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| Sunday, 18 September 2005 |
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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 Overcoming great dilemmas President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing the High Level Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly the other day referred to the great dilemmas faced by peoples and governments committed to the democratic way of life hemmed in by armed groups that know of no other way but to resort to violence and terror to achieve their ends. This severe castigation of terrorism was made all the more poignant in the wake of the killing of that great campaigner for a negotiated settlement of our own ethnic problem-Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar a few weeks ago. Needless to say, had he not come by that untimely end at the hands of an assassin Mr. Kadirgamar would have been with President Kumaratunga this very moment doing his bit to further agitate for the condemnation of terrorism worldwide with of course special reference to Sri Lanka. Had his words been heeded by the world community a decade ago we might have been spared the traumas that our society has gone through over the years. It is no consolation that while Sri Lanka has had a lion share of terrorist acts there have been senseless acts of terrorism perpetrated in other countries notably in New York itself and in more recent times in London. So the spectre of terrorism is prevalent all over, irrespective of colour, creed and country divides. And this is a great dilemma. But what about other dilemmas that people are confronted with in their routine day-to-day life? Right now, with a Presidential election round the corner there are many who suffer from the dilemma of who to vote for or in fact whether to vote at all. While democracy with all its limitations has still to be upstaged by a more acceptable form of governance elections from time to time give the people that sense of being part of the decision making process to exercise a vote and place their choice in the seats of power. It is when such an opportunity is denied that mass agitation leading to violations of law and order occur. Although that dilemma does not present itself here in Sri Lanka what with a plethora of elections at different levels taking place periodically, the dilemma of the cost of representation at local, district, provincial and national level has often been talked about, with a fair section of the thinking element and otherwise, deriding and ridiculing the extent of representation and what more castigating the electoral process itself. The dilemma of our lawmakers not being able to arrive at a consensus to change this system constitutionally has burdened the people with untold expenditure for which the return is considered disproportionate. Can this inability to confer and concur be the result of personality centred politics that seem to supersede policy and principle? For example, there are no advocates of war but our political leadership ranging from the dominant to minor political parties, communal groupings splintered into a number even within one community is unable to map out a common strategy to resolve the problem of the Tamil community that has taken a heavy toll in terms of life and limb on the one hand and a drain on economic resources on the other. This then is another great dilemma. How does one deal with a group armed to the teeth demanding a separate state within the confines of this small island? That then is another great dilemma. If it is the dream and resolve of one megalomaniac whose support base seems to be fast receding with others who had been fellow travellers and the people at large preferring to settle for something less, then that issue has to be collectively addressed by the political leadership. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's stand to invite his principal opponent on board once the outcome of the Presidential election is known come November, and providing space for all other groups to strike a deal for it is a deal that has to be struck, appears to be the way out of this great dilemma. There are past experiences to draw from. Lessons to be learnt from mistakes. There is no place for secret deals and unilateral decisions. The dilemma is plain and simple. How do we live and let live? And this has to be deliberated upon and decided on, out in the open. The presidential election campaign presents the ideal scenario for the people who are day by day polarising behind the two main contenders for the Presidency, to pressurise them to arrive at a common stand in resolving the national problem in the same vein that President Kumaratunga has urged the international community to pressurise armed terrorist groups to put up their shutters and resolve their problems at negotiating tables. There is no other way to overcome these great dilemmas. It was only in history that a nice little war here or a big battle there put an end to seething problems. Even then, in the long term, tables have been turned on one time aggressors and oppressors by those who were subjugated. Overcoming great dilemmas is well within our capacities. Personal agendas must be set aside to overcome these great dilemmas. |
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