Sunday Commentary:

The road to 2009

by Prasad GUNEWARDENE

To begin, we are all Sri Lankans. We stand on the eve of 2008 to greet another year. We owe our being to the beauty of this resplendent isle. The mountains and glades, the climate and the rivers, flowers and the green, the seas and all seasons define the beauty of our indigenous native land we've inherited. Those fragrances of nature once introduced this land as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. This land has been pleasant to us despite the unpleasant memories inflicted on us by the menace of terrorism over the past three decades.

Though belated, we must all confess that we have not been fair by such a gracious and a beautiful land that has nurtured us. Why have we been so cruel to this loveable motherland of ours which is admired by many outside? The reason is that we have failed to understand and unite ourselves as one people of one country. History has taught all of us that this country can never be divided. Therefore, division is only a distant dream beyond reality. Do we not admire and treat our lovely species in the jungles with equality? Yes... we do. We are all proud of our lions, leopards, elephants and other creatures. Do we admire and treat our fellow beings with equality as we do to our animals is a question that should haunt our psychology.

History has taught us that since Independence, politics have divided our people who once rallied round to struggle for independence and uphold the sovereignty of this country. Unlike bigger nations, we are a small entity with a few races. We do speak only Sinhala and Tamil as indigenous languages with English as the link language. We have neighbours in this region who speak uncountable number of languages within one nation. They proudly recognise and identify themselves by the identity of their nation and not by their race or state they were born in.

After sixty years of political battle and division, the time has now come for all politicians to set aside petty politics, to build a strong political partnership, to pull the nation out of the present crisis. Today, this land infested by terrorism is now being gradually liberated by its Armed Forces. Politicians must dispel Cassandra-like prognostications at this crucial juncture to avoid doom and extend their hand of friendship to each other for the sake of the people and the nation.

The Eastern theatre has returned to normalcy with democracy being restored. The troops are currently engaged on a mission to liberate the North. The success story after three decades of suffering is that today we have a strong political leadership sincerely committed to eliminate terrorism to the benefit of the present and the future. The tragedy of politics in this nation is, whenever a strong political leadership, emerges in this country, political bickering raised its ugly head. Political back-stabbing must stop to make this nation the winner against the scourge of terrorism. Otherwise, the winner would be none other than Velupillai Prabhakaran and his treacherous LTTE which continue to massacre people irrespective of race, caste or religion. The LTTE's demand for separation stands rejected by all peace-loving Tamils in this country.

Let us not forget that when there is division in the South due to political bickering, Prabhakaran always entered like a dragon to take the toll. If politicians continue to back-stab each other, we would only be strengthening and promoting terrorism and, not democracy. Four years ago, in the aftermath of the deadly Tsunami disaster which claimed over 50,000 lives, all politicians joined hands on a common platform for the cause of the unfortunate. What happened thereafter? One felt jealous of the other and the unity displayed on the centre stage cracked within months. Could this nation continue with such a political trend? The answer lies with the politicians.

We have today, after 60 years of Independence, an administration quite national in nature. It has pledged to unite all people irrespective of race or religion. That policy is well within the constitution that rules this nation. Firstly, the political centre stage needs to be united to bring all people together. All political party leaders are cast with that national responsibility. Charles De Gaulle united his country in that manner to face all fearful odds. Thus, we should attract all abundant nationalistic resources of this country into the constitution which now stand scattered. That shall create a neo-national totality to march towards the nation's progress.

Politics in this country have played enough and more in the past with no positive results for the nation and the people. At this critical juncture, politicians must unite under one banner to rid the country of terrorism. That is the only way to build a healthy nation. This country has bled enough since Independence . It should not be allowed to bleed anymore. Be it a friend or foe in politics, it is the people who bled more and yet continue to bleed. Many of them bled to death because of terrorism.

We cannot depend much on the international community as they have contributed very little in the past towards national reconciliation of this nation. We as a nation must unite to understand each other in brotherhood. Politicians must place the country before them. They should not act in a manner to divide the people. The country needs to build a strong law-governed society. What remains to be seen is whether our politicians are ready to live up to that challenge, to make a serious effort, which in a practical way can tell the people, we have now come to the end of the tunnel where there is light.

Our memories are haunted by the horrendous devastation of terrorism for three decades. Therefore, the urgent need is to eliminate terrorism. Politicians must build up partnership to make that need a reality. If they do, the year 2009 will no longer carry the plight of the terrible picture of man, woman and child who died yesterday due to brutal terrorist explosions.

Our society will also not witness visuals of people with mutilated bodies and broken limbs as a result of terrorism. Let us wait no longer for another day to build up political partnership to take this nation on its forward march towards prosperity.

Year 2009 is the opportune time.