. Surely the world's leaders have failed. Their promises to children remain unfulfilled. It is not all. Their actions cause new hardships to children. For example the War on Terror unleashed by President Bush has caused untold miseries to children in Afghanistan and Iraq. Even after the end of the cold war, billions of dollars are spent on the development of arms and the arms race is spiraling even into outer space. When will sanity prevail and when will world's statesmen and stateswomen remember their promises to the children? Let us hope that sanity will prevail even in the New Year that is dawning in a week's time and renewed efforts will be taken to fulfill the promises given to the world's children. |
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