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| Sunday, 27 February 2005 |
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Darkness at the third crossing Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake There were no candlelit vigils last week as in the early days after the MoU, to mark the third anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the Tamil Tigers. There were no mass meditation exercises for greater enlightenment about the need for peace, either.
On the other hand, the third anniversary of the CFA was shrouded in darkness or rather the fear of darkness in some parts of the country. In large areas of the South in Hambantota and Matara the people were living in fear of what some astrologers had predicted would be three days of darkness over the entire island. The fears were many and confusing. Some star gazers of the crooked kind had warned people not to cook any food with fire at home, because it could lead to a larger blaze or conflagration. With a curious interpretation of science, others had warned that the skies would be darkened because oxygen would escape the atmosphere causing a frightening darkness that would be the harbinger of greater dangers to come. This is Sri Lanka in the fifth year of the 21st Century, where the word of fake star-gazers can have such an impact on the people. The police did not bother to tell the people not to believe such charlatans. It was finally left to some intelligent and concerned members of the clergy, both Buddhist and Christian, to instil sense into the people's minds and drive away their fears. There are other areas of darkness and gloom that marked the third anniversary of the CFA. The LTTE thought of adding to the gloom by the killing of one soldier and injuring another. In the run-up to the anniversary there was provocation through harassment and threats to the security forces. But on the crucial day its ghoulish celebrations needed to take the life of a Sri Lankan soldier. It may be a demonstration of Thamilchelvan's statement the previous day that the tigers were maintaining a "tethered patience" in the face of continued provocations by the Government. Maybe the patience got off the tether on the anniversary of the CFA or it was in keeping with the practice of most terrorist outfits to celebrate anything with bursts of gunfire. If Thamilchelvan can talk of a "tethered patience" on the part of the tigers, the patience of the Government, the security forces and the citizens opposed to the tigers must be having their patience chained and manacled in restraint. Thamilchelvan obviously sees nothing funny to talk of a "tethered patience" so soon after the SLMM had declared that from February 2003 to December 2004 in 22 months the LTTE had violated the CFA more than 2,300 times as against 115 by the Security Forces. Rather than being a case of "tethered patience" is it more a case of blatant lies unleashed for international consumption, in the LTTE's Goebbelsian tradition. Although there were no candlelit vigils and the other brouhaha that brought out letters from various Citizens for Peace and such groups, many of them now hiding in their well-lined burrows of comfort, there was the indomitable Erik Solheim, the Norwegian Special Peace Envoy, who apparently had some nuggets of advice to offer about the search for peace. As the "Eelamnation" website reported, participating in celebrations to mark the third anniversary of the peace accord between the Sri Lankan Government and the rebel LTTE, Solheim had stated that "Political leaders on both sides should pave the way for creating an atmosphere conducive for lasting peace in the island". Can you see the wisdom oozing in these words and political leaders lapping it up? Surprisingly, such words of compelling wisdom are not tempered by asking the LTTE not to be so inflexible on their demand for an ISGA, which is causing problems in the other part of the country, and gives me the suspicion that Solheim's wisdom is marked by its feline stripes. The wisdom of Solheim goes even further. He says: "The will of the people is important in this matter and if the masses on either side of the political and ethnic divide do not apply pressure on their leaders, peace will be elusive." His is simply unstoppable in his political wisdom, whatever his diplomatic understanding. It is this Solheimspeak that seeks to shed some light in the gloom and darkness that hangs over the third anniversary of the CFA. This mastery at stating the obvious to be given a halo for it is staggering. Who did not know that the will of the people is important in this matter of peace, especially where a separatist organisation that is wholly committed to terror is involved? He again displays his mastery of the obvious in saying that peace will be elusive unless the masses on both sides of the political and ethnic divide do not apply pressure on their leaders. As for the masses in the South, they did apply a great deal of pressure on their leaders in April 2004, in the search for genuine peace. There is no doubt that more of such pressure may be needed today, to take the process in the proper direction and pave the way for the politics of inclusive consensus. But having had more dealings with the LTTE has Solheim ever bothered to question as to how the Tamil masses are to apply more pressure on their oppressive leaders, who tolerate no opposition whatsoever? The darkness and gloom at the third anniversary of signing the CFA may move away bringing us some better light than what Solheimspeak can shed in the prevailing situation. But when it comes to advice with measured sense of its gravitas, I was impressed by what Jeffrey Lunstead, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka had to say of the peace process. He had likened the peace accord to a cycle being ridden by two people. 'To make it move forward, the legs ought to step on the pedals and apply pressure.' It's never too dark to step on the pedal and apply pressure. But it may be too dangerous to step on the pedal in areas where a terrorist group banned by Ambassador Lunstead's own government, still holds sway through the barrel of the gun. I'm all for keeping those pedals moving even in the dark. It reminds me of that oldie about riding a bicycle meant for two. But whoever thought of riding a bicycle with an untamed tiger even with "tethered patience" on the other seat? |
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| Produced by Lake House |
There were no "pahan poojas" burning coconut oil in 80,000 or
more clay lamps seeking divine blessings the cherished goal of peace. It
was only the National Peace Council that thought it fit to celebrate the
anniversary in a big way, reminding one of the opportunities for peace
opened up by the tsunami. The NPC events were no doubt expensive to
organise, but money is no matter for some organisations that speak of
peace with a tilt towards the LTTE.
