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| Sunday, 22 January 2006 |
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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 Honouring the pledge President Mahinda Rajapakse has already demonstrated that whatever he envisaged and presented to the country as his vision towards the blossoming of a new Sri Lanka titled Mahinda Chinthana is not relegated to limbo as is normally the practice when politicians are elected to the seats of power. In fact, it can be recalled that he fell foul of the then powers-that- be when at successive parliamentary group meetings he flaunted the manifesto of the then People's Alliance government of which he was a member, loudly querying as to how much of what was enumerated in that document had been implemented. Even if he was shown the door then, he stoutly refused to leave as some others had done but stayed on to fight the cause. As reward for his consistency in calling on the then Government to keep the pledges made to the people he was relieved of the Ministry of Labour and assigned different subjects to keep him at bay. That is all history. It is in that backdrop that he presented to the people a comprehensive course of action covering a wide range of issues that brought him into the highest seat of power defeating powerful forces that derided him as a narrow clannish campaigner who had an eye on the votes of the 'majority' at the expense of 'minority' groups. The campaign against him was hard and bitter and few expected him to romp home. There were plans for grand feasting and the harassment of opponents had the tables been turned but fortunately that was not to be. Within hours of his election the fifth Executive President had taken his oaths and a new beginning towards a new era was set in motion on his own birth anniversary. Pledges made to farmers and deprived school children have already been kept. Fertiliser at subsidised rates and a free meal of rice and curry to needy school children which were pooh-poohed as mere election 'gundus' are a reality. Pay hikes to government servants become effective this month, just two months after assuming power. The biggest challenge however lies in bringing a warring armed outfit to the negotiating table. Within a fortnight of assuming office the new President was greeted by the LTTE warlord (who had only a week earlier labelled him as a realist and a pragmatist) with a salvo having to undergo the trauma of unarmed troops being blasted by a claymore mine when they were, mark you, not even on patrol but on a routine mission of taking food for their colleagues at a sentry point. If that was meant to be a message of defiance more was to follow despite loud protests from countries worldwide and southern political parties and civil society organisations including a widely representative umbrella of religious groups. But provocative acts have gone on under various pretexts and a propaganda campaign has been launched that troops are on the rampage. President Rajapakse again has kept his cool and his pledge 'to think from a fresh perspective and devise a new approach' to 'find a sustainable solution to the conflict in the North and the East' His clear-cut policy has already been put in motion. The response to his call to begin discussions with all political parties represented in Parliament has been encouraging. They have all agreed that war is not the prudent option although mischievous campaigners with an eye on the vote of 'minority' groups painted a black picture of a hot war if Mahinda the candidate supported by the JHU and the JVP was installed in the seat of power. This canard and some others have been laid low and even these parties labelled as 'extremists' have shown a remarkable flexibility throwing in their lot for the valiant search of peace based on negotiations. Discussions with political parties not represented in Parliament, extended to the Maha Sangha and leaders and priests of other religions, civil society organisations and particularly Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala organisations operating in the North and East are all on the cards as enumerated in Mahinda Chinthana. As events take place it is envisaged that direct talks with the LTTE would be a reality. If their fears are assuaged, complemented by a reciprocal show of understanding of the views of the majority, that would be a basis for negotiations. It is a tortuous path but a path that would be sane and honourable sparing the spilling of blood and intensifying suspicion and hatred. In the coming week there will be much shuttling between Kilinochchi and Colombo and a clear picture of the ground situation is bound to emerge before the expiry of the third month of President Rajapakse's presidency as he looks towards realising his vision of an undivided country, a national consensus and an honourable peace. |
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