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Ideal approach

by Kalabooshana M. Meeadh

Every peace-loving citizen of Sri Lanka was quite happy after two decades of bloodshed in the civil war between the State and the LTTE when the ceasefire was declared. But, unfortunately, today, the violation of the Ceasefire Agreement has led to eruption of violence and killings.

Everyone was optimistic about restoration of peace in the country after the election of Mahinda Rajapakse as the President of Sri Lanka. His marvellous Chinthana attracted all right thinking men and women as the remedy to the malady of conflict between the LTTE and the State.

Readiness

At least, the President, after having brought all the political parties to one unanimous stand on the peace talks, has invited the LTTE supremo for direct talks without any condition.

According to the President, it is quite clear that the President is fully prepared to talk and find a most suitable solution that satisfies both the LTTE and the State. It is a very flexible approach to the commencement of the peace talks.

In my humble opinion, the President's readiness to face the problem of peace is a sign of future success in the peace talks. The ideal approach that the President adopts is not based on adamancy but on flexibility, If any partner to this peace negotiation shows his adamancy without giving into the party that demands more autonomy, he cannot achieve the desired result.

The repeated reasons for their demand should be taken into sympathetic consideration and more and more discussions in a friendly and humanitarian tone should be held between the leader of the LTTE, accompanied by the other members and the President, Mahinda Rajapakse, accompanied by representatives of the peace mission.

There should be a personal touch too in the course of the Peace Talks. The majority versus minority approach should not be adopted at all at any stage during the talks.

In other words, a feeling of equal status to all should guide everyone who participates in the discussion.

Direct talk

The ideal approach would be both the President of Sri Lanka and the LTTE leader in person should talk to each other in a diplomatic manner that brings both of them to a compromise. Though this ideal approach is undesirable according to some diplomats at the initial stages.

Another ideal approach as I envisage in the light of human reason and mentality, is that readiness to meet the demands of the Tamil ethnic group in enjoying the equal status with the Sinhalese ethnic group.

At this juncture, it should be brought to light that so far the use of Tamil language officially in all parts of Sri Lanka has been neglected by the State.

Discriminations

Most official correspondence takes place only in Sinhala language without being accompanied with a Tamil translation. That attitude has given rise to the growth of hatred and misunderstanding towards the domination of the majority rule even in the matter of language.

One cannot blame the Tamil linguistic groups for their constant demand for language right. Up to date, nothing substantial has been done by the State to mete out justice to the Tamil speaking groups in the matter of official recognition of Tamil language.

I have found that the AGA offices frequently conduct a variety of cultural and linguistic, literary and artistic competitions and that the information and application forms are prepared in Sinhala language only. When these applications are sent to Grama Sevaka Divisions, they are rarely brought to the notice of Tamil-speaking artists, writers and poets.

As a result of this discrimination at linguistic and cultural level, the Tamil speaking groups realise that they cannot enjoy their human rights under the existing system of Government.

Therefore, all these facts should be taken into consideration by the President, through his 'ideal chinthana' and he should convince the LTTE that all the wrongs unrectified so far will be promptly rectified under the new system of rule that will be set up with the full agreement of the LTTE.

Tamils' grievances

The JVP and other political forces that have agreed to follow the Mahinda Chinthana should listen to the grievances of the Tamil militants without being adamant in continuing a system of constitution that hinders the amicable settlement of the ethnic problem in the country.

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